The Data on Buyer Demand for Local Farm Pick-ups

We know Buyers are increasingly conscientious about the foods they choose to consume, and the business they choose to support. The recent pandemic highlighted supply-chain shortcomings, which has fueled increasing demand for local Farm products and food security.

While 51% of Farmers are now seeking avenues to sell their Farm Products direct-to-market, the question remains if Farmers can meet Buyers’ expectations of convenience.

Although many Buyers have an emotional attachment to local Farmers, they often choose more easily accessible (but less nutritious) commodity products. To be successful, Farmers must make their products readily available to local Buyers — net-net Buyer convenience wins.

Download the complete 2023 Barn2Door Local Loop Survey Infographic

Buyer Survey Methodology. At Barn2Door, we work with 1000’s of Farmers all across the country, who serve millions of Buyers. We recently conducted a survey across tens of thousands of Buyers to asses their interest in “Farm Pick-ups” as a way to shop for food in their local communities.

More specifically, we surveyed Buyers to better understand what places were convenient for a Farm Pick-up based on their activities, habits and routines in their community - also known as the “Local Loop.”

The goal is to make your Farm Products more convenient to purchase and pick-up, and increase your Brand awareness to attract more local customers (fueling your Farm sales). Here’s what the survey has to tell us about Buyer preferences for local Farm Pick-ups.

Local Business Pick-ups

Today 87% of Buyers believe supporting local business is important. Your Farm is a local business, but many Buyers in your community may be unaware of your Brand. To increase your exposure and make it convenient for Buyers, Farmers should offer Local Business Pick-ups. 

In fact, 69% of Buyers frequent a local business at least 1-2 times per week. This is ideal for a regular, ongoing purchase of your Farm Products. Buyers want regular access to dairy, produce and proteins, not to mention other seasonal and year-round products (e.g. flower subscriptions). The best part is that your Farm will likely increase foot-traffic at Local Businesses where you offer Pick-ups — a win-win for everyone.

For 80% of surveyed Buyers, the local restaurant, diner and cafe was their number one frequented local business. However, many other alternatives exist, too. When considering Local Business Pick-ups for your Farm, choose places that your existing and target Buyers frequent regularly. 

Local School Pick-ups

Support for local schools often reflects the demographics of your Buyers. If you are serving Buyers with large families and school-aged children, then your Farm may want to consider offering Local School Pick-ups. 55% of Buyers believe supporting Local Schools is important.

Given the routines associated with school attendance, activities, sports and events, Buyers frequent local schools quite regularly. In fact, 59% of Buyers visit a school at least weekly, and 80% of Buyers visit a school monthly. Schools also boast large parking lots, which can make Local School Pick-ups easy and convenient.

Among the variety and types and schools frequented by Buyers, Primary Schools were the most popular destination at 47%, followed by High Schools at 38%. Depending on the make-up of your existing and target Buyers, you should consider a school venue that best matches the needs of your Farm business. Also consider reaching out to the School Administration, who may be eager to officially partner with your Farm business for educational purposes, too. 

Local Church Pick-ups

All across America, local churches, synagogues and houses of worship continue to play a central role in local communities. In fact, 68% of Buyers believe supporting local churches is important. If you are a member of a local congregation or denomination, then your Farm should consider Local Church Pick-ups.

Churches offer a regular routine of activities that often reaches a wide spectrum of Buyers. Today, 65% of Buyers regularly frequent their Local Church at least 1-2 times per week. In addition to regular worship, Local Churches are often a hub of activities - including youth groups, adult groups, childcare, schools and events.

Most Buyers regularly frequent a house of worship on a Sunday, but mid-week activities and events can also make mid-week a good alternative for hosting a Local Church Pick-up. In fact, about one-third (29%) of all Buyers go to a Local Church on a Wednesday, followed by one-fifth (20%) on a Saturday. With large parking lots and a strong alignment to support the dignity of Farm work, your Farm may want to consider speaking with church administration about hosting a Local Church Pick-up.

The Data is CLEAR

Today, your Farm can reach 2 out of 3 prospective Buyers (63%) by offering Local Pick-ups at local businesses, schools or churches. That is a large segment of existing and prospective Buyers to purchase your Farm Products. When Farms offer convenient options to purchase and pick-up their products, they attract more Buyers, increase Brand awareness and increase revenue.

Note, based on the breadth of participation and the number of respondents to Barn2Door’s Local Loop survey, we have a 95% degree of confidence in the results, +/- 3% points of accuracy. Download the complete 2023 Barn2Door Local Loop Survey Infographic.

Barn2Door provides an all-in-one solution to grow and manage your Farm business. If you’re curious to learn why successful Farms run on Barn2Door, watch this 5-minute video.