Local Farmers and Ranchers can compete and win versus “Big Meat” Box Delivery companies. The keys to your Farm or Ranch “beating” these “Big Meat” Box Delivery are a strong local brand, high-quality products, and personal customer relationships. What truly matters is that you are local.

We recently sat down with Tom Bennett of Bennett Farms and Liz Mason of Honey Bee Hills on the Direct Farm Podcast for our first Farmer Roundtable. This podcast is perfect for beginner Farmers looking for information on buying or renting land, finding a processor, and the importance of creating a strong local brand.

Here are the five (5) most common email marketing mistakes that can cause recipients to be less likely to engage with your Farm business and how you can avoid implementing them in the future.

Restaurant openings provide a great example for Farmers of the 3 key tactics when seeking to spread the word about your business and generate interest in your Farm products.

For a local business or new Farm starting out, getting customers through the door can be difficult. Without a reliable customer base and consistent demand, this often means that when products are harvested, you’re moving them into freezers until they’re sold. Here are two tips to avoid the freezer business, drive upfront demand, and build a loyal customer base in your community.

We recently sat down with Blake Bennett, the owner, and operator of B3 Roots, on the Direct Farm Podcast to learn more about his go-to-market practices with starting his freight farming business. From the episode, we’re highlighting three go-to-market practices Blake used to start his Farm business from the ground up:

A Farm logo is a visual representation of your Brand. As an image that communicates who you are and what your business does, a logo has the power to differentiate you from other Farms.

When Farms have a high-quality email list and engage subscribers consistently, they see more frequent purchases and enjoy higher average order sizes. However, for emails to be effective, they must reach the inbox.

To effectively communicate the value of your products, Farmers need to understand what customers are looking for when purchasing from local producers. A product's value isn’t easily identifiable to buyers who don’t know your Farm brand or are unfamiliar with your farming practices.

By offering an easy and convenient experience at every stage in the “buying process” – from purchase to fulfillment. Farmers that do this have dramatically expanded their customer base by up to 170% and doubled annual sales in less than 12 months.

As more Americans log onto social media every day, it’s more important than ever for Farms to engage with buyers and create relationships with customers through online channels. Social media has become a powerful tool for building brand awareness, prompting Farmers to share stories and engaging content, keeping followers updated about their Farm and products.

Email is a powerful tool for Farms to drive sales and conversions, keeping buyers engaged in a place they look every day - their inbox! In fact, 70% of Americans admitted to being influenced by email marketing to make a purchase!

Owning your customer base is essential for any Farm business. When Farmers sell through third-party channels (e.g., Crowd Cow or MarketWagon), they own the customer relationship, not the Farmer. As a result, a Farmer has no ability to communicate, influence, and upsell more Farm products. More importantly, your Farm products are reduced to a commodity, and Brand loyalty does not accrue to your Farm.

The CSA model was created to attract community members to support local Farmers - ergo “Community Supported Agriculture” or “CSA.” Even though the concept has been around for decades, 99% of Americans don’t know what the term “CSA” means. The rise of the internet and the ease of purchasing products anytime online has fueled buyers’ expectations of convenience. If buyers don’t know what a CSA is, they won’t take time to figure it out, leading to lost sales for your Farm.

At Barn2Door, we know how important a Farmer’s Brand is to attract customers, build loyalty, and establish your Farm as a business. A logo has the power to communicate your Farm’s values, create a connection between you and your customers, and distinguish your Farm from the competition. That’s why we’re introducing Farm Logos as an in-house Barn2Door service.

Your Farm can thrive by focusing on local efforts. As 90% of retail and wholesale Buyers would rather purchase from local producers versus a commodity product, it’s essential that your Farm is well-positioned to attract and build a loyal base of local customers.

Communities are essential to the ongoing growth and stability of Farm businesses. Now, more than ever, Americans are eager to make personal connections with local Farmers to feel more confident and secure about the source of their local food.

The holidays are typically the busiest time of the year for your customers. In addition to the holidays to celebrate, it’s essential for your Farm to prioritize connecting with your audience. Why? The more your Farm stays top-of-mind, the more likely customers will place an order from your Farm in the near future.

A Farm Brand is a highly valuable tool to drive loyalty and fuel sales. In fact, 43% of Buyers will spend more money on brands they trust! An investment in your Farm brand is vital to your business long-term.More than just a logo, your Farm brand is the cumulative experience customers have with your business in person, online, through emails, and while shopping and consuming your products.

While some believe online interactions are impersonal, the reality is that your Farm can bring your customers even closer. Engaging Buyers through various channels (web, mobile, social, and email) and sharing your story, your practices and your products online, will help Buyers connect with you more than ever.