Finding Success with CSA Subscriptions: Tagge’s Famous Fruit, UT
In this episode of the Direct Farm Podcast, we talk with Laci Tagge of Tagge's Famous Fruit & Veggie Farms from Perry, Utah. We discuss CSA Subscriptions, the importance of product add-ons, and prioritizing CSA members to drive sales and build a loyal customer base.
Tagge's is a family Farm growing fruit and vegetables in Perry, Utah. Through their wildly popular CSA, Tagge's has become a staple serving many local communities throughout Utah.
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Rory Loughran: Welcome to the Direct Farm Podcast. I'm Rory, your host for today's episode. We've got a great conversation for you today with the newest of our Farm Advisors, Laci Tagge from Tagge's Famous Fruit, located in Perry, Utah. Welcome, Laci. It's really great to have you here.
Laci Tagge: Hi. I'm super excited to be with you guys today and thanks for including us.
Rory Loughran: Yeah, of course. To start out, could you just tell us a little bit about Tagge's Famous Fruit and the products that you guys sell today?
Laci Tagge: Yeah, so I'm Laci Tagge. Obviously I'm the Farmer's daughter, so my parents are the [00:01:00] owners of Tagge's Famous Fruit. Both my mom and dad are very actively involved. My dad's a Farmer and then my mom kind of oversees all the little loose ends, kind of keeps us going and ties those pretty bows.
We have 80 acres of trees, 6 acres of berries, 32 acres of corn, sweet corn. 16 acres of pumpkins and squash, and then we do have some partnerships with other Farmers that help us grow like road crops, like all the kale and beets. But we're, our main focus is we have trees, so peaches, nectarines, pears, plums, apricots, cherries, all that.
And then the coolest thing about us is we have 6 acres of certified organic blackberries. So we're a pretty big deal in Utah, and yeah, my dad's been doing this since he was 35, so about 20, 26 years. So yeah.
Rory Loughran: That's awesome. Well, I know you kind of, you mentioned the blackberries there. I was curious, I was [00:02:00] doing some reading on your website and it seems like that's kind of been one of the staples since you guys started, but could you tell us all how did Tagge's Famous Fruit come to be really? What was that origin story?
Laci Tagge: Yeah, so first off, my dad was 35. He was a CPA. He did that full time and he would just kind of needed a little side gig, so he decided to take off three weeks every summer and go to this place in Utah called Bear Lake, and they're famous for raspberries. So what he would do, go up there, get raspberries, bring 'em down to Salt Lake in the valley, and sell 'em on the side of the roads.
And then one day this lady's like, "I need Brigham City peaches." So my dad's like, "Cool, I'll pick up peaches on the way down." And so he would get peaches from this Farmer and the Farmer would sell peaches. And the Farmer one year was like, "Hey Thane, why don't you buy my 30 acres? I'll teach you for a year how to farm."
And my dad did it. He quit a [00:03:00] CPA job, learned how to farm. And so that's kind of how he started when he was 35 years old. So pretty cool story.
Rory Loughran: Yeah. That's incredible. And also, I just love that it started with just the stand. And then eventually he gets that offer. Was there any kind of family history in farming before this?
Laci Tagge: None. He had no experience.
Rory Loughran: Yeah. Wow. So that year was really important.
Laci Tagge: It was scary, definitely. When you're 35 you quit like a legit CPA job just to farm. Like my grandparents were just like, to my parents, "you guys are crazy." I was three years old at this time, so I didn't, wasn't really aware of what was going on, obviously. But yeah, my parents then, yeah, they started there and they still did the Bear Lake raspberry. They'd go up there and get 'em, but then they had a Farm, so it was cool.
Rory Loughran: Yeah. Wow. And then, so like you said, you were 3. You kind of grew up in that and on the Farm. What was that like for you and your siblings?
Laci Tagge: It was so fun. So we would just drive around with them all day and we learned hard work. So like we had to work every summer and [00:04:00] when school started we had to work every Saturday. That was just kind of part of the deal. And yeah, I'm really appreciative. It taught me the value of hard work, so I'm grateful for it.
Rory Loughran: And so, you had mentioned, you know, he started with this Farm stand. Are you guys still doing farm stands today? Has that kind of grown now since you have the Farm that you guys are owning and operating?
Laci Tagge: Yeah, so when he bought the Farm, it came with a huge fruit stand, so we have that one. It's in Perry. It's an hour north of Salt Lake. And then we bring a lot of it down to Salt Lake. We have seven fruit stands on the side of the road that have been around for 20, 25 years. And then we do attend Farmers' Markets.
We go to about 15 Farmers' Markets a week, those little popups. So yeah, we keep those going. And we've had all those locations. We've had seven. We've been up to 15 stands, so we kind of fluctuate. But the seven are a staple. And yeah, we love our fruit stand. That's what we're mostly famous for, is on the side of the road.
Get your corn, get your peaches, get your berries. So...
Rory Loughran: Yeah. That's really awesome. And I'm guessing that, [00:05:00] as you guys started with a Farm stand being kind of your guys' first go to market path, I guess, what was the early stages of the Farm like? You know, you're selling out of the Farm stand, you're growing that, but since you were there since you were three years old, what was the early stages of the Farm like?
Laci Tagge: So really it was just kind of like product wise, we just have a few things. So like we just have raspberries or peaches and it just started slowly where my parents added more products. So now they have like over 40 different jams and salsa, local beef jerky. So now it's really expanded.
It's not a one stop shop. You know, you do have to still go to the grocery store, but they're trying to make it where you can get a lot of stuff so you don't feel like you have to go to the grocery store. But they've added a lot of products. They obviously have added new varieties of peaches, new variety that come on at different times.
They've tried to have a fall crop of raspberry. So that's kind of how the stands have grown a lot.
Rory Loughran: Yeah. What was, cuz I know that early stage, obviously you guys are really well [00:06:00] established now at this point. But a lot of Farms that are, that listen or that are working with Barn2Door, they're in that early stage of the Farm process. How did you guys go about kind of starting to build a customer base?
Cause I feel like that's always the first hump that people have to get over is that initial group of customers. How did you guys kind of go about growing those folks and getting 'em looped into your products?
Laci Tagge: Right. Well obviously you gotta have an amazing product. Like it's all about our Brigham City Peaches. Like we are impressing by our product and we always try to do the best customer service and make people happy. And then on top of that, social media really has helped get our word out. And it, that's added a ton, but really it started with giving fresh fruit, picking it that day, making sure it's, you know, good produce.
So that's what starts your customer base. And then after that you win 'em. So, and they keep coming back. So that's kind of how you gotta do, you gotta have a good product, you gotta make sure you're doing things right. And [00:07:00] then obviously you can add some little resources on to help you grow.
Rory Loughran: Yeah. And I like that, I'm almost curious, do you think that, cuz a lot of times when Farms are selling, one of the things they're really harping on is the quality of their products and how local they are to folks. And I love that you guys refer to some of your products by the area that they're from.
And so do you think that's kind of helped make that connection a little easier for customers to be able to associate that product with how local and fresh it is?
Laci Tagge: Totally, Totally. That name, Brigham City Peaches, Bear Lake Raspberries, Sweet Corn. Those names really tie people and re they remember where they got it. And they also know it's so fresh, you know? Like if they go to the grocery store, they're gonna see a different name. It's not gonna be Brigham City Peaches, and they're gonna be like, "No, we have to get the Brigham City Peaches."
And that's what we have at our Farmer's Markets. We have a sign, says Brigham City Peaches, and people come straight to it. They know, you know?
Rory Loughran: Yeah. That's awesome. That's a really great strategy. I hope other folks try that cuz [00:08:00] I think yeah, it's a really smart to be able to tie that to a location that people are familiar with.
Awesome. Well, what was kind of your guys' decision? What went into the decision to sign up with Barn2Door? You guys have been using Barn2Door for a while now, but what was kind of the point where you were like, "Okay let's take this online" and specifically to do that with Barn2Door?
Laci Tagge: So there was two goals. One was to get my mom off the computer less time on the computer cause you can focus on other things. And then second goal was to upsell to make more money. Those were the two goals and that's why we joined.
Rory Loughran: And so what kind of, how was that process? Did you guys look at other options? What was it about Barn2Door that made you guys decide to go this route?
Laci Tagge: Yeah, so we always have been approached with a loss of CSA softwares. Really the approach is they did take more money. Obviously Barn2Door was a great price. We were shocked. Obviously that, and then also you guys gave me great support and so I was able to get over that hump to transition from my old system and [00:09:00] it also, you know, your parents aren't as tech savvy, I also was able to show my mom like, here's how we're gonna do it. We got it, you know. And it was great cuz I had great teams at Barn2Door that did it all for me. They put my old system into the new system and it really kicked us off really well.
So that's kind of what it's been like.
Rory Loughran: Awesome. Yeah, I was kind of curious too, like, what were you guys doing before Barn2Door? You mentioned your mom was having to do a lot of time at the computer. What was the system in place for that beforehand?
Laci Tagge: Yeah, so we get an order off WordPress, just our basic website. And then we typed that order into an Excel and it was very coded and detailed oriented. And it was complicated, but it was handwriting in every order. And we have 1100, we've had up to 1200 subscriptions, you know, so typing in all those and they're add-ons and all this stuff.
And then what was also taking a lot of time is, people would get the add-ons weekly, and we would have to type those in as well. [00:10:00] So it was just all hand typed into Excel, and then we'd generate labels, obviously off Excel, but it was a lot of work.
Rory Loughran: Yeah. That's super time consuming. I know you kind of touched on getting all of your products and everything moved into Barn2Door, but that's a big transition to go from that system to using Barn2Door. What was the shift like? What was the transition like going through that process?
Laci Tagge: Well, first off, she would be on the computer three to four hours and every night. So she'd work a 10, 11 day shift at her warehouse and at the farm, and then she'd go home and it was depressing. She'd wake up to like 30, 40 emails, you know? And so the transition was amazing because we could just have the order. We know it's in the system, and then we just print it off. You know what I mean? She didn't have to put it into another system and stuff like that. So that's really, it really, it saved her a lot of time.
Rory Loughran: Yeah, definitely. And then I'm curious on the customer side of things, what was their response to when you guys [00:11:00] made that switch to Barn2Door? How did they respond? Did they notice a difference? What was their reaction?
Laci Tagge: No, they actually are really happy. Obviously the older generation struggles still signing up, but a lot of my generation and those moms, they love it and they like that they get emails of, "Hey, buy an extra box of peaches" or, "get this". They love it, that they're able to be really included into what's in season and what they can add to their box. They love it.
So it's nice to know like, "Oh, I can get more tomatoes", you know, and stuff like that. So they really are happy and they're happy that it gets delivered right in front of their porch, so I love it.
Rory Loughran: Yeah, something you brought up there that they like receiving these emails. I know sometimes Farmers are a little hesitant with a lot of the marketing that they do, especially around asking people to make a purchase, whether that's with email marketing or social media.
But kind of from what you've said there, it sounds like you guys have had a little bit of a different experience than that. I guess I'm curious, what would be your advice to [00:12:00] Farmers that are nervous about that, I guess, that are nervous about sending out these emails and why shouldn't they be nervous about asking for a sale?
Laci Tagge: Yeah. Hey, I've been there, done that. I always get nervous about asking for more money cuz you already asked for the CSA box, right? That's like three to what, $800 and you're asking 'em to buy more every week. Right. But you know what? If they don't wanna buy, they won't buy. And if they wanna buy, they'll buy and you'll see it.
And I used to just send out the add-ons once a week, but I would send it out on Fridays and then I would send it up out on Sunday. They'd be like, "Hey, signups are closing tonight for this week." And I would send it out twice. And it was more successful the more I send it out, and if people don't wanna get it, they won't get it and don't feel pressured.
But there are people that want it and appreciate it, and they wanna support you and they want the produce. So the more you send is more successful. And I had to get over that too. It was really scary at first cuz you already asked for 500 bucks, right? And now you're asking for another 50 to 60, you know?
But if they don't want it, they don't need to get it. And [00:13:00] if they want it, you're gonna see it and you're gonna, you're gonna appreciate it more.
Rory Loughran: Yeah. And it makes it worth the time. Definitely. And I think too, that something that I really like about the way you've approached that is kind of just giving people reminders. Cuz at the end of the day, people, their inbox is filled with a lot of things and they might be scrolling through when they see one of your emails and be like, "Oh yeah, I should add on something this week."
But then they keep scrolling, they look at all their other emails, they get back to whatever they were doing. And so sending another email that's another reminder that just kind of hit 'em again and they'll be like, "Oh yeah I meant to go add on to honey this week or jam." And so they go do that and it just kind of, you do have to be constant cuz people forget.
And so, they might really appreciate those reminders. I was also curious in terms of your, I know you mentioned you guys had a WordPress website beforehand. What was that process like of transitioning to Barn2Door and going through the website building process?
Laci Tagge: Oh man, it was so easy. I just sent over pictures, Barn2Door picked a few styles and voilà. It was so easy, easy [00:14:00] transition. Well, obviously you have to transition to get the Barn2Door new online store and we didn't do anything. It was great.
Rory Loughran: That's great. That's great to hear. That's the goal. Well, I know we've talked about the CSA a little bit here, but you guys have definitely had a really great focus on keeping your product offering relatively simple with much of the store focused on that CSA. So how would you say that's kind of simplified your ordering process for customers and also for you guys?
Laci Tagge: Yeah. It's been great. The products that we're able to put out, like the add-ons, it's been nice for people that want a different jar of jam every week or different jar of salsa. We also have like a corn add-on. Those things are just like an extra little boost. The add-ons are great cuz it, it just pays for wages, it pays for those little expenses and it kind of makes you feel like your head's above water, you [00:15:00] know?
So you gotta do add-on. You gotta let people kind of do, They want bread, they want, they just, the more you give 'em, the more they want it and they're excited. And we also were able to incorporate other local businesses, and that was fun too. They could learn about a new business and it would come with their box.
But the one motivating factoring of all the add-ons for me is, it was able to support my family cuz my parents were like, you gotta figure out a way to make more money. And that's the reason why I was so excited about Barn2Door.
I was able to add on that extra, I think this year I sold about $80,000 of add-ons, so that was able to show my parents like, Hey, yeah, like this is a great way to, you know, incorporate some extra money and incorporate, you know, pay another person in the business, you know. So that was the main motivating for me is I was able to get a commission on how much I sold.
So that's really why I was able to take it over. And those add-ons really just kind of [00:16:00] a little boost, you know, in your week where you're like, Okay, we got this, you know, and you're feeling a little bit happier, you can hire more help. You can make those extra deliveries and stuff.
Rory Loughran: Yeah, definitely. Yeah, the CSA is kind of like that base revenue that you know you're gonna get. But then all those add-ons are just kind of extra added cream on top. That's really awesome. Have you guys changed your product offering much over time? Obviously you guys are using the CSA, the subscription model right now.
Has that always kind of been one of your main products or how has that kind of changed over time?
Laci Tagge: Yeah. So with our CSAs, we do make them commit to the whole 15 weeks. We've noticed that people have a hard time committing, but once they're committed, we make it worth their time. Our biggest complaint is that we're super generous. So once you're locked in, you're locked in. Obviously there's a few cases here and there where we're generous and give back the money, but we want people to be a part of the Farm.
We want them to struggle, like this year was a bad tomato year. We want them to struggle with [00:17:00] us that it was a bad tomato year. Like we want them to be locked in with us and support us, but we make it worth their time. Like we give 'em specials on the add-ons, they get $3 to $4 off what our normal customers get.
They get to be included in those other extra local add-ons, and they get to be included in what's going on at the Farm. They get to know all of that, and so that's why we kind of lock 'em in and make them be a part of the Farm for the whole time. It's been very successful that way. I have talked to some Barn2Door reps and they want me to try the week by week, but I just, we haven't. We don't want to, we wanna lock people in and we want them committed, but that is also another route that we could go is do a different thing week-by-week. But we haven't done that, so, I'm learning too. So...
Rory Loughran: Everybody always is. That's great. And I was curious with how you guys have your CSA set up. Do you have to be a part of the CSA to get access to the add-on [00:18:00] products, or could someone go in and just buy add-ons?
Laci Tagge: Yeah. You have to be in the CSAs to get the exclusive stuff. So that's what nice about Barn2Door, you have that private store. I am able to have discount on bulk peaches, it's $5 off. If they want that, they have to be a member. If they want discount on like a bulk corn and all of that stuff. Yeah, we make them be a member.
And we have a little box, We have like this little one person box. We have different sizes, a two person and a four. So they could join, do the $300 box and then they can get all that perks. But you have to be a part of the box to get the other good stuff. So...
Rory Loughran: Yeah. No, I love that model too, because a lot of times people do want access to those other things. And they most likely, if they're coming to you, they want those base products anyways. But then using that kind of like I guess wagging the carrot in front of 'em a little bit with being able to offer deals and discounts and then as well as just access to more products, is a really great way to incentivize those long [00:19:00] term. I mean, like you said, they're committing for 15 weeks, so that's really great revenue certainty for you guys to be able to have that to rely on, and then they get access to all those other things.
Laci Tagge: Yeah. And they love it. And I make it so every week's a different product too. I bring in other stuff, but then our original products are there too, so it makes it fun for them too.
Rory Loughran: You mentioned you guys partnered with some local businesses and things. What are some of the things you guys have offered as add-ons in partnership with local business?
Laci Tagge: Yeah, so we've done like a meat bundle, a local meat guy. We've done local bread pies. People love hand pies. Some unique bread I've done, some like Jewish bread. Yeah, any like local business, cinnamon rolls, I've done, these cronies, like lots of bakeries have reached out.
Like I always post on social media, "hey, any local businesses wanna partner with us." And it's been fun like, and they, it is really fun when they use our product, like our peaches and make a peach pie for everyone, or they make our apple pie with our apples and people love that. We [00:20:00] did a butter this year, we did a peach butter that was cool. Local butter person.
So we've done a lot of fun stuff. Yeah, it's been great and it's definitely, I'm better at selling my own product, but it's fun to include the little guys and, you know, and I really love learning about their business and how they can make their stuff. And I tell the customers this, "Hey, this is our butter gal. She's making peach butter. Like here's where she's located. Like this is how she's working. She's using local milk."
Like, so it's really fun and I love to support these little guys cuz we were there too, you know?
Rory Loughran: Yeah, that's really cool. And I love the collaboration that takes place there. I know that's something that a lot of Farms are starting to do more and more of is kind of adding those partnerships to either increase their product offering in their store as a whole or even like you guys are doing, add products that are available for a week or so.
You mentioned you guys do a lot of that through social media and just throwing it out there as an open invitation, but I was curious what would be your advice to folks if they are looking to establish some of those [00:21:00] partnerships, what are some good ways to go about it, and then also making sure that it's a good fit with your Farm?
Laci Tagge: Yeah, honestly it started at the Farmer's Market, like the booth next to me. She had hand pies and they're delicious. And I was like, "Hey, do you wanna make these for our customer?" That's kind of how I started. And It's kind of fun to go around the Farmer's Market, see what products would be great.
Obviously our boxes get delivered and sometimes they're outside for an hour or two. So I had to kind of find things that fit that way. But it worked, it's been working out great. So yeah, reaching out to your neighbor at the Farmer's Market, going to like a local grocery store that has local products you can reach, kind of see what products would look good with your stuff.
Like for example, we do sell on pepper corn, right? So the butter obviously was a hit, but like finding a seasoning like, that would go good on corn, stuff like that, that goes good with your product, people love. So, and it's easy to find.
Rory Loughran: That's awesome. And yeah, I love that idea of going to the grocery store and looking at some of the local people, because grocery stores do, I think they're getting better at working [00:22:00] with local folks. And so that also kind of has maybe an implication of the size of the business that you could then be reaching out to, which could be helpful too, to work with somebody that's maybe a little more established.
Is that something that you've found?
Laci Tagge: Yeah, totally. A hundred percent. Cuz I love when other people reach out to us and so like I love when bakeries say, "Hey, I wanna make Peach Pie and I need your peaches." And I love it, so we can incorporate with each other and I want people to do the same to me, so I'm obviously doing it back.
Rory Loughran: Yeah. Awesome. What has been kind of the response from customers in the way that you guys are specifically packaging your products and offering these subscriptions, these CSAs? What has been the response from customers overall on that kind of setup and the way that you're offering products?
Laci Tagge: Yeah, so they love it. First off, like I said, our biggest complaint is we're generous. So whatever is in season, we jam pack that box full. And they also love it cuz they have two options. They can go have the box delivered to their house for delivery fee, or they can go pick it up at a [00:23:00] pickup location.
And we have over 60 different locations where it's free. They go to that location and pick up the box. So it's super convenient. So I'm able to help people that live outside of Salt Lake, they're not able to get it. So these boxes are a great way to still be part of the Farm without having to like, come to my permanent location.
They're super happy about the variety they get in the box, you know, they get to learn what's in season. That's one thing that's hard is a lot of people are naive what's in season. They're like, "Oh, I thought peaches started in June." And it's like, no, they're in August, you know, and they're able to learn that and be able to eat what's in season and that's why they like the box as well.
They're able to be educated on what is actually grown in Utah and what they can't eat and when they can eat it.
Rory Loughran: Yeah, that's a really great aspect. Do you guys ever do like, recipes as well in that box to help people maybe learn how to cook something that they might not be familiar with?
Laci Tagge: Yeah, so we, which is where we love using MailChimp and that's where we post our recipes. We send out a weekly, like a [00:24:00] weekly that week, what's on season. And we include recipes, especially for those harder things like, people struggle with eggplant and tomatillos and you know, kale and chard, we always include 10 different recipes.
Give 'em some ideas. We also have a Facebook, a little private Facebook group where people that are really creative cookers, like members that I have, will post on that to help people. Cuz sometimes you do get a few plums that you don't know what to do with, and the members will be like, "Hey, do this with your plums."
Or even giving tips on how to freeze. You know, a lot of people are, don't know how to freeze or can, and so we do give those tips in the weekly email and we do tell 'em about the stuff, cuz sometimes people don't know what is the difference between the apples or difference between the different plums, you know?
So we do help 'em out there as well.
Rory Loughran: Yeah. I love that Facebook group idea. Is that something you guys made or did your customers kind of just organically put that together?
Laci Tagge: Well, I just got a couple [00:25:00] emails like, "Hey, I'm struggling with this. Like, is there other members I can ask?" You know? And so then I just started one, it was like probably three years ago. I have 1100 subscribers, but only about 600 people are on it. It's been, yeah, it's great cuz I have a lot of members that have been with us forever and they just know how to use the box really well and they're the ones that are constantly helping the newbies out because that is one of the struggles of the boxes is you do need to cook, you need to get creative.
and it's so fresh, you gotta eat it quicker than you think. And so it's been great little group resource to get more information for those newbies that are new to CSAs.
Rory Loughran: Yeah. That's awesome. And I love that idea just because, one, it's great that you guys started it and are able to kind of manage it. So you have some, a little bit of control over there. Cuz I know sometimes Facebook groups can get outta hand, but it's also great just that collaboration and I feel like it almost continues to build that sense of community around the Farm.
Laci Tagge: Yeah, it's been super fun. I don't have time to [00:26:00] cook right now, but it's so great that my members have, that can help me out, and just post a simple recipe for them. It's been great. Yeah.
Rory Loughran: Yeah. At what point did you guys start doing CSAs? Is that something you've always offered customers?
Laci Tagge: So this is our 12th year. So yeah, I've been full-time 10 years. So I've done the program for 10 years. So, yeah, the reason why we started, the main reason is, this upstart cost to being a Farm. You're in a hundred, 200k debt of seeds, you know, or even more nowadays. And this is the CSA. It helps us keep our head above water and feeling motivated and that's the main reason why we started the CSAs.
Rory Loughran: Yeah. Yeah, definitely. That revenue certainty is huge. What would you say if Farmers are looking at kind of setting up a subscription model for their products. Obviously you guys have got this pretty well down to a science at this point. What would your advice be to folks that are just getting started with a CSA or a [00:27:00] subscription?
Laci Tagge: You gotta have good product. You know what I mean? You gotta make sure you're putting in good stuff. Our CSA members are priority. They get the best of the best, and then our fruit stands get second option, you know what I mean? You have to have a good product. You gotta give what the people wanna give and we have those Brigham City Peaches, those Bear Lake Raspberries, and those Willer Bay Blackberries. You know, we have a great product and that's what gets customers locked in.
Rory Loughran: Yeah, definitely. And I feel like I've heard that too with folks doing meat or things like that, like making sure you're guaranteeing, cuz like steaks for example always go fast. But making sure that your subscription customers have access to those first is a great way to incentivize those long term purchases.
Laci Tagge: Yeah. One of the big things on our Farm is we have these donut peaches. They look like a donut, they're a white peach, they're little. And those are a big deal. And like this year we lost like 60% of our crop and our customers got 'em in the box and we weren't [00:28:00] able to sell a lot and some years we have a lot of 'em and they're able to order those and it is, you gotta make them feel priority. And they also know like, "hey, it was a bad donut peach year. Like, I gotta sign up next year so I make sure I can get a box of, you know? So that is true. You do need to make sure they feel special and that they are getting priority.
Rory Loughran: Yeah. Are there any kind of tips or tricks or advice you would give folks in terms of building a CSA on Barn2Door and like having a subscription set up there that you guys have found have been really useful or worked well for you guys?
Laci Tagge: Yeah, it's all about convenience, right? You need to have some locations for them or have a reasonable delivery fee. I honestly, the drop offs have worked great for us. We just ask people to volunteer their home and then, I'm still learning about the delivery and dropping off cuz it is a kind of cost efficient, it takes more money and I don't know the right price for that yet.
We're still learning, but the best for us is [00:29:00] them to pick up the box at a location near to them, and I've been able to offer some businesses, some homes all over that has made it convenient for people to join us.
Rory Loughran: Yeah. I'm curious in terms of promotion for this, how do you guys promote your CSA and your subscriptions to your audience? How are you kind of working on adding more people to it?
Laci Tagge: So our most successful is using our members. We say, "Hey, post on Next Door, we'll give you some credit in the store." And then we obviously have worked with influencers and finding some food bloggers and stuff like that. That's costs a little bit more than you wanna pay. And then we've used some ads, but mostly it's your members talking to them, telling them to tell their friends, or even splitting a box with their friends, like reaching out to them has been the most successful way of getting new members.
Rory Loughran: That's really great. Yeah, definitely continuing to lean on the community there and have it build around that. And also too, your [00:30:00] customers are probably, we always talk about like your ideal customer and who those people are. And if you've already found one of them, it's likely that their friends are similar and also your ideal customer.
So it's a closer in, I guess to get them added. Do you guys offer pre-orders for your CSA and allow people to basically like sign up before the season will even start?
Laci Tagge: Yeah, so our season just ended last week and we'll open 'em up in a month. Obviously we don't put a big push on it until like March, April, but a lot of people wanna secure their spot and we do cut it off like, we do make it exclusive and cut it off, so we do make it available for them to order eight months in advance.
Rory Loughran: And I know you, you said you know, you want it to be a little exclusive. What, why is the reason you guys take pre-orders and how do you guys feel that they've been helpful to you as you're preparing for the next season?
Laci Tagge: Yeah. The reason why the preorders is nice is because we can plan. We can plan on unique stuff we wanna grow [00:31:00] for the program. Like for instance, you know, like the eggplant and stuff like that. We're able to get more creative and get better seeds and plan more. That's the reason why we like the pre-sign ups.
Rory Loughran: Yeah, definitely. So with the CSA, you guys offer a couple different sizes. Could you maybe just talk about how you decided on those sizes and what you guys offer for different sizes of your CSA?
Laci Tagge: Yeah, so the different sizes just happened like four years ago. So we would do, you know, there's a share and a half share. So we'd have this half bushel box and it was huge. People didn't like it. There was too much in it. And so we were like, and it was for a family. It did feed four to six people. And so about four or five years ago, me and my mom were like, Hey, this is just, you know, we're not getting as many sign up because some people just want a little taste.
So that big box we made it, called "The Four Person Box". And obviously remember, like I said, our biggest complaints were generous, so that box feeds a lot more than four [00:32:00] people. And then we came up with this little two person for like a couple, and then we have this one person box, you know, for the people that just want a taste of it or live alone or just want to see what's, you know, get a little bit of everything.
So we had to do those three different boxes because we are too generous and so it is able to get more signups cuz we have those different sizes and different options.
Rory Loughran: Yeah. What was the kind of shift you saw once you went from doing the one big share? What was the change that you guys saw in signups and kind of, overall attitudes towards it once you guys kind of split that up and had more of an offering?
Laci Tagge: Yeah, everyone was excited. I got members back from previous years, they're like, "Yes! I just couldn't eat it all", you know? And it's like, well, great, get this little box. And it's been great cuz people will get the smaller box and then they'll upgrade or they will downgrade and it's been kind of flexible for them. So they can figure out how much they want to eat.
So it's been a really good response and I'm happy we did it.
Rory Loughran: Yeah. And I know we've talked before and you've mentioned that retention [00:33:00] is always kind of your guys' biggest goal and one of the struggles with the CSA. What are some of the things you guys are doing to help keep people around and have them sign up for next season?
Laci Tagge: Yeah. Retention. It's across the nation. Everyone gets about half their signups, but the one thing that helps is giving them ideas on how to cook and trying to keep them motivated through the season. Another thing is we keep 'em in by their keeping us Farming and they keep us going and that's the main point is keeping your local Farmer around. And then also it's kind of painful for them to go through the winter and get those, you know, produce that aren't as fresh. And then, They miss it. So obviously our product is amazing. It's picked that day, it's in their box, they're getting the freshest stuff.
So that kind of helps with retention is, they start to notice a difference between the store and our stuff. And then the next thing is, yeah, we do give them a coupon code at the end of the year to join next year. And that's kind of, [00:34:00] that's helped a lot as well.
Rory Loughran: Yeah. That's awesome. I love that idea. And definitely, you know, saying thank you for going through those 15 weeks with you. And I love, I think, I feel like overall you guys are doing a really great job of making the subscription like an experience and that they are a part of the Farm, they're a part of a community of CSA members. They get to interact through your guys' Facebook group. They get to interact with you guys through your marketing, through your emails. I think you guys have done an awesome job of just making that more than just a box showing up at your door.
But what would be your advice maybe to Farmers that are either struggling to grow like a subscription customer base or like you guys, like you mentioned, keeping those folks around.
What would be some advice or some ideas that you would give to them?
Laci Tagge: Oh man. Yeah, I'm still learning, obviously. Getting the idea out there. No one knows what CSA means, you know what I mean? Like you gotta educate through social media. You gotta get yourself out there, get on your local TV show or getting in, connecting with other [00:35:00] local food bloggers.
You gotta like educate people. Like, this is what we have. Be a part of us. Get this box. Try it out. Learn how to cook. Challenge yourself to cook. Like, you really need to educate people on this, what a CSA is and get this weekly subscription, you know. Social media has definitely helped in that part a lot. But yeah, just word of mouth, like tell your friends, your neighbors about this box and that they can pick it up right here once a week.
It's just like getting them excited about sharing it too. But really, social media is where it is and how to teach people what it means and to join us and to be exclusively with us.
Rory Loughran: Yeah. Yeah, definitely. Well, so we've touched a little bit on some of your fulfillments. And I know delivery is something you guys are doing. When did you guys start offering delivery for customers and how has that been going?
Laci Tagge: Yeah, we've offered deliveries the whole 12 years we've done it. It's an extra, I think we're due $15 a week. So it is a [00:36:00] little bit pricier. It's an extra $15, but it comes right to your door. But then again, our drop offs are free. We would like to expand more on delivery. It's just trying to find that right price.
We're working on it. It's hard. It's challenging. But it is there for those that don't have time and wanna do it. And they're actually one of our best customers. There's the one that gets the extra stuff and they love it, and they like it just coming to their door. If people want it and want the convenience, they'll pay for it.
Rory Loughran: Yeah, definitely. Have you seen growth in terms of the delivery side of your program?
Laci Tagge: Yeah, definitely have seen a lot of special deliveries going on. Yeah. It's been there, especially with Barn2Door, it's.
Rory Loughran: Yeah. Awesome. And then I know you said the delivery fee is $15 and that does seem like a lot, but it almost makes me glad to hear that you guys are charging that much because delivery is always expensive with time no matter what. While that time can oftentimes be a little bit easier for Farmers cuz they kind of can do it on their own schedule. But it also is expensive. And now more than ever with gas, and just making sure you're [00:37:00] maintaining the vehicle, how did you guys kind of decide on that $15 and is that something you think you'll stick with?
Laci Tagge: Yeah, it's kind of, just kind of the wage is going on around. You know, $15 like the minimum wage a little bit. So yeah, that's kind of how we decided. It's been $15 the whole 12 years. Like it hasn't just kind of been the price we've had and my mom thought was reasonable.
We definitely could be lower on locations that are closer to us, but it's out of the way. It's definitely not convenient of dropping off 40 boxes at a house, you know what I mean? it is a special out of the way, an extra time to drop it off. So that's just kind of how the price has been.
Rory Loughran: Yeah. I was curious with Barn2Door and MailChimp, I know we've talked about you guys send out recipes and some other things. Are you guys doing like, newsletters and have you had good success with those?
Laci Tagge: Yeah, we do newsletters. Those have been successful for customers that aren't in our CSA program, cuz we do, we have other products of jams [00:38:00] and salsas and we ship those out and we also have our, because we're seasonal, right? So our product, we give out ideas of where they can get our product in the winter and how they can gift it and stuff like that.
So we've used the newsletter and the new people that join our website, get a newsletter and learn about us more. So it's been really successful.
Rory Loughran: Yeah. Do you use do have those been a great, a really good driver of sales for you guys and kind of, especially with those add-ons. I know we talked about that a little bit, but have they been a good conversion rate, I guess, for sales?
Laci Tagge: Yeah, totally. A hundred percent. Yeah. So for CSA as example, they get to see the new stuff that's in the store. It clicks it so it goes right to the store. Like, "Hey, we have a ton of corn this week. The special is a dozen for this. Add a dozen on." And they're able to click it, go right, and order it and it's been great for sales.
Rory Loughran: I was curious with some of the other integrations on top of MailChimp, like QuickBooks or Routific, or the Advanced Reporting Tool. Have you guys used any of those or and what has kind of been your [00:39:00] experience with them?
Laci Tagge: Yeah, so I've only been able to do the Advanced Reporting Tool. That's helped to see what add-ons do the best and what season, what time? Yeah, it's helped with that a lot. I haven't touched in any of the other stuff yet. I would like to do more of the Routific and learn more how I can integrate with well, QuickBooks.
Yeah. All of that. I gotta get into it. Yeah. I'll learn more.
Rory Loughran: Awesome. I'm curious, like what has been some of the outcomes of using the Advanced Reporting Tool? Like, I know you mentioned you kind of can queue in on some of the specifics of the business, but why is that information helpful to you guys?
Laci Tagge: It's nice to know like, when people order our boxes the most, like what month? It's nice to know what product is the most high selling. It's nice to see that. It's also nice to see the whole year what I make, what week was the best for add-ons for CSA. It gives you those [00:40:00] little details that you're able to kind of focus on like, "Oh, hey, people really like the donut peaches. Let's really hit it hard next year." Or people really don't sign up till March, April, so let's not stress. Let's give it a little bit of time and really push into March and April. So that's why the Advanced Reporting Tool has helped out a lot.
Rory Loughran: Yeah, it's kind of nice and to know when to really focus your marketing efforts too, around those times as well, I'm sure is really helpful. Awesome. Well, as our newest member to the Farm Advisor Network what would you say you're most excited for in joining the team?
Laci Tagge: Well, first off I love what Barn2Door has done for our business and how much money it has helped us be able to increase and sell. I would love for other Farmers to get that extra money and extra cash flow like, we need Farmers to stick around. And I want Farmers to learn that skill because obviously we need to sell stuff to be able to keep doing what we love to do.
And then the next thing is, [00:41:00] Barn2Door is always willing to improve and it's been exciting to be hands on and see the new changes and help them make better changes as well. Cuz obviously they're not doing the CSA, they're not doing this on the floor. So it's nice to partner up and help them out so that other Farmers that are like my scale or even lower scale, will wanna join and wanna be part of Barn2Door as well.
Rory Loughran: Yeah. Awesome. That's so excited. I'm really excited. I know you'll be participating in our Connect program and a lot of other things like that. So I'm excited for you guys to be able to participate.
In terms of just what's next, what is ahead for Tagge's Famous Fruit in the coming year?
Laci Tagge: Yeah, so we obviously, our CSA program is a focus. We want to have our members join us again. We're excited. We just pray for good weather. We wanna have the best peaches that have the best product to give everyone. And we also, we won't forget about the Farmer's Markets and fruit stands.
We love getting ourselves out there, and we will always continue to do those as well. Yes, they're more work, [00:42:00] but we love our roadside stand and we love our customers that come there as well. So we're super excited just to keep going and just to plant more trees, grow more tomatoes, and stuff like that.
Rory Loughran: Yeah. Awesome. Great.
Well, Laci, thanks so much for joining us on the podcast.
Laci Tagge: Yeah, you're welcome. Thanks for having me.
Rory Loughran: I want to extend my thanks to Laci for joining us on this week's podcast episode. Here at Barn2Door, we're humbled to support thousands of Farms across the country, including Farms like Tagge's Famous Fruit.
We're honored to get the opportunity to learn from our most successful Farms who share the tactics, resources, and tools they use to grow and manage their Farm businesses. If you would like to connect with Laci or other Farm Advisors, attend Barn2Door Connect. You can register for weekly sessions at barn2door.com/connect.
For more information on Tagge's Famous Fruit, you can also follow them on Instagram. Their handle is @taggesfruit.
Thank you for tuning in. We'll see you next time.
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