Brags and Blunders!

Often the conversation amongst direct-to-consumer farm marketers can turn to “So, what are you doing that’s new and exciting?” I was fortunate to be able to hear some new and exciting ideas recently.

As part of our recent Are You Crazy? bus tour we had a brief session titled “brags and blunders.” The purpose of this session is for everyone to have an opportunity for describing the very best and/or the very worst marketing idea they ever implemented. This session was a great way to learn from each other and get conversations going. I relate here what I heard.

Invisible Fence Maze

Yes, they buried that invisible pet fence in a maze pattern and turned the kids loose. They did replace the buzzer with flashing lights before they started. This project was discontinued after two years. The kids had to crawl along the ground for the collars to sense the buried wire. Blunder!

Burning Fire Truck

Who doesn’t like a fire truck? Well these folks wore a big floppy foam fireperson hat and were driving around when the truck started burning. Of course, the fire extinguisher had been removed recently, so every one at the farm watched as the fire smoldered. Blunder!

Pumpkin Cannon

Have you heard about Punkin’ Chunkin’ celebrations? The one I am familiar with is in Delaware the week after Halloween. A bunch of clever folks tinker up some mechanical devices for flinging pumpkins way down the field. This marketer did the same thing, except after the season was over they decided to see how far they could send a pumpkin. After fanfare and the launch - they never did find the 1^st piece of that flying fruit. Blunder!

Ground Hog Pumpkins

I don’t know about your fields, but ours can be full of ground hog living quarters. One year it seemed like most every pumpkin in this one field had ground hog damage. A few bites here and a few bites there. These folks told the touring elementary students to hunt up some of the “pumpkins with the ground hog autographs”. Well, the teachers later heard from the parents that if they were going to a farm could they at least find one that had decent pumpkins. Blunder!

Peach Smoothies

Many multi-generational farms experience family conflicts from time to time. At this roadside stand the elders did not think much at all about the new generation suggesting they start a peach smoothie enterprise. “Too much trouble!” “Who would buy that?” You might imagine the conversations. However, the younger folks persisted and today they can hardly keep up with demand for their simple and healthful recipe. Brag!

Zucchini Storm

Couple years ago when hail hit this farm they found themselves with what seemed like thousands of hail damaged zucchini. They were quite concerned if they would recover any of their production costs. Well, they advertised “zucchini storm” in all sorts of variations and sold every last fruit. Funny, but today they find it as difficult as you do to market perfectly good zucchini. Brag!

All my kitchen knives went to New York city

Many years back people were just beginning to build the NY Green Market. This country family saw the market potential but had no experience of actually being in the city. They had heard all the terrible news on how dangerous NY could be. On their very first market day at a brand new site they took every kitchen knife they owned as protection from whatever it was they might find. Today, over 20 years later they can laugh at themselves. They not only helped start the NY Green Markets movement – they continue to enjoy the experience and benefit from their efforts. Brag!

Selling butterflies

Wouldn’t you know it! Just as the potted plants in the greenhouse are ready to market an infestation of

caterpillars eats all the leaves and makes the remaining sticks very unattractive. Not one to let an opportunity pass, these folks decided to market the potted sticks as “buy a butterfly”. They quickly sold every last plant they had, and to this day still hear from customers what a wonderful time their families had raising their own butterflies. Brag!

“When’s the baby due?”

‘nough said. Blunder!

It goes to show – an excellent opportunity might be right around the corner, or maybe not.


For a photo series on this year's Tour, visit Are You Crazy Tour 2014

Choosing Social Media Tools for Your Business

by Sarah Cornelisse, Sr. Extension Associate, Dept. of Agricultural Economics, Sociology, and Education

"What social media should I use for my business?"  This is an often-asked question, and unfortunately, not one that is easily answered by an outsider.  The appropriate social media tool(s) for your individual business will depend on a number of factors, several of which I discuss below.

What are your goals?  Any time you implement the use of a tool, you should have an identified goal that the tool's use will help you in reaching.  The same goes for social media tools.  It is easy to post lots of content to one or more platforms without accomplishing anything.  Keep in mind also, that it is entirely feasible to identify the use of more than one social media tool to accomplish one or more goals, such as using both Facebook and YouTube to share videos of recipe preparations.

Who do you want to connect with?  Are you looking to connect with consumer, businesses, colleagues, women, techies, etc.?  Different tools attract different types of users.  You'll want to research the demographics of the users for the different social media tools you're considering.  For instance, women are the primary users of Pinterest, while connecting with industry peers may call for using Linkedin.

Where are your competitors?  Some degree of weight should be placed on what social media tools your competitors are using.  What platforms are your direct competitors most active on?  If enough of your direct competitors, or businesses similar to yours, are active on a particular platform, it's likely that is where you should be as well. 

What type of content do you want to share?  Typically, the type of business you operate and the products/services you sell, dictate the type of content, but not always.  Different social media platforms lend themselves better to different types of content.  Photos and recipes are great fodder for Pinterest.  Facebook handles a variety of content types, but photos and video are more likely to be shown in the newsfeed of followers.  To tell stories, educate, or discuss industry related information, blogs are likely preferable.

How do you want to engage?  You may have a preference for how you would like to engage with consumers and followers.  If you enjoy ongoing conversations, can be "connected" a great deal of the time, and are not concerned with followers finding past posts, you may prefer using Twitter. 

Track analytics.  If you're using more than one social media tool, study the analytics that each provides on your activity.  You may find that your followers are conversing with you, sharing your content, etc. more often on one platform than on another.  If that's the case, you'll want to focus your efforts more on the tool that is generating this "return."

Answering these questions should lead you to identify the most appropriate social media platform(s) for your business.  Remember, you don't need to be everywhere.  It's fine to start out with just one social media tool.  The trick is to start with the right one.

What Retail Produce Marketing is About!

by John Berry, Extension Educator, Lehigh Co.

The incentive to consider retail marketing is obvious.  The closer you can get to retail customers, the more retail dollars go in your pocket.  However, it's not all profits.  If you sell retail, you will be providing services the wholesalers, packagers, distributors, and retailers typically provide.  As we approach another fresh produce marketing season, let's review some of the key details of operating a direct-to-consumer marketing enterprise.

Visual Display
Proper presentation of products increases sales.  Shoppers receive a positive impression if products are top quality, clean, and tastefully displayed.  Remember that high-quality products are the strength of produce markets!

A lively, well-stocked produce department entices the customer to buy and increases sales and profits.  Think of yourself as an artist, with several palettes of colors to choose from: visual - color, contrast, shape, size; smell - herbs, fruits; and touch - soft or firm.

Make displays that look like they came from the farm.  Wooden crates or boxes work well.  Baskets are beautiful; slant them toward the customer.  Even an attractive tablecloth can add to your sales.  Stair stepped displays create an array of depth, color, and texture; however, they may not be easy for the customer to reach or easy to restock.  Utilize vertical space by hanging products from slings or hangers.

Merchandising
"Pile it high and kiss it good-bye!"  Full, well-stocked displays make customers want to come back and get it.  Customers don't like taking the last of something from a bare, picked-over display; they want to choose the best.  Remember to not overstock to prevent the risk of crushing tender items on the bottom.

Make it easy for the customers to reach for the produce.  Your display should be no more than an arm's reach in depth, and between knee and waist level in height.  Don't put your merchandise on the ground.  Instead of placing your boxes flat, try slanting your produce to give the customer a more pleasing visual sense of your product.

Excellent example of using color and texture with a wide
product mix.  Everything I need to make a delicious side
dish for my dinner.

Organize products in related groupings.  Such groups might include dessert items, salad items, cooking vegetables, apples and pears.  Displaying compatible products together serves as a suggestion for additional purchases and uses of the products.

Research shows the use of color and texture greatly enhances eye appeal.  People enjoy food with their senses, so displays that are eye appealing tend to increase purchases.  Mix a row of radishes between the mustard and kale, tomatoes between the lettuce and cucumbers, or intersperse peaches with blueberries to create dazzling color displays.

Suggested good color groupings:

• Red and yellow or green
• Light green with yellow or purple
• Dark green with red, orange or yellow

If you don't have a lot of variety, create a color mixture with flowers or signs.

Price Signs

Prices should be clearly marked.  Most shoppers are in a hurry and will not search out the manager to find out how much something costs.  Include a few product features and perhaps menu suggestions on signs to stimulate your buyers' thoughts on how to use the item.

Great use of limited sign space to describe the product itself,
how to store at home, and possible uses.

Final Thoughts

Restock displays frequently, rotate products as needed, and remove damaged, decayed, or unsaleable products promptly.  Unsightly produce left on your stand not only detracts from sales, but it leaves the customer with the notion that you sell rotten produce.  If you'd buy it, leave it; if not, pull it out.

Developing a Roadside Farm Market

by Michelle Kowalewski, Extension Educator, Susquehanna Co.

Thinking of growing and selling your own product?  A roadside farm market can be a great outlet to sell products directly to consumers.  Retailing directly to consumers can be a viable alternative marketing strategy and means of increasing profits for any small-scale ventures.  However, marketing through a roadside market needs careful planning and thorough examination of a wide range of topics.

First, as with any business venture, it's important to research! Explore potential competition, customers, and products.  What will make your roadside market different from another and what will entice people to stop and buy your products?  The increasing trend to buy local products is certainly in your favor if you can make a great first impression and encourage customers to stop again.  What products will you grow to sell at your market?  What is your expertise and how does it match up with what your target customers want?  Remember, quality is important to consumers and will be one of the main reasons that they continue to shop at your stand.  Develop a plan, including production schedule of what items might be in season, when, and for how long.  An option if you cannot produce all the items you wish to sell, is to consider supplementing your market with offerings from other local growers.

It's always important to check on regulations.  There are many regulations to operating a small business and a roadside stand is no exception.  Check with local municipalities or officials to check on zoning in your area or township.  Location is a key consideration for a roadside market.  Spend time observing traffic flows in the vicinity of your potential site.  And remember, signage is important.  No matter how nice your market looks, people must be able to find it, so use directional signs to help customers locate your business.  Signs must be eye-catching and easy to read from a distance.  It's less important to list all the products available on the sign than to direct customers to the market.  When people arrive at your market it's important for parking to be easily accessible and safe.  See this past blog on signage for more.

Now that you have customers to your market, remember to keep your displays attractive.  Shoppers like to see displays of fresh vegetables in a high quality, clean environment.  Remember, a positive first impression will keep shoppers coming back for the next visit!  Roadside markets are often selling an image and experience as well as physical products.  Help your customers think about traditions and warm thoughts - old crates, tools, scales, or simply photos can help create a "moment" for the shopper that makes them feel connected.  It's all about selling your story and your products!

A simple, yet attractive, display on something like this old time sleigh,
can trigger warm, nostalgic feelings in customers, bringing them back.

Customer service is important - be sure to listen to your customers as well as educate them about the products that you are producing.  Be friendly and courteous and always handle complaints in a professional manner.

There are a lot of other key factors to consider when developing a roadside market:

• Size - are you building a new structure or remodeling an existing structure? Do you ever envision expanding?
• How will you price your products?  
• Do you need to consider advertising?  
• How will you staff your market?  
• What type of records should you keep?  

To learn more about developing a roadside market, read Penn State Extension's Ag Alternatives fact sheet on Developing a Roadside Farm Market.

Are you considering a pick-your-own experience?

by: John Berry, Extension Educator, Lehigh County 

Recently, the popularity of P-Y-O family outings has increased. It is no wonder. Consumers can enjoy not only the fruits and vegetables available for harvest, but they also get to experience some time on a real farm. Adding to this excitement, each month changes the availability of a different fruit or vegetable. As we know, what is available to pick varies on location, varieties planted, and weather conditions. To create a good communication stream with your potential shoppers it is important you remind them to always call the farm so they don't miss the products they are after or the times they are available to pick. In this part of the country we are finishing up blueberries and blackberries. Peaches, tomatoes, green beans, figs, raspberries and early apples are going full steam this month. Additionally, we are looking forward to more apples, grapes, pumpkins and winter squashes later this fall.

Pick-Your-Own farms offer fun for the whole family!

Because the average consumer is three generations removed from living on a farm they may need a fair amount of education to make their P-Y-O experience most enjoyable. It may be beneficial if you remind your P-Y-O customers to bring snacks, hand towels and plenty of liquids to drink. Should they bring containers for picking and for carrying the fruit home? This can depend on the farm they are visiting as some farms provide containers. Should they dress in old clothes so they are comfortable and not worried about staining or tearing? How about suggesting a hat to offer protection from the sun? In the fall, extra layers keep them warm for picking. Remind them the value of sunscreen for the back of their neck and exposed skin.

Also, be sure to tell them the fun doesn't have to end with just picking the fruit. Especially if your farm also offers hay rides, petting zoos, corn mazes, gift shops, picnic areas, or even some form of food service.  Do you also sell pre-picked produce as an added convenience if children tire before the family has gotten its fill of fruit?

Every farm is a bit different. Some have more relaxed rules, others are more strict. Customers need to find a farm that matches their needs - a farm with strict rules would not make for a happy experience with adventurous, young children. It is best to note and post all rules and regulations at your picking locations.

Read a detailed story on an Ohio farm’s P-Y-O experience. 

It will soon be pumpkin season, what a great way for kids to enjoy
the outdoors and a fun farm experience!

Below are a few common expectations at a P-Y-O farm that you may want to include in your list of rules:

• Look for the check-in and check-out areas. Before picking, note whether you will be charged according to weight, volume or count. Also, inquire if there is a minimum quantity requirement.
• Place trash in proper receptacles or take it with you;
• Stay clear of parked or moving tractors and equipment;
• Health codes usually require no pets in the fields.
• Always call in advance to find out if the fruit/vegetables you want are available, to get directions, check their opening and closing hours and to ask if children are welcome.
• Walk in the rows, don't step on plants! 

Keeping the fruit cool is a good run of thumb.  Check with your local Extension office for storage tips and provide some fact sheets to your customers. Be certain to plan ahead if you intend to market supplies to folks that plan to freeze, can, or make jam from some of their harvest. The risks of inviting strangers onto your farm and letting them roam about can be a challenge to control. However, with the growing popularity of pick-your-own farm experiences it may be worth your time and trouble to experiment a bit and see if this method of direct farm marketing is for you. For additional information on a great you-pick farm experience check http://www.pickyourown.org/.

 

An experienced and successful P-Y-O farm operator told me the secret to success in this business is to “Develop a sound pricing strategy, have plenty of signs and remember to be flexible and patient with the public as they patronize your operation. Sometimes the results of their harvesting may result in damage to your trees and plants.”

Farm Marketing: Aspects of Direct-to-Consumer Marketing

by John Berry, Extension Educator, Lehigh County

Direct-to-consumer farm marketing enjoys a special space in east coast agriculture.  Not only do we have some of the best land and productive farmers in our midst - we have millions of hungry consumers surrounding our farms.  These ready consumers not only seek farm products, foods and knowledge - they seek a connection to farm experiences.

One of the areas of retail farm marketing and agri-tourism of particular interest for enhanced professional development to many direct-to-consumer farm marketers centers on merchandising concepts.

Merchandising - pricing, product packaging, market facility and fixtures - sums up all the means you can use to sell your product, and encourages the customer to buy as much as possible.

Attractive signage can entice customers to purchase

Signs - product description, consumer awareness and general written communications - are one key element of merchandising.  Signage is your major means of communication with customers.  What you say is important to the customer in choosing what to buy, or whether to buy, so make sure the information on the sign is complete and accurate.  Always make sure your signs are clean and neat - a worn out sign will undo all the effects of an otherwise perfect display.

When you have the room, don't assume that every customer knows everything about even the most basic item.  Don't be afraid to add information like "Best Apple Pie" or "Best Baked Potato."  In any case, all products which are new, unusual, or seasonal, should be adequately signed.

Signs can also be used to promote items that are especially good buys, or tie-ins with other items in your or another department.  Signs can also emphasize nutritional information on particular items.   Signs are provided by many suppliers, trade associations, and organizations like the American Cancer Society.  Use these to best advantage, but don't rely solely on them to do the job.  Good signage can increase your sales, so use your imagination and create your own "best sellers."

Display techniques - what is being done to show farm products in their best light and encourage purchasing - are another key element of merchandising.  Your market layout may be parallel counters with displays in between, or a lateral maze with counters extending into the center.  You may even have chosen a boutique style layout, with displays in clusters.

Jams are displayed using a cluster, boutique style, layout.

Whichever layout you've chosen, the main feature of its design is to control the movement of your customers so they spend the maximum amount of time in your department, and are exposed to all your products.

The manner in which you display your merchandise within this framework can enhance their captivating environment and maximize your sales opportunities.  It would be defeating your purpose, for example, to put all your basic, staple items in one area, when a customer might make his most urgent purchases and then leave your department without seeing what else you have to offer.  To eliminate this problem, scatter your high-demand "power" items throughout your department, next to impulse items.

To further the education of those active in retail farm marketing and agri-tourism (market owners, managers, other personnel, etc.), Penn State Extension is offering a two-day bus tour of twelve premiere farm markets in northern New Jersey and Connecticut with plenty of ideas, education, food and fun for all.

We have something for everyone - seasonal, year-round, produce, food, tourism, value-added, pick-your-own, entertainment and educational farm direct-to-consumer marketing at its finest!  Not to mention the "classroom-on-wheels" as we travel between markets with opportunities to network and learn from each other.

Tour information, details, and registration is available here. 

How Do We Meet Consumer Food Expectations and Demands?

by John Berry, Extension Educator, Lehigh County

As I explore conditions with which "my" direct-to-consumer farm marketer clients manage their enterprises, the most frequently noted comments center on understanding the changing and apparently flexible nature of consumer expectations.  Sometimes, we expect our buyer to think and act similar to ourselves. Often, they do not.

Looking at recent research on consumer purchasing behavior we came across the below summary. This USDA summary compares how consumer buying behavior compares to scientific food use recommendations. The article titled Americans' Food Choices at Home and Away: How Do They Compare With Recommendations? offers the following highlights:

• Grocery purchase data reveal that consumers underspend on fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and overspend on refined grains, fats, and sugars/sweets, compared with USDA food plan recommendations, a pattern that showed little change from 1998 to 2006.
• Food consumption data point to an even bigger challenge to improving diet quality: away-from-home foods now account for one-third of daily caloric intake, and they are not as healthful as at-home foods.
• New government and private industry initiatives to make food labels and point-of-purchase information ore relevant, understandable, and motivating may help consumers choose more healthful foods.

For us direct-to-consumer farm marketers - this study (and others) makes me wonder how to best promote the safe nutritious foods available at our markets. The challenge may be the "more relevant, understandable, and motivating" concept made in the 3rd bullet point above.  Let's look at how we might enhance customer communications efforts to reassure and reach these vital business partners.

1. Relevance - consumers have more than enough places to receive product knowledge and products. Our main task is to stay up-to-date with what our current (and potential) customers' desire and then communicating product benefits in a casual, non-intrusive manner.
2. Understandable - we can turn to the dictionary here for a straight-forward look at how to approach shaping our customer buying habits. The Webster's dictionary offers the following when describing "understandable": accessible, coherent, graspable, legible, decipherable; plain, simple, fluent, well-spoken. All these descriptive words suggest the use of words, concepts and calls to action that are at the reading and comprehension level appropriate for our expected shoppers. There may be little need for industry jargon and fancy terms.
3. Motivating - consumers have a wide range of factors affecting what drives their food purchasing habits. It can be a continuous struggle between what I believe is significant and what I believe is within my means. Understanding and motivating the purchasing activity within your market can be quite powerful.

The challenges of effective retail farm marketing atop all the other business management challenges are often immense. However, they are not insurmountable. When we focus some of our time on a better understanding of the constantly evolving state inside our customers' heads we are better prepared to influence their purchasing behaviors. As we reassure and motivate our buyers we stand to have a more positive experience ourselves.

Don't Get Left in the Cold. Use Social Media to Connect with Your Customers!

With sixty-five percent (65%) of internet users using social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and others (Pew Internet, 2011), social media can justifiably be considered a legitimate marketing tool by businesses large and small.  In fact, in a survey by Chief Marketer, 92% of respondents indicated that they either were using or planned to use social media for marketing of their brands.

Farmers and small ag business owners shouldn't overlook the power that social media tools provide in connecting with consumers.  Surveys conducted by two of my colleagues, Kathy Kelley and Jeff Hyde, in May 2010 with consumers who used social media, found that over 30% of respondents expected farmers' market/on-farm markets and U-Pick operations to have Facebook presence.  Consumers' expected use of Twitter and blogs by these types of ag businesses hovered around 20%.  I would expect that surveyed again two and a half years later, we would see these results, or expectations, to be higher yet.

Consumers' Expected Internet Presence by Type of Food Business

But having a social media presence, or profile, on any of these tools isn't enough.  You need to provide consumers with a reason to "like" or follow your business.  When questioned on why they connect with businesses on social media, approximately 60% of the individuals responding to Kelley and Hyde's survey indicated that they did so to learn about new products/direction of the business, while almost half wanted to learn about sales before the general public.

Expectations by Consumers who Follow Businesses on Social Networks

We see that the evidence exists that consumers expect ag and food businesses to exist on social networks, as well as to provide them with things that they value in return for following them.  You probably also have your own reasons, or objectives, for committing to developing and sustaining a social media presence for your business.  By developing a social media strategy, you can ensure that you, and your followers, get what you need from a social media relationship.

If you own, or are involved with, a farm or small ag business in Pennsylvania, and want to jump into the world of social media with a guiding hand, Penn State Extension can help.  Come to one of three scheduled Social Media Boot Camps for Ag Businesses.  These two-day workshops will give you a hands-on opportunity to develop Facebook, Twitter, and foursquare/Yelp profiles, as well as mapping out your personal social media marketing objectives and strategy.