E-commerce platforms for direct-market farmers seem like a good idea. But, choose the wrong e-commerce platform for your farm business and the reality can be much different. U.S. online sales are growing across all categories, jumping by 40% in 2020. A big part of that push was Covid-19. But even before the pandemic, online sales increased steadily in 2018 and 2019.… Read more →
Farmers markets must carefully consider their options before signing up for a farmers market e-commerce platform. The last few years have seen both negative and positive effects on regional farmers market sales. Even before the coronavirus pandemic, consumers were increasingly turning to online shopping. The pandemic forced markets to shut down. Those who stayed open scrambled to put together online… Read more →
Local food marketplace ecommerce solutions take regional farmers market transactions online while preserving everything consumers love about shopping locally. Weekly farmers’ markets have long been the bastion of regional food sales. They provide a reliable outlet for small farmers and food artisans worldwide to sell to their community. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, approximately 12% of consumers preferred to shop at… Read more →
Virtual farmers coop software allows small, regional farmers to do what local farmers have always done best — work together for the good of all. The strength of regional food systems has always been in the diversity of many small food producers working together to feed their community. The problem small farmers have faced since the mid 20th century is… Read more →
Direct market farmers looking to sell their produce wholesale may need to be GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) certified. It all depends on what outlets farms are selling into, what those buyers require and whether a farm wants to pursue the audit process. Small, direct market farmers often end up adding wholesale outlets as their farms grow. A few wholesale buyers… Read more →
Wondering whether to try selling your farm produce wholesale? Selling wholesale is a natural progression for many small farmers as a farm business matures. Plus, the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic has created new opportunities for local farmers to expand into wholesale channels. Consumers are putting the squeeze on grocery outlets, demanding healthy, locally-sourced foods. A fall 2020 survey by State… Read more →
Food4All interviews Pacific Northwest farmer and Instagrammer Melony Edwards, with some tips for farms learning to use Instagram Farms are naturally photogenic. Which makes Instagram — an image-driven social media platform — an obvious fit for building an audience and, ultimately, boosting your farm’s online sales. Instagram has more than one billion users a month and is the second most… Read more →
Direct-market farmers have one common complaint when it comes to figuring out how to market their farm products on social media — finding the time to do it. Social media is well-suited for local food farmers to connect with their community and drive in-season sale. Everybody loves to know when the new strawberry crop is ready. Or the latest batch… Read more →
Are you stuck in a rut when it comes to new and engaging small farm marketing ideas? You’re not alone. Running all the details of a small farm is relentless and exhausting. Coming up with the mental energy and ideas to direct market and sell the food and fiber you produced can feel overwhelming. But effective small farm marketing strategies… Read more →
If you weren’t selling your farm products directly online already, the coronavirus pandemic should have sealed the deal. In today’s hectic, convenience-driven (and now health and safety-concerned world), local food farmers should be selling directly online to their customers. The good news is adding online sales to your marketing mix brings with it the potential for greatly expanding beyond your… Read more →