12/06

THE NATIONAL OUTREACH ARM OF USDA-SARE

CONTENTS

FARMERS MARKETS 2

COMMUNITY SUPPORTED

AGRICULTURE 4

ON-FARM SALES/TOURISM 5

DIRECT MARKETING MEAT

AND ANIMALPRODUCTS 8

SEASON EXTENSION 10

VALUE-ADDED PRODUCTS 11

SALES TO RESTAURANTS

AND INSTITUTIONS 12

COOPERATIVE MARKETING/

CAMPAIGNS 15

INTERNET 17

RENEWABLE ENERGY 18

EVALUATING NEW FARM

ENTERPRISES 18

RESOURCES 20

Published by the Sustainable

Agriculture Network (SAN),

the national outreach arm 

of the Sustainable Agriculture

Research and Education 

(SARE) program, with funding

from the Cooperative State

Research, Education and 

Extension Service, USDA.

Also available at:

www.sare.org/publications/

marketing.htm

Opportunities in Agriculture

Marketing Strategies 

for Farmers and Ranchers

Creative marketing ideas range from extending farmers market sales through the winter (left) to diversifying 

from grain into pumpkins (right). The Bolsters of Deep Root Farm in Oregon’s Willamette Valley and the Walters 

in Kansas have both realized new profits. – Market photo by Ted Coonfield; pumpkins by William Rebstock

FOR 23 YEARS, ALL THE MILK FROM JEFF AND JILL BURKHARTS’

80-cow dairy in central Iowa left the farm in a bulk

truck for processing and sale in the commodity markets.

These days, however, the farm’s milk takes a different

route to customers. In 2002, the Burkharts decided to

build a bottling plant and start selling their milk directly

from the farm.

Today, the Burkharts’ 80-acre rotationally grazed farm

has become a regular destination for customers throughout the Des Moines area, attracting 100 visitors a day

and up to 400 when they hold a special event. As the

Burkharts had hoped, visitors leave the farm with gallons

of fresh, pasteurized milk as well as other products.

“Business is booming,” says Jeff Burkhart, who

received a grant from the Sustainable Agriculture

Research and Education (SARE) program in 2004 

to test two marketing strategies: an open house event 

and a Website launch. A year to the day after filling

their first milk bottle, the Burkharts premiered their

Picket Fence Creamery with an open house that drew

more than 900 people for farm tours, children’s activities

and special sales offers.

The Burkharts have been innovators before. In 1988,

they divided their 80-acre grass farm into paddocks,

where they rotationally graze 80 Jersey cows moved

twice daily to ensure ideal field conditions. Once they

started the creamery, they began making butter, cheese

curds, and 25 flavors of ice cream. To include other

farmers in their venture, they turned the creamery store

into a local foods marketplace, featuring everything from

eggs, beef, elk and bison, to maple syrup, baked goods,

popcorn and wine from 76 other central Iowa families.

“We’re taking the raw product, which is the grass,

and then adding value to it by feeding it to the cows,

then taking the milk and bottling it or processing it

into butter, ice cream and cheese,” Burkhart says.
2

“Our customers really seem to appreciate it – they can

see and smell and touch everything, they can watch the

processing through the observation window, and they

really think that’s neat.”

The Burkharts team up with two other farms nearby –

Prairieland Herbs and Northern Prairie Chevre – to share

advertising costs and prompt customers to make a day

of their farm experience.

Shifting to on-farm sales has been a lot of work, the

Burkharts say, but the rewards are many. For one, the

couple now earns a good living. Just as important, the

new enterprise has fostered family togetherness.“We’re

doing this as a family,” Burkhart says.“We get to work

together, our kids are here, and we don’t have to commute to work. That means a lot.”

Proactive marketing strategies have proven the key

to success for many agricultural enterprises. Rather than

accepting the relatively low prices typically offered by

wholesalers, direct marketers put the power to turn a

profit back in their own hands by capturing a greater

share of the consumer dollar. Direct marketing channels

offer direct connections to customers, providing them

an opportunity to buy fresh products – grass-fed beef,

just-picked vegetables, or decorative pumpkins – and

knowledge about how they’ve been grown. In return,

farmers and ranchers learn what their customers like,

then fill those needs with products, often at a premium.

This bulletin from the Sustainable Agriculture Network

describes successful direct marketers, most of whom

researched their new enterprises with funding from the

Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE)

program. It includes tips about how to start or improve a

number of alternative agricultural marketing channels

and provides links to extra, more in-depth information.

(RESOURCES, p. 20.)

Direct marketing strategies are numerous and varied.

Before beginning to sell direct, identify markets with

special needs that offer large enough volumes to provide

profitable returns. Also consider researching and writing

a business plan, which will help you evaluate alternatives,

identify new market opportunities, then communicate

them to potential business partners and commercial

lenders. (See p. 18 and RESOURCES, p. 20.)

Organic foods have held steady as one of the fastestgrowing niche markets for several years. More recently,

demand for pasture-raised meat and dairy products has

risen considerably, with a small but significant subset

interested in ethnic specialty meats, such as Halal and

kosher-slaughtered products. Buying trends also support

a rising interest in food grown and produced locally

or regionally, so savvy farmers and ranchers are distinguishing their products by location and quality. Finally,

e-commerce has become an established mechanism

for sales of all kinds.

Consider selling at farmers markets, opening a CSA

operation, developing value-added products, offering

on-farm activities like educational tours, selling via the

Internet, or marketing to restaurants and schools.You

can go it alone, or you can team up with others in a

cooperative. Most farmers use a combination of marketing

methods – both value-based strategies bringing higher

returns and volume-based channels selling more products

– finding that diverse marketing strategies provide stable

profits and a better quality of life.

FARMERS MARKETS

SINCE 1994, THE NUMBER OF U.S. FARMERS MARKETS HAS MORE

than doubled to about 4,000, reflecting an enormous

demand for farm-fresh produce.

Most farmers markets offer a reliable, flexible outlet

where vendors can sell a wide range of fresh produce,

plants, honey, value-added products like jams or breads

and even (depending on local health regulations) meats,

eggs and cheeses. For beginning direct marketers,

farmers markets can be a great place to start. To locate

farmers markets in your area, go to www.ams.usda.gov/

farmersmarkets/ or call USDA’s Agricultural Marketing

Service at (202) 720-8042.

Aaron and Kimberly Bolster have been marketing

their fruits and vegetables in Oregon’s Willamette Valley

since 1998, gradually expanding Deep Roots Farm

from three to more than 100 acres. Their diversified

approach to marketing includes a community supported

Jeff and Jill Burkhart

opened an on-site

creamery to showcase

their Iowa dairy

products, which they

promote through farm

days and a new Website

developed with help

from SARE.

–Photo by Jerry DeWitt
3

agriculture program, sales to restaurants, local supermarket chains, and even cannery crops. Yet, farmers

markets have consistently been among their best outlets.

In 2006, Deep Roots’ employees were selling at 12

farmers markets a week during the height of the season.

Several are in Portland, a city known for its vibrant and

bustling markets that offer everything from heirloom

vegetables to bouquets of freshly cut flowers, dry beans,

specialty breads, fruit, nuts, beef, lamb and even rabbit.

Asked what makes for a successful farmers market

stand, Aaron Bolster emphasizes “the old cliché that you

have to have a quality product at a good price. People

need to have a reason to come back.” Customers develop

loyalty to particular farms based on price, quality, the

range of offerings, their desire to support local farmers,

and the personal connection they feel with you and

your farm.

Farmers markets vary widely in size, setting and sales

volume. If you’re not satisfied with farmers market options

in your area, you may be able to improve them by forging

alliances with other members of your community.

Merchants’ associations, chambers of commerce and

other civic groups have come to recognize the power 

of farmers markets to draw customers into retail areas.

Betty King, a University of Kentucky extension 

specialist for community development, calls farmers

markets “America’s first grocery stores.” King was part 

of a group eager to emulate the success they saw in 

the city of Lexington, which enjoys a thriving farmers

market with as many as 60 vendors. In neighboring

Woodford County, King and other community leaders

were eager to encourage a new market in the town 

of Versailles.

When Versailles’ downtown underwent renovation,

developers offered to create a covered space where 

the market could operate year-round. The Woodford

County Extension Service built a certified community

processing kitchen, and a SARE grant helped fund a

training program for farmers interested in developing

value-added products to diversify their market offerings.

Downtown merchants show their support for the market

by purchasing bedding plants and other items from the

farmers for seasonal decorations.

The Woodford County Farmers Market now has 10 

to 12 vendors selling produce, honey, meat, cheese and

freshwater shrimp.“You have to start small and grow the

market,” King says. “Farmers should realize that they

have to invest, too.” For example, paying higher stall 

fees to pay for advertising or a salaried market manager

can pay dividends later.

A similar partnership in Santa Rosa County, Fla.,

spearheaded by a SARE community innovation grant,

led to the establishment of Riverwalk Farmers Market 

in downtown Milton and the creation of a “Santa 

Rosa Fresh” marketing program to highlight produce

grown within the county. Cooking demonstrations 

with themes like “Cook it Like Your Grandma Did”

and “It’s Too Darn Hot to Cook” drew record crowds.

Other special events featured antique car shows and

swing dancing demonstrations.

The county hopes to erect a permanent covered

structure for the market on the courthouse square.

Another plan is to let high school students earn 

community service hours to gain eligibility for state 

college scholarships by working at the market. “It really

fits with our mission for the farmers market to have an

educational component,” says Chris Wilcox of the Santa

Rosa Economic Development Council.

Most growers enjoy interacting with other farmers, and

many say that cooperation is as important as competition.

Expect to have slow days when you do not sell all that

you bring, and be prepared to encounter bargain hunters.

You may want to investigate gleaning possibilities; many

food banks and homeless shelters will pick up extras

directly from your stand or farm.

If you’re interested in selling at farmers markets, keep

in mind:

Successful markets are located in busy, central

places and are well-publicized.

Betty King, a Kentucky

extension specialist,

calls farmers markets

“America’s first grocery

stores.” She opened 

a new market in

Versailles, Ky., and

provided training for

farmers interested 

in diversifying their

offerings. 

– Photo by Ted Coonfield
Don’t deliberately or drastically undersell your fellow

farmers. The more farmers and farm products at the

market, the more customers.

A good market manager promotes the market and

enforces its rules.

Selling at a farmers market may provide contacts

for other channels, such as special orders or

subscriptions.

Get feedback from your customers. You can learn

a lot about what they find desirable – and what to

grow next season.

For tips on displaying produce, pricing and other

practical advice, consult The New Farmers’Market.

(RESOURCES, p. 20)

COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE (CSA)

CSA, A MARKETING METHOD IN WHICH MEMBERS OF A

community invest in a local farm operation by paying

up-front for a share of the harvest, has been growing

steadily since it first appeared in the U.S. in the late 1980s.

The community idea carries over into the farm itself,

with members dividing the weekly harvest as well as the

risk of crop failure. Moreover, most CSA farms invite

members to learn more about their operations through

farm visits, volunteer opportunities and potluck suppers.

No two CSA farms are alike. Most supply produce.

They also might provide flowers, berries, nuts, eggs,

meat, grain or honey. Farmers may ask members to

come to the farm to pick up their shares, or they might

deliver them to centrally located distribution sites. Families

run some CSA farms, while others involve groups of producers to supply additional goods. Many CSA farms ask

members to commit time and labor to the operation,

which not only lowers costs, but also allows members to

learn more about what it really means to grow food.

In and around Concord, N.H., eight organic vegetable

growers decided to try a cooperative CSA. With a SARE

grant, the group worked through the logistics, from the

creation of a legal entity called Local Harvest CSA to

weekly food production and delivery. Being part of the

cooperative makes it possible for the growers to combine

what they produce best or substitute for others’ crop

losses. Co-op members also learn from each other, sharing

information about production issues like seed varieties

and fencing options. Since forming in 2003, the group

has slowly expanded its roster of farmer-members and

doubled its number of shareholders to more than 200.

Another model comes from northern California’s

Full Belly Farm. Run by a team of four farm partners,

Full Belly hosts a year-round, 800-member CSA with

drop-off sites throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.

Full Belly Farm employs 40 workers and grows nearly

80 different types of vegetables, herbs, fruits and nuts as

well as flowers, eggs and wool. They also sell at farmers

markets and to restaurants.

“I wanted to create a different model than what I grew

up with,” says Paul Muller, who was raised near San Jose

in a family of dairy farmers and now is one of the Full

4

Full Belly Farm in

northern California has

cultivated a loyal base

of members for its

community operation,

which provides 80

different types of

vegetables and even

wool. Paul Muller is one

of four farm partners.

– Photo by Neil Michel/Axiom
Belly Farm partners. “On our farm, we have great relationships with our end users – they are the ones we

grow for, and they have confidence in our integrity”

about how Full Belly Farm produces their food. “They

have no question about feeding it to their kids.”

Full Belly Farm has been organic since the 1980s,

and hosts an award-winning annual “Hoes Down” festival

including kids’ activities, farm tours, food and music.

Muller received SARE’s Patrick Madden Sustainable

Farmer Award in 2006.

Many CSA farmers produce weekly or biweekly

newsletters describing the harvest and providing

recipes. Others reach out electronically through listservs

or Websites. Full Belly Farm’s Website describes their

CSA program in detail -- including drop-off locations,

prices and payment schedules, a harvest calendar

and a newsletter specifying the contents of the

weekly CSA box, among other things.

When evaluating CSA as an option for your farm,

consider:

Your location. Can you find enough members?

Can they drive to your farm; or do you need to

establish community drop-off sites?

Labor. Do you have enough paid support or

volunteers to handle the extra jobs involved

in CSA, such as packaging?

Your willingness to sponsor events on the farm,

publish a newsletter and provide other services

that help customers feel connected to the farm.

ON-FARM SALES & AGRITOURISM

ON-FARM SALES

JUST LIKE PEOPLE ENJOY WATCHING MILK BOTTLING THROUGH

the Burkharts’ observation window (see p. 1), they seek

opportunities to shop at farm stands and interact with

farmers right where they live. In response, farmers are

becoming more attuned to ways they might maximize

their offerings. Some pick-your-own operations, for

example, have expanded into wedding facilities, farm

camps and gourmet specialty stores.

Earnie and Martha Bohner, who started with a pickyour-own operation with no buildings, electricity or running water in 1983, created a Missouri Ozarks destination

that now attracts carload after carload of customers,

especially in June, July and August, when nearby summer

camps are in session.

They began with a long-term plan for Persimmon Hill

Berry Farm based on family goals and values. Within 10

years of purchasing 80 acres, they were cultivating 3 acres

of blueberries, 1 acre of blackberries, 2,000 hardwood logs

for shiitake mushrooms and 120 apple trees. In addition

to the products, they provide amenities: clean restrooms,

a picnic table and shade trees – and tidy field edges.

“We create a place where people can enjoy themselves,” Earnie Bohner says. “People don’t come all the

way out here to get cheap food. They come because

it’s fun and the berries are absolutely fresh. As much

as we can, we give them contact with ‘the farmers.’

The more we can do that, the more people go away

with that memory.”

An Indiana grower’s use of integrated pest management and shrewd marketing attracted a bevy of new

customers to his crop farm. In 1992, Brian Churchill

began using integrated pest management on some of

Countryside Farm’s 100 acres of sweet corn, melons,

tomatoes and other produce. In 1994, with a SARE

producer grant, Churchill began scouting for pests, withholding routine spraying and building better habitat for

beneficial insects. He cut insecticide costs drastically,

then decided to use that as a marketing hook.

First, Churchill attracted the attention of local chefs

with an “expo” (see p. 13). He also opened a thriving

roadside stand, where the corn is the big seller.

“We drive the point home about using less chemicals

all the time,” he said. “I have been growing sweet corn

now for 16 years and the customers keep coming back

and bringing friends with them. It’s been great.”

Once he perfected his system, he expanded into

watermelons, pumpkins and squash and began inviting

school children to visit to learn more about farming,

judicious agri-chemical use and pollination. In 2005,

1,500 students visited the farm. “Our farm has grown a

lot since the grant,” he says.

5

Marlene Groves and

husband, David, provide

tours of their 2,000-acre

Kiowa, Colo., buffalo

ranch to promote a

better understanding

of agriculture, ecology

and nutrition.

– Photo courtesy Buffalo Groves
6

In the Pacific Northwest, Larry Thompson grows 43

fruit and vegetable crops on 140 acres in Boring, Ore.

Once he decided to convert his parents’ farm from

wholesale produce and flung open the farm gate to the

suburban Portland community, his neighbors began

coming and haven’t stopped.

Many call Thompson a pro at “relationship” marketing,

forming bonds with customers who see a value in local

produce raised with few chemicals. Each year, thousands

of students – as well as other farmers and researchers –

visit his farm to learn about his holistic pest management strategies and view his bounty of colorful crops.

AGRITOURISM

POTENTIAL AGRITOURISM ENTERPRISES ABOUND. FIGURE OUT

what’s unique about your farm and your skills, and use

those things to create an enjoyable, educational experience that will appeal to your customers. The key to 

agritourism is authenticity and creativity.

Becky Walters planted her first acre of pumpkins on

her central Kansas farm in 1988 after her boss at a local

greenhouse gave her seed for a new miniature pumpkin

that was popular at nurseries and farm markets.

“My husband caught a big razzing at the co-op,” she

recalls,“but I made $583 selling them, twice what we

would have made on the 5 acres of milo we usually 

had in that field.”

Like most of their neighbors, Becky and her husband, Carroll, had been growing milo and soybeans 

and grazing cattle for the commodity market. With 

grain and beef prices hovering at or below the cost of

production, the couple was eager to find a way to

breathe new profits into the 1,700-acre farm where 

Carroll had grown up.

Bit by bit, the Walters expanded that original acre of

pumpkins to 16 acres. They built a processing kitchen 

so they could create value-added products. Then they

added a gift shop, a swinging bridge over their creek to

appeal to kids, a corn maze and educational tours to

draw customers to their farm, ideally located for a

tourism venture just minutes off the Kansas Turnpike.

Today, the Walters grow more than 100 varieties of

pumpkins, gourds and winter squash -- from minis to

giants -- along with tomatoes, peppers and onions.

Planting many squash varieties also helps the Walters

spread risk, since different types thrive in different

weather conditions. Drawn by the variety and convenient

location, as many as 15,000 visitors flock to Walters’

Pumpkin Patch in the six weeks leading up to Halloween.

“People come just to see all the different kinds that

we have,” says Becky Walters, who received a SARE

farmer/rancher grant to experiment with ways to add

value to pumpkins by making salsa. The product,

after experimentation with the recipe and the right 

jar for packing, dovetails with their tourism efforts,

complements their other vegetables and provides new

jobs in their community.

The enterprise has been so successful that her

daughter and son-in-law have moved back to the farm

to help out. With their two young grandsons beginning

to get involved in the business, Becky says,“it feels like 

a real family farm again.”

To expand their educational efforts for school groups,

the Walters will teach visitors about native frogs and fish

in their farm pond and incorporate information about

the Walnut River, which surrounds them on three sides.

“I think having an idea of doing something and jumping off the cliff to do it is the hardest part,” Walters says.

“Sometimes it takes what I call ‘thinking outside the barn.’

When you put a pencil to it, it just doesn’t make sense

for us to grow the conventional crops any more.”

The Walters and others who offer educational programs

for school groups recognize that teaching children usually

requires special skills and always a good set of ideas.

To engage children, consider getting them involved in

projects -- whether it’s digging potatoes, planting corn,

or decorating pumpkins. Keeping groups small helps.

Of course, ensuring safety is paramount, especially on

farms with heavy equipment and other hazards. If you

don’t have the resources to develop educational programs

on your own, consider working with local schoolteachers,

FFA groups, or others in the community.

The Walters’ 100

varieties of pumpkins 

and squash attract 

15,000 visitors every 

fall. The new enterprise

has brought their

daughter’s family back 

to the Burns, Kan., farm. 

– Photo by William Rebstock
7

Marlene Groves of Buffalo Groves, Inc., in Kiowa,

Colo., developed youth education programs – including

an “American Buffalo” Girl Scout patch program and an

educational youth buffalo project for 4-H – to teach about

buffalo history. The ranch’s “Bison Reader,” a youth activity

sheet, is a favorite at many schools and nature centers.

Efforts like these, Groves says, foster a better understanding of ecology, agriculture and nutrition. Mainly, she wants

kids to know where their food comes from.

The Groves teach people, young and old, about their

ranch and their niche product during ranch tours. They

charge $25 per person, refundable in the form of store

credit, and also offer customized tours for private events.

“It takes work to run tours” on a 2,000-acre ranch,

Groves acknowledges,“but we want to showcase what

we’re doing.” They lead visitors on walks, talk about 

grazing management and point out native grasses and

wildflowers. “Of course, the highlight is going out to

see the buffalo herd,” she says.

Offering tours is a way of taking advantage of 

consumers’ and the media’s interest in farm life, Groves

says. As part of that,“tell a good story – tell your own

story,” she advises. In addition to selling meat on the

ranch, they also market and deliver directly to customers

in Denver and Colorado Springs and from their Website.

Other ranchers have expanded into diverse on-site

activities, offering hunting, fishing, bird-watching, horseback riding or hiking. In Colorado, co-owners of the

87,000-acre Chico Basin Ranch began offering working

ranch vacation packages in 2000. While it’s taking time

to make that side of the business fully profitable, they

feel they’re moving in the right direction, says ranch

manager Duke Phillips.

While some people visit just for birding, which brings

lower returns,“we have packages where people stay for

a week and we get paid well for that,” says Phillips.

“We have to balance what we do with our values, the

reason we’re here as ranchers.”

Chico Basin was among a group of ranches in Colorado, Wyoming and other western states that benefited

from a SARE grant exploring various types of communitybased direct marketing models for ranch owners seeking to diversify. The key is to put a value on the natural

resource amenities provided by ranchlands and to find

ways for urban- and suburban-based consumers to enjoy

those amenities.

COMMUNITY-BASED FARM TOURISM

FARMERS CONSIDERING WAYS TO PUT THEMSELVES ON THE MAP,

literally, might team up with state or regional agencies

to promote rural economic development through farmbased tourism activities. In many parts of the United

States -- not just traditional vacation destinations like

Hawaii or New England -- tourism can make a significant

contribution to local economies, and attractive, wellmanaged farm operations can do a lot to draw rural

tourists. Explore local government, quasi-government

and business connections to participate in local festivals,

get listed in state tourism brochures or be featured in

regional public outreach campaigns.

In Minnesota, the nonprofit Renewing the Countryside

organization used a SARE grant to promote local foodsbased tourism. Working with groups like the Minnesota

Bed & Breakfast Association and the University of Minnesota Tourism Center, RTC developed a promotional

campaign called Green Routes. Printed maps and an

online directory (www.greenroutes.org) guide visitors 

to farmstands, craft shops and other rural destinations.

“There’s a lot of interest in and support for ‘green’

travel, and farmers are a big piece of that,” says RTC’s

Jan Joannides.

Similar efforts are underway in Rhode Island, where

the Rhode Island Center for Agricultural Promotion 

and Education launched “Rhode Island FarmWays,”

a campaign to highlight farms as tourist destinations.

The goal, says Center Executive Director Stuart Nunnery,

is “to help showcase Rhode Island’s farms as places of

significant beauty, culture, ecology and history. Those

farms are crucial to maintaining Rhode Island’s quality

of life.”

With help from a 2004 SARE grant, Nunnery and 

colleagues have held professional development workshops for farmers, provided grants to help producers 

initiate farm-based tourism activities and created a 

Hidden Meadows Farm 

in West Greenwich, R.I., 

a member of the state

FarmWays agritourism

campaign, hosted the

public during a Thanksgiving

weekend of on-farm

activities. The farm sells

Christmas trees and valueadded products.

– Photo by Jo-Anne Pacheco
8

Website listing farm-based attractions statewide. The

Rhode Island Center also negotiated a $250,000 loan

package with the state Economic Development Corp.

to provide small loans to farmers to develop or expand

agritourism and direct marketing activities. Finally,

the team is focusing on streamlining the regulatory

process by which farmers can set up farm stay or bed

& breakfast operations.

“Our farms have a variety of untapped assets that

can create products and experiences for visitors,”

says Nunnery. “They could be walking trails, historical

features, wildlife, heritage livestock, horticultural diversity or just a spectacular landscape. We have farms

with beautiful grasslands preserved by conservation

easements. One of the farms we’re working with has

ancient settlements and artifacts being excavated by

university archaeologists.”

If you’re interested in on-farm sales and agritourism,

consider the following.

Check your local extension office for information

about how to construct sales stands, small market

buildings and produce displays. From building

materials to permits, establishing a stand can

prove expensive.

Social skills and a scenic, clean, attractive farm

are crucial for success in agritourism and can

overcome a location that is less than ideal.

Farm visitors may interfere with main farm

activities and pose a liability risk. Consult your

insurance adviser to ensure adequate liability

coverage.

In the tourist business, you are never really off-duty.

Expect late-night calls and working holidays.

State departments of agriculture often offer

assistance in setting up farm festivals and similar

activities. State tourism bureaus also can offer

a wealth of ideas and information.

DIRECT MARKETING MEAT AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS

AFTER YEARS OF WATCHING FEED PRICES RISE AND PORK

prices fall and wondering how they could stay profitable, Denise and Bill Brownlee of Wil-Den Family

Farms in Pennsylvania decided in 2002 to exploit

what they saw as a market advantage – their outdoor

production system where hogs farrow and finish on

pasture without growth stimulants and with minimal

antibiotic use.

Given the time commitment involved in direct

marketing, the Brownlees started by scaling back

from 170 sows to 60, aiming to sell 900 to 1,000

animals a year at a premium price. Over the past

several years they’ve explored a variety of direct marketing strategies. A SARE grant enabled them to partner

with a local nonprofit group to test a subscription

service for meat, in which up to 100 members would

purchase annual shares of pork chops, sausages,

bacon and ham.

What they found was that customers were more

comfortable with monthly meat subscriptions than

with annual meat shares. “We tried to pattern it after

how people are used to buying from vegetable farmers:

paying upfront,” Denise Brownlee says. “For whatever

reason, they were hesitant to commit.” Their experience

shows that translating marketing strategies from one type

of product to another can require some tweaking.

Decades ago, most meat and animal products were

sold directly to customers, but all that changed with

the advent of the modern feedlot-to-wholesale system.

Recently, consumer concerns about nutritional health,

food safety and animal welfare have spurred renewed

interest in buying animal products directly from the

source. Producers, meanwhile, see the value of

re-connecting to consumers.

Making the most of your direct marketing efforts

requires being able to explain to customers why your

product is better than what they can find in their local

supermarket. To make specific nutritional claims for

Nutritional tests on

meat from Buffalo

Groves in Colorado

found the cuts were

significantly lower in

calories and cholesterol

than grain-fed bison

meat, providing a

marketing angle for

David and Marlene

Groves.

– Photo courtesy of Buffalo Groves
9

your product, consider getting samples tested by an

independent lab. With a SARE producer grant, David

and Marlene Groves tested their 100-percent grass-fed

bison meat, which they sell directly from their Colorado

ranch. They learned that the meat was slightly lower in

fat and significantly lower in calories and cholesterol

than the standard published values for bison meat.

“It’s very hard to confidently market your product 

if you don’t completely understand it,” Groves says.

“Most buffalo for sale in the supermarket is grain-fed,

and it’s much fattier.” Once customers understand the

difference, they often are more inclined to buy Buffalo

Groves meat.

Another expanding market opportunity for sustainable livestock producers centers on health. Health care

practitioners and individuals seeking to improve their

diets in response to concerns about chronic disease,

pain syndromes and various disorders are fueling

demand for better quality meat. The University of North

Carolina Program on Integrative Medicine used a SARE

grant to compile a directory of locally raised, grass-fed

livestock products after receiving repeated requests for

such information from holistic health care providers in

the area. Part of their research included sources of meat

with desired levels of omega-3 fatty acids.

For livestock producers facing an increasingly concentrated market with a few large processors controlling

prices, direct marketing offers the opportunity to retain

a greater share of product value. Marketing meat and

animal products, however, means making food safety

issues paramount. (See box at right.)

Provide cooking instructions, especially for grassfed meats, which require lower cooking temperatures

than conventionally produced meat – “low and slow,”

as Texas rancher Peggy Sechrist likes to describe it.

If possible, provide samples. With a quality product,

sampling can be the most effective form of marketing.

Jim Goodman of Wonewoc, Wis., began direct-marketing organic beef not only to increase profits, but also to

talk with and educate his customers about sustainable

beef production. After 16 years of selling to packing

companies, Goodman now delivers beef to restaurants,

a farmers market and directly to friends and neighbors.

Customers are getting used to ordering by e-mail in the

winter, so direct marketing continues during the winter

through scheduled deliveries.

“Traditionally, farmers never see their customers,” says

Goodman, who regularly drives 75 miles to Madison to

deliver beef. “It’s nice to be able to hand your customers

a package of burgers with tips on how to cook it and be

able to tell them how the animals are raised.”

When he takes a 1,500-pound steer to the packing

plant, he receives about $1,000. That same animal brings

$2,500 minus about $450 in processing costs, when he

sells it directly.

“People are willing to pay more for direct-marketed

organic beef,” he says. “Once you get regular customers,

you develop a friendship with them. Then people start

talking about buying meat from ‘my farmer.’ It really is

the way marketing should be done, the farmer delivers a

quality product, and the consumer is happy to pay them

a fair price, everyone wins.”

Cooperatives provide another route for direct marketing meat. In 2001, a group of Iowa livestock producers

launched Wholesome Harvest, a cooperative featuring

organic meat sales in five Midwest states. Co-op founder

Wende Elliott, who raises lamb and poultry, got a grant

from SARE to research the potential -- since realized

with steady sales. “Only by working together can farmers

protect the added value of organic meat and capture 

premium prices,” Elliott says. (See p. 15 for more information on co-ops.)

Recently, consumer

concerns about

nutritional health,

food safety and

animal welfare

have spurred

renewed interest 

in buying animal

products directly

from the source.

Meat producers address consumer safety concerns through regulatory avenues as well as 

processing and inspection. Before launching a direct meat-selling venture, decide where

and how you want to market. The type of processing and inspection you choose limits

where the meat can be sold, dictating whether you can sell across state lines and 

whether direct to consumers or wholesale. 

For more information about meat inspection and overall marketing regulations, 

see the Legal Guide for Direct Farm Marketing, developed in part with a SARE 

grant. To learn more about direct-marketing beef, from slaughtering to promoting 

and advertising, consult How to Direct Market Your Beef, published by SARE’s 

Sustainable Agriculture Network. (RESOURCES, p. 20.) 

You may want to develop labels describing how you produce your meat, specifying

your feeding, medication and other practices and/or where you farm or ranch. Check 

with USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) at www.fsis.usda.gov, (202) 205-0623

and the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service’s Livestock and Seed Program,

www.ams.usda.gov/lsg, to create accurate, legal claims. 

For organic labels, see USDA’s National Organic Program Website – www.ams.usda.gov/nop

– or call (202) 690-0725 with questions. For regulations and information related to food

safety in livestock products other than meat and eggs, such as milk pasteurization, visit

the Food & Drug Agency’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at

www.cfsan.fda.gov.

To better address the needs of the small business community, including farmers and

ranchers, FDA assigned its small business representatives (SBRs) to respond to questions

such as how to find the FDA regulation(s) pertinent to your product. To find the SBR 

nearest you, visit www.fda.gov/ora/fed_state/Small_Business/sb_guide/smbusrep.html.

ANIMAL PRODUCT LABELING & CLAIMS
10

SEASON EXTENSION

WHETHER YOU’RE SELLING AT FARMERS MARKETS, THROUGH

a CSA or on your farm, lengthening your marketing

season can be critical to spreading your workload and

evening out your cash flow. It can also help maintain

relationships with customers and allow you to offer

year-round employment to key employees. While some

farmers enjoy having off-season “down time” to make

repairs or plan for the coming year, others find that

practicing seasonal diversification makes for a more

well-rounded farm enterprise.

Season extension involves using greenhouses,

unheated hoop houses, row covers or alternate varieties

to push fruit and vegetable crops earlier into the spring

or later into the fall.

In Oregon, farmers Aaron Bolster of Deep Roots Farm

and Anthony and Carol Boutard of Ayers Creek Farm

teamed up with the Oregon Farmers’ Market Association

on a SARE-funded project to test the idea of extending

a popular Portland farmers market through the winter

months. Customers got acquainted with the wide array of

local products available year-round, while farmers gauged

off-season demand. Deep Roots used hoop houses to

grow late-season greens and other cold-hardy crops; other

farmers, like the Boutards, offered value-added products

based on their summer berries and other specialties.

“This is an area where there used to be a lot more

emphasis on winter production, but with more shipping

and competition from the South, it kind of fell away,” Bolster says.“Now, with the demand for local produce, there’s

a real opportunity for farmers who are willing to take it.”

A key goal for Bolster and the Boutards was to keep

people employed year-round to foster good workers.

They also found the winter market was a catalyst for them

to grow more vegetables year-round, then try shopping

any extra product to local stores and restaurants. “In

winter there’s certainly more risk, but it’s worth it,”

Bolster says.

Sometimes, the key to capturing a valuable market is

timing. Having the earliest local sweet corn or tomatoes

To expand sales of their lamb and goat

meat, Larry Jacoby and Judy Moses built

new connections with the growing

populations of Mexican and Somali

immigrants in western Wisconsin.

Their efforts – advertising in multiple

languages, promoting visits to their

140-acre farm in Downing, Wis., and

attending customer weddings, among

them – have resulted in a substantial

increase in annual sales.

“We like working with a variety of

people, it fits our interests intellectually,”

said Judy Moses, who, with husband

Jacoby, received a SARE farmer/rancher

grant to explore new ways to promote

to culturally diverse customers. “Once

you get into their network, you’re in.

When we have goats for sale, the word

spreads quickly and customers come.”

Now, they sell almost all of their

goats and about 40 percent of their lambs

to ethnic customers at premium prices.

In busy periods during the Muslim

month of Ramadan, Christmas and New

Year’s holidays, monthly sales of adult

goats, kids, and 80-pound lambs surge.

In 2005, they sold more than

500 live goats and lambs during

the holidays at an average of

$100 each.

Moses and Jacoby learned a lot

over the two years of their grant

project about how to reach new

customers, many of whom speak

limited English, come to the farm

at all hours, and want to slaughter

their animals according to religious

customs.

Moses’ co-worker at her offfarm job, a Somali native, sparked

the project by suggesting that

local Somalis, many of whom work

at a Barron, Wis., turkey processing

plant, craved fresh goat meat. While

Moses and Jacoby tried ads in ethnic

magazines, established a multi-lingual

Website and posted information on

bulletin boards and tourist information

centers, word-of-mouth brought the

most customers.

A friend who worked at the processing plant encouraged some of her Somali

co-workers to visit Moses’ and Jacoby’s

Shepherd Song Farm, where they raise

about 400 goats and 300 lambs annually

on pasture.

In keeping with tradition, the Somalis

wanted Halal slaughtering practices

involving a Muslim imam. Moses found

a state-inspected processor 14 miles

away willing to slaughter goats in the

preferred manner with the local imam

present to supervise. Moses and Jacoby

adapted in other ways, too, growing

accustomed to unannounced visits from

families, some of whom liked to pick up

animals in the midst of the winter

holidays. Many of those visitors

bought 10 to 20 goats at one time.

They even bartered occasionally,

with Jacoby swapping lamb for a new

pair of leather boots imported from

Mexico, among other items. Customer

relations soared.

“Mexican and Somali families have

sought us out,” Moses said. “These

families purchase something more than

food – a memory of their heritage

while strengthening family bonds.”

PROMOTING MEAT TO ETHNIC MARKETS

Shane Opatz
at the farmers market will command a price premium;

the trick is to keep customers coming to your stand

through tomato season and beyond. Thinking creatively

about how to maximize the overlap between peak

demand and peak production is an important part of

direct marketing. Becky Walters of Burns, Kan., developed her distinctive pumpkin salsa after selecting an

early-maturing pumpkin variety to coincide with tomato

and pepper season.

Another part of season extension has to do with understanding the seasonal preferences of your target market.

Meat producers often find that customers buy ground

beef in the summer and roasts in the winter, for example.

In Colorado, the Groves have learned that they have to

ship on Thursdays because many people like to receive

their meat on Friday for special weekend meals. Moreover,

the Groves say that bison sales are strong around the winter holidays and into January, apparently because people

resolve to eat healthier meats around the first of year.

Finally, raising heritage turkeys for the Thanksgiving market has proven a yearly boon for many poultry producers.

VALUE-ADDED PRODUCTS

IN 1986, EARNIE AND MARTHA BOHNER BEGAN MAKING JAM IN

rented facilities near their farm in southern Missouri.

Since then, Persimmon Hill Berry Farm has built a processing kitchen to make value-added products, from jams

to sauces. To create specialty items that would appeal to

customers, the Bohners did their homework. First, they

worked with a chef to perfect recipes for jams and barbecue sauce. Later, with a SARE grant, they sought ways to

add value to shiitake mushrooms. After market research,

including detailed cost comparisons, showed that freezedrying on site would be prohibitively expensive, the

Bohners decided to dry their fresh shiitakes off-site, then

convert the high-value product into a top-shelf shiitake

soup mix.

“The development of new products is something we

work at all of the time,” says Earnie Bohner. “New farm

products and enterprises help keep us interesting to

our return guests and give our first-time guests more

motivation to come and see us.” Today, their sales of

value-added products accounts for 50 percent of the

farm’s gross income.

Processing fruits and shiitake mushrooms allows

the Bohners to use “seconds,” extend their marketing

season and diversify their marketing outlets.

Dan and Jeanne Carver diversified their central

Oregon ranch by developing a variety of value-added

products from their sheep flock. With a SARE farmer/

rancher grant, Jeanne Carver tested the market, then

targeted lamb and wool sales toward high-end consumers

and commercial buyers. Now, they sell Imperial Stock

Ranch lamb to upscale restaurants in Bend, Ore., wool

in yarn-and-pattern kits for hand knitters, and ready-towear woolen and lambskin fashions.

“Our customers love the quality of our product, the

flavor profile of the meat, the feel of the wool, and the

message of the land and sense of place,” Carver says.

Direct-marketing their lamb led to selling some of

their main product – beef -- directly as well. “The marketing project has increased awareness and visibility of

11

Greenhouses and high

tunnels – unheated,

pipe-framed structures –

offer options for producing

before and after the

traditional season. Easyto-construct tunnels have

been especially popular

for off-season fruits and

vegetables that fetch

premium prices.

– Tunnel photo by Mark Davis;

greenhouse photo by MB Miller.
what we grow, how we grow it and, most importantly,

how we manage the land,” says Dan Carver. “Once the

chefs [buying Imperial Stock Ranch lamb] tour the

ranch and see the roots of their product, they ask “How

do we get your beef?’The demand is there,” he notes,

“but it will grow only as fast as our processing and

distribution will allow.”

In the Northeast, where festivals proliferate, the

Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont

(NOFA-VT) used a SARE grant to research a variety of

prepared foods for sale at fairs, festivals and farmers

markets. Their goal was to develop a healthy valueadded product that featured diverse local ingredients

purchased directly from farmers and appealed to

festival-goers. The answer turned out to be pizza.

To make it work, NOFA-VT needed a portable oven.

They contracted with a Maine company that specializes

in wood heating to build them a wood-fired French

clay, copper-clad oven, with help from a USDA Rural

Business Enterprise Grant. They then set it on a trailer

so it could be pulled from event to event by truck.

In 2006,“Vermont Farmers’ Fare” began selling 12-inch

pizzas made from Vermont-grown wheat, vegetables,

cheese and meat.

The pizzas “are a big hit!” says Enid Wonnacott,

NOFA-VT’s executive director. “No one can believe the

crust is made, partially, from local wheat. One of our

goals was to get local food on the radar screen of

people who may not even think about the farms in their

community and what is available from those farms.”

Wonnacott and others planned the portable pizza

project to offer farmers a direct market benefit, and

also to encourage them to sell their own value-added

products. The oven also cooks bread, pies and even

roasted vegetables.

Value-added opportunities are everywhere. Examine

your product and brainstorm about how processing

might increase its value. Fruit growers can dry their

product or make wines, juices, vinegars, spreads, sauces,

syrups and preserves. Grain growers might create cereals

and baking mixes. Dairy operators can bottle milk or

make cheese, while livestock producers might sell

dried meat or specialty cuts.

When you add variety to your product line, you

increase the choices presented to your customers and

your chances for expanding your sales volume.

Some things to keep in mind when contemplating

value-added products:

Consider projected costs and returns carefully

before investing in specialized equipment for

value-added products. Often it makes sense

to work with a co-processor to test your market.

Some of the best value-added items make use

of by-products or seconds.

Seek the experts. Consult with your state Extension

Service, Department of Agriculture or small business

groups about packaging, processing and recipe

development.

SALES TO RESTAURANTS & INSTITUTIONS

RESTAURANTS, ESPECIALLY HIGH-END RESTAURANTS, PROVIDE

lucrative markets. Chefs and restaurant patrons pay

premium prices for top-quality, distinctive, locally grown

products -- if they are available in quantities that warrant

inclusion on the menu. Some states and regions have

created marketing programs to encourage restaurants

to feature local farm products, and an increasing number of restaurants identify farms in their menu item

descriptions and in other promotions.

12

left to right

To add value to local fare,

the Northeast Organic

Farming Association of

Vermont developed pizza

on-the-go featuring a

portable oven and diverse

products, from wheat to

vegetables to meat. Lisa

Harris of NOFA-VT

demonstrates.

– Photo by Lindsey Ketchel



Sheep rancher Jeanne

Carver developed a line

of woolen garments such

as fleece vests featuring

their Oregon-raised wool,

adding value to a

typically low-priced

commodity.

– Photo courtesy Imperial

Stock Ranch
13

The challenge often lies in getting farmer-chef 

relationships established. In some areas, organized 

sampling events have brought farmers and chefs

together to talk about seasonal availability, preferred

crops and varieties, volume, post-harvest handling and

delivery logistics.

In the mid-90s, after receiving a SARE farmer grant,

Brian Churchill held an “expo” for 50 chefs from top

restaurants in nearby Louisville, Ky.“We showed we can

produce the volumes they need in as good or better 

a quality as they can get anywhere,” Churchill says.

The SARE grant started Churchill down a path he

continues to tread more than a decade later. He

expanded his “IPM sweet corn” to 60 acres and sells 

that and other produce to two chefs, who pick up 

their requests at the farm twice a month.

Another SARE-funded project in northwestern

Arkansas organized 11 “All-Ozark Meals” at restaurants,

delis, farmers markets and other locations in 2003.

Enthusiasm from the event translated to more local 

purchasing by restaurants and groceries and a new

commitment from a regional environmental group 

to support farmland preservation issues. Several chefs 

who cooked for the All-Ozark Meals now participate 

in a popular competition at the Fayetteville Farmers

Market, in which chefs have two hours to shop at the

market and then prepare a three-course meal using 

all-local ingredients. Strong media response has 

confirmed the value of farmers’ stories when it 

comes to selling food.

In Hawaii, a SARE-funded effort known as the “12

Trees” project is combining new crop development 

with culinary expertise, organic growing techniques 

and agritourism. Farmer and organizer Ken Love

solicited input from chefs to identify 12 tropical tree

fruits with commercial potential. Then, project leaders

and volunteers planted trees on a demonstration site

where farmers and researchers could learn about 

production methods -- and tourists and local residents

could come to see, taste and buy unusual fruits. Over

the course of the project, it evolved from a research 

plot to a tourist destination.

“This came about solely because of community

involvement,” Love says. “So instead of a university test

plot, we have an attractive public park complete with

educational displays on sustainable agriculture.”

As the trees come into full production, the Kona

Pacific Farmers Cooperative will market the fruit to area

restaurants. Students at the West Hawaii Culinary Arts

program have been involved in developing recipes for

the fruits, which include loquat, pomegranate, mysore

berry, tropical apricot, figs and more.

“Everyone wins and benefits from this project,” Love

says. “Researchers have a sustainable certified organic

field for tropical fruit production tests, and chefs and

student chefs are exposed to a wide variety of fruit that

they continue to purchase from local growers.”

The 12 Trees site, located near the culinary school,

was designed for visitors. Self-guided tours with field signs

highlight information for growers and consumers. Two

natural amphitheaters provide space for local groups 

to hold on-site workshops on such subjects as pruning and

grafting. It also draws visitors to the 101-year-old historic

Kona coffee co-op.

Other farmers report success from approaching 

local chefs directly.

“It seems that every type of restaurant has its own

particular needs,” writes Jan Holder in her book,

top to bottom

Rare Hawaiian striped 

bananas are among the 

local fruits with a “wow” 

factor grown at the 12 Trees

demonstration site in Kona 

and are a potentially hot 

crop for area chefs. 

– Photo by Ken Love



Upscale restaurants like

Restaurant Nora in 

Washington, D.C., feature

ingredients procured from 

local farmers as a hook 

to draw customers. 

– Photo by Edwin Remsberg
left to right

Philadelphia’s nonprofit

Food Trust created

linkages between

Pennsylvania farmers

and city schools, 

such as farm visits. A

kindergarten student

visits Solly Brothers

farm in Bucks County,

Pa., with his class.



Among the sales of

locally produced food

brokered by The Food

Trust: a special

morning snack for

kindergarteners. 

– Photos by Bonnie Hallam

How to Direct Market Your Beef (RESOURCES, p. 20), adding

that locally owned restaurants are a much better bet

than franchises. “Restaurateurs usually want fresh, not

frozen beef. They also want a uniform product. The

last thing a restaurant manager wants is a customer

complaining that last time he ordered this steak it was 

a lot bigger, or leaner, or more tender, or whatever.”

Restaurants already working with seasonal, locally

produced foods might be most willing to work with you,

Holder says. Providing weekly availability lists can help

educate chefs and other food service personnel about

their options.

Prospective restaurant suppliers should consider:

Upscale restaurants and specialty stores pay top 

dollar for quality produce and hard-to-get items.

According to Eric Gibson’s Sell What You Sow!,

growers can expect a minimum of 10 percent over

wholesale terminal prices for standard items at 

mainstream restaurants.

Most restaurants buy in limited quantities, and sales

may not justify the necessary frequent deliveries.

Growers should line up buyers a year in advance 

and develop secondary outlets.

Call buyers for appointments and bring samples.

Meat producers can offer a variety of cuts, and 

even bones for soup stock, but most restaurants 

will want fresh products.

Major selling points include daily deliveries, special

varieties, freshness, personal attention and a

brochure describing your farm and products.

When planning your crop mix, talk with chefs and

specialty buyers, who are constantly looking for

something new. Successful restaurant sales depend

on meeting the changing needs of your buyers.

Other farmers and nonprofit organizers are exploring

the potential of direct farm sales to institutions like

schools, hospitals, and senior-care facilities. Philadelphia’s nonprofit Food Trust received a SARE grant in

2003 to strengthen farmer access to markets in the 

inner city. Working with farmer groups, extension 

services and institutional buyers, the group brokered

marketing relationships, matching farmers with buyers,

bargaining for better prices and coordinating deliveries.

Among the project’s successes was the creation of a

“Farm Fresh” fruits and vegetable option for people 

participating in a “share food” program run by a state

nonprofit organization. That program offers discounted

monthly food packages with a labor commitment.

About one-quarter of participants now choose fresh 

produce that was not previously available.

Sales from farms to Philadelphia schools is set to 

top $200,000 in the first two years of the group’s farmto-school project, according to Food Trust staffer Patrick

Gorman. A special kindergarten initiative is supplying

Pennsylvania farm produce for morning snacks at 11

schools, three days a week. The project has nutritional

and educational benefits for the children as well as 

economic benefits for the farmers.

Selling to schools can be challenging -- budgets are

limited, many decision-makers are involved, and many

schools no longer manage their own kitchens. But as 

public concern over childhood obesity grows, new

opportunities for school food programs are opening 

in many parts of the country. Privately run schools and

institutions often have more flexibility than public

schools.

14
In Tennessee,

farmers who

wanted to convert

their harvest

into high-value

products formed

a marketing

cooperative called

Appalachian

Spring. With a

SARE grant,

they opened

a community

kitchen.

15

COOPERATIVE MARKETING/CAMPAIGNS

SOME DIRECT MARKETERS GO IT ALONE, BUT MANY FIND THAT

teaming up with others shares skills and abilities,

moderates the workload and minimizes hassles.

After Terry and LaRhea Pepper’s single buyer reneged

on a contract to buy their entire crop of organic cotton

near O’Donnell, Texas, they found themselves with bales

of raw cotton and no buyer. Scrambling for an alternative, the Peppers decided to try converting the raw product into denim. LaRhea Pepper, who had majored in

fashion merchandising in college, contacted companies

interested in finished fabrics and secured a new buyer.

“We realized, then and there, that security and

profitability depended on our assuming responsibility

for processing and marketing our cotton,” La Rhea Pepper

says. “We don’t rely on anyone else.”

The Peppers joined forces with other organic and

transitional cotton growers to form the Texas Organic

Cotton Marketing Cooperative. Through the co-op, they

shared marketing expenses and risks, then dealt with

buyers as a team.

“We were realistic,” LaRhea Pepper says. “We realized

we couldn’t deliver a consistent supply as the only

producer.”

When the cooperative was formed in 1991, it brought

together 40 farm families who sought to market their

organic and transitional cotton. The cotton co-op sells

raw, baled cotton or an array of processed products

such as personal hygiene aids and a diversity of fabrics

through their Website.

As more members of the co-op were drawn into

marketing decisions, they also saw the need to create

new products, expand markets and promote themselves.

They diversified the product line to include chambray,

flannel, twill and knits. Lower grade, shorter staple cotton, not suited to clothing, is used to make blankets and

throws. Most recently, an “Organic Essentials” division

was created to manufacture facial pads, cotton balls

and tampons. The co-op board continues to look for

other opportunities to add value to their cotton, and

for partners in the industry who are willing to share

the cost and risk.

The benefits of marketing agricultural products with

others also appealed to Janie Burns of Nampa, Idaho,

who raises sheep, chickens and assorted vegetables on

10 acres. A relatively small farmer, she is a large-scale

promoter of local food systems. With a SARE grant,

Burns investigated whether a growers’ cooperative

would help area farmers become more efficient and

profitable, while offering their community access to

fresh, sustainably grown vegetables.

“We went to every list of people involved in direct

marketing,” Burns recalls. They surveyed 150 people

within the Boise/Twin Falls area, which shares a

similar climate and crops, about their interest and

capabilities. Then, they identified markets, such as

restaurants, natural food stores, a cafeteria, a hospital

and a school.

The Boise-area farmers agreed to form their own

co-op under the name Idaho Organics Cooperative, Inc.

Now, the group has it down to a science. Every Sunday,

co-op growers send lists of what they will have for delivery that week, including quantity, description and price,

via fax, to their customers. Based on responses, the

farmers harvest, then pool produce at a central location

for boxing and delivery.

In Tennessee, in a similar venture with a value-adding

twist, farmers who wanted to convert their harvest into

high-value products formed a marketing cooperative

called Appalachian Spring. With a SARE grant, Steve

Hodges and the Jubilee Project investigated the feasibility of using a community kitchen in the nearby town of

Treadway, then co-marketing their products -- a variety of

salsas, fruit spreads and personal care goods. Once they

crunched the numbers and saw a positive prognosis,

they began selling the items through the co-op’s Website

as well as through retail locations such as a regional

airport gift shop.

The group also sells seasonal gift baskets to area

church groups, a terrific way to highlight local products.

“We tried wholesaling at first,” Hodges says,“but we

found that small processors just can’t compete against

big companies, even with a co-op.” In addition to joint

marketing, co-op membership offers other benefits, like

sharing equipment and bulk ordering supplies.

Cooperative marketing can be a great opportunity –

or a headache. Here are some tips on how to make it

work for you:

The USDA Rural Development Business & Cooperative program offers information and assistance in

setting up and managing a cooperative marketing

effort. It’s a great place to start (RESOURCES, p. 20).

Consider a marketing club, an informal cooperative

that relies on using member marketing skills. Many

extension offices offer training programs and assistance in setting up marketing clubs.

Join a nonprofit farmer network group to share

ideas and inspiration.

Adequate market research and business planning

are keys to successful cooperative marketing.
BUY LOCAL CAMPAIGNS

PUBLIC CAMPAIGNS CAN ENGAGE CONSUMERS AND PROMOTE

purchases from farmers and ranchers. In 2003, California vegetable grower MaryAnn Vasconcellos approached

the Central Coast Resource Conservation & Development Council (RC&D) with the idea of launching a 

campaign informing consumers why and where to buy

local. Vasconcellos, who had spoken with many area

growers while conducting workshops for the nonprofit

Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF),

reported that many were asking how they might better

market their products.

To Vasconcellos, the time seemed right to approach

California consumers with messages about how they

could convert a growing interest in food to supporting

local farmers. If consumers were willing to pay for open

spaces by supporting local producers, why not help

connect growers and consumers by branding their 

food, fiber and flowers as local? 

With a farmer/rancher grant from SARE,Vasconcellos

and the Central Coast RC&D designed and launched 

a Website, designed a “buy local” label and created a

marketing structure that farmers could see working.

The “Buy Fresh Buy Local” campaign was designed to

reflect the wide array of products and the diversity 

of their operations, which included u-pick, farm stands

and markets and such varied goods as alpaca fleeces,

grass-fed beef and lamb, as well as fruit and vegetables.

“Buy local” campaigns are underway in many parts

of the country. Nationally, the FoodRoutes Network

offers low-cost and customized publicity materials to

help you or your group start a “buy local” campaign.

In remote rural areas, farmers banding together have

strengthened market development. Ten farmers markets

representing 150 small farms in western North Carolina

joined forces to form the Mountain Tailgate Market 

Association (MTMA), bringing the power of a group

behind promotion and performance. The term tailgate

market, in fact, may be unique to the rural South,

referring to lots and school yards where farmers drop

their tailgates to reveal fresh-picked bounty. Since tailgate

markets lean toward a show-up and set-up style, the

small venues can be challenging to promote for farmers,

many of whom have limited resources, as well as their

small rural communities.

A SARE grant provided the resources to develop a

logo for the association, conduct a multi-media promotional campaign, survey shoppers and vendors at all 

10 markets, and conduct a workshop for the vendors.

According to project leader Charlie Jackson, a farmer

who is also on staff of the Appalachian Sustainable 

Agriculture Project, the SARE activities resulted in

heightened visibility of the markets, brought many 

new customers, provided a strong base of information

on customer and vendor perceptions of the markets 

and strengthened the cohesiveness of the group.

Surveys were particularly valuable, considering that

about 1,600 customers and 60 vendors responded. The

rapid feedback guided future promotional decisions.

For example, the surveys indicated that most new 

16

left to right

The Mountain Tailgate

Market Association

unites a number of

small farmers markets

representing 150 small

farms in western 

North Carolina, 

funding a multi-media

promotional campaign,

among other ventures.

– Photo by Charlie Jackson



Buy Fresh, Buy Local

campaigns sponsored 

by Food Routes

(www.foodroutes.org)

boost sales of local

products across the

United States.
17

customers found the markets through word of mouth,

so the vendors capitalized on that by asking customers

to bring a friend on a particular market day designated

as Summer Celebration. That day was the season’s high

point for traffic and sales.

“It’s inspiring to see a group of farmers sitting down

and planning together,” Jackson says. “Group promotion

is a major benefit of the association.”That cooperation

has led to plans for a 100-vendor market in Asheville, N.C.

INTERNET

AS INTERNET SALES CONTINUE TO GROW, CREATIVE FARMERS

are jumping on board. The convenience of Web shopping

appeals to today’s busy consumers looking for unique

products. The good news: You don’t need to be a

copywriter or a computer expert to tap into millions

of potential buyers, although maintaining a successful

Website can be challenging and time-consuming.

Website design services have gotten more affordable in

recent years, so contracting this out may make sense.

Even if you don’t plan to sell your products over the

Internet or via mail order, hosting a Website describing

your farm, your location, hours, seasonal availability

and other information makes good business sense.

More and more people use the Internet as an all-purpose research tool in place of phone directories, maps

and guidebooks.

A Website is also a terrific place to tell your story,

a tried-and-true marketing strategy. Have a friend or

relative with a knack for photography – or a local art

student or newspaper photographer -- capture images

of you, your family, key employees, your products, and

a scenic view of your farm or ranch. Include a short

“about us” section describing your farm’s history, goals

and values. Remember that reporters and researchers

rely on the Internet too! Having an accessible, easy-tonavigate Website can multiply your promotional opportunities later.

Maryland farmers Robin and Mark Way developed a

Website as part of a multifaceted “branding” campaign

for their diversified, pasture-based livestock operation,

Rumbleway Farm. Along with the Website, Robin Way

made business cards, brochures, T-shirts, and an attention-getting farm sign, all featuring the farm’s signature

yellow chicken outlined in green. Way even created her

own farm “blog,” a software tool that lets you post regular

entries in a journal-type format to share news, recipes, or

other ideas. Way asserts the Website and other measures

have had a huge impact on business.

Marketing cooperatives can offer a broader range of

retail products on a single Website, increasing traffic while

saving on the cost of Website design and maintenance.

Appalachian Spring Cooperative (see p. 15) tried other

marketing avenues, but found the Internet among their

most effective channels.

Participating in online information gateways can

result in extra business. Nationally, localharvest.org lists

close to 10,000 venues where farmers and ranchers sell

their products. The Maryland Extension Service, with

help from a SARE grant, expanded an Internet-based

sheep and goat marketing project begun in the Northeast to include the mid-Atlantic states. The new Website,

www.sheepgoatmarketing.info, includes producer and

processor directories as well as other resources such

as a calendar of relevant religious holidays.

Appalachian Spring Coop, www.apspringcoop.com

Buffalo Groves, Inc., www.buffalogroves.com

Chico Basin Ranch, www.chicobasinranch.com

Full Belly Farm, www.fullbellyfarm.com

Persimmon Hill Farm, www.persimmonhill.com

Rumbleway Farm, www.rumblewayfarm.com

Texas Organic Cotton Marketing Cooperative, www.organicessentials.com

Walters’ Pumpkin Patch, www.walterspumpkinpatch.com.

Wholesome Harvest, www.wholesomeharvest.com

FEATURED FARM/RANCH WEBSITES:
The Website “helps me put buyers and sellers in

contact,” says project leader Susan Schoenian, who

hopes to add nationwide listings. “All of the producers

I come into contact with credit the site with helping

them to sell breeding stock and meat animals.”

Many state departments of agriculture now maintain

online directories of organic farms, pick-your-own farms

and farm stands. Make sure your farm is included on

these, and if possible, feature your Web address in your

listing. Having links to your Website appear on other

sites will improve your ranking among results returned

by Internet search engines.

You can also drive traffic to your Website by

gathering customers’ e-mail addresses and then

sending weekly or monthly e-mail announcements

to advertise new products, special events or seasonal

offerings.

Now that Internet marketing has proliferated, online

competition for consumers’ attention is fierce. Attracting

buyers can be difficult when hundreds of other farmers

offer similar products in catalogs or Websites. To stay in

the game, you need to maintain a good Website. If it’s

not current, a customer will zip away with a click of

the mouse.

If you’re interested in investigating the potential

of mail or Internet marketing, keep in mind:

When it comes to effective design, less can be

more. Resist the temptation to overload your

Website with flashing banners and fancy fonts.

Once you have a great Website, you still have to

attract users. Strive to get a good ranking on search

engines like Google by driving people to your site

from online links and e-mail alerts. Good Web

designers know how to improve your ranking by

using keywords. Having a distinctive farm name

can also be a plus.

List your Web address and other information

in online directories that strive to connect

farmers and consumers, such as localharvest.org,

eatwellguide.org and eatwild.com. Most of

these sites are eager for new listings and will

allow to you to create a customized entry free

of charge.

Update your Website often with your latest

product information and news about the farm.

Make sure the site is secure for credit-card users,

and provide regular and toll-free numbers for

customers who prefer to use the phone.

Find reliable and cost-effective shippers who

will deliver products on time in good condition.

RENEWABLE ENERGY

FARMERS GROWING GRAINS AND OILSEEDS MAY FIND NEW

markets if interest in bio-based fuels continues to grow.

Ethanol and biodiesel processing plants are increasingly

common in the Midwest, while smaller-scale projects

are being tested in the Northeast and other areas.

A SARE-supported project in Maine and Vermont

found that farmers could grow and crush canola for

$293 per ton, yielding 1,180 pounds of meal and

92 gallons of oil. Including the income from sale of the

meal, the break-even price of the biodiesel processed

from the canola oil came out at $3.09/gallon -- a

competitive price for a renewable fuel.

“Farmers are interested in producing a crop whose

value is tied to the price of fuel,” says project leader

Peter Sexton. “There’s also a great deal of personal

satisfaction to be gained from producing your own fuel.”

While it’s hard to say exactly how the renewable fuels

market will develop in coming years, with processing

technologies improving and demand on the rise, fuelcrop production offers an array of opportunities for

creating value-added products.

Installing photovoltaic panels or wind turbines,

can reduce energy expenses over the long term and

provide additional interest for farm visitors. See

www.sare.org/coreinfo/energy.htm for more information

about farm-based renewable energy.

EVALUATING NEW FARM ENTERPRISES

WHETHER YOU’RE LAUNCHING A NEW FARM BUSINESS OR

retooling an existing one, analyzing all of your possibilities is crucial to the success of your venture. Consider

writing a business plan, a road map that specifies your

priorities, goals and objectives. Moreover, business

plans provide a framework for reviewing your progress

and pointing out the need for mid-course corrections.

If you want to undertake business planning, consider

using Building a Sustainable Business:A Planning Guide

for Farmers and Rural Business Owners (RESOURCES, p. 20),

a 280-page guide to planning, implementation and

evaluation. The book, co-published by SARE’s Sustainable

Agriculture Network, includes dozens of worksheets

to help you navigate the process.

With an existing farm operation, you should be able

to do a basic enterprise analysis using the records you

have to keep for tax purposes, says Seth Wilner, a county

extension agent with the University of New Hampshire.

“Look at your profitability, then look for anomalies.

Maybe you thought blueberries were a profit center, say,

but they’re not. So maybe you should shift things around.”

18

A SARE-supported

project in New

England found

that farmers

could grow and

crush canola

for both meal

and biodiesel,

which brought a

competitive price.
You might consider seeking outside help with a

specific element of your plan, like marketing. For a

medium-sized direct marketing farm business, working

with a marketing consultant will typically cost between

$1,000 and $3,000. Hiring a consultant is a good idea if

you’re not sure how to get started or if you lack the time

to go through the process on your own.“It’s definitely a

worthwhile investment if you’re in the retail market,”

Wilner says.“It’s a lifetime investment.”

Failure to judge the true demand for a product is

a common cause of failure in many business ventures.

To improve your odds, be thorough about your market

research. Good research entails finding out as much

as possible about your planned products or services.

Investigate as many marketing options as possible and

identify several that look promising. The more ways

and places you have to sell your product, the better

your chances of success.

Promotion and customer relations should be part

of your marketing plan. A common rule of thumb for

promotional expenses is 3 percent of projected sales.

In New Hampshire, Wilner helped three farms

improve their bottom line by working with a marketing

consultant, partly with a SARE grant aimed at building

marketing skills for both farmers and county Extension.

For example, Beaver Pond Farm, a well-established

farm near Newport, N.H., specializing in pick-your-own

raspberries, used the consultant’s advice to improve

signage, raise prices on some items and adjust the layout

of their farm stand to improve product visibility. They

planted blueberries to diversify their crop mix and

began selling meat, apples, cheeses and milk from

other local farms in addition to their own products.

“People want more one-stop shopping. The customers

haven’t batted an eye on the price hikes,”Wilner says.

“The farm’s gone from breaking even or maybe losing a

little money to having two good seasons.”

Marketing activities are guided by a variety of regulations at federal, state, county and municipal levels. Some

vary by type of enterprise and location, while others are

more general. Legal considerations include the type of

business ownership (sole proprietorship, partnership,

etc.), zoning ordinances, small business licenses, building codes and permits, weights and measures, federal

and state business tax issues, sanitation permits and

inspections, food processors’ permits and more. For

more information, consult the Legal Guide for Direct

Farm Marketing (RESOURCES, p. 20).

Adequate insurance coverage is essential. Every

operator should have liability insurance for products and

premises, employer’s liability, and damage insurance to

protect against loss to buildings, merchandise and other

property. Ask your insurance agent about liability and loss

insurance specifically designed for direct-market farmers.

19

Before Earnie and Martha Bohner, farmers since

1982, launch value-added products, they analyze

all the costs and benefits. After starting their

farm with two acres of blueberries, they added

other small fruits, then began processing them.

Today, they cultivate 7 acres in Lampe, Mo.,

and enjoy a comfortable income. Yet, they

adopted each new enterprise only after asking

a series of soul-searching questions, such as:

Will the product fit in with the farm

operation?

Is the product consistent with the farm’s

mission and purpose?

Will the product be economically

sustainable?

In 2004, they explored freeze-drying shiitake

mushrooms as a new way to add value. Armed

with a SARE farmer grant, Earnie plunged into

research. He found an inexpensive dryer, but

it required a prohibitive amount of energy to

operate, a cost he needed to justify with a

lucrative end product.

When he ran the costs – raw product, packaging, bags, labels, packing and shipping – he found

that the freeze-drying was considerably more

expensive than air-drying, a distinction that

might be lost on customers.

Earnie ran the numbers on further processing

the mushrooms into soup mix, adding still more

value. Drying the mushrooms off site brought

down their costs, and they could charge enough

for a premium soup mix to more than offset

them. The Bohners debuted the soup mix in

2006 to an enthusiastic response.

What’s next? More planning as the couple

attempts to move into wholesale marketing

of shiitakes.

“After evaluation in three to four test markets,

we will be better able to make an economically

sound decision as to whether we can justify

building our own freeze-drying facility,”

Earnie says.

TRYING A NEW VENTURE? FIRST, MAKE A SOLID PLAN...

Martha Bohner
20

GENERAL INFORMATION

Sustainable Agriculture Research

and Education (SARE) program.

SARE studies and spreads information

about sustainable agriculture via a nationwide grants program and practical publications. (301) 504-5230;

sare_comm@sare.org; www.sare.org.

See the Direct Marketing Resource

Guide at www.sare.org/publications/

dmrg.htm.

Alternative Farming Systems Information Center (AFSIC).

Provides on-line information resources,

referrals and searching on alternative

marketing topics. (301) 504-6559;

afsic@nal.usda.gov;

www.afsic.nal.usda.gov. See comprehensive directory, Organic Agricultural Products: Marketing and Trade

Resources, www.nal.usda.gov/

afsic/AFSIC_pubs/OAP/srb0301.htm,

or request free CD.

Agricultural Marketing Resource

Center. Information resources for

value-added agriculture.

www.agmrc.org.

Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS),

USDA. Information on direct markets,

funding sources and publications

about sales to schools/restaurants.

www.ams.usda.gov/tmd/MSB/publications.htm.

ATTRA. National information service

offers 200+ free publications.

Call (800) 346-9140; Spanish:

(800) 411-3222; or go to

http://attra.ncat.org for:

– Direct Marketing Business

Management Series

– Adding Value to Farm Products:

An Overview

– Fresh to Processed: Adding Value

for Specialty Markets

– Bringing Local Food to Local

Institutions.

Growing for Market. National

monthly newsletter for direct market

farmers. $30/yr. growing4market@

earthlink.net; (800) 307-8949;

www.growingformarket.com.

North American Farmers’

Direct Marketing Association,

Southampton, MA (413) 529-0386 or

(888) 884-9270; www.nafdma.com.

FARMERS MARKETS/

AGRITOURISM

Agritourism and Nature Tourism in

California by University of California,

Davis. http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/

files/filelibrary/5327/3866.pdf.

Center for Agribusiness and

Economic Development.

Lists publications on running farmstands, promoting “agri-tainment,”

etc. www.caed.uga.edu..

Direct Farm Marketing and Tourism

Handbook by the University of

Arizona. http://ag.arizona.edu/arec/

pubs/dmkt/dmkt.html.

Farmers Market Promotion

Program. Grants program from USDA’s

Agricultural Marketing Service for

farmers markets, roadside stands, CSA.

www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets/

FMPP/FMPPInfo.htm. Also see Farmers

Market Consortium Resource Guide,

www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets/

Consortium/ResourceGuide.htm.

Managing the Liability and Risks

of Farm Direct Marketing and Agritourism by USDA's Risk Management

Agency. Resources for understanding

and analyzing potential liability risks.

http://www.communityagcenter.org/

Risk_Liability/Risk_Introduction.htm.

Market Decision Making Toolbox

for Farmers Markets. Michigan Food

& Farming System. www.miffsmarket

line.org/projects/greeen.html.

Resources for Farmers Markets by

the Northeast/Midwest Institute.

Includes market locators and funding

sources. www.farmersmarketsusa.org.

The New Farmers’ Market:

Farm-Fresh Ideas For Producers,

Managers & Communities by Eric

Gibson. Tips for farmers and market

managers and city planners. $24.95 +

$3.95. www.sare.org/publications/

newfarmer.htm; (301) 374-9696.

Sharing the Harvest: A Guide to

Community-Supported Agriculture

by Elizabeth Henderson with Robyn

Van En. Lays out the basic tenets of

CSA for farmers and consumers.

270 pp; $24.95. (800) 639-4099;

www.chelseagreen.com.

Tourism & Community Development

Resources & Applied Research

Clearinghouse, University of Wisconsin, Madison. www.wisc.edu/urpl/people/marcouiller/projects/clearing

house/Tourism%20Resources.htm.

DIRECT MARKETING MEAT

AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS

CSU Chico Grass-Fed Beef Website.

Includes research articles reviewing

the documented health benefits of

grass-fed beef, information on how to

create a label for your meat that

complies with federal regulations,

recipes and more.

www.csuchico.edu/agr/grassfedbeef.

Farm Fresh: Direct Marketing

Meats and Milk by Allan Nation.

Answers to how, how much, when, or

where to sell grass-fed meat or milk

for the highest profits. 251 pp; $35.60.

www.stockmangrassfarmer.net/

cgi-bin/page.cgi?id=361.html.

How to Direct Market Your Beef by

the Sustainable Agriculture Network.

Practical tips for selling grass-raised

beef to direct markets. 96 pp; $14.95.

www.sare.org/publications/beef.htm;

(301) 374-9696.

VALUE-ADDED PRODUCTS/

PROCESSING/SELLING DIRECT

Farmers and their Diversified

Horticultural Marketing Strategies

by the Center for Sustainable Agriculture. 48-minute video, $15.

www.uvm.edu/vtvegandberry/Videos/

marketvideo.htm; (802) 656-5459.

Food Marketing & Processing Food

Map. A comprehensive clearinghouse

of marketing and processing information on identifying new markets, locating processing equipment, etc.

www.foodmap.unl.edu.

Safe Sell Dairy: Creative Ways

to Sell Dairy Products at Farmer’s

Markets by Courtney Haase. Product

presentation, sampling and good

market etiquette. 76 pp.; $8.

www.nunsuch.org/safesell.htm.

Selling Directly to Restaurants

and Retailers by UC-SAREP. Tips

for a successful, entrepreneurial

relationship with local restaurants,

retailers. www.sarep.ucdavis.edu/

cdpp/selldirect.pdf.

BUSINESS PLANNING &

MANAGEMENT

Building a Sustainable Business:

A Guide to Developing a Business

Plan for Farms and Rural Businesses,

by the Minnesota Institute for

Sustainable Agriculture and the

Sustainable Agriculture Network. A

guide for agricultural entrepreneurs.

272 pp; $17 + s/h. www.sare.org/publi

cations/ business.htm; (301) 374-9696.

Farming Alternatives: A Guide to

Evaluating the Feasibility of New

Farm-Based Enterprises (NRAES-32).

$8 + $3.75 s/h to Natural Resource,

Ag & Engineering Service.

http://extensionpubs.umext.maine.

edu/ePOS/form=robots/item.html&

item_number=1036&store=413&

design=413; (607) 255-7654.

The Legal Guide for Direct Farm

Marketing by Neil Hamilton. Tips

about legal issues when directmarketing farm products. $20 + $3 s/h

to Agricultural Law Center, Drake

University. www.amazon.com;

(515) 271-2947.

New Farm Options University of

Wisconsin Extension. New niche

markets and business start-up issues.

www.uwex.edu/ces/agmarkets.

NxLeveL This agricultural entrepreneurs program module offers in-depth

training and materials for farmers

seeking marketing opportunities.

www.nxlevel.org; info@nxlevel.org;

(800) 873-9378.

USDA Rural Business and

Cooperative Programs. Supports

cooperatives in areas such as marketing. www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs;

(202) 720-7558.

SARE works in partnership with

Extension and Experiment Stations

at land grant universities to deliver

practical information to the agricultural

community. Contact your local Extension office for more information.

This bulletin was written by Laura Sayre,

a freelance writer based in Bucks

County, Pa., for the Sustainable

Agriculture Network and was funded

by USDA-CSREES under Cooperative

Agreement 2004-47001-01829.

Resources