Marketing is the toughest part of the small-farm profit equation to crack.
That's what we hear over and over again as we talk to vest-pocket farmers across the state. But when everything most people want is available from a weekly trip to the supermarket, it can be hard, relentless work to convince busy families that it's worthwhile to make an extra trip to get your product. Certainly there is a segment of society that will drive that extra mile, make that extra call, and spend that extra buck to get premium quality, locally produced meat, dairy products, vegetables and fruits. Getting the rest of the consuming public to notice the staggering variety and freshness of products that are locally produced and often unavailable elsewhere often turns into a full-time job and a test of the producer's creative powers. This month's issue of the Vest-Pocket Farmer focuses on some of the marketing successes and dilemmas for small producers of Christmas trees and meat animals.