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Farm Direct

FLOWERS COUNTRY-STYLE, BACKED BY THE GROWER
Buying direct from the grower means knowing who to turn to if you have a problem. And being successful at farm-direct sales of any product involves being reliable, responsible and available to the customer. Lynn Ivey, the owner of Ivey's Country Store in Macon, Georgia, grows pretty near everything he sells in his nursery, from bedding plants and roses to ornamental shrubs and perennials. He offers free advice, based on his 40 years of horticultural experience, to any customer that asks, even a month after the original purchase. Farm Direct Profile

BUFFALO GUYS GO OUT DIRECT
Based in rural Kansas, The Buffalo Guys are "going out direct" -- producing buffalo meat and selling it to customers all across the U.S. Seeking alternative ways to market their buffalo, the owners sold locally at farmers' markets, they tried selling to four- and five-star restaurants. Finally, they set up a Web site and started shipping buffalo products directly to people's homes... Farm Direct Profile

SMALL FARM DIRECT MARKETING
Direct marketing refers to selling that is based on a personal, one-to-one relationship that ties farmers and consumers together. Many times this relationship is face-to-face, like at farmers' markets. Other times, the consumer and farmer may not actually meet, for example, Internet sales.. Farm Direct Tip Sheet

MANAGING TIMBERLAND AS AN INVESTMENT
If you're a savvy investor, you know your financial portfolio should include a retirement plan, some stocks, some bonds, a money market fund -- and that timberland you inherited from your grandfather 20 years ago. Timberland as an investment? Absolutely. Timber is a commodity, and it needs to be treated like any other investment a landowner manages. Farm Direct Tip Sheet

RAISING MEAT GOATS
Increased market opportunities have led many folkss to consider raising meat goats, but many are unfamiliar with modern production techniques. And because the interest in meat goat production is new, there are few experienced goat producers in most areas to help newcomers in their desire to learn as much as possible The following tip sheet covers a range of topics that potential producers should understand before launching a meat goat enterprise. Farm Direct Tip Sheet

MARKETING MEAT DIRECT TO THE CONSUMER
Selling directly to the consumer may significantly increase profits and prices above those received in conventional markets. Small-scale operators and part-time producers, in particular, have the opportunity to market additional services or special aspects of their product and realize significant price premiums. Farm Direct Tip Sheet

GROWING A HOME BUSINESS WITH HERBS
Phyllis Shaudys of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, turned her hobby of making herbal sachets from dried home-grown herbs and flowers into a full-time business, Herbal Acres. In a profile of her enterprise in Mother Earth News she explained: "I had always made potpourris and sachets to give as gifts, but it had never occurred to me to go into business." Shaudys sold small pillows filled with fragrant herbs, packages of potpourri, and herbal wreaths.

ORGANIC DELIVERY SERVICES GROW
"The rising popularity of organic produce actually has wilted small growers who used to dominate organic sales to grocery stores. Large farms have plowed into the organic market attracted by the hearty profits and federal rules setting nationwide standards for organic food. So small growers are focusing on selling directly to the customer, playing up that their fruits and vegetables are locally grown and freshly picked, specializing in heirloom or unusual produce, and promoting their activism in the local community. Increasingly they are reaching out to customers at farmer's markets, in catalogs or on Web sites and through home delivery." Contra Costa Times

THE BEST MARKET
Some one has said that the great difficulty with farmers is that they sell at wholesale and buy at retail; and this difficulty is nowhere better shown than in the fruit business. The less fruit you can sell a customer, at one time, the more he is willing to pay for it. Did you ever stop to think of that? Traditional Orcharding

MICRO-ECOFARMING
Micro eco-farmers across the nation are profiting from small acreages to small-town backyards. Larger farms are adding ‘microfarm’ segments to their larger operations. Their livelihoods restore the planet while creating an abundance of healthy products produced in very small spaces. Micro Eco-Farming (.pdf file)

SELLING PRODUCE TO RESTAURANTS
A survey of members of the Chefs Collaborative, a national network of more than 1,000 members, found that the majority of them prefer to purchase direct from a farmer. The survey revealed that purchasing decisions were based on a product's quality, a product's taste, the knowledge of how a product is raised or grown, a product's freshness, the ability to guarantee consistent quality, strict adherence to food safety, a thorough knowledge of the producer's product and its uses, and the ability to deliver the quantity needed by the establishment. Producers must address these attributes when marketing their products to foodservice establishments. Ninety percent of the foodservice establishments surveyed promote the use of locally grown food on their menu or in their promotional material at one time or another, and 49% of those who had promoted consider the promotion to be very effective. The North Central Initiative for Small Farm Profitability

OHIOANS WANT TO BUY DIRECT
Ohioans are unquestionably interested in buying high quality fresh produce, according to an Ohio State University survey of "Ohio Consumer Opinions of Roadside Markets and Farmers' Markets." The survey of the general population in Ohio was designed to gather information regarding purchasing behavior and attitudes in regards to fresh fruits and vegetables. Over 88% of Ohio households said they believe they receive higher quality produce directly from the farmer and an even greater percentage (90%) of the households said they prefer to buy their fresh fruits and vegetables directly from the farmer, whenever possible. OSU Horticulture and Crop Science

CSA FARMS PAID TO GROW
There are close to 1,000 other mostly small family farms taking payments for food they haven't yet grown as part of a movement called consumer-supported agriculture, or CSA. Farmers say the programs help them share their risks - and their bounties - by taking money up front. They also help keep chemicals out of the ground, educate people about where food comes from and, maybe most important, do something to save the farmers. Baltimore Sun

ORGANIC FARMERS PUSHED INTO EXOTICS
Organic produce is the fastest-growing part of the agriculture industry, but as mainstream markets seek to meet consumer demand their favorite fruits and vegetables year-round it's making things tough for local organic farms that are limited to producing what is in season. Many wholesalers won't bother with small producers when they can get all they need from one large grower. To survive, some family farms are offering what the big guys can't: hard-to-find, heirloom or specialty crops.  Associated Press

BUYING LOCAL PRODUCE BOOSTS PROFITS FOR CHEFS
Buying locally grown seasonal produce can be a profitable move for food service establishments, a University of Nebraska market survey indicates. Market researchers at the university's Food Processing Center surveyed members of the Chefs Collaborative, a national network of food service professionals that promotes sustainable cuisine by using local, seasonal and specialty ingredients. The poll identified specific reasons for buying locally grown food and factors that motivate chefs to continue buying from local farmers and ranchers. Leading reasons included: locally grown foods have higher or better quality and are fresher; positive relationships with producers; customer requests for local products, especially after carrying local foods for a period of time; and the availability of unique or speciality products. University of Nebraska, Lincoln





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