Agricultural Marketing Off-Farm

Below you will find the 17 grant recipient articles from the Off-Farm Marketing Menu:

"Creating a Brand Name and Awareness for Arvgården Fleece and Wool Products”

Keith and Hilma Cooper, Arvgården Farm and Bed & Breakfast
Wellsboro, Pennsylvania

A flock of registered Corriedale sheep was established on the Arvgården Farm in 1999. Start-up costs for establishing the flock and restoring fences, pasture, and shelter have limited the farm's ability to market its top quality fleece for hand spinning. An identifiable brand name and exposure will help the farm participate successfully in this very specialized market. The farm's owners, the Coopers, note that one of the biggest challenges for small producers is scale. Typical marketing tools are too costly to purchase and large scale promotion can create a situation where the producer is unable to meet demand.

The Coopers identified several objectives to increase their products’ exposure:

• Prepare and print a three panel brochure that describes the products and features small plastic bags filled with samples of fleece and rovings.
• Improve the presentation of the farm website.
• Place a paid advertisement in one spinning magazine to increase recognition beyond the local area.
• Coordinate efforts with a consistent image and the Arvgården trade name.

With financial assistance from the grant, the Coopers were able to realize each of these objectives.

Six inquiries and two sales resulted directly from people who used the brochure as a reference for contacting the farm after a fiber festival. Former clients received brochures in the mail, which resulted in additional sales to people who had been urged by these clients to contact the farm. The web page resulted in four inquiries, and the paid advertisement generated three additional inquiries. One such inquiry from the paid advertisement came from Germany, where the Arvgården products will be featured in another magazine.

The Coopers note that the paid advertisements are very expensive with little immediate return. However, marketing is a 'time delay' activity with unpredictable response lag time so more sales could eventually result from the ads. Similarly, the web page has not generated new customers, but inquiries can be directed to the web page as another marketing tool with more information about the farm's products. The Coopers say that the marketing challenge for a small producer is to know what package to put together and how to get it into the hands of potential customers.

Individual Farm Marketing Grant

"Demonstrating Grass Fed Milk at the Natural Products Expo 2001”

Myron Miller and Gerald Byers, Trickling Springs Creamery
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
Donald Thompson, Marketing Consultant

Trickling Springs Creamery, opened in June 2001, is a fully operational creamery with an HTST pasteurizer capacity of 6000 pounds per day.  The creamery’s goal is to market glass-bottled milk and milk products from grass-fed cows.  To date, the creamery has three commitments from upscale retail chains in the Washington, D.C. area. 

The grant funding helped to defray the cost of attending the Natural Products Expo in Washington, D.C, where Trickling Springs Creamery hoped to obtain new business. Mr. Miller and Mr. Byers, along with their families, demonstrated and sampled their products to the public. They collected survey cards from interested attendees for future follow-up to obtain new business.

Trickling Springs Creamery may need to establish their own delivery route in the Washington, D.C. area. If so, they will be able to use contacts made during the Expo to develop a delivery network in this area. Displaying their products at the Expo was an effort to develop interest in the products and make market and distribution contacts. The creamery was successful on both accounts.

Individual Farm Marketing Grant

"Education for Farmers on Forming a Regional Organic Grain and Forage Marketing Agency”

Maryland Organic Food and Farming Association,
Grain and Producers Committee

Currently, Maryland organic grain and forage producers price their products based on what dealers or customers offer them. They have little or no knowledge of general organic market conditions. This project will help transfer the knowledge, experience, and structure of Organic Farmers' Agency for Relationship Marketing (OFARM) to a network of farmers in Maryland and surrounding states. OFARM is a marketing agency in common, with seven regional farmer organizations that are legally permitted to share information about prices and market trends, production plans, inventories, and contract terms.

The goal of this project is to provide educational and informational activities to a network of farmers such that the network could form the Chesapeake Regional Certified Organic Grain and Forage Marketing Producer Group. The grant funding enabled the Maryland Organic Food and Farming Association (MOFFA) to conduct many informational activities, including sending representatives to the OFARM annual meetings, bringing an OFARM representative to educational meetings in Maryland, and sending out a mailing to potential members and customers in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

The Chesapeake Organic Producers (COP) was formed at the annual MOFFA meeting in February, 2003, achieving the project's goal. COP is a committee of certified organic producers in the mid-Atlantic region organized under the Maryland Small Farm Cooperative. Its members sell grain, forage, livestock, and other products and services. There are currently thirteen members, with other organic growers expressing interest in the group. Future outreach through presentations, workshops, handouts, and one-on-one farmer contacts will be used to attract additional farmers to the group.

COP has not joined OFARM yet primarily because COP does not have a paid marketer actively identifying new customers and negotiating prices. Currently, all members conduct their own sales and the cooperative does not take possession of any products. Based on OFARM experience, COP members need to surpass approximately $1 million in gross sales to support a paid marketer. COP will investigate whether the cost of the sales commission would be warranted by the higher prices received for organic products.

GROUP MARKETING GRANT

"Farmers' Market Planning and Operation: CSA Support and Product Expansion”

Farm to City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and
farmers, artisans, bakers, and community organizations

Farm to City is a small, young business that launched efforts to increase the amount of locally grown food consumed locally in the Philadelphia area. Farm to City sought to connect area farmers to direct marketing opportunities through a farmers' market program and a CSA support program. Sales by producers in Farm to City programs increased from $294,000 in 2001 to over $500,000 in 2002.

The grant funding supported the expansion of the Farm to City initiatives in 2002 and 2003. In 2002, Farm to City reopened three farmers' markets and planned and operated three new markets. The staff distributed recruitment materials to farmers and identified community partners to select new sites for markets. Five CSA farms utilized Farm to City's expertise to promote themselves. Farm to City prepared brochures and conducted CSA membership recruitment, resulting in over 300 new members across the five farms.

Farm to City reopened four farmers' markets and opened four new farmers' markets. Surveys indicated that many CSA members would like to buy meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy from CSA farms. Farm to City contacted farmers who could supply such products and arranged for these farmers to deliver various products to the CSA farms on CSA pick-up dates. This provided the CSA farms with the ability to offer greater selection of products to the members.

Farm to City would like to locate a highly visible farmers' market in downtown Philadelphia, submit farmers' market regulations for review by local municipalities, and create a Farm to City website.

GROUP MARKETING GRANT

"Fulton Acres Hydroponic Tomato Brochure”

Bill and Kathy Green, Fulton Acres, Princess Anne, Maryland
Laura Romaneo, Worcester County Cooperative Extension, Maryland
Anne-Meredith Webster, President and CEO, Hopewell Agri-Services

Fulton Acres is a full-time hydroponic and broiler operation located in Princess Anne, Maryland. The tomato operation consists of a three-bay, climate controlled hydroponic greenhouse. Tomato harvest runs from April through November, and this is the fifth year of production for Fulton Acres. The product is sold locally to private individuals at the farm, a roadside stand, Food Lion and Giant stores, and a local farmers market.

The Greens would like to expand their marketing efforts to include specialty stores, restaurants, and farm market consumers. An informative, eye-catching brochure that educates potential customers on hydroponic tomato production at Fulton Acres, tomato quality grades, nutritional information, and recipes was developed using Microsoft Publisher. The grant funding enabled the Greens to print the brochure professionally.

The brochure is being distributed to chefs, specialty store owners, and farm market consumers. In general, improved marketing of local food is needed in the region, not only to increase sales of local products, but also to increase knowledge of local food production issues.

INDIVIDUAL FARM MARKETING GRANT

"Grown in Nelson Restaurant Market Outreach and Distribution Program”

Grown in Nelson, Nelson County, Virginia

Grown in Nelson is a group of farmers and local chefs with the common goal of promoting viable agricultural products in Nelson County, Virginia. Nelson County is located near the growing cities of Lynchburg, Charlottesville, and Waynesboro in Virginia. Restaurants in the area typically fill their agricultural product needs through commercial produce distributors from outside the region. Grown in Nelson wants to expand the market for local agricultural products by working with area businesses to bring local food into the region's restaurants and stores.

The group held several planning committee meetings throughout the year. They interviewed local food markets to evaluate interest in promoting locally grown products. A brochure was developed and sent with a questionnaire to over 300 growers in Nelson County. The questionnaire information will be included in a Grown in Nelson directory that identifies local growers, their products, and contact information. The group also held a small trial distribution of Grown in Nelson products to local restaurants in the county.

Through this work, Grown in Nelson sees a critical need for public exposure to local farm products. The group plans to continue its marketing efforts by printing the Grown in Nelson directory, and by designing a logo, website, and sign to identify locally grown products in stores. In addition, the group will host a community meeting for questionnaire responders to solicit input for the future direction of Grown in Nelson.

Group Marketing Grant

"Increasing Markets for Farm Products in Southeast Pennsylvania (Winter Harvest Evaluation)”

Farm to City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and
farmers, high schools, environmental organizations, and community organizations

When the farmers' market and CSA season ends in late fall, locally produced foods are not available until these direct marketing venues reopen in May or June for the next season. Farm to City investigated the availability of locally produced foods in the winter months in the Philadelphia area. They discovered that there are a wide variety of products available in the winter, including:

• Greenhouse greens
• Grass-fed meat and poultry, and eggs from pastured chickens
• Fresh and smoked fish
• Root crops and mushrooms
• Herbs and spices
• Storage apples and cider.

Farm to City designed and implemented a food-buying club built on the availability of these locally produced items. The program, called Winter Harvest, has operated for two seasons. With assistance from the grant, Farm to City evaluated the operation and administration of Winter Harvest. Surveys were sent to members of the club for comments, criticisms, and suggestions to improve program components.

Suggestions for improvement included creating on-line applications, enabling on-line ordering, and adding items like potatoes and skim milk to the products offered. The 2003 season resulted in total sales of $33,864.

GROUP MARKETING GRANT

"Increasing Regional Visibility in South Central Pennsylvania”

South Central Farmers Market Association,
Southgate Farmers Market, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
Old Pomfret Farmers Market, Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Gettysburg Farmers Market, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Seeds to Success Market, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Members of the local farming community

The South Central Farmers Market Association (SCFMA) was established in the spring of 2000 and incorporated as a Pennsylvania nonprofit organization that same year. SCFMA's mission is to explore ways to stem the loss of family farms in south central Pennsylvania by developing direct marketing opportunities to connect producers and consumers and strengthen awareness of the social, economic, and environmental role family farms play within local communities. The organization is comprised of area farmers and citizens working together to keep agriculture viable in the Cumberland Valley. The SCFMA runs the Southgate Farmers Market in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania and supports local CSAs and farmer workshops.

The grant funding was used to build regional visibility and increase consumer awareness for locally produced farm products in the south central Pennsylvania counties of Franklin, Adams, and Cumberland. The group adopted a new slogan, "We've Got Something to Crow About" for its Fresh and Local campaign. Posters were printed with locations, dates, and times for the farmers markets in Chambersburg, Carlisle, and Gettysburg. Rack cards were also printed for distribution with a smaller version of the poster design. The new slogan is now printed on all materials affiliated with the farmers markets.

The SCFMA also sent a survey to local farmers, requesting information on their production techniques, current products, and current marketing venues. This information will be used to produce a product guide sometime in the future. Currently, the survey information is being used to alert farmers to relevant educational and marketing opportunities through SCFMA.

Group Marketing Grant

"Introducing Double Cream Yogurt Cheese at the Natural Products Expo 2001”

Abner King, Pequea Valley Farm, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Donald Thompson, Marketing Consultant

Pequea Valley Farm is a small Amish farm with 25 milking Jersey cows. In 2000, Mr. King invested in a creamery with batch pasteurizer, cheese vat, and cup-filling machine to produce yogurts, spreads, and soft cheeses. The excellent products from the farm, including the Double Cream Yogurt Cheese, have generated retail interest but no clear market development. Thus, the farm does not yet have cash flow from the creamery investment.

To radically increase the public exposure of Pequea Valley Farm's new Double Cream Yogurt Cheese, the grant funding defrayed the cost of attending the Natural Products Expo in Washington, D.C. Approximately 8,000 people attended the Expo, where Abner King sampled his new product.

Pequea Valley Farm did not have a transportation system, a distributor, or any product in a retail chain store prior to the Expo. The opportunities to make contacts with retailers, transporters, and distributors were phenomenal. The farm secured one customer which could lead to a 100 percent increase in Pequea Valley Farm sales. Participation in the Expo produced results far beyond the best expectations.

Individual Farm Marketing Grant

"Kiwi Berries (Hardy Kiwi) Consumer Education”

David Jackson, Kiwi Korners, Danville, Pennsylvania

Kiwi Berries are nutrient-rich hardy kiwi grown in the Mid-Atlantic region. The smooth skinned fruit ranges in size from large grapes to small plums. Sweeter than the kiwi, this fruit is high in fiber and is packed with Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and potassium. Kiwi Korners, in Danville, Pennsylvania, has been growing and marketing Kiwi Berries for six years. Their Kiwi Berries are ripe in early fall, and sold in upscale grocery stores and organic co-ops through October.

The greatest barrier to increased sales has been consumers' lack of knowledge about this relatively new fruit. Increasing consumer awareness about Kiwi Berries is essential for the success of Kiwi Korners. With assistance from the grant, Kiwi Korners developed a tri-fold brochure to accompany the fruit in the market place. The color brochure includes descriptions of the four varieties grown by Kiwi Korners, a list of the nutrients found in Kiwi Berries, a statement that the fruit is certified organic, and serving suggestions.

David Jackson, of Kiwi Korners, notes that organic distributors are more attuned to providing consumers with information about products and their health benefits. It was difficult to ascertain whether the brochures were placed near the Kiwi Berries display case at the chain stores.

Individual Farm Marketing Grant

"Local Distribution Pilot Project”

Philadelphia Fair Food Project, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The Philadelphia Fair Food Project was founded in 2001 with the purpose of strengthening the connection between culinary professionals and farmers in the greater Philadelphia region. After promoting farm products to restaurants, catering companies, and specialty stores for a year, the group saw a potential opportunity in a new marketing tool. A guide to local farm products would help chefs locate the products they need and also help farmers become part of the Local Distribution Pilot Project network.

The Wholesale Guide to Local Farm Products is being created with assistance from the grant funding. The guide is being produced professionally to express the broader implications of buying locally and supporting farm families. The guide will include pictures, graphics, testimonials from well-known chefs, and information about sustainable agriculture, in addition to the farm products and farm contact details.

Farmers were recruited for inclusion in the guide through letters, email, and phone calls. Most farms are in a five-county region around Philadelphia. Criteria were developed for including a farmer in the guide, as many farmers are not yet able to provide high-quality products consistently. The group helped farmers who did not meet the criteria initially to expand their distributions so they could be included in the guide. The final guide will be published this fall.

Group Marketing Grant

"Marketing Log-Cultivated Shiitake Mushrooms Produced on Small Appalachian Farms”

Potomac Headwaters Group
Pendleton, Pocahontas Counties, West Virginia and Highland County, Virginia
Lightstone Foundation, Inc., Moyers, West Virginia

The Potomac Headwaters Group was established in partnership with Lightstone Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization that works to strengthen and sustain rural mountain communities. The Potomac Headwaters Group is a network of seven small family farms located in the Potomac Highlands of West Virginia and Virginia. The network's goal is to help farmers diversify their farm operations and help supplement their incomes through the sale of log-cultivated shiitake mushrooms.

The Potomac Headwaters Group currently produces and distributes approximately 2,000 pounds of shiitake mushrooms annually. The grant funding allowed the network to develop promotional brochures and point-of-purchase displays to develop a niche market for the product. Market research, conducted in cooperation with MBA students at James Madison University, identified Charlottesville, Virginia as the most suitable market for shiitakes. The Potomac Headwaters Group was able to supply several Charlottesville area restaurants and retail stores with their product. Point-of-purchase displays were given to each of the retail stores to hang next to the product. Restaurants received flyers explaining the network. Box labels were also made to promote the Potomac Headwaters Group name.

Despite the mid-season loss of the group's largest retail market, the year has been a success as a whole. The group adapted well to the loss and quickly formed a new partnership. Through this first year, the group learned that market channels should be numerous and a diversity of products should be offered.

Group Marketing Grant

"Marketing Regional Food to an Urban Audience: Advertising Campaigns that Work”

Capital Area Food Bank, Washington, D.C.

The Capital Area Food Bank manages the producers-only Anacostia Farmers Market in Southeast Washington, D.C. Entering its fourth year of operation in 2003, the market remains a small and struggling outlet for regional farmers. The market is located in a section of Washington, D.C. with chronically high poverty rates, limited retail development, and poor access to fresh fruits and vegetables. These characteristics of the Anacostia Farmers Market are just a few of the differences facing producers-only markets in low-income urban areas that render many direct marketing strategies only marginally helpful.

The Capital Area Food Bank identified the Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) for seniors as an opportunity to target a consumer base with an incentive to visit area farmers' markets. FMNP for seniors is a federally supported food assistance program. On behalf of the Anacostia Farmers Market producers, the Capital Area Food Bank conducted marketing research during the fall/winter of 2002 to determine consumer behavior and develop a model for marketing regional foods to African-American senior citizens.

The first phase of the research studied 14 African-American senior citizens to determine food practices and relevance of a farmers' market among senior citizens. In the second phase, 15 African-American senior citizens were interviewed about their food shopping habits and asked to list why they shop at a particular store. 

The outcome of this research is a detailed plan for conducting advertising campaigns for farmers' markets in low-income urban African-American communities. Advertising campaigns should be based upon three principles:

• Employ the established network of food assistance programs, senior centers and community organizations in the dissemination of advertising materials,
• Advertise in a style similar to the weekly advertisements published by supermarket chains, and
• Utilize language highlighting the variety of goods available at farmers' markets, the health benefits of fresh produce, and sales or bargains.

This plan may be implemented throughout the Washington, D.C. area where Senior FMNP and African-American communities are the targeted audiences.

Group Marketing Grant

"School Fund Raiser”

Timothy Madden, Beekeeper, Lake Ariel, Pennsylvania

Mr. Madden keeps six bee hives that produce approximately 400 pounds of honey each year. Due to his success in keeping bees, Mr. Madden produced a surplus of honey but had no market through which to sell it. To advertise himself as a reputable honey producer, he contacted a local private school and offered his services for a school fundraiser.

Mr. Madden first gave a talk on beekeeping at the 190-student school. Students were interested in beekeeping as well as the honey and other by-products. Samples of honey and beeswax were distributed to the students. From this interest, Mr. Madden proposed a fund-raiser to the senior class. Twelve ounce honey bears would be sold for $2 each, with $1 of each sale donated to the class. The goal was to sell 300 honey bears, allowing the product to reach several hundred new households.

The grant funding provided Mr. Madden with several opportunities:

• spend time at the school to promote beekeeping
• process and bottle the product
• put a quality label on each honey bear, and
• provide prize money for the top fund raisers

The fund raiser was deemed a success, with 287 honey bears ordered by 26 students. Students in grades K - 6 placed most of the orders. Mr. Madden did not realize any profit, but still considers the endeavor a success because he assisted the school's senior class and promoted his product in the community.

Individual Farm Marketing Grant

"Season Extension for Flower Growers”

Tuscarora Organic Growers Cooperative, Hustontown, Pennsylvania

Since 1988, Tuscarora Organic Growers Cooperative (TOG) has focused on extending its seasonal operation to provide members with consistent year-round income and maintain its customer base. The winter months continue to pose an economic challenge for the cooperative, despite storage crop production and hot house cultivation. One potential source of off-season income is dried flower sales during the winter holidays.

TOG used the grant funding to develop a dried flowers season extension strategy for the cooperative members. Grower input, research, product development, and marketing summarize the four strategy phases. Several growers committed to participation in the project and attended a workshop to develop quality standards for the flower arrangements. The TOG staff developed flyers and point of purchase displays, and added a dried flowers section to the cooperative website.

As a result of this project, TOG offered thirteen items in the fall decorative products line. The items ranged from dried peppers and okra to dried flower wreaths and bouquets. Sales increased 73 percent over the previous season, when only gourds, Indian corn, and mini pumpkins were sold.

Though most sales during the fall were to retail customers, TOG's catering and restaurant customers expressed significant interest in small decorative items. This initial season experience is very encouraging. The cooperative plans to grow a larger variety of dried flowers for the coming season, offer an expanded variety of finished products, and increase its efficiency in producing value-added products.

Group Marketing Grant

"Selling to Local Restaurants: From Urban White Tablecloths to Rural Mom and Pops”

Tuscarora Organic Growers Cooperative, Hustontown, Pennsylvania

Tuscarora Organic Growers Cooperative (TOG) is a 16-farm cooperative that has successfully marketed fresh organic produce since 1988. Retail stores and urban chefs recognize the value of fresh, local, seasonal produce. However, TOG has been frustrated by the lack of local rural restaurants as clients.

Using the grant assistance, TOG undertook a feasibility study to find out if local "Mom and Pop" restaurants present a new potential market for the cooperative. TOG contacted restaurants along a new delivery route in central Pennsylvania, providing them with product samples and literature about the cooperative. The literature included a questionnaire, price guide, and production schedule.

TOG found that small restaurants do not currently place emphasis on fresh produce. These restaurants typically buy their salad ingredients at grocery stores and do not have any budget for side dishes. Larger independent restaurants weigh both raw food costs and preparation costs. Preparing fresh vegetables for cooking represents additional labor without perceived demand for the product. Therefore, TOG will continue marketing to white tablecloth restaurants along the new central Pennsylvania delivery route.

Group Marketing Grant

"Starting a New Farmers' Market in Mount Pleasant, Washington, D.C.”

Nina Planck, Local Foods, Washington, D.C.

Local Foods is a Washington, D.C. based non-profit organization that works to develop and improve the market for local foods in the region. Nina Planck of Local Foods has organized a farmers' market to serve farmers and food producers operating within 125 miles of the Washington, D.C. Beltway. The market is located in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood of D.C. Organization included selecting a neighborhood, finding a site within the neighborhood, gathering community support, recruiting producers, acquiring permits and insurance, hiring a market manager, devising a site plan, and publicizing the market.

The grant funded the start-up of this producers-only farmers' market. After the start-up marketing and overhead fees are absorbed, the market should be financially viable from farmers' fees. Farmers will be charged to participate in the market based on their sales totals, ranging from a $20 fee for farmers grossing less than $200 in sales to an $80 fee for farmers grossing over $1500 in sales. The producer-only rule is enforced through visits to the farms and food producers.

The farmers' market will be open 8am to 12pm every Saturday from May 31, 2003 to December 20, 2003. Seventeen producers, including two bakers, one nursery, and organic and conventional produce and animal farmers, were recruited for the new market. Marketing included word of mouth, leaflets, signs, and advertising in a community newsletter. Advertising in local papers was considered, but deemed less effective than these other methods. A graphic artist designed a logo for the farmers' market, which will soon appear on leaflets and signs as the market opens.

GROUP MARKETING GRANT