December 2024 - 56
FARM MARKET & AGRITOURISM
BY BRIAN MOYER | PENN STATE EXTENSION
Choosing the right market channel
A
s diversified farmers, we must
master not only the production
requirements for each of our
products but also the strategies
for effectively marketing them. The
decision on how to sell our products
is as crucial as the methods we use
to grow them.
While it might seem straightforward
to sell at farmers markets or through
Community Supported Agriculture
(CSA) programs, these options
are no longer as simple as they
once were. Many CSAs struggle to
fill shareholder slots, and vendor
spaces at farmers markets can
be limited. Fortunately, there are
now numerous channels to reach
potential customers, and evaluating
these channels is essential to
determine which ones best suit our
business and lifestyle.
Marketing can consume up to
30% of our time, which is time away
from farming. Therefore, we need to
ask ourselves: " Which markets will
provide the greatest return on my time
and the amount of product sold? " ;
" Am I the right person to market my
product? " ; and " If I'm not, who is? "
If you decide that you are the
right (or only) person to handle
marketing, you need a strategy to
diversify your marketing plan while
still having time to produce your
products. The goal should be to have
a marketing plan as diverse as the
farm products you offer.
Evaluating market channels
When considering market channels,
some are chosen because they appeal
to us, while others are necessary. For
Cultivators designed for
Blueberries, Strawberries, and
Vegetables in Plastic Culture
example, farmers markets might not
be everyone's favorite, but they can
be an effective short-term solution
to build up your CSA or pick-yourown
operation by getting your farm's
name out into the community. It's
inexpensive advertising while selling
your products.
To help make decisions about
your marketing channels, consider
an exercise from the " Guide to
Marketing Channel Selection "
by Matthew LeRoux, agricultural
marketing specialist at Cornell
Cooperative Extension. This exercise
involves ranking your potential
marketing channels based on various
criteria such as volume, price, risk,
labor required and associated costs.
Here's an example:
In this example, there are four
market channels. `rank` each
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December 2024
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of December 2024
Editor’s Letter
Talking Tech
Investing in your plant health
Watermelon tests
From farm to can
Cucumber powerhouse
Maximizing crop yield, sustainability at the Great Lakes EXPO
Introducing the 40 Under 40 Class of 2024
2025 VGN Buyers Guide
Veg Connections
Farm Market & Agritourism
Ag Labor Review
Business
Industry News
Events
Classifieds
Ad Index
December 2024 - 1
December 2024 - 2
December 2024 - 3
December 2024 - Editor’s Letter
December 2024 - 5
December 2024 - Talking Tech
December 2024 - 7
December 2024 - Investing in your plant health
December 2024 - 9
December 2024 - Watermelon tests
December 2024 - 11
December 2024 - 12
December 2024 - 13
December 2024 - From farm to can
December 2024 - 15
December 2024 - 16
December 2024 - 17
December 2024 - Cucumber powerhouse
December 2024 - 19
December 2024 - 20
December 2024 - 21
December 2024 - 22
December 2024 - 23
December 2024 - Maximizing crop yield, sustainability at the Great Lakes EXPO
December 2024 - 25
December 2024 - 26
December 2024 - Introducing the 40 Under 40 Class of 2024
December 2024 - 28
December 2024 - 29
December 2024 - 30
December 2024 - 31
December 2024 - 32
December 2024 - 33
December 2024 - 34
December 2024 - 2025 VGN Buyers Guide
December 2024 - 36
December 2024 - 37
December 2024 - 38
December 2024 - 39
December 2024 - 40
December 2024 - 41
December 2024 - 42
December 2024 - 43
December 2024 - 44
December 2024 - 45
December 2024 - 46
December 2024 - 47
December 2024 - 48
December 2024 - 49
December 2024 - 50
December 2024 - 51
December 2024 - 52
December 2024 - 53
December 2024 - Veg Connections
December 2024 - 55
December 2024 - Farm Market & Agritourism
December 2024 - 57
December 2024 - Ag Labor Review
December 2024 - 59
December 2024 - Business
December 2024 - 61
December 2024 - Industry News
December 2024 - Events
December 2024 - Classifieds
December 2024 - 65
December 2024 - Ad Index
December 2024 - 67
December 2024 - 68
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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/buyersguide-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/january-2022
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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/buyersguide-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/january-2021
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