hey this is Johnson scope which with
farm marketing solutions and there's two
things I want to discuss the date about
selling at farmer's markets advice for
selling at farmer's markets and this is
definitely something I've done extensive
research on visiting farms across the
country farmers markets across the
country and selling at them myself as a
farmer now the first thing I want to
talk about is visualizations people buy
with their eyes first they eat with
their eyes first food is a very visual
thing especially this day and age where
stuff are you know food network and
everything else is trending up where
I've no I don't know how to explain it
other than food porn is that you know
food photography beautiful dishes why
chefs have made such an emphasis on
presentation it should be no different
for your farm marketers Farm Market
stand you know have clean set up really
good flow present the best product you
can make a beautiful stack of whatever
it is you're selling use burlap on the
table to make it a little more homey or
have a tablecloth don't just have a bare
table make it visually appealing that
goes for yourself as well I know you
might want to present the the image of
the country bumpkin farmer that you know
dirty sure you know I just came out of
the fields and that works for some
people but to an extent the more popular
farmers I found have this kind of like
farmer chic look I'm attempting at my
farmer chic look with my mind my
collared shirt here not me wearing
collared shirts at my farmers market but
whether you wear a collared shirt or
something else just make sure it's clean
you know your appearance is clean your
trimmed your hair is not all crazy
people are buying you and your product
so have a beautiful looking booth with a
good-looking person on it it really
doesn't hurt it sounds a little shallow
but that's the general you know and I'll
psychosis of people and that's the
psychology of people one of the other
things is signage
if you are under the assumption that if
you know you have a product and it's
beautiful it'll sell itself yeah maybe
to an extent but having better looking
signs clear signs that say this is what
it is this is what you can do with it
this is how much it costs clear labels
and if your costs change from week to
week
make out a label on a piece of paper
write what it is and leave a blank area
laminate it and use dry erase markers
and do it that way or have no cards one
of my favorites are but you buy paint
that's chalk paint and cut out little
pieces of masonite paint the chalk paint
right what it is and what the price is
and you can change that on the fly on
the go all you need is you know a wet
rag for an eraser and a piece of chalk
and there's your signage for you but
make them clear one of the other really
successful things that I've seen across
the country is people who do recipe
ideas even just as simple as this is
cilantro it's good in salsa and you know
put it right next to the tomatoes if
they're both in season at the same time
but give people an idea of what you can
do with it you know butternut squash cut
it in half and roast it with some olive
oil and butter and some butter and salt
and pepper really simple directions it
doesn't have to say cut in half
lengthwise oven to 350 degrees it can be
really simple and if they want more
details that's where you come in and
talk about it but having clear beautiful
signage and if you're not an artist find
somebody who is because you know
exchange for some produce or whatever
farm products you have and find somebody
to make you beautiful science because
that you know one exchange of some
produce some extra vegetables for clear
signs can last you for a really long
time and be very helpful and you'll see
an increase in sales for sure the second
thing that I wanted to talk about was
creating a system and now people when
they you know they're buying with their
eyes they also love you know a system
things to be the same every time they
come there they want to see that's
that's why our food system is the way it
is right now there's a consistency our
meat is always on a Styrofoam tray
neatly racked on the racks at you know
whatever supermarket it is or if you go
into a certain restaurant they
really the same way they're wearing the
same clothes you can go there because
you're getting consistent service and
that's something you should strive for
at a farmers market as well and
developing those systems will help you
get people through the lines a lot
quicker which will make people more apt
to come to you you know if you got a
line and you could have the best product
in the world but as people know they
have to wait for a long time every time
they'll start to skip over you which
then you'll see a decline in number so
you want a way to get people in and out
and if they want to talk to you that's
great but you should have a way of
dealing with customers while you're
carrying that conversation on and so
what I suggest and something I've done
with an you know many project projects
that I've done with business with my own
farming start from beginning to end and
create a operations manual now it sounds
like a dry terrible name but you really
work out what steps you know from the
you know you have the trays harvested
and you're packing the truck how you
pack the truck take pictures put it in
your operations manual what routes you
take driving how you set up what do you
do from first to last to make it the
most efficient as possible really break
down the steps how do you greet
customers what are you wearing what do
you say to them how do you go from you
know somebody being interested in
something and saying you know they're
there take the money out hand it to you
you take the money and break down those
steps on what exactly is going to happen
memorize that entire process so that
become automatic and because you've
written it down and taking pictures and
catalogued it if you have new interns
every year or if you have fired our fire
hired farm help or volunteers you can
say this is exactly what we do and
whether you hand them the manual which I
suggest or you just articulated itself
you have a system worked out that is
working for you instead of you working
on it you know you're not spending time
figuring it out every single time and
adjusting your spending time you know
building your business growing and that
system is already set up and because
it's a system and it's the same way
every time people are going to flock to
that they're going to love it it's going
to be very successful it's going to be a
very useful tool for you now
for managing apprentices and interns and
hired help button growing your business
and increasing sales at the farmers
market because they'll see you as clean
visually appealing and you have a system
that makes you very efficient and you
have the same thing every time you know
always have consistent product
consistent service and you'll have
consistent success the word I'm looking
for so I hope this video helps you out a
lot I know you know it's based on stuff
that I've done in the past and come you
know countless conversations I've had
with farmers about marketing at the farm
and I hope it really helps so if you'd
like any more useful information if you
want to hear the weekly podcast or if
you want to just stop by and say hi
website is farm marketing solutions com
thank you so much