Farmer Marketing

Simple, inventive ways to increase the value of farm fresh products through direct marketing, internet marketing, and creativity.

Saturday, December 10, 2005

Free Publicity

Perhaps one of the greatest assets of a farmers' market is their connection to the community. As a member of the community, a farmers' market can get a lot of good publicity for free.

Managing PR

Perhaps the best source of free publicity for community events is the local paper and news channels. With the loss of viewers and subscribers to national internet sources, local media are searching for unique events that can only be found on a small local level. This is the opportunity for farmers' markets to get free publicity.

It Takes Work

Don't think that publicity is going to come to you simply because you exist. Publicity has to be sought out and managed. The most important thing is to establish responsibilities with someone in the organizations you want to publicize your market. Once those relationships are in place, these are the steps I recommend taking:

-Write a weekly press release
-Hold special events
-Join the Chamber of Commerce
-Use local entertainers

Using these steps a farmers' market can increase its visibility without increasing its advertising budget.

Monday, December 05, 2005

Organic Vegetable Gardening

I will be entirely honest by stating up front that I am not a USDA "Certified Organic" vegetable gardener. This isn't because I don't believe in growing organic vegetables, but because I don't believe that the government needs to oversee everything that a vegetable grower is doing and what they advertise.

Why Practice Organic Vegetable Gardening?

I believe that by growing vegetables in conditions that most closely approximate the actual, natural growing conditions improves the quality of the vegetables. I don't have any scientific data to support this, but I believe the following points to be true of vegetables grown in the organic garden:

1.) Organic and naturally grown produce is free of substances that even arouse suspicion of causing cancer or other diseases believed to come from unnatural agents. Thus, organic gardening gives peace of mind.

2.) Gardens raised using natural gardening techniques maintain a balance with the environment that allows for consistent, sustainable yields of organic vegetables. One day the grocery store won't have a produce section with every vegetable imaginable available any time of year.

3.) Organic and naturally grown vegetables have a superior taste. This is very subjective, but I believe it justifiable if only because organic vegetables are allowed to mature and ripen in the garden, on the vine. The nature of handling produce for sale at big stores just isn't the way it comes from the garden

Responsibility

My last point I want to make is simply that human beings have a responsibility to care for the land we use. This responsibility isn't the government's or the EPA's, but is a responsibility that lies with each individual. How much better would this world be if 6 billion little things were done to help the land and environment every day. That is just one little thing per person, per day.

P.S. For my definition of "organic" see my post titled "The True Intent of Organic Produce".