The 4 Levers for Farm Success™

We’ve experienced an influx of Farmers eager to begin selling direct online as their wholesale business has stalled, and retail buyers are cautious of crowds at the grocery store and farmers markets. The new normal in the midst of the current pandemic is an incredible opportunity for your Farm to build a direct relationship with the 1 in 3 Americans who are searching online to buy local food.

As the largest Farm vertical software provider servicing Farmers across all 50 states with millions of page views monthly, we know what works at Barn2Door, because we have the data. 

How can your Farm compete online and attract potential customers to your store? To build a thriving direct-to-market business, your Farm has 4 levers to pull to be successful - Quality, Price, Brand and Convenience.

1. Quality

The Farms we work with do not (and should not) compromise their quality. The care and attention that producers bring to planning, growing and managing their products, whether produce or proteins, cut flowers, microgreens or honey, set them apart from the billion-dollar brands that consumers increasingly distrust. We’re proud to only support Farms that use sustainable practices, employ regenerative principles, promote animal husbandry, and environmental stewardship. Read our Seller Requirements.

2. Price

To produce high quality products, continue growing and developing your Farm business, and pay yourself a living wage, it’s unreasonable for direct-to-market Farmers to compromise on Price. Cutting your costs to compete against conventional Farmers would reduce your margins and diminish trust in your product as you sacrifice quality inputs. Consumers are increasingly aware of the importance of eating naturally-produced and local products, and are willing to pay more for them. The key is to simplify your product offerings and packaging to make it accessible to buyers. Read: Why Bundle? Because Meat Subscriptions Work.

You cannot compromise on Quality or Price, which leaves your Brand and Convenience as the key levers to help your Farm win business! 

3. Brand 

Your Farm has a brand - whether you embrace it or not. Your brand is the sum of customers’ experiences of you, your Farm and your products. Building a strong brand is about embracing your identity, your unique story (history, experiences, practices), and conveying it to your customers through personal connections, the quality of your products and your interactions (online and offline). For what it’s worth, you don’t need a big budget and tons of money to compete - you just need to be authentic and engage your audience consistently on all channels (digital: web, mobile, social, email & physical: packaging, mailers, signage). Look no further than consumer preference and willingness to pay a premium price for microbrews versus commercial beer. Read blog: Brew Up Better Business: What Farmers Can Learn from Microbreweries.

4. Convenience

While 90% of Americans love local food, they love convenience more. When 1 out of 3 Americans went online in Spring 2020 to order Food online, they expected door-to-door delivery or local pickup. We’re not talking about shipping.  We’re talking about in person, courier delivery of your Farm products to the doorstep (drop-and-dash), or a contactless pickup location (grab-and-go). Farms offering convenient online ordering and delivery options are selling out in just hours as buyers are actively searching for local food. The good news? Buyers are willing to pay for convenience and certainty (food security) when purchasing your Farm products. Buyers are conditioned by restaurant delivery apps to pay for delivery - as a result you can make it profitable for your Farm. Read: The 5 Steps to Make Delivery Profitable for your Farm.

While you are committed to the Quality of your products and want to charge a fair Price, it will take work to build your Farm Brand and offer Convenient delivery options to your customers.  The good news is that we know it works. By analyzing millions of interactions every month, we know that successful Farms who sell out regularly, employ all 4 of these tactics.

Watch this 5:40 video to learn how Barn2Door could help your Farm be successful online. You can also schedule time to speak with a team member who serves Farmers in your state.

Other Resources

Farmer Spotlight: Grassfed Cattle Co (MN) - Brand mavens on Social & Email (sold out)

Farmer Spotlight: Evans Family Farm (NC) - Convenient Delivery (sold out)

Read the ebook (10 mins): 2020 Buyer Trends Every Farmer Needs to Know.

Read the ebook (10 mins): Your Farm Website is Not Enough.