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Creating a Farm Marketing Plan
A
good marketing plan is a cornerstone
of any successful farm enterprise. Two
solid resources on this topic are Growing for Market,
a trade publication for local food producers
available both in print and online, and the book
Market Farming Success by Lynn Byczynski. The
amazing National Sustainable Agriculture Information
Service (NSAIS) offers a wealth of information
to help you decide what to raise and how to
sell it. Look through the Master Publication List
of more than 300 titles for those that are relevant
to the type of farm enterprise you’re thinking of,
as well as the more general titles such as Direct
Marketing and Planning for Profit in Sustainable
Farming. (Also be sure to click on Other Resources,
which will guide you to a plethora of related websites.)
These publications will give you a handle on
marketing options, farm business planning, and
what different farm products need in terms of acreage,
soil quality, labour and farm support services.
You’ll need to seek other sources to find
out whether necessary support services,
such as veterinarians or organic feed suppliers, are
available in your search area. Find these by talking
with other farmers — start with the vendors at the
local farmers market — and by picking up a copy
of the local Yellow Pages at the phone company
(or accessing the Yellow Pages online).
Evaluating Farmland
Now that you know where you’re looking,
it’s time to start checking out
property listings (see “Rural Property Listings,”
at the end of this article). Not every property is
online — even in this electronic age, plenty of
rural land changes hands without being advertised.
Contact a local realtor and do some asking around
at local cafes or farm-oriented businesses to find
out who might be thinking of selling.
When you start walking properties, be
sure to ask these questions — and
don’t rely solely on answers from realtors or the
sellers:
• Is the water clean and sufficient for the needs
of both the family and the farm?
• Is the soil farmable?
• Are the buildings, fences and utilities in
working condition? If not, how much time
and money will infrastructure improvements
require?
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