Welcome to WHAT MAKES YOUR FARM UNIQUE: HOW TO IDENTIFY & EFFECTIVELY PROMOTE YOUR ATTRIBUTES Farm-Based Education Forum: Agritourism, Education & Economics on Your Farm Oct 23, 2013 ~ Shelburne Farms
AGRITOURISM HEADLINES Vermont Receives USDA $88,500 Grant to Boost Agricultural and Culinary Tourism The US Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) announced the VT Agency of Agriculture as the recipient of an $88,500 matching grant under the Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program (FSMIP), one of the largest awards for the highly competitive 2013 program. VAAFM and VDTM will utilize grant funds to implement coordinated marketing campaigns to drive visitors to farm and food businesses offering authentic agricultural and culinary experiences. Additionally, the grant will fund leadership and network development for VT-ACT to ensure the sharing of best practices and reinforce strong statewide agricultural organizations. Agritourism is an important strategy for promoting agricultural diversification and farm viability, Secretary of Agriculture Chuck Ross said. Vermont is a leader in community-based agriculture, and this represents yet another way that we are promoting agricultural literacy among visitors and Vermonters alike.
Agritourism Headlines Tis the season for extra cash Southwest Farm Press Agritourism is another way to generate income from the land, and is a great way to introduce your farm brand to consumers, which could open the door to developing a loyal consumer base for other products the farm or ranch provides.
IDENTIFYING WHAT MAKES YOUR FARM BUSINESS UNIQUE Arriving at your UNIQUE SELLING POINTS involves a PROCESS, similar to identifying your strengths and opportunities in a SWOT Analysis, that entails identifying and articulating key points about various aspects of your business to include the following. Please note: All photos and examples used in this presentation represent client work done by Pam Knights Communications and may not be reproduced for other purposes. Property, Facilities & Location Farming Practices & Philosophy Animals Raised & Kept Signature Products Recreational Activities Audience- Customer Base Business Goals Budget Considerations Owners & Staffing Resources Crops Grown Products Made & Sold Services Offered Educational Activities Target Markets Profitability Competition- Collaborators
About the Property History Acreage Open, forested, ponds Land uses Conservation Buildings, infrastructure Location, accessibility Parking
About the Owners Backgrounds Generations on the farm Former careers Skill sets Interests Passions Time availability
Farming Practices Sustainability Alternative power sources Conventional or Certified organic Pasture-raised
Crops Best seller(s) Unusual or specialty crops Seasonal mainstays Maple You-pick berries and pumpkins Mazes (corn or sunflower) Christmas trees
Animals Meat animals and sales Heritage breeds Pasture-raised Petting farm Horses- wagon rides
Products Vegetables and meats Value-added foods Maple syrup Baked goods Signature items Handcrafted items
Sales Farm store Greenhouses Farmers markets CSA Restaurants & food markets Special orders Craft fairs Online Sales
On-Farm Lodging & Meals Bed & Breakfast Farm inn with dinner On-farm café or coffee shop
On Farm Special Events Open farm visits Harvest festivals Dinners in the field PYO with live music Horse-drawn wagon & sleigh rides
On Farm Educational Programs School visits & tours Cooking classes Farming/gardening workshops Farm craft classes Yoga classes
Collaborative Events Co-sponsored events on your farm Programs with overnight accommodations provided by local B&Bs Farm-related craft and art classes Cross marketing opportunities
Weddings & Catered Events Event venue Community activities Area caterers featuring food from the farm Infrastructure
NARROWING THE FOCUS-- IDENTIFYING PROFITABLE PRODUCTS, ACTIVITIES & SERVICES -How much do you produce and have to sell? -How much business are you equipped to handle? -What types of agritourism and level of engagement with the public are sustainable for your business and well being? -Have you crunched the numbers? What aspects of your business are most profitable? -What/who is your competition? -Have you done product and price comparisons within your sales area?
MARKETING CONSIDERATIONS -Have you identified your community allies/collaborators? -What is your reach? -Who are your target audiences? -Do you have a marketing plan, with short and longer term goals? -What marketing tools do you need? -What is your budget for marketing? -How much time/staff time do you have to devote to marketing (and social media)? -Are you committed to marketing as a long term investment?
BRAND DEVELOPMENT & MESSAGING Unique Selling Points -Identify the key items that are unique to your farm business. -Narrow them down to 4-6 bullet points, succinctly describing what you offer, that align with what you have determined your target audiences need/want. -These key points will be used in developing your messaging across all of your marketing communications platforms.
Pasture-Raised & Corn- Finished, GMO-Free Vermont Black Angus Beef MESSAGING Logo Taglines Color palette Boiler plate farm descriptions in different character lengths Consistency! Website address on everything
MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS TOOLS- PRINT Business cards Rack card and/or brochure Advertising Packaging Signage Displays Succinct headlines; well written copy, proof read, typo-free High quality photography
MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS TOOLS- DIGITAL Website Search Engine Optimization Google Analytics Online directory listings Google Places Facebook business page Blog Social media- Twitter, Pinterest, Linkedin Video- YouTube, Photos- Flickr
Other Forms of Marketing Communications Email Marketing Branded clothing & promo products Collaborations- joint marketing opportunities Networking Industry memberships Speaking engagements Public Relations- print and online press releases
RESOURCES Vermont Farm Viability Program http://www.vhcb.org/viability.html VT Farms Association http://www.vtfarms.org/ Vermont Open Farms http://vermontopenfarms.wordpress.com/ UVM Extension Lisa Chase http://www.uvm.edu/extension/agriculture/ Rutgers NJAES Cooperative Extension http://njaes.rutgers.edu/ag/ Agricultural Marketing Resource Center -Iowa State http://www.agmrc.org/ Women s Agricultural Network UVM http://www.uvm.edu/wagn/