Virtual Farming
Water the pigs, write a blog post, move the cattle, update facebook, feed the chickens, create a logo, mow the lawn, work on the website and on and on and on. Local, sustainable farming can be lucrative (I might be using that word a bit loosely) but it's going to take direct-marketing to do so. And it's not easy. The learning curve for sustainable farming is STEEP but add direct-marketing into the mix and it's downright ridiculous!
As you can tell, most of our initial marketing has been internet-based because, if for no other reason, it's cheap and easy easier. As we have more products to sell, we will expand to farmer's market and other venues and try additional advertising avenues (like newspapers). It's just such an interesting melding of new and old. Most of our agricultural practices are those of our grandparents and their parents, yet our marketing activities are more in tune with junior high kids! In fact hiring one to blog, tweet, update, and chat wouldn't be a bad idea.
At the end of the day though, focusing on the quality of your products and the quality of your relationships with your customers will be the keys to long term success. And those values transcend generations.
(FYI, we'll be working on our virtual farm over the holiday weekend and hope to have some neat new stuff to show you next week!)
I really like your bog. And the idea of the marriage between farming and internet promotion is pretty interesting and hopeful. I can testify that it works from a consumer perspective.
I found a blog on this website, enjoyed reading about this farmers experience. And then the blog mentioned that they were excited getting a spot at our local market, and then I saw the blogger downtown met him and brought his product back to my house, full circle. And most important, his food is delicious!
I think cooks and farmers really need to rediscover each other. Chefs, and costumers for that matter, should know the people and methods that produce their food. I hope to start a restaurant, and I plan to get a large majority of the product from local smaller producers, who are in line with my food values.