November 2024 - 72

FARM MARKET & AGRITOURISM
BY BRIAN MOYER | PENN STATE EXTENSION
Choosing the right market channel
A
s diversified farmers, we must
master not only the production
requirements for each of our
products but also the strategies
for effectively marketing them. The
decision on how to sell our products
is as crucial as the methods we use
to grow them.
While it might seem straightforward
to sell at farmers markets or through
Community Supported Agriculture
(CSA) programs, these options
are no longer as simple as they
once were. Many CSAs struggle to
fill shareholder slots, and vendor
spaces at farmers markets can
be limited. Fortunately, there are
now numerous channels to reach
potential customers, and evaluating
these channels is essential to
determine which ones best suit our
business and lifestyle.
Marketing can consume up to
30% of our time, which is time away
from farming. Therefore, we need to
ask ourselves: " Which markets will
provide the greatest return on my time
and the amount of product sold? " ;
" Am I the right person to market my
product? " ; and " If I'm not, who is? "
If you decide that you are the
right (or only) person to handle
marketing, you need a strategy to
diversify your marketing plan while
still having time to produce your
products. The goal should be to have
a marketing plan as diverse as the
farm products you offer.
Evaluating market channels
When considering market channels,
some are chosen because they appeal
to us, while others are necessary. For
Apples available for 2025
VARIETY
ROOTSTOCK
Ambrosia™
Aztec Fuji™ (DT2 Variety)
Brookfield® Gala
Buckeye® Gala
Gale Gala®
Golden Supreme™
Indian Summer
Jonagold
Liberty
Lucky Jon®
MAIA-Mitchell (EverCrisp®)
Manchurian
Marquis® Idared
Mt. Everest®
Northern Spy
Nu-Chief®
Paulared®
Pristine®
Red Ridge Gala®
Redcort®
RisingSun® Fuji
Royal Red Honeycrisp®
Smoothee®
Snowdrift
Taylor Spur Rome
Thome Empire®
Triumph®
Twin Bee™ Gala
Wolf River
Zestar!®
Hilltop Fruit Trees
P.O. Box 538
60395 C.R. 681
Hartford, MI 49057
269-621-3135
FAX: 269-621-2062
Contact us for more information
1-800-253-2911
www.hilltopfruittrees.com
E-Mail: adam@hilltopfruittrees.com
We hope to see you at the Great Lakes Expo Dec. 10-12, 2024 Booth #1019
72 | NOVEMBER 2024
example, farmers markets might not
be everyone's favorite, but they can
be an effective short-term solution
to build up your CSA or pick-yourown
operation by getting your farm's
name out into the community. It's
inexpensive advertising while selling
your products.
To help make decisions about
your marketing channels, consider
an exercise from the " Guide to
Marketing Channel Selection "
by Matthew LeRoux, agricultural
marketing specialist at Cornell
Cooperative Extension. This exercise
involves ranking your potential
marketing channels based on various
criteria such as volume, price, risk,
labor required and associated costs.
Here's an example:
In this example, there are four
market channels. `rank` each
Need Clamshells?
ProducePackaging.com®
Kurt Zuhlke & Associates, Inc.
FOR ALL YOUR
PRODUCE PACKAGING NEEDS
Keeping it Green
Made of Sustainable PETE since 1994
!
Visit our website at www.ProducePackaging.com
Email: order@ProducePackaging.com
Call toll free at: 1-800-644-8729
Join our mailing list
Text CLAMSHELL to 22828 to get started
GENEVA®G.11
GENEVA®G.214
GENEVA®G.41
GENEVA®G.890
GENEVA®G.935
GENEVA®G.969
BUD 9
BUD 10®
Now taking orders
for 2026
http://www.ProducePackaging.com http://www.hilltopfruittrees.com
November 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of November 2024
