Last week my fiance and I were in our favorite pub enjoying one
last beer and night out before Lent commenced and we entered the
"closed" time of year. In walked a few of our local
farmers for their own bit of brew.
One of the farmers came right over and warmly said hello. I buy
from their booth at my local farmers market all the time so it was
nice to be recognized and greeted. Another of the farmers, however,
whom I buy from regularly, only gave me a blank stare. Didn't even
pretend to know...
Yesterday
for whatever reason I was craving perogies. I've only had them in
restaurants and once out of a box of frozen ones, and really, I had
no idea what making them might entail. I knew only that they
sounded really, really good for dinner. And since I have made 2012
the year I cook more from scratch, well, why not give them a
try?
Thank goodness for the Internet, which gives us instant access
to just about anything, including countless ways to make (and
spell!) perogies.
As
I've started to learn about where our food comes from and become
aware of how broken our food "system" is, I've begun to realize
it's not just the food part that's messed up. It's our whole way of
living. For one thing, we no longer know how to cook. We've
become too busy with other things outside the home.
During a conversation last week about the upcoming Valentine's
Day, a young mother told me she was planning to "pick up" some
cookies for her and her daughter to have some fun with. She...
In
order to buy the farmhouse that will become the farm, I* had to get
a construction loan to pay for the biggies of foundation,
electrical and plumbing. In that big chunk of change, we included
some money for chimney repair too, although really I wanted to yank
the propane stove and put in a wood-burning one. The bank
considered that an unnecessary expense, so we were sticking with
propane for the time being, anyway, and getting the chimney
fixed.
Because we have to be ready for the plumber and electrician to do
their stuff while the house is still up in the air, the bathroom
and kitchen have become paramount and demolition on the rest of the
house is on hold. So I did a quick video of the state of things
upstairs while the downstairs is being torn apart... I've said it
before, I say it again: So. Much. Work.
I apologize for how quiet my voice is. Sometimes this whole small
farm project overwhelms me and makes me tired...
So I know firsthand that a lot--and I mean a lot--of farmers and
local food folks don't have email addresses on their websites.
Instead they have nothing, or a contact us form. And lots of times
they have an email address that doesn't work.
If you're one of those folks, your farm marketing needs a kick in
the Carthartts, people. A website without an email...
Not
only did I work in marketing for 11 years. I was a business owner
that entire time too, meaning I--like you--was a default
marketer.
If you own a business of any kind, from copywriting to farming to
cheesemaking, you have no choice: you have to
market.
But how, when you know how to make food, not fans?
One way is to make your farm marketing a habit. And one way to
develop a habit is to regularly do something. Choose a few
simple things and do them all "once." Not once as in one
time only,...Read More » »
My
multi-tasking, home-work balanced (or not!) day led to forgetting
my bread was rising, which led to the over-sized loaves you see
here. They looked so funny before going in the oven that I posted a
photo on my Facebook page.
And that, dear reader, got me thinking about why I bake bread,
rather than simply head to the store for more.
I bake our family's bread because it tastes far superior to
storebought for one thing, and I can know what's in it. It's a
natural food when homemade, without...Read More » »
Who
says city slickers are forced into food ignorance due to geography?
Just because you can't get to the farm doesn't mean you must suffer
from utter disconnect from your food. The book "Farm
Anatomy" by Juila Rothman can teach any urbanite--or
suburbanite--a thing or two or 20 in no time.
With whimsical illustrations and minimal words, "Farm
Anatomy" is educational and just plain fun. It's like a picture
book for grownups. A really cool picture book for
grownups.
Marketing
is a funny thing. It's not hard but many small
business people--farmers and food producers included--seem to
struggle with it. When really, farm marketing is like
marketing any small business: It boils down to doing
a few simple things, doing them well, and doing them
consistently.
As I spend on FarmersMarket.com looking at farmer websites and
marketing, I see all kinds of missed opportunities for easy
farm marketing. My goal with these "Marketing Your Farm"
posts is to help you, the...Read More » »
Yesterday
for whatever reason I was craving perogies. I've only had them in
restaurants and once out of a box of frozen ones, and really, I had
no idea what making them might entail. I knew only that they
sounded really, really good for dinner. And since I have made 2012
the year I cook more from scratch, well, why not give them a
try? 
As
I've started to learn about where our food comes from and become
aware of how broken our food "system" is, I've begun to realize
it's not just the food part that's messed up. It's our whole way of
living. For one thing, we no longer know how to cook. We've
become too busy with other things outside the home. 
In
order to buy the farmhouse that will become the farm, I* had to get
a construction loan to pay for the biggies of foundation,
electrical and plumbing. In that big chunk of change, we included
some money for chimney repair too, although really I wanted to yank
the propane stove and put in a wood-burning one. The bank
considered that an unnecessary expense, so we were sticking with
propane for the time being, anyway, and getting the chimney
fixed. 
Whenever we
Not
only did I work in marketing for 11 years. I was a business owner
that entire time too, meaning I--like you--was a default
marketer. 
My
multi-tasking, home-work balanced (or not!) day led to forgetting
my bread was rising, which led to the over-sized loaves you see
here. They looked so funny before going in the oven that I posted a
photo on my Facebook page. 
Who
says city slickers are forced into food ignorance due to geography?
Just because you can't get to the farm doesn't mean you must suffer
from utter disconnect from your food. The book 
Marketing
is a funny thing. It's not hard but many small
business people--farmers and food producers included--seem to
struggle with it. When really, farm marketing is like
marketing any small business: It boils down to doing
a few simple things, doing them well, and doing them
consistently.
Powered by Compendium
Connect with Us!