Increase Your Farm Income Today

Posted by David on February 6, 2011 under Tools to Increase Farm Sales | Read the First Comment

The best way to increase your farm income starting today is to sell more to your current customers.

Sounds pretty simple so how do you do it?

Find a quiet place to sit down and do some serious thinking. Make sure you have a pen and paper handy. Now ask yourself this question:

What can I offer my customers that would compliment what they are already buying? They have already spent money with me what else might they spend money on if I offered it?

Let’s say you sell produce using the CSA model. The first logical step would be to add more produce items to offer your current customers.

But what about thinking outside the box a bit? Would your customers buy farm fresh eggs? I bet many of them would. What about flowers or shrubs in the spring to add to their landscaping?  This is called  Line Extension. If you’re not doing this your missing an income opportunity.

Sit down and think about what your customers are already buying from you and what else they might buy if you offered it. Then test the waters. Ask some of your customers what they think of the idea or offer  a small amount and see how it goes.

Many years ago a gas station owner was filling a customers tank (yea it was long time ago) and he noticed the customer was waiting for his tank to be filled and jingling change in his pocket. He thought “This guy has more money to spend, if only I had something else to sell him.”

So he started carrying a few items like snacks for the road, or a map, and look what we have today…practically anything you can think of at the local convenience store/gas station.

I’m not advocating try to be “all things to all people,” I’m saying what makes sense for you to add to your current products to capture more of your customers money? They will spend it somewhere why not with you?

Let’s face it most families buy food items other places than your farm. Get your pen and paper out and start writing down your ideas. Then test it to see how it goes.

Do some serious thinking and don’t dismiss any idea no matter how far out it may seem.

The most valuable resource you bring to your farm is your creativity.

Let that sink in.

If we as farmers are ever going to do more than scratch the surface of the local food movement, we have to come up with creative ways to continually induce more customers to buy direct off the farm.

No matter what your current level of income on your farm, creativity can make you capable of more.

You can’t use up creativity. The more you use the more you have.”- Maya Angelou

Until next time….

The Secrets of Selling Your Farm Products Revealed