Muddy Boots ...

Sometimes a picture says more about my thoughts on the farm than I could ever hope to express through my writing (or now through The Beginning Farmer Show ... shameless plug). One of those times is right now. I'm not going to complain about the mud this year ... because mud means moisture ... but, it is a good picture of how I'm feeling right now.

In the winter there are fewer pigs, chickens, steers, and lambs leaving the farm in the way of sales and much, much, much more feed coming to the farm in the way of money leaving the bank account. Plus, in the spring, summer, and fall I get used to interacting with customers each week ... and I love doing that!

One thing I know though ... despite the snow that surprised me this morning when I went out to do chores spring is right around the corner and with it will come cattle and sheep on the pastures, pigs in the woods, chickens roaming around, and lots of opportunities to talk with our farm friends. Plus ... there will be things for sale again ... which is nice ...

A Diversified Farm

Tacopocalypse's Market Set-Up

I have always known that I wanted a diversified farm with many different enterprises. Diversification is important to me because of the benefits that the farm can receive through having a variety of things working together on the land. In just four years we have already seen healing on the land from our multi-species rotational grazing and woodlot raised pigs. Besides the benefits to the land there are also great things about having multiple enterprises when it comes to the pocket book. One family can only purchase so much pork ... but if we can also offer them chicken, eggs, lamb, and beef then we don't need as many customers. Not that we don't want many customers, but rather that we want to be able to have close farm relationships with our customers.

Lately though I have been thinking about farm diversification when it comes to marketing as well. Currently we sell whole/half hogs directly to customers, at the Downtown Des Moines Farmers Market, individual cuts through pick-up locations, and from time-to-time online through the Iowa Food Coop. The one thing that I have stayed away from is wholesale to stores or restaurants. Part of the reason that I've stayed away from that is that I've always been adamant about keeping all of the sales dollars in my pocket. But, the other reason is that I just haven't found the right fit.

In some ways my thinking has changed though as I think about adding diversification to the marketing. One of the benefits of having a number of enterprises is that if one has a slow year than the others can help keep things going. In some ways the same could be said about a diverse number of marketing outlets. Even though we may be losing some sales dollars by selling to a store or restaurant there can be some benefits.

A couple things that come to my mind right away are the ability to have our product in front of a different set of faces and with extra sales comes the need to scale up a bit which may help out in our other marketing efforts. It has been my experience that by having our products available to more people it benefits all of the other marketing examples. For example we have had customers who purchase from us online through the Iowa Food Coop begin purchasing whole and half hogs from us and sometimes even continuing purchasing select individual cuts. Plus, there are things we could add to the operation if we had more sales that would help in every aspect of certain enterprises.

With all of that in mind I'm beginning to explore some opportunities and moving forward with at least one "strategic relationship" (that seems like a good phrase). There have been chefs in the past interested in working with us on our woodlot raised heritage pork, but in each case it just wasn't something that would work out on the farms end. Now we've found a partner in Tacopocalypse that seems like it is going to work with us on many levels. They are a very popular vendor at the same market we attend (we are across the street from each other) and they also sell at two locations along with the catering side of the business. The thing that is going to make it work this time is that they are willing to use so much of the hog and not leave us stuck with other things to sell. But, more on Tacopacalypse later ...

All of this of course is part of the bigger puzzle that is the farm. It's our job to make sure that all of the pieces fit together as they should and nothing is left with a ragged edge. I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences with various marketing opportunities if you have any!

A Post Election Thank You

Tonight ... we stand before you ... with victory in our hands! (wait for applause to subside) The votes have been counted ... you and others from around the surrounding counties have spoken! (wait for this round of applause to subside) We want you to know that it is because of you that we are here today ... that without you none of this would be possible and we just want to offer our thanks from the bottom of our hearts ... Thank You ... each and every one of you Thank You! (there will be more excited applause here so just wait it out) Now, just as we have promised we are going to head out to the fields and woods and pastures and bring you some of the best heritage breed meat available! We're going to put on our mud boots and dig in just as we promised! Thank You! (wait for applause) Thank You! (wait for applause) Thank You! Good night and may God Bless the farm! (exit stage right to extreme amounts of applause)

Over the past few weeks I've been talking with and e-mailing some of our whole and half hog customers and I've often found myself saying or writing, "thank you so much for your support". It sort of made me feel like a politician in this political season, but the more I thought about it the more it made sense. I think that when a customer decides to purchase a half or whole hog from us (or any other item) it is like they are voting for us and for our farm and for the work we put into it. And I am very thankful for their support!

I can't tell you the last time that I checked out at the grocery store and had the cashier say, "thank you so much for your support." I'm not saying that they aren't thankful (who am I to know that), but I do want my customers to know that I am very thankful for them and their support. In fact I don't really see them as customers as much as friends and supporters! All of the "votes" for our pasture/woodlot raised heritage breed meats are what makes it possible for our farm to keep going and even grow (which we are growing). Without our supporters we wouldn't be around for very long.

With all that said ... I am very thankful for all the support that we have as farmers. Thankful for the support that comes from family. Thankful for the support that comes from all those who love our heritage breed meats. Thankful for all those all over the country that encourage us in our mission. So ... truly ... from the bottom of our hearts ... Thank You!!!

Building a Monopoly Style Monopoly

Lately I've been listening to podcasts while I'm driving to and from the farmers market, doctors appointments, and work. It seems like a slightly more profitable way to use that down time and I can usually find something encouraging to listen to. Most recently I stumbled across a podcast from Seth Godin. I had heard of him before through a variety of sources so I decided to give his new podcast (actually segments from a lecture) a try. So far so good ...

But, what struck me was this quote, "Every successful business has a monopoly ... has a monopoly on what it makes that someone else can't make the way they make it. That leaves out commodity businesses ..." (he also said that he was thankful for commodity businesses because they produce things that we all need) And, I really like this quote, "Brilliant entrepreneurship is around figuring out that thing that you can do that's in the marketplace that people are willing to cross the street to get. That people understand that this is the one and I need it."

The whole episode was interesting, but those were two keys that I took away and really made me think about the farm and marketing for the farm. To be blunt ... my prices are higher than those at the supermarket. Sometimes they are quite a bit higher and other times they are only slightly higher. But, what I realize and what my customers realize is that comparing our woodlot raised heritage breed meats with those that come in a frozen tube in the freezer case or on a styrofoam plate in the cooler aisle is not comparing two equal things. Sure, they are similar in the fact that they are both meat products ... and there are plenty of people that would argue with me saying that there is no difference between the two. But, when it comes down to it I'm not raising and selling a commodity ... I'm working to raise something, "that someone else can't make the way" I make it!

Another important thing to realize that even within my own "community" of farms (other farms doing something similar to mine) I have to offer something that encourages people to "cross the street to get". At the Downtown Des Moines Farmer's Market I'm one of multiple people raising pork, beef, lamb, and poultry products. So, the question I continually ask myself is how do I make the farm stand out? Of course I continually work to offer up great tasting meats, but what else can I do?

A couple of things that I've worked to focus on is building relationships (the market and things like the farm crawl are great for that) and raising rare or heritage breeds. I'd love to hear more thoughts on these topics, and you can be sure that I'll continue listening to the podcasts as long as they are released ...

Sustainability :: The Whole Hog

Sustainability is a word that gets thrown around a lot these days. Every sort of agriculture from large-scale row crop operations to confinement agriculture to the smallest market garden farms use the word sustainable. So, if feel that it is always necessary for me to define the word when I'm using it. In my case i would simply sum sustainability up as the sort of farming that lets me survive physically and emotionally ... adds to the health and well-being of friends and neighbors ... takes into account the created purpose of the livestock ... takes stewardship of the land seriously ... and has fun doing it. Of course now that I've written that out I realize it's not quite as simple as it seems on the surface ... nevertheless I'm always striving for sustainability along those lines!

With that in mind I think I've come to the conclusion that selling halves and wholes is the most sustainable option for the farm. I'm not completely sure that I will ever make it to the point where I'm only selling wholes and halves, but I do believe it is a very sustainable goal to work towards on every level. Let me take some of the above definition of sustainability and explain what I mean ...

• Simply said ... going to the market every week (while working a full-time town job) takes up precious time and energy. I love the interaction with customers and the opportunity to share the reasons for the farm and the way the farm works. The sale of wholes and halves still takes time marketing and communicating with customers, but in the end it is much less time consuming and stressful.
• I think most would readily agree with me that wholes and halves is most sustainable for the farm, but I believe it is equally sustainable for the customer (friends and neighbors). When a family purchases a whole or half hog (since that is all we're selling now) they get all the cuts. I agree that it is easier to just get the things you want (chops, bacon, etc.), but when you get a whole hog you get all the good out of the animal. This type of purchase encourages the customer to make use of everything ... including some of the most healthy things that many people would skip. Lard is the perfect example ... and it is not as difficult to make and use as you think!
• Crooked Gap Farm is a place where a pig is a pig. That means that the pigs are allowed to fill their created pigginess, but also that the whole pig is used just as it was created to be. I strive to make sure that all that can be used or sold is used or sold and when dealing with wholes and halves it is just that much easier.
• On the surface it seems that the way you sell an animal wouldn't have much to do with land stewardship. But, I think it does! Just think of it this way ... when you are selling the majority of your livestock as wholes and halves you are able to really align the animals with the seasons that work best for them and the land. This allows the farm to maintain a high level of ecological sustainability and to tap into the natural instincts of the animals. I love it!
• Finally ... I just want to have fun farming because that is one of my key components of sustainability! When I was a kid I played with my toy tractors for fun ... I ran through manure piles for fun ... I pretended to farm for fun! Now that I'm an adult I want to keep the fun around ... too many farms forget the fun and I refuse to be one of them.

:: Farm Rock :: Deer in the Headlights by Owl City ... watch here ... buy here ::

Downs and Ups ...

Normally you hear people talking about the "ups and downs," but today was a day of downs and ups on the farm ... or at least a slight bummer, then a very nice up, and finally a slight bummer that was really forgetable because of the up. I worked a long day at Farm & Home/NAPA, but was excited because I had found a nice looking little gas saving pickup that I was planning on looking at. So, as soon as I could sneak out the side door of work I called the guy selling the pickup ... and found out that he had just sold it. I guess it was an okay deal! Later in the evening I did go look at a different little pickup very similar to the first one only to find out it wasn't very much like it was represented to be. That was a second slight bummer that helped sandwich so completely great news ...

After the slight bummer of the truck being sold I checked my e-mail and found that ... Crooked Gap Farm is headed to the Downtown Des Moines Farmer's Market! Of course this will not be on a full-time basis because they have a "probationary" period for new vendors, but it does look like I was able to get a nice selection of dates that will fit in with when I will have the most available. Plus, most of the dates are fairly close together or every other week which will be great for helping customers remember the farm. I'm very excited ... and nervous (even though the first date isn't until July).

Now comes the important work. I need to get together some brochures and better business cards, work on some displays, make sure I'm comfortable with the coolers from last year, figure out the best way to handle transactions, and maybe even start figuring out some processing dates for the hogs. There is so much to think about, but I'm very excited!

Saturation Point ...

No not the ground ... in fact the ground is actually starting to dry up rather nicely and I have been able to move around without getting sucked into knee deep puddles of mud! What I'm talking about is more of a business saturation point. As I look at expanding the farm and adding new enterprises I often wonder just how many small-scale ... pasture based ... direct market ... meat farms that the local area can support. I will readily admit that my meat costs more than pretty much anything the local grocery store is selling, but I'm not ashamed of that because I know how much it costs me to produce it and I know how much I need to get in return. Also, I'm confident in the product that I have ... not propaganda ... I just really am proud of it.

Regardless of how proud I am though of the meat I'm raising I still wonder if there is a point of saturation for this local food market. Is there a point when you will hit the top of the ceiling when it comes to the group of people willing to pay for a quality pasture raised product from a local farm? While at the INCA conference a couple weekends ago someone mentioned that for the first time in a while some local CSA farmers were finding it more difficult to sell all of their shares. They had been used to a waiting list in the past, but now they were even going into the season with some open. Does that mean that the market is hitting a saturation point or that marketing and customer education needs to change?

I'm not exactly sure what I think on this topic, but I would love to hear your thoughts on whether or not we are hitting a saturation point? If nothing else the idea of hitting a saturation point reminds me that I need to have a niche for my farm and I need know my story in and out so that I can share it with everyone I meet. I need to know why I'm doing what I'm doing and I need to convey that in all of my farm conversations.

How Much Meat ...

My post from yesterday, a couple of the comments, and some things I've been reading lately (Accidental Farmer's, Omnivore's Dilemma, etc.) have me wondering just how much meat one family could be expected to eat in a year ... or as some would pose the question ... how much meat should a family eat in a year. As I think about a farming model based more around the sale of wholes and halves rather than individual cuts I can't help but find myself thinking about how much a family (let's say of four) would need in one year. The profit watching side of me says that they need to buy a lot, but I want to be realistic as well.

Right now I'm raising beef (although I'm not to the point of doing wholes and halves yet), pork, lamb, and hopefully this summer meat chickens and a small amount of turkeys for the fall. On top of that there will be eggs available for sale and there is always the potential for fresh produce (not this year tough). If there were a solid base of customer families or couples committed to the farm and purchasing meat seasonally throughout the year I wonder how much a family/couple would want.

In my mind if I wasn't farming this would be the best way to purchase the meat my family would have throughout the year. I could have a freezer and just pick up different things at different times of the year. Maybe in early fall or late summer I could pick up a half of beef (remember I have small cows) and a turkey for Thanksgiving, maybe a little later a lamb, possibly a hog over the winter or sometime before Easter, and then throughout the summer some chickens until the cycle is started again. Of course this would take a little sacrifice/saving when it comes to meal planning throughout the year, but it would also give someone a lot of choices when it came to meat.

Of course that may be a little (or a lot) too much meat for some folks, so it could be altered a little. Maybe you still get a whole hog, but only a 1/4 of a beef (which wouldn't be a lot of Dexter beef), and then some poultry in the summer. I think there are lots of ways to attack this type of marketing and I think it has huge benefits for both the farmer and the consumer.

What do you think? How much meat would you be comfortable having throughout the year if you were buying in bulk (think wholes and halves)? Is that something you would even consider doing or does it seem inconvenient and possibly restricting when it comes to the meals you can eat throughout the year? I'd love to hear your thoughts

Farm Customers ...

Over the past 12 months I have marketed Crooked Gap Farm products online through The Iowa Food Coop, Facebook, Twitter, the Crooked Gap Farm website, e-mail lists, on farm, word-of-mouth, and of course a season at a farmer's market. Some of those methods have been very successful for the farm (especially considering the small-scale that the farm is at now) and others have been great learning experiences for the future. Without a doubt though I would say that each one as been an important part of the my farm marketing education.

In this coming year I see more of the same for marketing with two (hopefully) major exceptions. First of all I'm hoping that this year will see a move to a bigger and potentially more profitable market (even if only on an eight week probationary level). I've sent in the application for the Downtown Des Moines Farmer's Market and now I'm just awaiting the reply. I'm also looking at the possibility of a Thursday evening market in Des Moines as well, but I need to do a bit more research on that one (if anyone has any experiences with it I'd love to hear them). The nice thing about the farmer's market is that it gives me a chance to tell the story and talk to a lot of people ... it's a game of numbers ... the more people I can talk to at the booth the more product I can sell.

But, I'm also hoping to see an expansion of those "on farm" or word of mouth sales. Specifically I'm talking about more sales of whole and half animals such as lamb, pork, and poultry. It is these types of sales that I'm most interested in making and working towards in my marketing. Not because I don't like the other methods or those types of interaction, but rather I think that the sales of wholes and halves gives the consumers and farmers greater interaction. I know I've heard Tim and Liz Young of Nature's Harmony Farm talk about it before, but a customer farmer relationship like this seems like it could be very (or even most) sustainable.

My question then is this ... how many customers do you need to make the farm financially, emotionally, and physically sustainable. Of course these customers would need to be committed to the farm and buying in bulk (and have a freezer), but if they were how many would you need. I thinking a family that throughout the year could buy a half or whole hog, a half of beef (remember I have small cows), a lamb, a few chickens, a turkey, some eggs, and maybe even overflow from the garden. If there was a family of four or five and they were doing something like that spread though out the year how many customers do you think you would need?

Just an interesting question to think about ... at least it is for me ;)

The First Farmer's Market ...

In less than a week we will be setting up at our first farmers market ... EVER!!! On Saturday, May 1st the Living History Farms in Urbandale, IA will be hosting their Farmer's Market preview inside the visitors center and Crooked Gap Farm will be there selling our heritage Hereford pork. If you aren't familiar with the Living History Farms it is a living history museum that features farms from different periods in Iowa's history. Because of that this market isn't like every other market in the Des Moines area and it will feature demonstrations and hands on activities for every one attending ... along with live music from time to time I hear! I think this market is a perfect fit for our farm values and my love of history.

Needless to say I'm pretty excited about this new chapter on the farm. But, at the same time I'm a bit apprehensive because this will be another first for me (I should be getting used to "firsts" on the farm). So far I have secured the correct permits and insurance along with locating a source for dry ice in town to keep everything frozen. I'm working on some business cards and information sheets to hand out at the market along with a few other displays (newspaper articles featuring the farm) and we have our canopy tent ready for when the outdoor markets begin in a couple weeks.

What am I not thinking of though? I know I'm missing lots of different stuff here because I've never done this before! So, I'm calling on the expertise of all you farmer's market vendors and consumers. What kind of things should we have when we set up and what kinds of things do you look for as a consumer?

Looking For Homework Help...

As you may know, if you follow the blog semi-regularly, we are currently taking the "Grow Your Small Market Farm" class up in Ames. So far we have had four classes (I had to miss one, but I was able to listen to a recording) and each one has been a treasure trove of information. But, besides the classes each week we have homework that deals with creating a business plan for your farm and so much more. I have found the homework thought provoking, interesting, and even difficult at times ... and I love it! But, I do need some help (that is nothing new when it comes to me and homework).

In a session coming up pretty soon we are going to have a guest speaker focusing on things like brochures, advertising things, and farm logos. That is where I could use some help. Above is a what I guess is our "text logo". It is something that my wife's cousin did for us when he made the website and I think it is great. But, what I would like to have in conjunction with that is some sort of "image" logo. Something like the one for Sugar Creek Farm, Caw Caw Creek, the grass for Prairie Lakes Church, Nature's Harmony Farm's circle logo, or even Polyface Farm's tree to an extent.

You know ... I want something fun, fresh, and hip that reflects our pasture raised beef, pork, and poultry. A pretty tall order huh!?!

Of course we are fooling around with a few things, but I'm always open for suggestions. If you have any ideas no matter how silly you think they are I would love to hear them. All I know is that if we just rely on my artistic ability we are in trouble...

Combination CSA Subscriptions

Even though we aren't at a place where we could support supplying a CSA with meat (both in production volume and storage capabilities) I am becoming increasingly interested in the idea of joining with other farms to create a CSA subscription that includes vegetables, fruits, herbs, eggs, beef, pork, poultry, and more. It just seems like it would be a great thing for all of the farmers involved and for the consumers. This way people could pick up a box of food that includes much of what they need for a diverse number of dishes. They could have pork one night, beef the next, a veggie meal following that, and even mix in some poultry. The possibilities are endless!

But, what really got me thinking about all this was the article I read about Marin Sun Farms from California, the subsequent comment on that post from "The Farmers", and now an article that I read in "Farmers' Markets Today" (FMT) magazine (that newish publication I think you should check out).

The article in FMT talks about a group CSA in the Chapel Hill/Durham/Raleigh area of North Carolina. This CSA is set up so that the consumers have a choice of participating in any combination of the three options they offer. You can purchase a produce share, a meat share, and a dairy share for various prices and then combine them in any way you would like.

Of course I have no practical working experience with this, but in my mind it could be a good marketing tool for the different farms involved because it will expose them to new potential customers and in turn open up new sales. I could also be a great way to sell some of the things that you seem to have a surplus of (that is what the Marin Sun Farms article was about).

I would love to hear any more thoughts on this subject if you have any. Or if you have any experience about how it has or hasn't worked let us know!

Baby Beef and Dexters...

I wrote a post for the Epi-Log that will go up later this morning about Marin Sun Farms in California. The cool thing was that they have a meat CSA that helps them do a better job of selling the entire animal and allows them to have consistent sales. But, there was one quote that struck me while I was reading the article in, "The Stockman GrassFarmer" that I didn't touch on in the Epi-Log post.

Specifically the qoute was, "He is currently experimenting with harvesting beeves at weaning as 'baby beef' to get their carcass size down to a more customer friendly size".

The first thing that popped into my head is, "that is exactly what a finished Dexter is ... a customer friendly size!" Of course I do understand that he will get to that size much more quickly with baby beef, but Dexter owners can reach the same "perfect carcass size" by finishing their beeves, marketing the meat as meat with a great flavor, and all along mantaining a small buy very useful breed.

Like I said, I understand the differences, but I also see this is as a great way to market Dexter beef for consumers. I continue to become more and more interested in the idea of a meat CSA, even to the point of combining pork and other meat into the monthly packages (I think they may do that at Marin Sun). I'll have to do a little more research into this...

Farmers' Markets Today Magazine

Recently I was contacted by someone who works at "Farmers' Markets Today" magazine after I wrote a Epi-Log post about some of the magazines out there for the homesteader types or the wanna-be-homesteader types. Well, yesterday I received a sample issue of the magazine and I liked what I saw. Plus, I liked the fact that it is based out of the town where I spent the first 21 years of my life ... Cedar Falls, IA!

It really is a fairly new publication, only debuting in June of 2007, but I think the have done a wonderful job putting it together. Plus the subject matter is right up my alley and I love the fact that they do a really good job of going straight to the source when it comes to their surveys, articles, and more. Another great thing about this magazine is I believe it can help direct-to-consumer farmers all over the country share ideas and things that are working for them. Every other business sector has a "journal", so why not the small-scale direct marketing farmers.

You, can check out their website linked above for more information ... but, here is a sampling of what is in the issue I received.

• An article about mobile food sales and deliveries.
• A neat little piece about a blueberry association that's members work together in marketing and more (really cool idea ... any ADCA members want to jump on this)
• Tips on buying a used tractor online (I could have used this earlier ... although I'm pleased with ours).
• An article about pricing strategies at farmers' markets.
• And of course there is a whole lot more that I didn't mention.

I encourage you to check this neat magazine out and even give it a try if you would like!

"Fatal Harvest"

**I am so sorry! I can't believe I did this, but I forgot to put up my post today. I wrote it last night, but didn't remember to get it up on the blog. Whoops!**

I have to give credit to Kelli of Sugar Creek Farm again for the link to this article. I don't know how she finds all of these great articles for her "Ag Speedlinking", but I'm glad that she does it! Anyways, the article that I read was titled, "Speaker at organic farming conference derides corporate agriculture", and written by Joe Orso for the La Crosse Tribune. The article stems from Andrew Kimbrell's keynote speech at the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES) Conference this year.

Mr. Kimbrell is the author of "Fatal Harvest: The Tragedy of Industrial Agriculture" and that was also the title and theme of his address at the conference this year. One thing that he said in the speech (according to the article) that really made me think was this, "What they never saw coming is you. They thought they had the future. They thought they had successfully taken the culture out of agriculture." The "they" he is talking about of course are the people involved in "industrial agriculture".

I have to admit that the first thing that popped into my mind was, "Do 'they' really even know we exist?" In my question the "we" are the alternative/organic/sustainable farmers of the world. Are they really concerned about losing market share to the small farms popping up around the country? I readily admit that I don't know the ins and outs of market effect, but are they noticing us?

My first reaction is no way! They aren't a bit worried about losing market share to a few farmers that sell pork or beef at the local farmers market, but then I started to think about it on a larger scale ... There seems to be a number of these farms beginning and growing around the country and while they may seem small when taken individually, but on the whole they can have an impact. And with some of the bad publicity hitting the airwaves more and more people are beginning to think about their food choices.

What does all this mean? Well, on one hand it really means nothing to me. I'll still do what I am going to do and market my farm the way that I feel will work. But, on the other hand I think it gives us something to be optimistic about. Maybe the big agri-businesses are thinking about the growing market share small farms are commanding ... if that is case we need to work together to open doors for the small farmer, educate the public, and produce a high quality product.

Make sure you read the article! It has some interesting stuff to think about. In fact I would love to hear you thoughts after reading the article.

Making Your Small Farm Profitable :: Chapter 7 Book Report

Chapter 7 of Ron Macher's book, "Making Your Small Farm Profitable" is on what I believe is one of the most important aspects of small-scale farming. Marketing! I'm not saying that just anyone with experience and ability in marketing can become a great small scale farmer, because farming takes a vast amount of scientific, commonsense, mechanical, and intuitive knowledge. In fact, I have said it many times before so I will say it again, farming is an art! But, when it comes to being a profitable farmer (especially when you farm on a small scale and don't receive government subsidies) marketing is a very large piece of the puzzle.

With all of that in mind I read this chapter with quite a bit of interest and it didn't disappoint. I won't go as far as saying that the chapter contained a bunch of new knowledge that I hadn't heard of or thought about before, but Mr. Macher presented the information in a very readable and understandable way.

One of the things that really struck home with me were his, "Eight Steps to Identifying the Market". Nothing in those eight steps is very revolutionary, but sometimes it is good to look at a task with a process and goals in mind. I believe that is especially true when it comes to something that you are unfamiliar with or you are not quite certain that you can even do well. For most farmers marketing is one of those things. Many people decide to farm because they love the solitude, or the open spaces, or even the ability to be alone and their own boss. But, if you want to have a profitable small scale farm you need to get out there and market ... to people!

Here is a very brief overview of his eight steps:

• Get maps of your area.


• Find your self and draw circles with a radius of 25, 50, and 100 miles


• Figure out how many people live within those circles and realize that most customers will come from inside the 50 mile circle. (This is basically two of the steps combined into one)


• Research what other alternative or small-scale farms are in the area, and what they are selling.


• Scope out the local grocery stores in some of the larger areas. What do they carry, can they purchase stuff local?


• Now that you have gathered all of that information go over it with a fine tooth comb. What crops or livestock are missing? Is there anything that is being brought into the area because of high demand that you could produce?


• Finally, "find out who your customers are". Are there ethnic groups, a population of people concerned about organic, or even people that are just looking for stuff the way it used to be (Sugar Creek Farm blog just mentioned that 2/17).

Following these steps won't help you market your farms meat or produce, but it will help you choose things that are in demand which makes marketing easier. Also, this isn't in the book, but don't forget to remember your passions. You will find marketing much easier if you are passionate about what you are trying to market!

The rest of the article is full of information and real-life stories about niche markets, value added stuff, pricing, advertising, and even where or how to sell your products. It's a pretty good chapter, and the deeper I get into this book I think it is a great practical guide to making the small farm pay. It won't give you the passion of a Joel Salatin or Gene Logsdon book. It may not give you all the nuts and bolts like a Carol Ekarius or Allan Nation book. But, it is full of down to earth steps, principles, and advice.