As a produce Farm business, you should look for ways to expand your reach within your local community. You may have an inventory of perishable, local goods, so it is crucial to find a customer base that will consistently purchase from you to keep your crops moving through your store. To be successful, it is imperative to find an eCommerce platform built for Farmers and best suited for your online produce store.

While it is wise to have a website for potential Buyers to research your brand and find more information about your Farm, it is more important to build a streamlined eCommerce shopping experience first to fuel sales. Prospective Buyers can access eCommerce from email, social media, QR codes and your website. But, before you rush to build a website, consider how you intend to sell your products, your packaging and pricing, your inventory availability and fulfillment options.

This North Carolina Farm found success using Barn2Door’s POS to fuel their in-person sales. See the features that made their transactions seamless, and how they attract Buyers to their on-Farm store. With 97% of Americans preferring to use Cards or Digital Wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay) for every purchase, this Farm quickly attracted 6-figures in in-person sales with their POS!

Whether you sell meat online or in-person to wholesale or retail Buyers, direct sales are convenient for your customers and the business. Buyers want to know how their food is grown and access to an easy shopping experience. Build an independent Farm brand that aligns with your values and mission, and manage sales without a middle man.

Life is busy on the Farm, but it is still important to learn from others as your business evolves. Farm podcasts make it much easier for Farmers to digest information as they work, learning best practices, tactics and gaining inspiration from others, while doing chores . Listen to other successful Farms and industry experts as they discuss how to build a profitable Farm business.

At Barn2Door, we share content each week to inspire, educate and share the stories of Farmers across the country. Find tactics, tips and best practices to implement into your Farm business today, and learn from industry experts and 6-figure Farmers who have built thriving businesses. These free resources share information that will be helpful to your Farm business.

Combined Inventory means your Farm store can offer a single item --- regardless of price(s), unit size(s) and / or price sheet (retail, private or wholesale) --- and ensure it pulls from the same inventory. Your inventory counts per item can now update automatically, accurately across multiple sizes, regardless of amount paid or type of Buyer. Combined Inventory works across both in-person and online purchases.

To sell more products and meet Buyer expectations, your Farm must provide a simple and easy shopping experience, online and in-person. Your Farm must be accessible from a variety of avenues to serve a multitude of Buyers. Offer convenient fulfillment options that will serve Buyers with a range of routines and schedules.

As an Independent Farmer, the capability to seamlessly serve your Buyers online and in-person is crucial. Your online and in-person sales must be fully synced to allow for a streamlined ordering process, avoiding any confusion or loss of profits or product. You will miss out on Buyers when they are not given multiple ways to shop. Not every Buyer will have cash to pay for your products at your Farm stand, nor will every customer have a credit card on hand.

The most successful Independent Farms offer their products for Pre-Order ahead of season, to capitalize on market demand, simplify their harvest schedule and to increase cash flow. There are some simple steps to help your Farm sell out before harvest. To begin with, you must build a base of local Buyers eager to pre-order your goods, market to them regularly to stay top-of-mind, and offer an easy ordering system - online and in-person.

As a Farm business owner, it is important for you to have accurate reports on your Farm finances to know what parts of your business are profitable, and what is not. It is crucial to analyze the profitability of your Farm operations, breaking down income and expenses, and setting goals for different lines of your business.

Farms selling Direct-to-Market find success in offering convenient pick-ups and home delivery options to local Buyers. This can spur purchases from busy customers, attract new Buyers through word-of-mouth marketing and reinforce their support of local businesses. Farm delivery day does not have to be a stressful ordeal. Simplify your delivery day routine with systems designed to prep all orders in advance.

In 2020, Joe made the switch to Barn2Door’s software built for Farmers. Instead of using analog records or a horizontal ecommerce solution (formerly Shopify), he moved the business to an order management solution, designed to support Retail (consumer) and Wholesale (restaurant) buyers. While Joe has seen other Farms constrained by commodity prices, he has maintained premium prices for his products by selling Direct-to-Market.

There are time-saving automations you can deploy to bring ease to your marketing efforts, without adding hours to your current workload. Having a set schedule each month to plan efforts and using automated software will give your Farm the ability to market to more Buyers without added stress.

Julie and Michelle joined forces in 2019 to bring sustainable Farm products to their community in Texas. Now, Veteran’s Liberty Ranch serves Buyers throughout central Texas, with in-person and online sales.

Every Farm is different, selling varying products, serving different markets and establishing their own, unique business plan. However, to scale and increase sales for your Farm business, it is important to implement tactics that have proven successful across the country.

In 2021, Benoit Family Farmstead made the decision to partner with Barn2Door to expand their reach to access new Buyers with Farm eCommerce and streamline their operations. The Farm has been able to add more products and serve their community, without having to spend extra hours in the office.

We’ve captured a quick synopsis of how your Farm business can leverage Barn2Door to accelerate your growth, recapture your initial costs, and build a more resilient and profitable Farm business.

With email marketing, you will have the ability to communicate with Buyers straight in their inbox. You can tailor your message depending on the type of Buyer, actions you desire and current events on the Farm. Independent Farmers ‘own’ their customer base, so it is essential you know how to effectively market and communicate to encourage loyalty and purchases.

Independent Farmers have more freedom in their business. Instead of relying upon auction houses to purchase products at commodity prices, they have full control. When selling direct, you determine the prices and packaging, meaning you can optimize your profit margins (and still move all your products).