The Power of Story Brand Marketing
Host James Maiocco speaks with Amy Campbell of Old Rich Valley Farm about using Story Brand principles to build strong customer connections and market direct-to-consumer Farm products.
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Hello and welcome to the Independent Farmer Podcast, the go to podcast for do it yourself Farmers who are taking control of their own business, skipping the middleman and selling direct to local consumer and wholesale Buyers. This podcast is hosted by Barn2Door, the number one business tool for independent Farmers to manage their business, promote their brand and sell online and in person.
Let's dive in to today's Independent Farmer Podcast.
James Maiocco: Welcome to The Independent Farmer podcast. I'm James Maiocco, the chief operating officer at Barn2Door and your host for today's episode. As you may be aware, Barn2Door is all about helping independent Farmers make more money, ditch the office work, and look like a pro. It helps to get a system in place to sell direct, and many Farmers can skip the middleman [00:01:00] and build a strong local business with recurring sales. In today's conversation, we're going to get into the importance of story brand marketing, including why it matters and how to do it successfully.
And today, I'm happy to welcome back Amy from Old Rich Valley Farm, who's a part of our Farm advisory network and has worked with us for a number of years. Welcome back, Amy. It's great to see you.
Amy Campbell: Thank you so much. Good to see you.
James Maiocco: Well, before we dive into today's topic, uh, for our listeners who may not be familiar with Old Rich Valley Farm, can you rewind a little bit and tell us a little bit about your Farm and how you got started, where you're located, that type of thing?
Amy Campbell: Sure. We are in the southwest portion of Virginia. Um, we're pretty rural, and we do pasture-raised beef, pork, and chicken. And we sell at a Farmers market and then some delivery drops. I guess we started selling directly about 10 years ago, and then have been with Barn2Door for at least eight of those, I think so.
James Maiocco: Yeah. It's been [00:02:00] amazing to see your business grow over the years, right? It's been a incredible journey to see you, not just your business grow, but your family grow alongside of it too. So congrats on all the kids. Well, so many Farmers who are listening are probably asking themselves, why does story brand marketing matter?
And with a clear marketing strategy, obviously your Farm can communicate the quality of your products, uh, to Buyers and sell it more consistently. At what part in your Farm journey did you realize that the hard work you're doing in the field wasn't enough, and that you needed to start marketing more consistently to build awareness in your local community?
Amy Campbell: That's a great question because I think that that is something is really hard for Farmers. We, we become Farmers because we like to Farm. We like to grow plants or animals, raise animals. But most of us don't have any marketing background. And so we sure didn't. And so my husband and I came into it, full-time now, um, and we didn't have any customers, you know, starting out and didn't know [00:03:00] how to get customers.
So we started out just on Facebook sharing our story, really. We shared pictures and videos and what we're doing. Um, before we even had any product to sell, we were just sharing our story. And then it was-- that was also really hard when we found out we have to ask people to buy it. And it felt salesy and it felt awkward, and we, we'd never done that before.
But over the years I have realized that, well, two things. One, if you're not selling your product, you're not gonna be in business very long. So if you like Farming, you've got to be able to sell it. Um, and two, people actually want what we're selling. We are filling a need there, with a lot of people.
They, they want local product, they want local beef and, and produce and all that stuff. So, I guess that's a-- probably five or six years ago I read a book, um, called Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller. Um, and if you haven't read that, [00:04:00] I suggest anybody starting out or anybody that is selling directly, to go, uh, read that book.
But it just really kind of changed my whole marketing mindset, um, that we weren't just selling a product; we were selling our Farm and our family and our story and, and the beef and the pork that, that come with that
James Maiocco: Yeah, I think that is so evident in your marketing. And for listeners who don't follow you today on social media or who not subscribe here your newsletter, um, they sure will learn a lot by, by following you because you guys have done such a great job, because I've been following you for years now, and you guys have become more and more articulate about sharing your why, right?
Like why you grow your food, why you do the things you do, uh, how it impacts, you know, the planet, how it impacts the animals, how it's good for God's creation, and how it makes us all healthier, right? And I think people are looking for [00:05:00] that. In fact, I think we know 94% of people your age, 25 to 39 years old, want to buy from a local Farmer like you, right?
But they have to know it. So when you were developing your why, did that come naturally for you, or did you feel awkward, you know, the first few times? Because I've seen you and, and your husband out on the Farm, you know, with the video and walking around and sharing, sharing the pictures and sharing your thoughts about what's going on.
Did that come naturally?
Amy Campbell: No. And it still doesn't. We're getting better at it. But, no, we- well, especially my husband, he wants to live out on the Farm and be a recluse out here and not talk to anybody. And, um, but we are realizing that, you know, community is so important, and educating people is so important.
And so if we want to, you know, convince people or, help them realize that local food is more, uh, is better for the communities, you know, you're keeping your dollars in the community. Knowing where your food comes [00:06:00] from is better for your health. So we've got to show them why, you know. Like you said, um, why are we raising-- It's, it's hard work.
Why are we doing this? And there are so many people that want to raise their own food, but they can't. They don't have the acreage or the knowledge or the startup to do that. Um, and so we are filling that need, like you said, of people that want to raise their own food, but aren't able. We'll raise it for you here in this community.
We actually had a cousin, um, I guess during COVID, come and stay for a few months. Um, and he challenged us. He said, "You know, people don't know about Farming. They don't know what you, what you mean when you're feeding the cows or when you're making hay or what..." You know, all these things that we do every day that seem normal, processing chickens.
Um, they don't know anything about it. And so if you all will make videos and posts and tell us about it, then that education is gonna lead to connection and gonna make them feel more [00:07:00] a part of our Farm and more involved in our Farm. We say thank you and amen to that because that really was a turning point in our Farm and in our business, just being as open and transparent as we could.
James Maiocco: Well, I will say that, you know, you and Will have done a great job being really transparent. You guys are fantastic stewards of your animals as well. You guys do such a great job in terms of caring for them. Can you share a little bit more about like how that's been beneficial, like actually showing them your practices on the Farm?
Has that helped people understand why they should also be paying a premium for your products, and why it's not just the same price as what they might be getting a chicken or beef for at, you know, Kroger? Why are they spending, paying more money for, you know, pastured poultry from, you know, Old Ridge Valley?
Amy Campbell: Yeah. I think we do spend a lot of time explaining the entire process of our chickens 'cause that is, chicken is probably the most different, I guess, from what you would buy from us and what you would get at the grocery [00:08:00] store. And so we do share information of what our brooder looks like and why they're in the brooder and for how long, and then when we move them out on pasture and that they're eating the bugs and the grass and, um, how long they're out there and just all that information.
And then we do-- we process chickens on Farm, and so we show pictures of, hey, our four-year-old and 11 through four are out here with us every time. And they have a job out here on the Farm, and we have lots of kids that come and help. And so we just show how it's, it's not a gross, horrible, death day, you know?
Um, it is, this chicken is giving us life. And it's, it's giving us life as we eat it. And so processing that chicken is a part of the, the whole cycle. And so we just try to share that, not in a-- I mean, we're not sharing horrible pictures out there, but we are sharing, um, just how it's a community event and, and a joyful occasion as well.
And so [00:09:00] yeah, I think just bringing them into that. Um, most people do not have a clue how chickens are processed. And maybe they've heard stories of their grandma doing it, but, but that's about it. And even as far as transparency, our beef prices are going up, and so we share, you know, we were paying this much for a calf four years ago, and this is what we're paying now, and this is our cattle feed for the year.
This is how much we're having to pay for that. So we try not to do it in a "Woe is me, Farm life is so hard," but we're just not trying to price gouge anybody. We are showing you this is our inputs. This is what we're paying. And so when we raise prices, this is why. We wanna keep our prices as low.
We are a family, a growing family, and so we understand trying to keep prices as low as possible. But, you know, a part of being s- a sustainable Farm means that you have to be making money, or it's not sustainable and you're gonna be out of [00:10:00] business. And so just being as open and transparent about the Farming practices and the business side of it, um, we have seen customers have been very receptive to both.
James Maiocco: Yes.
Yes. You have to be profitable, otherwise you're quickly out of business, right? Like you said, right? Um, now one of the big things in that book, "StoryBrand" by Donald Miller, great book. I agree 100%. And if you don't have time to read the book, he also has some really great YouTube videos as well, right? Where people can get a quick synopsis in 15 or 20 minutes.
But one of the things he talks about is that the customer is the hero, right? And that's a big shift for most business owners, is realizing that their product or service isn't the hero. Like in the case, the Farmer isn't the hero. It's the Buyer, right? It's the customer who is, is, is again, willing to support you and willing to invest with you so you can continue to feed them and the community.
So how do you talk about your Farm and your Farm products in a way with making the story all about you? Like, how do you involve your [00:11:00] community? You've mentioned the word community a few times, right? To help them want to invest with you so they can be part of the story.
Amy Campbell: Yeah, that's a great question too because, you're right, when we first started, it was all about us and look what we're doing, and isn't it cool the way our family lives out here on the Farm?
And, and people do enjoy pictures of that. But again, if you're not selling your product, then you're not gonna be in business. And so you're right. The customer, when they purchase from you and when they commit to a monthly subscription and all those things, they are the hero. And so we just flat out say that often, through our social media posts or through our weekly emails that, we are so thankful for you and we, we truly couldn't do it without you.
Will says a lot. If we can raise as much good food as we want, we are able to grow, but if we don't have anybody to buy it, then we can't do it, and it's worthless. Um, and so it is all about the customer choosing [00:12:00] to eat local and to know where their food comes from.
And so I think Donald Miller, a lot of the, what he kind of... He's an author, um, is how he started out. And so a lot of what he breaks down is when you are marketing, you're telling a story. And so yes, the customer is the hero. And so what can you do to kinda get them? They're gonna have a problem, and so their problem is they don't know where the meat from the grocery store is coming from, or they want to eat healthier, or they wanna cook at home more, or there's all kinds of problems that everybody has.
And so how can you as the Farm fix that problem? And so how can we teach people to cook and how can we teach them, to not stop by fast food every other night and to eat at home, you know? And so, and we're all busy and so, yeah, that's one thing we try to do is give out that information.
Give, send out recipes and meal [00:13:00] ideas, to share why eating at home with your family is so important. There for a while we on social media, we would post our dinner and it was just us sitting around the table, either dirty or straight out of the showers. And usually there's a big clock on our back wall, and usually it was like 9:00 PM, sometimes even later.
And the point of that is to show not that we're better than you because we're eating dinner together, but this is a priority for us. We are eating dinner together, at nine o'clock at night. And then we're sh- putting our kids to bed as soon as we can. But that's the only way we're able to eat dinner together, but it is a priority.
So, I don't know, just kind of sharing your life, but also in the midst of that, um, those priorities can hopefully become your customers' priorities as well.
James Maiocco: Yeah. So you hit on a couple topics that are really key that you said. I just wanna revisit one of the points, which was you have to help the customer solve a problem.
And you mentioned a few problems, and I'm kinda curious which you find [00:14:00] to be most, uh, attractive or you see the biggest response or conversion from, right? So you talked about, you know, helping customers buy local. That's a big one. Other people wanna eat healthier. Uh, obviously the MAHA movement, all the Instagram and, and social media influencers are kinda pulling the veil back on commodity agriculture and why it's not good.
And then you also have all these, you know, folks who are just very keen on good stewardship, right? Want good, you know, animals that are raised well, euthanized well, processed, you know, in a humane manner. And then of course, you have the other side of folks who, you know, just ultimately like they, you know, they're in your local community, they wanna support local jobs, right?
And they wanna keep that money local, like you mentioned. So do you find that you get customers in all these segments? Do you try to market to everyone, or do you pick two or three of those types of problems you really key in on? H-how, how do you build that, like, kind of a-awareness or, uh, feel like you're speaking to those customers with those specific problems?
Amy Campbell: Yeah. So [00:15:00] you're right. We have a lot of customers that will ask us, "Do you spray your hay? Do you, um... What kind-- Is it organic feed? Is it non-GMO? Do you give hormones or antibiotics?" You know, there's a lot of people that care about those types of things. So sometimes we do mention those.
There's a lot of people, though, that just wanna know, "Yes, I raised this calf here on the Farm. It never went anywhere else, and it's local." So that's probably more, I think, just the transparency of showing that is probably more where our sales come from. But I also think you just have to know that everyone is not your customer.
Um- Mm-hmm ... you have an ideal customer out there, um, that really prefers organic or really, whatever that is, why they're coming to you. And most of them are gonna come because of that. But they're just not all your customers. And so I think I had to, I had to get over that. I wanted everyone to want what we have.
But there's-- [00:16:00] you're just not gonna reach everyone. It's just like, you know, I don't buy everything from everyone either. So you've just gotta find your ideal customers, and communicate to them, and then don't worry about the rest of them. You know, you're just not gonna sell to everybody.
James Maiocco: Yep. You can't please all people, right? And you can't... No, no brand on the planet is attractive to everyone, right? Yes. Like, your brand needs to attract the right customers that are going to enable you to run a profitable business. I think one of our other fans even shared, like, if you don't have a customer complaining about your prices, then your prices are too low, right?
And you're, you're trying to appease everyone. And that's just, that's a quick pathway, you know, race to the bottom if you're trying to please everyone, right? Yeah. You're just not gonna be able to do it. So let's talk about first impressions, right? And how you attract those customers, right? 'Cause your Farm only gets one chance at a first impression, So when you're communicating your brand, right, you wanna make sure that those Buyers come back, How do you use, you know, your visual imagery, your photos, your videos, your, your [00:17:00] logo, your messaging, et cetera, I mean, to, to reaffirm, Old Ridge Valley and why you do what you do. Like, if somebody sees that, would they be able to describe your Farm just by looking at your, again, your social assets and know what you stand for without ever talking to you?
Amy Campbell: Yeah. I think you gotta know, I used to teach, uh, help with the, the MailChimp marketing class, and one thing that we said was come up with three words or phrases that describe your Farm. Your message has to be simple and relevant and repeatable. And so you're just gonna say those- whatever your message is, you're gonna say it over and over and over.
So, like you said, I've said community a few times. That is something we really strive for. We live in a small town, and I think community is really important to the people that live where we are. And I think there's a lot of people that are looking for community in this day and age. And so we really emphasize community and community events.
We have a cookout every year that's free and open to our [00:18:00] community and to our customers and, and people that live around here. And so, kind of finding those words, family is something that's important to us, and we really-- our pictures definitely show that. We've got five kids now, and they're all out on the Farm with us every day.
So we have pictures of them helping on the Farm, uh, and playing on the Farm, and just being a part of the whole Farming process. And family dinners and all of that is another one of our words that we emphasize. But yeah, I think that you've got to, you've got to kind of lead them in the direction you want them to go.
And so if you want them to feel like family dinners are important, you've got to show them why family dinners are important, and how they can simply have a family dinner, and how to start that process.
James Maiocco: That's a great point. I think Donald Miller talks about that in that book too. He said like, whatever you're trying to communicate, usually the the Buyer's gonna need to hear it five to seven times before they internalize it, right?
Like, so like you said, it's not enough [00:19:00] to just show one picture with your family on the Farm working. It's gotta be a variety of different things. If that's an adjective, like you said, that you want people to use to describe your business, they wanna know that they're supporting a family Farm. Well, it's gotta be pervasive through all of your marketing assets, right?
So when you think about the conversion of these Buyers, how did you think about the website to make buying from you frictionless, as easy as possible so that they could- if they say, "Great, I've learned about Old Rich Valley Farm. I love the story that Amy and Will have, how they're raising and growing their family on the Farm. How do you, how do you ask them to now purchase from you?
Like you mentioned this earlier, it's like that's a, that's a big step as a Farmer to just not just talk about your products, but now ask somebody to buy.
Amy Campbell: Yeah. Well, having an online store has been hugely important in that step because it... You're right. When we first started, they were having to email us, text us, call us, all the different ways to communicate with us.
They didn't know what we had, and so we'd have to [00:20:00] send out a price list and, you know, it was just, it was a headache. Looking back on those early days is just a nightmare. But having a website where we can send them, we are constantly sending out links to our website on social media posts.
Every email has tons of links that just send you directly to... If I'm sending you a recipe, um, for egg roll in a bowl, I'm gonna send you that ground beef or that ground pork, a link, so you don't even have to go look for it in my Farm store. I'm just sending you that direct link. Um, and it's gonna take you right there.
And I hope that while you're there, you maybe purchase a couple other things. It does get hard because we offer different things, and we all do. And so it's hard to communicate that, yes, you can buy a half beef at one time, or you can buy bulk boxes, or you can join our monthly subscriptions, or you can just purchase by the cut.
And so if you're doing all these options, you've gotta spend time really talking about what is a monthly meat [00:21:00] subscription, and give out a free guide for how much freezer space you have to have to get a half beef at one time. How, what does that look like? Um, you know, you've just gotta be sending lots of information that's relevant to what you're selling, and try to make it as clear and concise as possible.
Probably every six months I go and look at our website and try to just make sure: is it still relevant? And then is it clear and concise? And if I had no clue what the Farm offered, can I figure that out pretty quickly? And we still do not do this perfectly at all, but we're still trying.
James Maiocco: Well, you gotta keep trying, right?
Your business is always evolving. Ours too, right? And you're always looking back, "Man, how come I didn't think of this before?" Wow, our business would look so different had we just done this two years ago. Why didn't we do this sooner?" But you bring up a really great point. Like, you know, purchasing from your Farm has to be easy.
At the end of the day, like, you're busy, you've got five kids at home, all the chores on the, on the Farm. The [00:22:00] last thing you need to be doing is returning phone calls and text messages and chasing down a payment and sending price lists via email. Uh, I don't think I've ever talked to somebody at Amazon in the 30 years that I've been buying from Amazon.
I just point and click, right? I, I understand how to purchase. It's just gotta be easy. So let's talk about email, because you've brought this up a few times, right? And, you know, reaching Buyers and sharing messaging. Talk a little bit more about the importance of email. Like, so once somebody joins the Farm list, so if I go to Aldridge Valley Farms, you know, I see the splash screen come up, and it's like, "Yep, I wanna get on your email list."
How do you structure those emails? Like, how do you engage people who are new to Aldridge Valley? And then how do you guide them over time, or how do you build a relationship with them through that email marketing over time?
Amy Campbell: Yeah. So we do have drip emails, I call them.
Those, those few emails that come out automatically, those campaigns, that we've set up automatically. And so, when they sign up, they're gonna get a welcome email. And that welcome email, again, a lot of people make it about their Farm, [00:23:00] a whole lot of information of we're fifth generation, and we've been doing it this way and, you know, and, and that's great information.
But you're gonna overload the customer. And so you just have to think if you were looking at this Farm for the first time. I want to make sure I'm telling them, again, like you said, what they can buy and how they can buy it. And so I'm gonna give a little background of like our, Farming practices or, or maybe who we are, but that just needs to be very brief.
And so the rest of it is all about how they can buy from us. And our monthly meat subscriptions, we call them herd shares, that's over half of our Farm sales. And so that's really important to us, and we would love all customers to go to that. And so we really try to push those. So our emails are really emphasizing, Hey, do you know- have you heard about the herd shares?
This is kinda how it works and just breaking that down for them. Also kind of lots of links to the website and [00:24:00] saying, "Or you can just purchase by the cut to try it out," but yeah. So I guess when you set those automatic emails up, what do you want a first-time customer to know about your Farm?
And it better be, Here's how you can order." And so giving them that link, to maybe try something. A great thing to do is maybe even offer a first-time bundle. Say, "Hey, these are our favorite cuts or our favorite..." you know, everyone loves to start with the salad kit, and here it is.
Um, you know, offer something that most customers are gonna like and that you pretty much always have in stock, and just suggest that one bundle. Also send out an email every Friday morning. Um, and ours is just called This Week on the Farm. We never change it. Um, and it is just kind of what we're learning, what we're doing, what we're reading, what season it is, you know.
It's gonna vary. Right now, we're talking a lot about chicken processing and moving chickens every day and stuff, but here in a few months, we won't be doing that anymore. So we just kinda [00:25:00] keep people up to date on what's happening on the Farm. And again, like I said, with the recipes and the, the bundles or any sort of educational piece, that's gonna be in our weekly newsletter that we're sending out.
James Maiocco: Well, you do a fantastic job with it, because I love reading This Week on the Farm.
Uh, you and Will both do such a great job writing, and very heartfelt, and you feel like you get to know your Farm when I read that, right? And you mentioned the campaigns, what are called customer journeys with Mailchimp. Boy, I think that is such an important upgrade. You know, I know a lot of Farmers just start with the free version of Mailchimp, which is fine.
It gives you a welcome email. But boy, upgrading to get the paid version of Mailchimp with customer journey so you can segment your Buyers with different types of messaging, yeah, the conversion on that just is big. Like you said, the first-time Buyer, you know, like may only want to start with a couple of cuts or a sample box.
That's a really great suggestion. But you have to earn their trust to get them to sign up for, you know, a hundred-dollar, two hundred-dollar [00:26:00] monthly purchase, right, because that's a much bigger purchase, but worth the effort. At two hundred dollars a month, that's twenty-four hundred dollars a year, right?
That's a, that's a great Buyer. You're not gonna initially do that the first time you visit your website, right? You have to earn that trust, so talk to me a little bit about you- let's go back to community, and let's talk a little about leveraging your story in your local community. How do you turn kind of those face-to-face moments, you know, at markets or at on-Farm events, as you mentioned earlier with the cookout.
How do you turn those into opportunities to deepen the relationship with your Farm and and to build lasting customer loyalty?
Amy Campbell: Yeah. One thing I am not good at is remembering names, and so that is something I'm really trying to get better at, 'cause I am usually the one going to the Farmers market, or doing most of the delivery.
So I'm kind of the face of the delivery. And one, just being upbeat, joyful, kind, caring, but remembering things about the customer [00:27:00] and their name especially is huge. Um, so when they come to pick up, you don't have to say you've seen them 10 times and you're like, "What's your name again?" but you know, if they tell you something about their family, ask about their family the next time.
And that's not for marketing. That is just... I mean, these people are part of your community, you know? And so that's just being a good community member, being involved in their lives. But yeah, I think just being kind and open and not- again, we are not the hero, so not talking so much about woe is us on the Farm.
Yes, we are busy, but so are they. Everybody's busy. yeah, just making time to be involved in the community and, making everyone else around you feel respected and, appreciated, and then at the Farmers market, I also am always trying to get people, like you said, get them on our email list I only have, you know, two minutes to talk to them at the Farmers market, but I'm gonna send them a message every week in their inbox. Um, and they're gonna [00:28:00] get to know me and our Farm a little bit better that way, because we are hurried at the Farmers market sometimes. So collecting those email addresses and handing out flyers and cards to get them on your email list and to teach them how they can pre-order and purchase from you, um, all of those are really good ways to get them involved in your Farm.
And then yeah, just going to community events and being a part, not being that recluse Farmer that many of us probably want to be. But being involved is a huge benefit to your Farm
James Maiocco: Well, it's so well said, Amy, and you have a lot of wisdom from years of success, but some hard-learned lessons, I'm sure, over those years, right?
So, and I love the fact that you encourage people being joyful, right? Because like you said, life is hard enough as it is. Uh, and like you said, you know, yes, life is hard on the Farm, but your Buyers also are going through challenges. You know, no one is immune from struggle in their life. And so if you can be a bright spot in your Buyers' lives when they come to that [00:29:00] pickup and be appreciative and thankful for them, boy, you're gonna give them energy and, and help them feel good about your Farm, and your Farm brand's gonna extend to the, to your brand and build loyalty.
So, well, with the last, uh, couple minutes here we have left, are there any final bits of advice that you would have for Farmers looking to leverage their story to improve their success and attract more Buyers?
Amy Campbell: I would definitely suggest, kind of going through either that book or some of his podcasts, but if you can go through, um, Donar- Donald Miller's StoryBrand brand script, you can find that for free online. But it kinda just takes you through what is our message, you know? Who is our ideal Buyer? What issue can we help them solve? How can we guide them in that direction?
And so just kinda do it. I think he does call it a brand script. But doing that work in the background, especially we're kinda coming into a slower season for most Farms. So now is the time to really start thinking about that and come up with your three [00:30:00] words, your messages, that really describe your Farm and make sure you are sending that out over and over and over again.
Um, and you might get tired of saying community or local or transparent. You might get tired of saying those words, but they, they're not tired of hearing it, because they're hearing so much from so many Farms or, or, or so many everything, you know? Um, they're not gonna pay attention that we're saying the same things over and over again.
But it is gonna hopefully, eventually- that's what, when they think of Old Rich Valley Farm, hopefully they're gonna think of transparent and joyful and community. We want to represent those words well, and we want to make sure all of our Farm, all of our messaging is reflecting that.
That is repeatable, that you can say the same things again and again, and then always have links to your Farm store. Little, little reminders of it's simple as one, two, three to order from us. Here's the Farm store. Add it to your cart. Meet us at the delivery. And if you can just break it [00:31:00] down and remind them that it's simple, even when actually it's more difficult to meet you than just go into the grocery store.
But if you can make it as simple as possible, then they're gonna appreciate that
James Maiocco: Yeah, absolutely. Great piece of advice, and I agree, simplicity is key. You know, customers are looking for convenience always, so that local pickup, if it's near the school where they pick up their kids or if it's, uh, after the last service on Sunday after church, Somewhere that's convenient where the Buyers that you're selling to, if, if it can be that convenient so it's just one extra thing while they're already doing part of their regular routine, wow, it's gonna be easier than going to the grocery store because it's gonna be a part of their local loop, right?
So well said. Well, I want to extend my thanks to Amy from Old Rich Valley Farm for joining us on this week's podcast episode. You can check out more about their Farm at oldrichvalleyfarm.com or on their Instagram handle @oldrichvalleyfarm. I'd highly encourage you to sign up for the newsletter if you're looking for [00:32:00] ideas or inspiration about how to communicate your story brand to your customers, because she and Will are very authentic, and they do a fantastic job just, again, telling their Farm story and building customer loyalty.
Here at Barn2Door, we're humbled to serve thousands of Farms across the country and delighted to offer services and tools to help Farmers make more money, ditch the office work, and look like a pro. If you'd like to learn more about what we do at Barn2Door, you can go to Barn2Door.com/learnmore. And I thank everyone for tuning in to today's episode, and we look forward to joining you next time on the Independent Farmer podcast.
Take care.
Thank you for joining us on the Independent Farmer Podcast. At Barn2Door, we are passionate about empowering independent Farmers to build a thriving business. To all the Farmers out there, thank you for all you do to grow amazing food, care for the soil, and serve your [00:33:00] local communities. You are the backbone of our country.
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