Bringing visitors to your farm can be a good way to promote your products and develop lasting connections with customers. Offering on-farm experiences requires two layers of marketing: first, promoting the on-farm experience, and second, promoting farm products. Whether you’re trying to sell cooking classes, farmstead cheese, CSA shares, a farm stay, or something else, these resources will guide you through best practices in marketing.Ìý
Best Practices in Agritourism Video Series
Value Added Producer Grant RecipientsÌý
Writing a Marketing Plan
- Ìý
Vermont Small Business Development Center - Ìý
¶¶Òõ̽̽ Extension New Farmer Project
Introductory Tools for Digital Marketing
Booking Platforms
Social Media - Choosing Your Channel/Making a Plan
- - University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension
- Social Media Best Practices Guide (PDF)Ìý-ÌýAlex Tursi
- Campaign Planning (PDF)Ìý-ÌýAlex Tursi
- Building a Social Editorial Calendar (PDF)Ìý- Marketo
- - Upstart University
- - Good Eggs Marketing
- - Vermont Fresh Network
- - Kate MacLean, Longest Acres Farm
Leveraging Social Media for Events
- Checklist for Event Marketing (PDF)Ìý- Vermont Fresh Network
Social Video
- - Vermont Fresh Network
Hashtags
- - Vermont Fresh Network
Websites
- - Holly Mechanic, Flavor Plate
- - Good Egg Marketing
- - Good Egg MarketingÌý
Email & e-Newsletters
- - Sarah Webb of Shelburne Farms and Laura Olsen from Green Mountain Girls Farm.
Search Engines
Visual Content - Digital & Otherwise
Social Photography
- Ìý- Vermont Fresh Network
Working with a Professional Photographer
- Ìý - Brent Harrewyn
- "Small Business - Photos" (PDF)Ìý- Community Capital of Vermont
Tools for Graphic Design
- - Canva
- - PicMonkey
- - Photopea
Working with the Press
How to contact the media
- - The Hustle
- How to Write a Press Release (PDF)Ìý- from Cision
Customer Service
Happy and satisfied customers are key to success, and planning should begin well before your first visitor.
Cornell University- Customer Service (PDF)
Tennessee Cooperative Extension, 2005
Fact Sheets and Guides
- Customer Relations (PDF)Ìý- Cornell Cooperative Extension
- Ìý- University of California Cooperative Extension Small Farm Program
Other Resources
- Ìý- University of California Cooperative Extension
- Ìý- Rutgers Cooperative Extension
- Ìý- Rutgers Cooperative Extension
- - Vermont Fresh Network
- - Whitney Lamy and Mark RayÌý
- Sample Checklist for Marketing Events - Vermont Fresh Network
Marketing Platforms
- ÌýListings of agriculture and culinary experiences that are open to the public in Vermont.
- ÌýThe official site of the Farm Stay USA Association with a listing of authentic farm and ranch stays throughout the US.
- ÌýandÌý. Websites that connect travelers looking for authentic dining options with hosts who offer meals in their homes.*
- . Be sure to post your events on the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing’s official events calendar
- .ÌýThis calendar provides information for parents and families about local activities. Events listed in the calendar are typically free or low-cost activities.
- .ÌýAn important communications resource in every Vermont community. Consider posting an event or buying an ad.
- . Design and operates farm visits around the US.
- . Lists and books farm stays with maps for us region and other parts of the world. It has a list of filters where you can find a farm based on your preferences (pet friendly farms, wine tours, hikes, etc.)
- .ÌýListing and booking.Ìý Lists farms by usa states, internationals, events and farm activitiesÌý This can give you ideas on what are the must common offerings and what is more unique.
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