Download - Essential Digital Tools for Farm and Food Ventures - 25th Annual Southern SAWG Conference
Introduction
Case Studies
Eric Rozendall, Rockville Market Farm
Amanda Andrews, Tamarack HollowsFarm
Carl Russell, Earthwise Farm and Forest
Farm Management
Growing Markets
Website Basics
Social Media
Networking
Q & A
“I only started using email in 2007, but . . . “
CARL RUSSELL - EARTHWISE FARM AND FOREST
How digital tools have changed his farm and forest businesses
2AGENDA
http://bit.ly/1c1kVGG
To accomplish tasks in the field and in the office more efficiently.
To make more informed decisions based
To manage the “business” side
To market products and access new markets
To network with other farmers and consumers
3HOW ONLINE TOOLS ARE CHANGING FARM AND FOREST BUSINESSES
4WHAT NOT TO DO
Get in over your head or over your budget
Gather data just to gather data
Lose sight of your personal and business goals.
Discard your old tools and equipment
Become discouraged
http://www.wired.com/2015/02/new-high-tech-farm-equipment-nightmare-farmers/
ERIC ROZENDAALROCKVILLE MARKET FARM
1. Budgeting and Accounting2. Staying Organized3. AgSquared4. Farmigo5. Farmers To You
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Rockville Market Farm is a Family CSA Farm offering Organic veggie, meat, egg and localvore shares, and delivers to restaurants and stores.
ERIC ROZENDAALROCKVILLE MARKET FARM
BUDGETING AND ACCOUNTING
http://www.youneedabudget.com/
http://quickbooks.intuit.com/
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ERIC ROZENDAALROCKVILLE MARKET FARM
https://evernote.com/
https://www.wunderlist.com
https://mindnode.com/
STAYING ORGANIZED
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ERIC ROZENDAAL ROCKVILLE MARKET FARM
http://www.agsquared.com/
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FARM MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING
ERIC ROZENDAAL ROCKVILLE MARKET FARM
http://www.farmigo.com/
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CSA MANAGEMENT
ERIC ROZENDAAL ROCKVILLE MARKET FARM
Regional Partnership between Vermont Farmers and Boston
http://farmerstoyou.com/
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ACCESSING NEW MARKETS
AMANDA ANDREWSTAMARACKHOLLOWSFARM.COM
1. Kickstarter
2. Square and/or PaypalHere
3. Quinciple/Farm to People
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AMANDA ANDREWSTAMARACK HOLLOWS FARM
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tamarackhollow/get-this-farm-off-the-floodplain
“It’s running a small business in miniature.”
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KICKSTARTER – CROWD FUNDRAISING
AMANDA ANDREWSTAMARACK HOLLOWS FARM
• Requires networking for months ahead of the campaign. At every market we've been letting our close friends and core customers know that we will be running a Kickstarter campaign, and asking if they have any advice, not if they will donate.
• Folks that are genuinely interested and want to follow through will instantly offer their help - social media networks, assistance with creating
your rewards after the campaign, creating the video, or reaching out to someone who ran a successful campaign.
• With most of our immediate network, their words have been more valuable than their wallets. Sure, some of them have donated, but it's
getting to that second or third ripple out where you're going to make your goal.
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https://squareup.com/
Easy Online Payments Accept credit cards at markets
AMANDA ANDREWSTAMARACK HOLLOWS FARM
http://paypal.com/
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ONLINE AND MOBILE SALES
AMANDA ANDREWSTAMARACK HOLLOWS FARM
Quinciple is a weekly subscription service that creates a balanced box of groceries each week, including meat, fish, cheese, bread, produce, eggs and pantry staples.
http://www.quinciple.com/http://www.farmtopeople.com/
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CONNECTING WITH NEW CUSTOMERS
CARL RUSSELLEARTHWISE FARM AND FOREST
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1. Soil Type Databases
2. Mapping/GIS
3. Other Apps
https://youtu.be/wskbdjLN_9Mu3Q
CARL RUSSELLEARTHWISE FARM AND FOREST
NRCS Web Soil Surveyhttp://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/
http://casoilresource.lawr.ucdavis.edu/gmap/SOIL TYPE SURVEYS
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Soilweb
MAPPING
Ushahidi by Ushahidi
Geo Measure - Map Area / Distance Measurement by ObjectGraph LLC
GPS Kit HD by Garafa
ArcGIS
CARL RUSSELLEARTHWISE FARM AND FOREST
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PRODUCTIVITY APPS
Documents to Go
CARL RUSSELLEARTHWISE FARM AND FOREST
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Hours Keeper - Time Tracking, Timesheet & Billing
http://www.dataviz.com/index.html
http://www.apptism.com/business/appxy/hours-keeper-pro-time-tracking-timesheet-billing/
FARM MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING20
FARM MANAGEMENT, PLANNING, AND RECORD KEEPING
http://gocrop.com/
DAIRY FARM RECORDS 22
Farmeron helps bring dairy farm records online and boosts your farm’s results with actionable
metrics and suggestions.https://www.farmeron.com/
HERD MANAGEMENT 23
http://www.icattlemgrpro.com/
iCattleMgrPro and iLivestockMgr
BUYING CLUBS AND ONLINE FARMERS MARKETS 24
USING TECH TO CONNECT DIRECTLY
Online Farmers Markets• Reach new customers by creating locally-
based online markets where customers can buy from their local farmers in one simple transaction and pick up everything at once in one bag.
Challenges
• Recruiting additional farmers• Keeping inventory up to date• Not enough diversity of products to
replace a visit to the super market
Farmers
list produce
for sale
Customers
buy on-line
whenever
they like
Farmers deliver
produce once
a week
Customers
pick up
produce in
one bag
Local
coordinator
promotes the market.
Yourfarmstand
manages the website
and all
transactions.
25ONLINE BUYING CLUBS
Serving: the Atlanta and Birmingham, Atlanta areahttp://www.moorefarmsandfriends.com/
Serving: Floridahttp://organicgrowndirect.com/
Serving: the Austin, TX areahttp://www.farmhousedelivery.com/
Serving: Floridahttp://www.frontporchpickings.com
Serving: Entire Southeasthttp://organicgrowndirect.com
Serving: Floridahttp://organicgrowndirect.com/
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Sell your own products, but also offer enough of a diversity of products to replace a visit to the supermarket.
Increase customer retention Extra Income Connect with other groups
Wholeshare
http://www.wholeshare.com/csa
EXPAND YOUR CSA OFFERINGS
LocallyGrown.net
Provides a simple system for farmers' markets to move from the traditional booths and tables "flea market" system to a fully coordinated on-line ordering system.
27ONLINE FARMERS MARKETS
28CSA MANAGEMENT
• Online Ordering
• Membership Management
• Delivery Scheduling
• Financial Reporting
http://www.csaware.com/
WEBSITE BASICS
http://rockvillemarketfarm.com/
Be able to manage it yourself
Contact information
Hours and Locations
Simple, Intuitive Navigation
Integrate Social Media
Images
Responsive – works on smartphones and desktop web browsers
http://wordpress.org/
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SOCIAL MEDIA
• Social media is “the next generation of word-of-mouth marketing,” - gateway for their friends or family to get to know more about your farm.
• Farmers can use social media to inform people about agricultural issues that matter to them.
• Social media also is used to keep farmers engaged with other farmers – sharing ideas about crops, pest control and marketing strategies.
• Social media aids customer service.
• Social media opens up conversation. The users of your farm or experience are the best people to learn from when it comes to making things better.
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SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY IDENTITY: Define who you are, what you stand for, and what you do
best.
VALUES and MISSION: Communicate your values in a way that is meaningful and relevant to your audience.
AUDIENCE: Identify your audience(s).
SOCIAL MEDIA OBJECTIVES: What do they gain from engaging with you? What do you have to gain from engaging with them?
Entertain
Educate/Inform/Alert
To be a part of something bigger
To make human connections
Express feelings or beliefs
Have a voice
Planning is
the key to
success
Don’t try to do
everything
Remember it is
not all about
you.
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Funny and Thematic
OTHER SUGGESTIONS• Facebook Events• Tag other producers (@)• Complete “about”• Contests• Crowd-source info – recipes• Ask Questions
Share info from other
sources
Interact: Respond to
comments.Photos & Video
FACEBOOK CONTENT
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Facilitate sharing of content“Like or “Follow” from website
Schedule posts Unique Facebook Address
Make use of Facebook Insights – Know Your Audience
Using Apps, integrate MailChimp, Instagram, Twitter, Maps, etc into your Tabs.
Build your audience
Like and then Tag (@__) other organizations, farms or
businesses)
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Email NewslettersKeep in touch with consumers or CSA members
Google Places – aka Google Plus LocalFarms will appear on google maps and be searchable on google map by name. Also enhances search listings
Dropbox.com
Cloud Backup and sharing big files
NEWSLETTERS, ETC
http://frontporchforum.com/
Front Porch Forum Reach your neighbors
http://mailchimp.com/
https://www.google.com/business/placesforbusiness/
https://www.dropbox.com/home
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USING FACEBOOK TO CONNECT
Looking to put Farmers and Homesteaders in touch with one another for the purpose of selling or trading livestock, farm equipment, and supplies. Likewise, you can use this group to post Wanted Ads too!
NETWORKING https://www.facebook.com/groups/NekFarmSwap/
NEK FarmSwap Facebook Group –Start a group in your community
36NETWORKING
A worldwide community of farmers that build and modify farm tools. Hacks are shared online and at meet ups.
Fido, the temperature alarm that sends text messages
Low cost pedal power root washer http://farmhack.org/tools
37ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Top Farm Management Software Products
http://www.capterra.com/farm-management-software/
Essential Digital Tools for Farm and Food VenturesSOUTHERN SAWG CONFERENCEJANUARY 29, 2016
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ROBERT FISH