By Clint Thompson
Consumers of fresh fruits and vegetables are more invested in knowing where their foods come from, maybe now more than ever. Alabama growers can use that to their advantage in marketing their products and telling their individual stories, says farmer and Alabama Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (AFVGA) President Taylor Hatchett.
Hatchet spoke about marketing during the AFVGA Conference and Trade Show on Thursday, Feb. 5.
“I think that consumers are looking to be able to connect with the farm. There’s a big movement we’ve seen over the last decade with people really wanting to invest in and know where their food comes from and how it’s produced,” Hatchett said.
“They want to see the hands and the feet and the faces that are doing it. It’s a very educated consumer base; people that want to hear your story. As growers, we’ve got to be willing to tell those stories of how we got into farming and how we farm. What does a day look like? What are the hardships that we face? Essentially, why do you do what you do?”
Hatchett provided practical marketing tips that producers can implement with their farming operations.
- Sell the story, not just the produce.
- Go where the customers already are.
- Make branding simple and consistent.
- Use social media like a window into the farm.
- Create reasons for repeat customers.
- Pick one main sales channel and do it really well.
- Build a tiny but mighty email or text list.
- Price confidently.
- Make buying ridiculously easy.