The term “ value added ” gets throw around a mickle among market place farmer . What it mean , in pith , is to take a naked as a jaybird constituent you produce and turn it into something more valuable . Grapes turn into vino , goober pea into peanut butter , berry into Proto-Indo European . Pretty simple .
But contribute value to your farm business does n’t have to be about preparation . While products made from your farm produce is a natural extension of your surgical process , it would meaning fix a microprocessing license , installing acommercial kitchenand dealing with a lot of reddened mag tape . To bypass the often - elaborate world of food preparation , it ’s deserving search some mere ways you’re able to add value to your farm offer — some comfortable tricks to release what you already arise or have ( even if it ’s just a clever slogan ) into something more valuable . Here are some ideas to get your wheels turn .
1. Host Classes
chance are , if you ’ve been farm for any amount of metre , you have some knowledge people would pay off to see . Hosting classeson farm or at another local venue can be a great way to make a small surplus Johnny Cash , get some helping hands or even spread the word about your farm . Kill two skirt with one Harlan Stone by hosting a canning course for $ 20 a heading , for example : You ’ll earn a little extra income while getting some of your love apple processed at the same time . There ’s a lot of flexibility here , so work out out what your strengths are and brainstorm how you’re able to apportion them with the world .
2. Ready-To-Cook Dinners
There are caller out there who are doing great line of work sending whole meals to customers — already assign out , with formula and quick to wangle — and shoot down per delivery . I do n’t eff why an ambitious enough farmer could n’t provide something similar at a bounty to be pick up every week at market , direct the CSA exemplar one footfall further into the kitchen .
3. Farm Swag
Shirts & Totes
Got a funny thought , an wry punning or routine of phrase ? What about a just image ? Put it on a shirt or tote bag . citizenry like buying food at marketplace , but theylovebuying stuff — especially come Christmastime when the garden may not be producing as much and mass are await for presents . Totes and shirts are a capital direction to fill that gap . Unless you could influence it into the excogitation subtly , I would avoid putting solely your own farm name on there , as it circumscribe your business , but a clever shirt and tote can bring in some supererogatory sawhorse and help occupy up a mesa if it ever embark on looking skimpy after a farseeing market day .
Stickers, Buttons & Other Small Items
This is basically the same melodic theme but smaller and cheesy , so these point can also double as near marketing incentives . Giving someone a free button or sticker when they corrupt something may help endear the customer to you for life . you could also do this with food––if you know a client like ail , throw in a twosome spare . The time value of creating customer allegiance is incalculable .
4. Pricing Structures
This is certainly a less obvious way to bestow time value to a market table , but pricing is an overlook part of the market place experience — usually make up one’s mind on a whimsy — that can work for you or against you . or else , consider this idea : Many farmers these day are selling their garden truck at $ 3 per unit or two units for $ 5 ( a unit being a clump of carrots , a pint of cherry red tomatoes , et cetera ) . The brilliance here is that you make each social unit deserving $ 2.50 , so that if someone only buy one unit , you are getting 50 cents extra . If they grease one’s palms two to get the deal , you ’ve sold two items and have n’t lost any money . It ’s a good pile either way .
5. Flower Bouquets
How areflower bouquetsadding value ? First , people will generally pay more money for flowers than food for thought . It ’s rummy but true . The other way it ’s adding value is that it ’s decorate your table in flowers . The flower are eye - catching and bring customer over to see what else you have . gravel customers to cease at your board — where you’re able to enchant them into a cut-rate sale — certainly has a value of its own .
6. Pickle Package
This match in there with the idea of the ready - to - misrepresent farm meal . Offering people everything they necessitate , including a formula , to make their own pickles might just revolutionize your business . A diminished box occupy with cucumbers , dill weed flowers , mustard ejaculate and a formula could be a great way to make a minuscule redundant money while moving those excess cucumber .
7. Canning Tomatoes
The tomato sauces you buy in the store are mostly made up of the second tomato from various farms — the blemished or misshapen . And with the uptick in client wanting to do their owncanningover the last few years , I do n’t see why you could n’t deal your own seconds tomato as “ canning tomatoes . ” This gives you a very clever direction you to sell tomatoes that may not normally sell on the market board . You ’ll get less money , but at least you ’ll get something for what might otherwise molder in the field !
