Essential Digital Tools for Farm and Food Ventures

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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/

FARM MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING21

AgSquared

http://www.agsquared.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

ROB.W.FISH@GMAIL.COM