What makes your farm stand out? What is it about your farm that connects with consumers or buyers? No matter where you sell, communicating your farm story is critical for success in local markets and for tapping into consumer demand for authenticity. Learn more about key components to include in your story and work with facilitator to begin crafting or to further hone your own farm story.
Molly Nicholie, Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (NC)
Saturday, Jan 20th, 2018
2. Mission - Our mission is to help local farms thrive, link farmers to markets and
supporters, and build healthy communities through connections to local food.
Vision - Our vision is of strong farms, thriving local food economies, and healthy
communities where farming is valued as central to our heritage and our future.
13. Local food has made the next
great leap. Local is now an
established part of the U.S. food
market—and it is still growing.
–AT Kearney, Firmly Rooted,
the Local Food Market Expands
14.
15. Growth in Local Farms and Markets
Data from ASAP’s Local Food Guide
16. 2017 Consumer Food Trends
Local in high demand
56% of respondents...said they felt strongly about keeping their food
dollars within their own community.
–The Packer, Fresh Trends 2016
Consumers value experiences
For today’s consumers, food is now a cultural product to discover, share,
make and trade. This reconnection with food and its origins is
encouraging a new level of participation.
–Hartman Group, The Consumer-Driven Redefinition of Quality in Food Culture
Transparency is on the rise
Today’s shoppers are very educated and seek out product attributes
important to their lifestyles and beliefs, from food origin and transparency
to freshness, ingredients and health attribute.
–Progressive Grocer, What's in Store 2017
17. A few years ago, merely
offering local food
was a differentiator.
Today, participation is table
stakes—and excelling at it is
the way to stand out.
–AT Kearney, Firmly Rooted,
the Local Food Market Expands
18.
19. KEY LOCAL FOOD TRENDS:
◻ Consumers are looking for
authenticity
◻ Consumers are skeptical
of marketing claims
◻ The market for locally
grown food continues to
grow
20. RECOMMENDED STRATEGIES FOR FARMERS:
◻ Connect Directly with the public
◻ Tell your farm’s story
◻ Communicate your farm’s
practices
◻ Label your product /Branding
◻ Diversify your product base
◻ Diversify your market mix
21. CONNECT DIRECTLY WITH THE PUBLIC:TARGETED MARKETING
⦿ Most of us do not have mass markets
⦿ Do not try to market to everyone
⦿ Sell your product to “one person”
22. Who are your customers?
What values drive their purchasing?
23. WHY STORYTELLING
Big box stores often dilute terms and ideas such as “local” and
“sustainable”, “community” with their branding. Compared to these
big corporations, your message and story is authentic, so tell it.
A story can have a powerful effect on an individual.
24. STORYTELLING IS A TOOL FOR...
...Establishing yourself in people’s memories.
Stories help customers remember you and your farm.
25. HOW WORD OF MOUTH REALLY WORKS
I heard it from
a friend
Then I saw
your sign
Then I saw
your rack card
Then I saw an
article in the
paper
That reminded
me to call you
26. STORYTELLING IS A TOOL FOR...
...Inspiring customer commitment.
When customers feel connected to your story, they are far
more likely to remain loyal, buying from you again and again.
27. Connect With Your Customers
–Food Navigator, Authenticity,
Emotional Connection, Sell Brands
Better Than Free-From Claims,
Foodmix Survey Finds
A brand’s values and
‘personality traits’ are
what make consumers
fall in love.
28. Craft Your Farm Story
Consumers are making their food
decisions based on where and
how their foods are made, grown,
raised, and by whom.
–Forbes, The Food Trends That
Will Shape 2017
29. ● A good story should be clear.
● The story must have a connections to people’s lives and be
compelling.
● Stories have pre-decided plots as opposed to a random series of
events, including a beginning, middle and end.
● The outcome of the main character’s situation,
showing how the problem is resolved or has been overcome
● Clarity is king.
Good stories don’t happen by accident
30. Who is your audience and what values are you trying to
connect with?
What is your goal/purpose? Craft your story to direct
people to take action...come to your farm for U-pick, try
a new product, buy a CSA
h towards them.
Come up with examples of real people
31. ENGAGING YOUR AUDIENCE
Offer props (picture, artifact, video)
for your audience to interact with.
Can you imagine?
Have you ever?
Would you like to?
32. OWNING YOUR STORY
Story must first engage YOU
Transfer your emotion to the your audience
Experiences = working with people, giving a gift
that transforms, hearing a story that touched you
What resonates with you?
33. Crafting Your Farm Story
● Create a clear, straightforward story that can
be adapted for audience and time
● What to include:
○ Who you are/your connection to place
○ Why you farm
○ Challenge/barrier - Engages your audience
○ Action/Resolution -Connects your audience
emotionally
○ Meaning/upshot/take home -What
difference are you making? Why does what
you do matter? What makes you different?
Stories influence how we decide. Our decisions and actions are often based
more on emotional reactions than rational thought.
34. Crafting Your Farm Story
Who (or what) is the “hero” or main character in your story?
You, your family, your farm personified?
35. Crafting Your Farm Story
What is your Vision?
Why do you want to do this?
Was there a “moment of change” or something that happened to
make you want to do this thing?
36. Crafting Your Farm Story
What is the obstacle or barrier for the main character?
What did you have to do/overcome to be able to farm/own
land/support yourself/make this decision?
37. Crafting Your Farm Story
How did you overcome your barrier?
What was the resolution?
How did your vision emerge?
38. Crafting Your Farm Story
Why does it matter?
What is the moral?
What makes you different?
Why does what you do matter?
40. Building Blocks of Story
● Hero/Protagonist (Who?) - you, your family, your farm
personified.
● Vision/Moment of Change (Why?) - Why do you want to do
this? What happened to make you want to do this thing?
● Barrier/Struggle/Context (What?) - What did you have to
do/overcome to be able to farm/own land/support
yourself/make this decision?
● Resolution/Action (How?) - How did you overcome your
barrier? How did your vision emerge?
● Moral/Upshot/Take Home (Why it matters) - What difference
are you making? Why does what you do matter? What makes
you different?
42. RULES TO REMEMBER
• Stories must be about the impact your farming
experience has in the community.
• Have a personal connection to the story you are telling.
• Know why you are telling the story.
• Start your story by connecting with your audience first.
• The main character should be hero – you, your family,
your farm
• Use barrier/struggles to drive the story.
• Include only details that move the story along.
• Practice telling your story.
• Tell you story with passion.
