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Show summary:

It can be awkward, weird, tough, and uncomfortable to mix family and business. It can also be great. Any which way you do it you need to get everything in writing, and keep all the details straight.

I will be the first to admit, Kate and I have not been as up on this as we should be. There is a lot we have talked about, but we haven’t been so good about putting it down on paper. I find in general getting things down on paper when times are good gives you something to fall back on when times are bad. Even if it just an answer to the question, “Why did we even do this in the first place?”

In this farm podcast you will learn:

• How to hire and fire your own children
• How to prepare for when someone kicks the bucket
• Tools for productive meetings
• The “deadly Ds”
• Educating not humiliating, building bridges
• Why someone else is not always the problem
• Preparing for bad times during the good times

Interview with Jolene Brown Iowa grain farmer and professional speaker

Jolene Brown will have you laughing while you learn! She’s an award winning communicator, and an honored recipient of the Certified Speaking Professional, the highest earned designation of speaking achievement worldwide! She’s known as a Champion for Agriculture whether from the platform, in the magazines, on television, or on the radio.

She is a walking-talking spokesperson and consultant for the family-owned business. With her keen insight and result-centered approach, she’s been invited to sit at lots of kitchen tables and family business meeting rooms. Jolene has learned what works and what doesn’t. She understands the unique challenges facing parents, siblings, in-laws and “outlaws” who work together. Jolene’s popular book, Sometimes You Need More Than a 2×4!, contains how-to-tips so those in agriculture can increase productivity, profitability and peace of mind.

As co-owner and active partner on their Eastern Iowa corn and soybean farm, her practical experience includes plugging a grain auger, hypnotizing chickens and entertaining folks behind the equipment parts counter.

Jolene cares deeply about the ag industry and is on a mission to share leading-edge best practices.  She’s a passionate supporter, promoter and champion for the people who feed, clothe and fuel the world.

Her worldwide audiences appreciate her fun-filled humor and real-life stories.  They leave with take home value, great big smiles on their faces and eager to return for more.

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

• Jolene Brown
• Sometimes You Need More Than a 2×4
• FoodCyclist Farm

Take aways:

Do you have a plan in case the worst happens?

How do your family function as a business? Have you detailed it in writing?

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Show summary:

Time and money. Never feels like there is enough of either. Wouldn’t it be great if we could all have a little more time in our day. Perhaps you could use it to spend time with family, grow more crops, or herd more cattle. Who knows? The point is, we need a way to make the most out of our waking and working hours on the farm.

That is where efficiency comes in. Becoming more efficient at what you are doing on the farm will make you more productive  you will get more done. Being able to get more things done would be huge.

I know there are things I would love to do for my business and in my personal life, but I just do not have the time. I do not have the time because I have some inefficiencies in my work routine. I spend a lot of time thinking about this as I am out in the field.

In today’s episode I discuss what some of my inefficiencies are and what my plans are to change them. I also talk more about my farm and how I am doing with sales and production.

Right click here to download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

• How to recognize inefficiencies in your farm plan
• How to teach volunteers without offending them
• What my day-to-day looks like on my chicken farm
• What the importance is with efficiency
• Efficiency vs. Effectiveness

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

• FoodCyclist Farm
• Fort Hill Farm
• White Silo Winery

Take aways:

What can you be doing to make your farm more efficient?

What would you do with a few extra minutes/hours in a day?

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My skills are ever-evolving as an interviewer. Thanks for taking the time to listen in, and let me know what you think. You can leave a comment below, send me an e-mail, reach me on Facebook or Twitter, or leave a 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

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Starting and running a farm is no small task no matter who you are. You can plan until your heart’s content, but there are variables and things will inevitably change. That doesn’t have to be a bad thing though. You will learn a lot through farming, about farming itself, and about who you are and what you are capable of.

I will be honest with you. I feel like I am constantly behind. I have three weeks worth of things that needed to get done yesterday. It wasn’t for lack of planning on my part. I did a ton of planning. You can listen to the beginning episodes of the podcast. But, even though I had a well-laid plan, things have changed.

Everything takes longer than you expect (plan for that). The weather happens, outside forces happen, family happens, sh** happens (especially with 480 chickens). The best thing you can do is to stay positive, still have a plan, and do you best to become a success.

When you are just starting up you want to do a lot of testing. You will be testing what plants grow best, what feed your animals like the best, and you will be testing the market to see what sells the best. I know farmers that never thought they would get into the type of farming they are in now. However, they are good farmers And good farmers are good business people. they listen to what their customers are telling them and they respond with an awesome product.

With all that testing you are not going to want to buy all the infrastructure right away, even if you are able to. Beg, borrow, and steal (don’t steal, it’s just an expression) until you know two things.

1. You have a market to sell what you are doing.
2. You love what you are doing.

If you find out the market is going one way after you bought everything and set it all up, you’re going to end up with either a pile of equipment that you cannot use, or worse a pile of product that might rot.

Boot-strapping is not just about saving money. It is about making sure you have the right tools for the right job.

Right click to download MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

• Connecting with customers through “new media” (Social Media)
• How to find the resources you need for your farm
• The benefits of boot-strapping
• Good “old fashioned” farm marketing techniques
• How to make yourself present in a community when starting a farm
• How to keep yourself sane when times get tough

Interview with Nathan Winters of Hill Hollow Farm Petersburg, NY

Hill Hollow Farm is a beautiful, family owned and operated, small-scale farm located in Petersburgh, NY.  As family members we work together and support each other in our farming endeavors. Currently the farm produces grass-fed beef, pasture-raised pork, and poultry and operates an organic vegetable CSA.

On our farm we believe in leaving the land more fertile than when we found it. This means that anything that goes into our soil needs to be beneficial for the entire biosphere of the farm, from the songbirds to the microbes. As we harness the nutrients in the soil to grow the vegetables in our garden and the grass in our pasture, we also return nutrients to provide continuous stability. Our goal is to encourage people to break free of the industrial food model, enjoy and restore the art and value of cooking, share meals together and buy food that is in line with their values and that enhances our soils, keeps the interest of our future generations at heart and provides optimal nutrition.

Our Basic Values:

• Everyone deserves good food. Organic and natural food should be available at an affordable price.
• We farm in a way that is sustainable and restorative to the soils we occupy.
• Animals raised for meat are treated with compassion and are eaten and sold with dignity and are raised in a manner that is as close to their natural environments as possible.
• We strive to build symbiotic relationships with all of the humans, plants and animals that exist on the farm.
• We believe that the core component to bringing back the value in social capital, local economy and community involvement is local food production. We all must eat and therefore food has and always will be the one thing that connects us all together.

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

• Hill Hollow Farm
• Applecheek Farm
• Tantre Farm
• FoodCyclist Farm
• Farms with a Future by Rebecca Thistlethwaite (affiliate link)
• Hill Hollow Farm Pictures (pretty cool)

Take aways:

Do you have at least a rough plan that your follow?

Where is your business headed next? Do you have the resources to get there? If not, do you know where to find them?

If you don’t mind helping me reach people:

Positive reviews in iTunes help be a lot. Other farmers are searching for this type of information and your endorsement helps me reach them. Would you mind taking a second and signing into iTunes to leave me a 5 star review. Hay, I might even read your feedback on the show. Here’s the link.

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My skills are ever-evolving as an interviewer. Thanks for taking the time to listen in, and let me know what you think. You can leave a comment below, send me an e-mail, reach me on Facebook or Twitter, or leave a 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

• Click to subscrible to iTunes
• Click to Subscribe via RSS (non-iTunes Feed)

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Show summary:

Branding is super important to your agricultural business whether you are on one acre or one thousand. Branding is not just for the big guys. These days people are even developing personal brands to clearly define how the are represented in the world.

I have worked on developing my brand for years. I have stumbled, fumbled, and walked blindly through a mess of unclear definition(s) to reach the point where I am today. This episode is to help you not waste the same time that I did when it comes to developing your farm’s brand.

Defining the fundamentals of why you are farming and what your farm means to you and your customers is the most crucial step when starting your farm business. You brand is your business, plain and simple.

Right click to download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

• What a brand actually is
• How you can start to define and develop your farm brand
• Branding is not just for large corporations
• How to choose a farm name
• Define your customers tangible and intangible motivations
• Defining the similarities and differences in your competition and how to leverage it
• How to better rank in search engines with your farm website

Interview with Myrna Greenfield of Good Egg Marketing

Good Egg Marketing is a Massachusetts-based business that specializes in promoting good food and good causes.  Good Egg was hatched by Myrna Greenfield, a seasoned marketer with a passion for sharing good food, helping people, and making marketing fun.

A “good egg” is a phrase that is typically used to describe a “good person,” someone who likes to help others.

A good egg is also an egg that is safe to eat and tastes good. And any egg that deserves to be called good should also be humanely and sustainably produced. Good Egg Marketing aspires to be all of these things: helpful, safe, tasty (tasteful), humane and sustainable.
Good Egg clients are based in Massachusetts and nationally, and include farms and food enterprises, small businesses, nonprofits, and consultants. Founder and “Top Egg” Myrna Greenfield works with associates in graphic design, web development, video production, and social media to create effective, affordable marketing campaigns.While Good Egg Marketing is particularly devoted to working with businesses and organizations that produce, provide or promote delicious, healthy, sustainable food for all, it offers services to anyone who is a good egg.

Greenfield has worked in the food and beverage, publishing, health care, and hi-tech industries, and was employee #1 at Equal Exchange, a Fair Trade coffee company. She’s the former director of Communications and Campaigns at Oxfam America and served at many other non-profits, including the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, Fenway Community Health, and the Child Care Resource Center.

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

• Good Egg Marketing
• Pesco-Vegtarian Times
• VistaPrint for printed marketing materials
• FoodCyclist Farm
• Fiverr.com
• Creating your own farm website, free tutorial

Take aways:

Have you clearly defined what your story is?

If you have, how are you telling that story to your customers? Is it effectively reaching the right people?

Do you have a farm website to help you tell your story?

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My skills are ever-evolving as an interviewer. Thanks for taking the time to listen in, and let me know what you think. You can leave a comment below, send me an e-mail, reach me on Facebook or Twitter, or leave a 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

• Click to subscrible to iTunes
• Click to Subscribe via RSS (non-iTunes Feed)

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Setting up your farmers’ market stand or roadside stand can be a daunting task. This is your point of sale. It is at this place where you will finally see some return for all the hard work you have put into your farm during the week. How you represent yourself and your farm with your farm stand is how your customer is going to percieve your products.

60% of a customers’ opinion of food quality in restaurants is based on teh retail environment.

You are trying to compete with “the big guys”. Most often this is a supermarket or large grocery store. Well, the people selling their goods in there are using every trick in the book to get people to buy their products. If you want to compete with them (even if it is not in the store) why wouldn’t you do everything possible to encourage more sales.

In this week’s agricultural podcast episode we talk about what you can do to make your farm stand more appealing.

In this farm podcast you will learn:

• What visual food marketing is
• What to keep in mind when creating signage
• Where to focus your visual marketing efforts
• Ideas for your farmers’ market table
• How to excite your customer and create a memorable experience
• What leads to repeat business

Jonathan Raduns of MerchandiseFood.com

Jonathan has a well rounded background in the food industry that spans retail sales, management, merchandising, restaurant operations and wholesale food manufacturer marketing.  Jonathan is known for his innovative, creative, and clean approach to creating displays that build customer experiences in food courts and restaurants which lead to impulse purchases and greater sales.

He has extensive merchandising and management experience with one of the world’s most awarded retail merchandisers, Wegmans Food Markets.  In this capacity he focused on specialty products and grew in-store organic produce sales by 25% through his unique use of food merchandising.

He holds a specialized degree in Food Marketing and Distribution from Rochester Institute of Technology.  Jonathan has authored and delivered training programs for numerous groups in Metro New York City and the Hudson River Valley.

Leading by example, creativity and vision, he’s a highly motivational consultant who’s a real pleasure to work with.

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

• MerchandiseFood.com
• FreshXperts.com
• FoodCyclist Farm

Take aways:

How are you going to set up your farm stand to increase profitability this year?

What can you change with how you are visually presenting your food that could result in more sales?

Is your farm name clearly visible from across the market? How do people identify you?

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My skills are ever-evolving as an interviewer. Thanks for taking the time to listen in, and let me know what you think. You can leave a comment below, send me an e-mail, reach me on Facebook or Twitter, or leave a 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

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By necessity entrepreneurs have to accomplish a lot in a relatively short amount of time. There are so many things to balance when starting a farm or growing your current farm business if you do not keep organized and focused you are doomed from the start.

Early on I created a plan for how I saw my farm going. I started at 20 years out and worked backwards to present day. I have a dream that I would like to realize and I see that dream taking shape every day around me. It is not an easy road, but there are certain tools and techniques you can use to make that road a little less bumpy. A strategic farm business plan is one of them.

“To achieve great things two things are needed. A plan and not quite enough time.” -Leonard Bernstein

In this episode of the Growing Farms Podcast I bring on Scott Graves, an agricultural businessman with a passion for the arts. Scott and I discuss farm business plans, things to look for when you want to expand or rejuvenate your business, and a whole lot more.

Right click here to download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

• Why reflection is an important part of business planning
• How to prioritize the many tasks you have to get done on and off farm
• Why multi-tasking is BS and approaching one project at a time
• Growing your farm business sustainably
• Building social capitol
• The benefit of thoroughly defining your demographics
• Understanding your farm products
• Improving efficiency

Interview with Scott Graves of SM Graves Creative Associates

Scott’s focus on strategic business capabilities have been garnered through experience in executive management, education and advocacy.  In addition to credentials as a sales and marketing professional,  Scott is a licensed property and casualty insurance professional, CLCS. SMGraves Creative Associates allows Scott and his team members the ability to  offer their services to clients as part of a concerted effort which increases the quality of results for their clients.  His unique combination of creative, strategic and functional perspective make him a powerful and trusted advisor.

Scott has successfully assisted organizations to achieve their goals representing financial services, arts and culture, health and human services, rental/retail and education. He is a former executive director, music educator and performing artist, recognized as a leader in business and creative expression.

Scott is Vice President, Board of Directors for the GVNA HealthCare, a dedicated Rotarian at the local and district level and Chairman, Board of Directors for EPHAS (Every Person Has A Story), currently training 2000 students in photo-journalism, documentary work and entrepreneurship in the US and ten countries.  Scott participates in the development of regional projects addressing some of Massachusetts toughest issues including economic development, access to music education and teen substance abuse.

Scott resides in Central Massachusetts with his wife Christine, daughters Abigail and Marcella.  They happily while away the hours growing their own food, traveling by bicycle and generally laughing, playing and reading together.

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

• SM Graves Creative Associates
• No Boundries Radio Hour
• Mind Mapping for Farm Planning
• Farm Marketing Resources Page
• The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It
• Orbiting the Giant Hairball: A Corporate Fool’s Guide to Surviving with Grace

Take aways:

Do you have a well thought out farm plan?

What do you see as the future of your agricultural enterprise?

Who are you selling to? Can you answer that question in detail?

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My skills are ever-evolving as an interviewer. Thanks for taking the time to listen in, and let me know what you think. You can leave a comment below, send me an e-mail, reach me on Facebook or Twitter, or leave a 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

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Farming is an emotional roller coaster. I feel like sometimes there is a long climb to the top emotionally, then a sharp fall before you start the climb up again. In between you might go for a few loops, hit a few bumps, and maybe go through a tunnel and lose direction for a bit.

When you are riding the roller coaster you might look to other farms for advice, inspiration, and perspective. It is a natural thing to do, it can be a healthy thing to do, and I highly recommend that you do it. However, proceed with caution. Good or bad, not every farm story is what it is cracked up to be.

In this farm podcast episode I discuss the two types of stories you are likely to hear when you start to compare yourself to other farms. They both have their good and their bad elements. The trick is to take a story for what it is, know that your story is different, and make sure your realize that there is much more than the words on the page.

I want to reiterate that I am not saying the farmers who get articles printed wherever they get them printed are lying. Far from it. All I am saying is that they are doing the best to represent the best side(s) of their farm, as they should. My word of caution applies only if you are a farmer and you are comparing yourself to something you have read.

Right click here to download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

• The appropriate distance from your customers based on their feedback.
• The two types of farm stories you are likely to hear.
• The benefits of marketing before you own the farm.
• Common roadblocks for poultry producers.
• Blogging to build an audience.
• Farm research methods.
• How and when to move the cow.

Interview with Jeff & Laura Hamons of Synergistic Acres, Parker, KS

Synergistic Acres is lovingly managed by Jeff and Laura Hamons along with the help of their beautiful daughters. The farm is located in Parker, KS a pleasant 45 minute drive from Kansas City.

Their journey to owning a farm was not what you might consider a normal path to farming.  They did not grow up on a farm or even have any farmers in their known heritage.  Instead, their path to farming comes from a strong belief in the importance of people having access to healthy food and wanting to make that more accessible to people living in the Kansas City Area.

One of the reasons they have chosen to focus our efforts on the farm in growing meat instead of vegetables or other farm produce is the belief they have that animals can be raised humanely and happily and that farming does not have to involve the cruel and thoughtless care that many farm animals live today.  They ensure that their animals live their lives in as natural an environment as they can provide on the farm and that all of the necessities for a happy life are provided for them.  This will not only grow happier animals, but also healthier animals.  Animals that are healthier when they are living are healthier when we eat them. So cows are fed only grass and live their entire lives on pasture.  Pigs are given a mixture of woods and pasture in large paddocks so they can live and breed in a natural environment.  Their laying hens are allowed to free range in the pastures all day long filling up on nutritious and delicious insects and bugs.

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

• Synergistic Acres Farm, Parker, KS
• Synergistic Acres on Facebook
• Nature’s Harmony Farm Sustainable Farm School
• Laura’s article on using chicken feet
• SquareSpace
• My article on creating an inexpensive and simple farm website

Take aways:

Have you taken the time recently to stop and appreciate what you do?

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My skills are ever-evolving as an interviewer. Thanks for taking the time to listen in, and let me know what you think. You can leave a comment below, send me an e-mail, reach me on Facebook or Twitter, or leave a 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

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Show summary:

You customers have to know why they are spending money on your product. Just because you know it is awesome, does not necessarily mean that they know it. That is where education based marketing comes into play.

Consumers are getting sold to almost 24 hours a day. Selling based marketing is dying. There are so many products out on the market that consumers are looking for more information about the products they buy. That is particularly evident in the food industry. Education around food is not only something that is becoming a necessity, but it also a popular thing to do now as well.

With “know your farmer know your food” almost becoming a badge of honor among foodies, it is our job as the farmers to educate those consumers so they have the right information when bragging to their friends. There are so many reasons to share your story, and as a agricultural business marketing and sales should be at the top of the priority list.

In this agricultural podcast I talk about the efforts I am making to tell my story, and how educating my customers is paying off for me. I then interview the director of marketing at Pete & Gerry’s Organic Eggs on the strategies they are using to educate their customers.

Right click to download MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

• Listen to your market to determine your marketing message
• Using social media to connect with your farm customers
• Making use of user generated content to enhance your farm’s online presence
• Measuring marketing success through consumer activity online
• Partnering with like-minded companies
• Survive in business by specializing
• Being a values-driven company

Interview with Karl Johnson of Pete & Gerry’s Organic Eggs

“I’ll never work on another egg farm,” Karl said when he got out of his high school job. He then finds himself years later working for another egg farm and loving every second of it. If you ever get the chance to meet the folks (and the chickens) at Pete & Gerry’s you’d understand why he likes being there.

Karl came out of retirement to work at Pete & Gerry’s as their director of marketing. ‘I am working as hard now as I ever have,” hey laughs. When you hear of all the innovative marketing strategies he has implemented including social media to engage customers and measure marketing results, you would never guess that this guy was even close to retirement age.

Besides being talented at his job, Karl is an all around great guy. I have had the pleasure of working with him for a number of years as P&G has supported Kate and I through our journeys. He is a great interviewee and a good friend.

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

• Pete and Gerry’s Organic Eggs
• Pete and Gerry’s Facebook
• Pete and Gerry’s Pinterest
• Applegate Farms
• Stonyfield Organics
• Barowsky’s Organic English Muffins
• Life is Good Festival
• Strolling of the Heifers
• GFP 003: Jesse LaFlamme Interview
• YouTube Video “How to start a farm with no money”

I painted big signs to make myself visible. I also brought a chicken tractor with me to use as a visual example. This helped a lot with educating people about my growing methods.

The lettering on the sign is visible from pretty far away, and that helped attract a lot of people. There is no one in this picture because I couldn’t get away from my table all day to take the picture until everyone left.

My table was small, but effective and efficient. I was able to entertain people, give information, and get information. I chose a small table because I didn’t want a big empty table. The e-mail sign-up form was key. I filled that page with sign-ups.

Take aways:

How are you educating your customers? Do they know why they should buy from you?

Are you measuring you marketing successes?

How can you use social media to connect with your cusomters?

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My skills are ever-evolving as an interviewer. Thanks for taking the time to listen in, and let me know what you think. You can leave a comment below, send me an e-mail, reach me on Facebook or Twitter, or leave a 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

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Getting exposure from the press can be either a good thing or a bad thing. I’m not talking about being caught out for a scandal or something like that, I am talking about being unprepared for that media exposure. Disregarding any bad press you might receive, and I hope that you never have cause to receive any, I want focus on how you can make the most out of the good media exposure.

I have gotten good press across the country. On radio, television, and various forms of print. The honest fact is, it is not that hard. Sure, there is some luck and skill involved with getting your name to appear in the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal, I’ll save that blog post for when I have accomplished that feat myself. I am talking about local news.

Local newspapers and local television stations want to print an upbeat story every now and again. Since you are a farmer selling locally, this is the media outlet you want to hit. After all, you are selling to the locals.

In this farm podcast I go over what you should do before you approach the press with a story. Below I detail a few ways I have found success getting local press across the country.

Right click to download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

• It is never too late or too early to “grow bolder”
• Three things to keep in mind when preparing for a media interview (in particular radio)
• How to think when you are behind the microphone
• Some strategies for better articulation
• Creating a sales funnel and why it is necessary

Interview with Me, John Suscovich on the Growing Bolder Radio Show

A few years ago the producers at Growing Bolder contacted me after I had some other press appearances. Given the tone of the show I was excited to be a guest. The hosts Marc Middleton and Bill Schafer are top-knotch interviewers and I really enjoy their show.

I especially wanted to share this interview and highlight Growing Bolder because I feel like their program and project hit at the heart of why a lot of us get into farming. We are adventurous, courageous, and at times down-right crazy. Friends and family might judge, society might stick it’s chin up, but at the end of the day we love what we do. We are farmers, and we are bolder!

I always enjoy talking with Marc and Bill. If you have a good story to tell I am sure they would be happy to have you on the show. If nothing else, I recommend listening in on a few shows if you have the time.

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

• FoodCyclist Farm (and my cute chickens)
• Growing Bolder Radio Show
• Alastair Humphreys
• PoopSenders.com

How to get the media to talk to you in the first place:

One word, confidence.

Everyone has some kind of interesting story in their life. Especially if you are a farmer now-a-days. I am guessing that you are if you are reading this. There are as many possibilities as their are farms. Whether the farm has been in your family for 200 years and you are restoring the old buildings, or you just got out of college and you are going to live in a tent and work land that someone let you squat on for free, there are all types of stories out there, you just have to have confidence that your story is a good one.

When I approach media I have a purpose in mind. A problem that needs solving. No matter what media outlet you decide to pursue, they are always going to put their spin and their flare on it, just accept that. Their flare aside, know what you want to get out of the situation.

My Example

This winter I was searching for farm land, as you know if you have listened to all of the episodes. I also just launched the podcast. I wanted to find farmland in my area, and get exposure for the podcast. I found a template for a one page press release online (here’s a link to random one) and wrote my one page story.

My problem: young farmer needs land

Interesting hook: young farmer starts his own radio show

The newspaper had a way to help me with publishing an article. Not only did it help me, but because of the article many people got in touch with me, and got in touch with the paper with solutions.

I sent my press release out to two or three area newspapers, and low and behold the biggest paper in my State was the one to get back to me. They sent a reporter to my house, we spoke for two hours. They sent a photographer as well. Within a week I was the front page story with a lot of color photos.

In the past I used “problems” like raising money for a worthy charity, with an interesting hook of riding a bike across the country.

The return on investment.

I got several leads on land (which I now am using) and I developed a relationship with a reporter at the paper. Brynn if you’re reading this you are an incredibly talented writer and thank you for the article. I also got some CSA customers out of the article, not a bad side effect.

Don’t Forget!

I am always looking for people to interview. I haven’t had problems finding people yet, but I really want to highlight my listeners if I can. Please get in touch and we will schedule a time to talk. Thanks!

Take Aways:

Do you know your farm business enough to describe it in one sentence?

Are you confident “behind the microphone”?

What would getting on the local radio station do for your farm business?

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My skills are ever-evolving as an interviewer. Thanks for taking the time to listen in, and let me know what you think. You can leave a comment below, send me an e-mail, reach me on Facebook or Twitter, or leave a 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

• Click to subscrible to iTunes
• Click to Subscribe via RSS (non-iTunes Feed)