My Digital Farmer Podcast

Remember that commercial with the Owl and Tootsie Roll Pops? He would ask, "How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop?"... Then he would start to count until he lost patience and just swallowed it whole. What if I asked YOU, "How many customer touch points does it take to get a person to turn into a customer?..." Do you know the answer to this question? And more import...

How often do you screw up a customer order? For us, it's about 2 times per week.  I used to dread these moments. I felt like I was a failure, and it always seemed like I lost ground with my client. The reality is that mistakes are going to happen. How we respond though can make a huge difference. In this podcast, I talk about how I've been experimenting with a new damage control response that is t...

Have you thought about starting a CSA, but you're not sure if you're up to it? What does it take to become a great CSA farm? Before you take the leap, what if you could get some advice from seasoned CSA farmers, to tell you what you need to commit to if you want to be successful?... In this podcast, we interview Lauren Rudersdorf and Cat Becker, collaborators of the recent North Central SARES vide...

A few weeks ago, I launched a challenge inside my CSA's private Facebook group that was meant to create some fun and excitement. I had no idea it would end up propelling my brand identity forward so profoundly. In this episode, I audit this Challenge Experiment and show you how to indoctrinate your CSA members into your brand's "why."

Are you looking for a way to build momentum in your CSA community? Tricia Borneman from Blooming Glen Farm shares how her new CSA Facebook group has reenergized her CSA members AND her business: "One of the top 5 best things I've ever done in my business." We talk all about how to set up your group for success and get your members learning from each other.

What is your customer REALLY buying from you? What if it's more than the product itself? People don't buy the "what" -- they buy the WHY behind your business. In fact, it's the "why" that bonds them to your brand for life. In this episode, we discuss the power of the "why" in your messaging, how to find it, and what it looks like to lead with it in your marketing.

What if you could create an offer that would attract people into your CSA leads pipeline, who would convert to full time members the following year? In today's episode, I interview Victoria Rogowski who has developed a "Surplus Subscription" membership that does just that.

Are you looking to raise your email open rates? In this podcast I share the simple process of how "cleaning your email list" will vastly improve your email sender reputation (and increase your open rates).

Getting volunteers to come work on your farm can be a powerful way to build connections with your customers (and get stuff done!). However, too many farmers fail to follow a few key rules of volunteer engagement, and end up getting burned. In this episode, I share 7 best practices to help you organize a stellar volunteer work day on the farm.

Imagine finding out your CSA was starting WAY earlier than planned, and you had to onboard your customers in 4 days. That's exactly what happened to me this year. In this episode, I break down the ESSENTIALS of customer onboarding -- what to talk about and how.

Have you thought of doing a "Market Card" style CSA, but weren't sure how it worked? Well today's guest is Jen Browning of Juniper Layne Farm in Portland, and she answers all the details for how to set up this kind of CSA. A gold mine of step by step information!

Getting a new customer to buy for the first time is a critical step you must ace as a business. It's the moment when the relationship changes from "observer" to "buyer." One of the best ways to finesse this key moment in the customer journey is to build a great first offer. In today's episode, my guest Juliet Orezietti shares her strategy of "the Weekly Special" and how she uses it to build her em...

Take my free 7 Day Instagram Stories Challenge at mydigitalfarmer.com/IGStories. Are you making the most of Instagram Stories to grow your connection with your followers? Today's guest Kendall Ballantine from @MarketingforFarmers shares her expertise in all things Instagram to help you learn 5 tips to turn your IG Stories into sales. 

In today's episode, I feature a case study of a CSA farm that's ALSO doing online orders, shipping, and farmer's market. Ann Stone of Elmwood Stock farm shares her marketing secrets that help her get discovered by the likes of Cook's Illustrated Magazine and Spruce Eats.

Ever heard of the NextDoor app? I've been hearing farmers mention it from time to time as a GREAT way to sell their products. So I decided to investigate. In this episode, I interview Rowan Miller of RowanTree Farms, who explains how this social media app works, who it's best for, and how to use it to sell more of your products.

When I first learned marketing fundamentals, I kept hearing my teachers talk about delivering a "quick win." In today's episode, we talk about what this looks like in your sales strategy, and I talk through the characteristics of a quick win in real life. By the end of this episode, you'll be able to quickly build 3-5 quick wins into your customer journey system, that will create raving fans and i...

Writing a CSA Handbook is often an overwhelming job the first time you tackle it. This document acts as your "Users Manual' for your CSA members - the one source of truth to spell out your membership agreement and policies and procedures. But what should you write in it? Find the answers in this episode!

So you've got this great lead magnet. No what do you do with it? In this podcast, I share 10 different places you can promote that lead magnet to help you grow your email list with qualified potential clients! 

Have you ever thought about partnering with a community supported fisherman in your CSA? Neither had I -- until I got a call from Aaron Sechler of Citizen Salmon Alaska. In this podcast episode, you get to be a fly on the wall, and listen in on our initial Zoom call where Aaron and I talk out the possibilities and rethink the word "local." My hope is that you might consider adding this product lin...

Are you looking to make your CSA more accessible for all levels of income? One of the ways to do so is to make SNAP payments possible. Today's podcast guests share a pilot program called "CSA is a SNAP" that uses a revolving fund to make SNAP payments work for farmers. A great discussion about how to make CSA more accessible to all income levels.

Are you growing your email list? Your email list is arguably your most valuable marketing asset you own. In this podcast, I share 7 ways you can be collecting this vital contact information, so you can start increasing your customer acquisition today!

Most farmers don't prioritize marketing from the start. Marketing is an afterthought -- something they think of doing at the last minute. This is often because for many of us, we're not sure what we're even supposed to be doing. All we know is that we don't have enough time to do it. Enter today's guest. Tim Young of Small Farm Nation has just released a new book for farmers called "The One Page M...

Ever heard of Lindsey Shute? The co-founder of the National Young Farmer's Coalition? Yeah, that Lindsey. Well, now she's set her sights on building another resource to help farmers: a new farmer owned software app called "Grown By." In this interview, we talk ALL about why she made it, how it helps farmers sell their product and get discovered, and why you should list your farm. Lindsey's betting...

With all the ideas you hear from this podcast and other marketing gurus, you may be feeling overwhelmed as you try to find time to build your own marketing system. You might be thinking: "There's no way I can do that!" If you're not careful, you can easily start to feel like a failure when your strategy seems insufficient or imperfect compared to what you hear "other people" doing. But what if imp...

Looking for another example of a successful CSA farmer? I interview Jordan MacPhee of Maple Bloom Farm on Prince Edward Island. He shares how his farming business morphed from a CSA-focused business, to a more diversified approach over time. He also shares how he vets his add-on share vendors so that he can offer lots of products from other farm businesses to his clientele. And he shares how he gr...