Episode 9 | Spring is here - which means farmers across the country are about to open the doors to customers for the 2024 season.
Today on Raising the Barn, Bailey Edwards, Farm Manager at Cherry Place Farm in Rock Hill, SC joins the podcast to talk about how she’s preparing for the opening day at the farm and what should be on every farmer’s marketing check-list before welcoming their first customers of the season.
Some of the questions we chat about:
In the most recent US Census of Agriculture, the average age of the American farmer is 57.5 years old and Young Farmers under 35 only make up 9% of the farming population. Did she always know that she wanted to continue her family’s legacy? At what point did she make the decision to come back to Cherry Place Farm after college?
While some farms operate year-round and other farms operate seasonally – in a place like South Carolina, the “season” is fairly long. Cherry Place Farms is open from ~mid-April right up to Christmas. Aside from the obvious farm tasks - planning, prepping, and planting, from the business perspective, what does planning for the next year look like?
Given her background in PR - what advice does she have for farmers when it comes to working with local media or other businesses to promote their business?
Did she leverage any new marketing techniques to drive business for the new Cherry Place Farm offerings in 2023 (Farm Yoga, U-Pick Flowers, Cut Flowers, Greenhouse with “pot up your own hanging baskets” and wreath making at Christmas)?
Looking back on 2023 - is there anything that she would have done differently when it comes to marketing the farm?
What is her favorite TikTok or Instagram trend at the moment?
How is she using social media to drive customers and serve her local community?
Does she have a favorite campaign or aspect to her business that she’s worked on?
What’s on the Cherry Place Farm Marketing Plan for 2024?