SMALL FARM MARKETING WITH GREENTREE NATURALS
Located outside of Sandpoint, ID which is 60 miles from the Canadian border.
Tourist /resort area known for its natural Lake Pend Oreille that is 43 miles long.
Summer recreation area and a winter ski resort in the winter.
On our farm, we grow over 120 varieties of vegetables, 34 kinds of culinary
herbs, 96 kinds of cut flowers, edible flowers, garnishes, and garlic. DIVERSITY
IS KEY TO OUR SURVIVAL!
We have 4 hoops 13.5’ X 36’ and eight that are 13.5 X 18’ size.
I am proud to say I am a farmer; I am also an educator and farmer mentor
because I believe that every community needs to be developing a local food
system.
For today’s small acreage farm to succeed in a very competitive market,
the farmer must assess the opportunities of the land, plan the crop, grow it,
and then be able to sell it.
Marketing is one of the important keys to success and often the toughest
part of the survival and sustainability of the small acreage farm.
As educators, being able to provide guidance to farmers to help them
improve their marketing skills is essential!
FARMER TO FARMER  Most farmers say they prefer learning from other
farmers
 If you are an educator and trying to provide workshops
or training opportunities for your local farmers about
direct farm marketing,
 Bring in other farmers to tell their stories … you
might need to provide them with an outline of what you want them to
talk about, which will make it easier for the presenter. We learn from
examples!
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GREENTREE NATURALS MARKETING AT A GLANCE:
 1990 Started out with the local Saturday Farmers Market
 1993 added Restaurant sales
 1995 added more restaurants, CSA’s & flower subscriptions
 1996 added on-farm workshops, apprenticeships and consulting
 1997 added working with caterers for special events such as farm tours,
organic wine tastings, fund raisers & sales to a local natural foods store
 2002 developed Farmer Mentor Handbook for CS program at UI
 2003 added Sunday Brunch on the Farm and Farm Tours
 2006 added Delightfully Decadent Sunday Afternoon Teas; hosted other
workshops
 2008 Teaching Sustainable Small Acreage Farming and Ranching Course
for University Of Idaho
SPUD BOY- Encourage farmers to visit local farmers
markets and look at what is out there. Create ‘real life’
presentations that relate to your region.
Why grow what everyone else has? Why grow the same
thing that is in the grocery store? Look at what is out there
and DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT!
COLORFUL CARROTS with names like “Purple Haze”, “Yellow sunshine”,
“Atomic Red”, and “White Satin” are unique and sell for more per pound.
VALUE ADDED PRODUCTS – Value-added products like jams and jellies are a
nice addition to the farmers market. Another “safe food” is herb vinegar.
Tourists like to take home something with the name town on it, so all of our
goods say “made fresh in Sandpoint, Idaho”.
The Vinegar label reads:
“Herb vinegars add magic to any recipe that asks for vinegar.
They offer aroma to foods just as rhythm adds excitement to music, without
overpowering the harmony of the recipe”
Educators- Provide food safety information for your farmers market
vendors; hold food safety workshops during the off season.
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HAVE SIGNS WITH PRICES / GIVE PEAS A CHANCE – Our signs are one of
the things that make us stand out at the farmers market. If you don’t use signs,
have a display board with prices and show the name of your farm
LESS FOR MORE – Fresh blackberries sell for $3.00 per half pint and we always
sell out. When I tried selling a pint for $6.00, customers said it was too much.
STIR-FRY SPECIALS – Tender baby vegetables. When everyone has summer
squash and it is selling for $.50/LB, I bag them up with mini-peppers, baby
onions, Oriental eggplant & sell for $3.00+/LB and include recipes.
CONNECTING WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS - Consider having
a small photo album with photos of your farm at your stand to
give customers a connection with where their food is coming
from.
EGGS - Eggs are a nice addition at the Farmers Market. It is important to
consider the local health regulations for selling eggs. Is this information readily
available to your farmers?
PERSONAL TOUCH – Farmers choose a rural lifestyle
usually because they don’t want to be around a lot of
people, so coming to a farmers market is a tough
compromise to deal with the public. It is those personal
relationships that bring loyal customers. You want your
customers to know your name and be able to find you
again!
EDUCATORS – HOW CAN YOU HELP?
 Help your farmers be more successful at marketing
 Create a marketing check list for selling at farmers markets
 Provide a library of reference books like The New Farmers’ Market
and Sell What you Sew
 Hold marketing workshops in the fall and winter
 Visit your local markets and take photos of vendors at their farm stand to
use for workshops. It will make your presentations more personal.
 Promote local food
 Feature farmers market vendors in your newsletters
 Create ‘farmer profiles’ as examples
 Develop a questionnaire for farmers to help them share their
stories with other farmers
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COMMUNITY PRESENCE We expect our local community to support us as farmers. Doesn’t it make
since that we should support our community?
 Community presence means all the ways that your community recognizes
you and your business.
 Extension educators, reach out to your local farmers! Get them involved
in your programs! Bring farmers in to talk with your Master Gardeners,
connect with local farmers for farm and garden tours, ask them to write
articles and share their stories; write articles about them!
PUMPKIN PROJECT – For details of how to do your own
pumpkin project, visit our website at www.greentreenaturals.com
MEDIA AND PRESS
 The press is always looking for human interest stories! The key is to
make events and information available to the local reporters.
 Being involved in your community also gets your name out there so when
storylines come up, they think of you when they are looking for a resource.
 Educators – ALWAYS INVITE THE PRESS to your FARM events!
Promote your local farmers!
SELLING PRODUCE TO RESTAURANTS
 It has to be the type of restaurant that has a chef that
cares about quality.
 Deliveries need to work around their busy schedule.
 You have to give them a good reason to spend more
on your produce.
 Call the same day, and the same time of day every
week; make deliveries the same day and time every
week.
Educators, provide resources for farmers to read about
how to sell to restaurants. Last winter workshops were
held across the state of Idaho connecting farmers and
chefs. Consider doing something similar in your county!
Have resources available like the book Selling Produce to Restaurants
available on our website or through Johnnies Seed Catalog.
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WORKING WITH CATERERS – Working with a caterer provides us an
opportunity to specialize. *Weddings *Private Parties *Concerts *Special events.
We provide edible display of unusual garnish like purple & yellow carrots, four
colors of beans, grape leaves, purple cauliflower & asparagus, edible flowers for
wedding cakes, or fresh flowers for decorating the buffet tables.
The local music Festival at Sandpoint has given us the opportunity to provide our
organic, specialty produce to Emy Lou Harris, Rod Stewart, Leo Kotke,
Lou Rawles, and the Beach Boys.
Educators – Connect with your local farmers and use local food for any
catered events whenever you can!
COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE / CSA – Basically a produce
subscription service where the customer pre-pays for a share of the harvest. We
mail out applications in March so we know how much to plant. Details of our
CSA also on our website. * We also have a fresh flowers subscription service.
Educators – encourage your small acreage farmers and market gardeners
to diversify how they market their harvest!
WEDDING FLOWERS - The bride, bridesmaids, family and friends
come out to the farm and pick their own flowers. We also have a Fresh
Flower subscription service.
FARM TOURS – We have a number of farm tours during
the season along with day long seminars in collaboration
with University of Idaho, Washington State University and
other agencies. Last year we were involved in a research
project with the Organic Seed Alliance and this year we
are working on a research project with WSU studying
organic flea beetle control.
ON-FARM WORKSHOPS – Provide additional income for the farm
We have a 6 week organic gardening workshop series. I am a certified instructor
with University of Idaho and can provide college credits for this course.
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APPRENTICESHIPS - Greentree Naturals Apprenticeship Program began in
1997. We have had 14 apprentices in ten years (3 male/ 11 female). 2/3 of our
apprentices have gone into their own farming enterprise.
I developed a Farmer Mentor Handbook for the Cultivating Success Program at
University of Idaho five years ago, and working with a team, provide a training
program to teach farmers how to have successful apprenticeships on their farms.
For details visit www.cultivatingsuccess.org
CONSIDERATIONS FOR ON-FARM ACTIVITIES – Educators: Help out your
local farmers by providing information and workshops that talk about Farm
Liability. This past winter, I developed a handbook that is a Liability Guide for
Direct Marketing. It basically takes state rules and regulations and makes them
user friendly. This project also includes providing workshops across the state
which have been titled Protecting Your Farm or Ranch: Everything You Ever
Wanted to Know but Were Afraid to Ask.
ORGANIC WINE TASTING ON THE FARM – We host this annual event,
sponsored by one of the restaurants that we supply.
DELIGHTFULLY DECADENT SUNDAY AFTERNOON TEA – This is an on-farm
event that we have a couple of times during the summer months. A caterer
prepares some sort of decadent chocolate treat, served with fresh berries, salad,
spanokopita served overlooking the gardens, and a local musician serenades
with Celtic music.
Closing thoughts – As educators, you have the opportunity to lend a hand and
grow new agricultural leaders in each of your communities.
Reach out to your local farmers! Provide educational opportunities!
CULTIVATE SUCCESS IN YOUR COMMUNITIES!
www.greentreenaturals.com
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