Making Money (BF 201)
Pricing, Positioning in the Market, and Guerrilla Marketing Tactics
Most of us go into farming with the thought of making some – or all – of our livelihood through the sale of what we make or grow. If you start really small, marketing is probably not a problem for you, since in many places now demand for local products outstrips small farmers’ ability to supply it. But as you grow your operation to provide more of your family’s income, having a carefully planned marketing strategy becomes more critical. Completion of this online course will enable you to better understand how to price your products, position yourself in this evergrowing “buy local” marketplace – both online and in a physical location – as well as understand guerrilla marketing tactics to get the best bang for your buck and make your farm operation financially sustainable.
Target Audience
New farmers with 1-3 years of farm management experience and/or serious aspiring new farmers who have already explored the basics of marketing and are ready to develop a formal marketing strategy.
Course Objectives
This course will help you:
- Link your farm’s mission and vision to your commercial goals and marketing strategy
- Understand the key elements of a solid marketing plan
- Understand & use effective marketing strategies
- Understand and use various pricing strategies with your products
- Create a multi-tiered marketing strategy incorporating traditional and guerrilla marketing tactics
Webinars
The bulk of the course happens on your own time, with discussions, readings, and assignments in MOODLE, our virtual classroom. To add to the experience, webinars will be woven into the online interface of the course to allow you to meet on a weekly basis to learn from outside presenters, ask questions, and collaborate with other participants and the instructor to address your farm issues in real time. If you miss one, they are always recorded and posted for later viewing. Access details will be posted in MOODLE once you have registered and logged in.
Qualifying for Loans
If you are considering applying for a low-interest beginning farmer loan though the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA), completing this course may help you qualify, if you meet other eligibility requirements. For farmers in NY who have already applied for an FSA loan and been told they need borrower training credit, all of our courses are pre-approved to provide you with this credit, if you complete all course requirements. For more information, visit the FSA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Loans website.
Instructors
Laura Biasillo is an Ag Educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Broome County. Rebecca Schuelke-Staehr formerly worked for the NY Farm Viability Institute and now co-manages the Cayuga Pumpkin Barn in NY.
Dates
This course will next be offered in January 2013 with registration opening in Nov. 2012.
Course Outline
- Week 1: Navigating the online classroom, introductions and welcome to course Topic(s) Covered: Introduction to Marketing; Mission Statement, Goals & Overview of Market Channels (retail, wholesale, etc…
- Week 2: Marketing Strategy – Where Do I Fit in this “Buy Local” market?
Topics Covered: Who are your customers? How Do They Get Their Information? How Do You Access Them? - Week 3: Expense Budgets – How Much Should I Charge (or How Much Does It Really Cost Me to Produce This Product?)
Topics Covered: Sales Tactics, Expenses (real & perceived), Promotions (incl. point of purchase), Pricing - Week 4: Marketing Tactics
Topic(s) Covered: Low-Cost, No-Cost, Cooperation and More - Week 5: Tying it all Together: Implementation of Marketing Tactics, Pricing and Local/Global Economy
- Week 6: Overview of Marketing Plan
Cost and Registration
Course fee is $175. This course will next be offered in January 2013 with registration opening in Nov. 2012.
