Posting on the road

Testing a new feature.

Did you know you can post to your blog from your blackberry or cell phone?

How to set it up.
Go to the Settings Tab and then click on the Email Tab.
You will want to fill in the Email posting address.

Pick a secret word and to set up an email address.
It's very simple.
When you want to email from the highway you can just send in your post to that new "top-secret" email address and voila! You have posted on the road or in your field or from the farm market!

What's your story?

“The universe is made of stories, not of atoms.” Muriel Rukeyser

How do you tell your story?

One of the drivers behind the success of farm direct marketing is that people want to connect with the farmer. They want to know where their food comes from. They want to know who grows and makes the food they are eating.

Many NAFDMA members have been selling direct to the consumer for years, generations in fact. They tell their stories to children on school tours and on the walls of their businesses.

You can tell your stories verbally and through pictures. Do you have a:

• rogues gallery? A photo wall of family and staff working at your business.
• history wall? A wall of pictures showing your history. Did you move a building in? Did you refurbish that old barn? Have you rebuilt after a tragedy? Share your story.
• gallery on your website? Use high quality, fabulous photos. Post little video clips.
• scrapbook? Left open in a retail area,to take on bus tours, to tradeshows and other meetings.

The other side of the story...

One of the best parts about visiting an ag tourism operation is in the telling and retelling of the stories. You get home and share your experiences with families and friends.

In telling our stories we feel unique.
“I picked my own fruit.”
“They made it right in front of me!”
“I rode through the orchard.”
“ I saw them make the juice and wine!”

Share your customers stories!

• Post pictures. Link to Youtube and Flickr.
• Share testimonials.
• When you get a great thank-you letter, ask the writer if you can post it on your website.
  

Check out this Australian fruit farm. http://www.beerenberg.com.au/go/visit-our-strawberry-farm

They sell their products commercially and have a farm retail operation. Their Provenance Pathway program allows their customers to trace the origin of each jar's main ingredients, the day it was made, and even who made it.

They have also done a great job of linking their other social marketing activities to their website, You can click directly to Flickr, YouTube and Facebook to see pictures from the farm.

Participation teams strengthen member involvement in NAFDMA

Get to know your Participation Team Leads....

Deb Pifer from White House Fruit Farm Leads the Membership Participation Team.

Jan Vala (Marketing member) Vala's Pumpkin Patch , Rob Leeds (Convention member) Leeds Farm & Sue Roba (Leads Finance Participation Team) Roba Family Farm.

Anne Holcomb (Leads Convention Participation Team) Apple Annies and Anna Lyles (Convention and Membership member) Mesilla Valley Maze

Over the past two years, NAFDMA's membership has been taking a more active role in shaping the direction of the association and our convention.

It's exciting to watch the Participation (Parti-teams) evolve. We have members from across the continent providing input on contest and member benefits; brainstorming and creating marketing concepts; organizing sessions and working on our convention & tour.

Want to learn more? Contact one of our Leads:

• Convention. Lead by Anne Holcomb, appleannies@vtc.net
• Marketing. Lead by Kerry Engel, kerry.engel@gov.ab.ca
• Finance. Lead by Sue Roba robatree@epix.net
• Membership. Lead by Debbie Pifer, dpifer3290@aol.com

Take a tour of the Rock Ranch with Jeff Manley

The Rock Ranch does a great job with it's ag-education programs. Several different stations are positioned across the farm. Each station is geared towards a different age group. Jeff Manley with the Rock Ranch gives us a quick tour. NAFDMA tour-goers visited and had a fab supper at the Rock Ranch in February. 

Do you want to learn more about bring school kids out to your farm? 

Did you know that Nafdma convention sessions are recorded?

They are available as MP3s. MP3s are easy to download and you can listen to them while you prune your orchard or plant your fields. Nearly 20 hours of audio recorded sessions are yours as a bonus when you renew your NAFDMA membership or join for the first time. 

Don't miss this opportunity to learn about the latest in offering profitable school tours to planning a retail expansion. The sessions are listed at nafdma.com/Gergia/GA_conf/

NAFDMA 

Camping at the Rock Ranch

One of the highlights of the NAFDMA tour in Georgia was our visit to The Rock Ranch. They rolled out the red carpet for us. Their camping program is explained in detail on this video. 

Thank you Rock Ranch for your gracious hospitality. We value your membership. 

Rock Ranch

Learn about social media from the comfort of your office

I've been sent another great link regarding social media. For those of you who want a quick and easy at-home presentation. 

Winning at social media. 

NAFDMA Social Marketing presentation on-line

Julie Fox and Rob Leeds Social Marketing presentation at the Georgia convention is available on Julie's blog. Check it out. 

Julie and Rob: Social Marketing

Farmers' on Facebook. Keep your networks going all year round.

It often looks like Homecoming Week at a NAFDMA convention.

People reconnecting with the friends they've made over the years. 

Once a Bus Buddy, always a Bus Buddy.

One of the things that NAFDMA bus buddies across the world have started to do is connect on Facebook. The social networking site that lets you stay in touch with a whole group of people at once.  www.facebook.com 

People love their NAFDMA networks. It's one of the things that makes  NAFDMA a success.

Why not get on Facebook? Search out your NAFDMA friends or get your new ones to join with you and watch your networks blossom. 

Use the privacy settings on your facebook page.

How to make the most of social networking on Facebook. 

You are able to control who-sees-what on your facebook page. 

 Annie Holcomb, from Apple Annies in Arizona sent us this link. 

Near the end of the article they offer hints on how to use the privacy settings.

A quick and good read if you decide to try Facebook.