Ideas for country farm/store
 

My wife and I have been racking our brains to come up with a way to have a home based business on our 80 acre farm.

I have let one of my baseball friends design a web site for me... And I would like it to be a online catalogue. Or people could order one of the old fashioned kind...It kills trees though:mad:

We will have several hoop houses....So we will have fresh organic veggies pretty much year round...We will also can jams, jellies...Make soap, cheese.. we have a 34 acre Sugar Maple tree stand for Maple Syrup and we plan to keep bees.

We have been searching for an affordable high traffic site close to the farm for a road side country store where people can stop in and get fresh produce and preserves etc... But we would also like to do a lot of internet or even phone business through orders from the catalogue.

It will be at least a half a dozen years before the orchards we are planting will give us anything to sell... Pear, Peach, Plum, apple, Apricot, Cherry, Paw paws...And some nut trees as well... Walnuts, butternuts, Pecans, Hazel nuts, and hickory nuts.. Figured we would diversify so that hopefully no matter what kind of weather we have...we would have something to sell every year.

Anyone with experience setting up merchant accounts or even selling products on the net, taking phone orders, writing for a catalogue...I am grateful for any advice.

We have other ambitions like setting up a CSA... but we will have to wait a year or two to get more land cleared and things rolling before we can really get that going I think.

my business is run from a small farm - we have a farm store (in a very out of the way location), but 75% of our business is online, retail mail-order. It can be done, but it takes a while to build enough traffic to your website. We no longer print a catalog - people can request one via cd, or download a .pdf and print it themselves if they wish. Prairielandherbs.com if you want to check it out. If you want a website to be your main business, it needs to be very welcoming, inviting, and friendly - at least, in my opinion. It needs to have all the information people need, it needs to be easy to use, and I would recommend getting set up with some social networking as well - yahoo groups, twitter, flickr, facebook, blogging, etc.....

I don't have a home business, but I can suggest a few things. Facebook offers advertising, where you can pay for each click to your website. You can find it at the bottom menu. If there is a farmer's market, that could also be a way to market fresh produce. Or maybe there is a small store in your area that is willing stock produce from your farm.

Also I would recommend going over the legal side. I'm from Canada, and it is illegal to sell any dairy product, whether it be milk or cheese, that is not made in a $$$ expensive certified factory. I'm not sure if there are any laws or regulations like that in the states, but it is well worth finding them out before you violate one.

I have no idea about it being illegal to sell cheese or milk in Vermont... There are tons of people selling local home made cheese all over the state...Same with maple syrup, honey, soap candles etc....

It is a great tip and I will look into it for sure! Thank you very much...BTW where in Canada are you?

by the way I love the prarielandherb website...you have some amazing products...We are huge fans of making soap....and we have a huge herb garden...Cannot get enough st johns wort and lemongrass.

It might be a few years down the road.. but I would love to get a half dozen soapwort trees... There are two varieties... one that gets 70 feet tall and is not cold hearty at all.. and the other that gets half that size and is tolerant of light frost...I would be looking towards the smaller version and put them inside the greenhouse...And then make soaps, shampoos with the soapnuts...We use them now for our laundry and they are amazing!...There are soapberry bushes and plants that have a lot of spaonins also we could grow.

Here is the exact law regarding the sale of raw milk in Vermont.. it is legal from what I can comprehend!


VERMONT

Summary:

On-farm sales of raw milk are legal. State law permits producers to sell up to 25 quarts of raw milk per day. The state has exempted farmers from needing a license to sell raw milk to the public and retail raw milk sales are subject to little regulatory oversight. The Vermont Department of Agriculture would not inspect any dairy operation that sells only retail raw milk.

Department policy prohibits advertising of raw milk sales. The state law permitting sales of raw milk on the farm does not extend to raw milk products.

Vermont Statutes
TITLE SIX Agriculture
PART 6. MILK AND MILK PRODUCTS
CHAPTER 151: SUPERVISION, INSPECTION AND LICENSING OF DAIRY OPERATIONS
Subchapter 1. General Provisions

6 V. S. A. § 2672. Definitions

(5) "Milk handler" or "handler" is a person, firm, unincorporated association or corporation engaged in the business of buying, selling, assembling, packaging, or processing milk or other dairy products, for sale within or without the state of Vermont.

TITLE SIX Agriculture
PART 6. MILK AND MILK PRODUCTS
CHAPTER 151: SUPERVISION, INSPECTION AND LICENSING OF DAIRY OPERATIONS
Subchapter 3. Licensing and Inspection
ARTICLE 1. LICENSES

6 V. S. A. § 2721. Handlers' licenses

(a) The secretary may classify and issue licenses to milk handlers to carry on milk handling businesses including, but not limited to, the purchase, distribution or sale of milk, processing or manufacturing of milk, bargaining and collecting for the sale of milk, and dealing in or brokering milk.

(b) A milk handler shall not transact business in the state unless the milk handler secures and holds a handler's license from the secretary.

TITLE SIX Agriculture
PART 6. MILK AND MILK PRODUCTS
CHAPTER 151: SUPERVISION, INSPECTION AND LICENSING OF DAIRY OPERATIONS
Subchapter 3. Licensing and Inspection
ARTICLE 1. LICENSES

6 V. S. A. § 2723. — Exemptions

Handlers' licenses shall not be required from the following persons:

(3) A person who produces and sells or offers for sale less than 25 quarts of milk in any one day, but in such case an inspection may be made and reasonable sanitary requirements shall be complied with.

Take a look how Joe Salatin , Polyfarm . He refused to have a mail order business. If you want his broiler chicken ,etc you must come to the farm . Don't forget FDA rules .

I'm in Manitoba. Those stupid dairy laws drive me nuts, because I love making cheese, but cannot find someone willing to take the risk and sell me milk. Maybe I should get a few cows or goats, then I wouldn't have to worry. It would be nice if there were people all around selling cheese, because homemade cheese is much better than the store bought!

making cheese
 

Well Sheep's milk is the way to go if you want to make cheese...Twice as much culture in it compared to cow's milk...It is easier for humans to absorb the calcium in Sheep's milk and there are more beneficial amino fatty acids in sheep milk which help lower cholesterol...It is just better for you! Better for cheese too.

One of the great things I have been learning from my research is that Sheep are not mentioned in the rules in many areas when they pass a "milk law"...So you are exempt from a lot of the rules and guidelines when you have sheep.

Which for me is a huge selling point...I am not overly fond of being forced to do anything....we have enough rules and laws er.. I mean taxes

Here in NC, it is illegal to sell raw milk, etc. or privately label any food item not prepared in an approved kitchen (per county health dept) like folks have said.

With that in mind, some ways around are available without too much problem.

I have a friend retired from the restaurant her family had for generations. Her mom's blue cheese dressing was famous. She recently decided to bottle it and see if it sells.

She made an agreement with a local butcher shop to use their certified kitchen area when she makes "batches." The product is sold refrigerated, and they carry it for sale there in the butcher shop. Also available at a local farm stand, and a country store here that markets their fresh sausage and many local unique items.

It has been a good way to start for her. Word of mouth is fast and furious. She had some labels designed and printed for putting on the jars, and it refers phone calls right to her personal phone number/ also emails.

So far, so good. And I can see her expanding products as well as locations that offer them. Just an idea to maybe get you a slow start with one product, and build your name for later when you have more variety to offer.

I really can't add a thing, but wanted to say that I think you are onto something big. This is a huge and thriving industry, and I hope you make a ton of money!!!!

money
 

If the lights stay on and the family is fed...Then it is a success! Anything more than that and it is a bonus.

We really feel the people in Vermont will demand better food and better milk... I grew up working summers on a dairy farm..We drank raw milk... Once you have had it.. there is no going back to pasteurized imitation milk.

We live in Illinois and our laws are that you CAN sell raw milk... only off the farm... and you can't ADVERTISE it. So, please don't say this is an advertisement, it's just telling you what our state's regulations are. We run a small registered Jersey herd and sell the majority of our milk to a milk company. This gives us the advantage of being a Grade A dairy whereby we know the content of our milk, whether it's cream content or somatic cell count. As we sell privately. Our customers love the fact that we raise all our own grains and hay and treat our cows organically. We aren't certified as yet, but it's just a matter of some paperwork.
Catherine & Marc
Spring Valley Farm
Fulton, IL
springvalleyfarm.4mg.com

Aha! I'm going to check out if the Canadian regulations say anything about sheep! I've worked with sheep quite a bit, and have milked before, although you don't get a lot of milk from them. My friend has goats milk, and I signed a waiver so I could buy some for "animal use", so goats aren't as regulated as cows, and sheep probably even less, as no one seems to ever milk sheep! Thanks for the idea! :croc:

Sheep Milk
 

Well if you do some research about various types of "Dairy Sheep" You will find that the east friesian breeds give quite a lot of milk...

And some people cross these with dual purpose breeds to get a sheep that is decent for butchering quality meat...yet gives a decent milk yield and a fair long wool coat...

again I am not in western Canada...So I do not know what they require of farmers out there...But if Sheep are not listed in the milk laws out there you might have a loop hole where you can do something... With the right breed of dairy goat I think you will do quite well.

Benevolance-

Kind of off topic, but are you planning to do hay rides and other farm related activities? It is amazing to me how many people love this type of stuff, and pay well to do it.

If you have a well maintained place, which I think is a secret to success, your place might do well as a venue for weddings. There are a few places near us that offer their grounds for a wedding, and they do very well, money wise, by doing this. The best places are very, very nice with paved drives, manicured lawns and the like.

Clove

Don't forget "Corn Mazes". They are very popular with kids (and grown-ups too!). A small corn planting can make a great maze.

Now why would I ever be part of someone ruining their life in the act of matrimony?

My advice for all wedding seekers... RUN!:nono:

If you are not far from the most traveled roads, maybe road side sign (with permission) advertisements leading to your property's store would direct local sales to you.
jim
Nothing better than walking to work.

I am in Ontario and I have looked into the dairy laws here. From what I have read, the dairy marketing boards and laws only apply to dairy products from cows and goats, but that was a few years ago and in Ontario. Provincial marketing boards and laws may be different for another province.

I second this!!!!!! While in Killington, I drove around while DH skied. I saw a sign for Baird Farm (Maple Syrup) and I turned down that road. It was quite a few miles before I came to the farm and I really thought that I was lost. So...... put up more than one sign!!! Maybe a few arrows would be good, too. You could probably barter with the home/property owners. If they let you put a sign in their yard, you would provide them with whatever is fresh this month.

"Take a look how Joe Salatin , Polyfarm . He refused to have a mail order business."

I read in the Post recently he now does delivery. There are a lot of D.C. customers who probably think they're too on the go to make it to his farm.

Sounds like you'll have a diversified business, benevolence. I can't add much, but people market their stuff on here for sure, and you could set up a roadside stand if real estate is too much.

Linkovich: I think those dairy quotas are worth millions of dollars for the farmer so you can see why they wouldn't want to jeopardize their quota. The problem in Canada is that big business (that business being the food industry) is trying hard to ease the small guy out of business. And the consumer has let it happen.

Joel Salatin, Polyface Farms, Swope VA
www.polyfacefarms.com


Tom

Check out Ellie Winslow, too. She has several books on making a living from the farm. I'm working my way through them now.

http://beyondthesidewalk.com/books.shtml

We have a place here in Illinois (Eckert's Orchard) that started as an orchard and has expanded into a huge enterprise...they have a nursery to sell plants and garden supplies, a country store where they sell real country stuff like canning supplies and kitchen tools, "cute" country stuff like plaster ducks with clothes and little signs with folksy sayings, and a lot of their own food products (mostly apple and peach items like apple cider, apple butter, pies, etc. as well as Amish-made noodles and salsas and such, local wines, etc), a restaurant, corn maze, christmas tree farm with Santa, hot chocolate and all that, pick-your-own apples and peaches, hay rides. These people have taken an apple orchard and turned it into a very lucrative, year-round business. They've been at it a long time, and every so often they still add something new. They have a website that should give you a lot of ideas...Good Luck.

we are in the exact same boat here near Edmonton. We are contemplating a farm store etc. We actually have a farm store operating near us that is doing very well. It has taken a few years for them, but they are doing it! I have spoken with them a lot and I have studied their success. Here is what I have discovered and will copy with our store (with different products mind you).

1)Have the store open to only one or two set days. This gives you time to re-stock/produce your stock etc. It also creates some excitement for the customers, something to look forward to and doesn't pin you to sitting in your store for days on end with no-one coming around. Friday 3-9 and Saturday 8-4 or something along those lines.

2)Stock things that people need or use or want. Don't stock dream catchers and poodle tissue box covers. Basic meats, produce, dry goods, dairy? I think the trick is to keep it simple and keep it good quality.

3)Pricing...don't be too proud of your product, but don't give it away either. We price our products a little below store prices to give people a sense of savings along with supporting a local farm family. We are certified organic and we charge organic pricing, but we don't have shipping, staff, 7/24 expenses so we can afford to charge a little less and still capture all of those profits of a regular store.

4)Don't try to stock your store all by yourself. It would be easy to make all of your products yourself...right up until the point in time that you start getting some traffic. Then you're chained to the oven making jelly for 4 days a week. That'll get old quick on top of trying to take care of all the other products you want to stock from your farm. Try to source out other families that want to supply farm products that maybe aren't your forte. Is there a meat guy nearby? A Grain guy with flour? etc.

Anyways, that's what our model is going to be and we have learned this from someone who is a success at it.

I would love to start up a place like this as well, except working w fruit products, olive products, and sheep, possibly a couple buffalo. Thats the dream anyway. But what are the FDA regulations on all these kindsa things? What kind of liscencing and inspections have to be done to open such a store?

a friend opened up a small coffee breakfast biscut n lunch deli shop =but here is the gold mine he opend an attached feed store selling farm seeds plants seems as farmers like to get going early grabbing a coffee n biscut or lunch they need the animal feed, ferlitizer ,seeds next door; children like ice cream even milk n bread to take home the extra welcomes and come on in n sit down atmosefer really attracts the local friendly people and has grown the reputation of if you need information on what or when to plant of what to feed an animail this is the place to get an anser ,also the cork pinup board is where to find who wants or is selling livestock giving pups or plants localy. starting out with a second hand deli counter and coffee maker then a couple pallets of horse, dog, n chicken feed .a couple big tables with chaires . they,v moved up to a full line of animal feeds and even a grill for burgers hotdogs n fries. seems the older farmers like to sit round drink coffee and swap tales while younger ones need advise and supplys without driving across the county . the come on in and have a soda while getting your supplys has really worked for them . :goodjob:

I wonder if the OP ever got this going? The thread is over 4 years old now and it would be interesting to know how they are doing.

me too
 

I. Never thought about the thread being that old :-)

I have had a tiny general store here on my farm for several years and wrote about it in COUNTRYSIDE about three years ago. It used to still be available on their web site. I don't know if they will let me post the link here but you can look at www.suzysfarm.com to check out the kinds of stuff I do and see photos of the store or go to my FREE Facebook page (which is a great way to advertise for FREE) at "Old Field Farm General Store"