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CPA Info #279 June 2017

Growing Digital: E-commerce Options for Direct Farm Marketers Workshop Evaluation Summary – Jonesborough, TN

Chuck Grigsby, Center for Profitable Agriculture

The E-commerce Options for Direct Farm Marketers workshop was conducted a third time on May 9, 2017 in Jonesborough, TN. The e-commerce workshops were the second of the three-part workshop series for Growing Digital: Advanced Online Marketing Strategies for Tennessee Farmers. The Growing Digital educational program also included workshops on Advanced Social Media Marketing and Video Content Creation and Marketing. The Growing Digital workshops were partially funded by a grant awarded by the Southern Extension Risk Management Education Center (SRMEC) and United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Topics and speakers for the workshops included:

E-commerce Options for Direct Farm Marketers – Chuck Grigsby, Center for Profitable Agriculture

Build Your Brand Online – Jeanie Lim, Professor, UT Department of Retail, Hospitality, and Tourism Management

Branded Storytelling for Local Food Producers – Jeanie Lim, Professor, UT Department of Retail, Hospitality, and Tourism Management

Producer Experiences with E-commerce: o Online Farmers Markets: South

Cumberland Farmer’s Market – Kir Strobel

o CSAs and Subscription Shares: Bring It Food Hub – Melissa Dison and Josh Conley

A total of 17 people attended the workshop, 14 of which completed post-workshop evaluation forms, resulting in an 82 percent response rate. A copy of the post-workshop evaluation form is included in the Appendix.

Funding provided, in part, through a Southern Extension Risk

Management Education Grant.

UT Professor Jeanie Lim discusses the importance of branding and storytelling in developing farm enterprises’ digital marketing strategies.

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All 14 respondents indicated the workshop increased their knowledge of social media/digital marketing strategies to increase and/or enhance their online marketing efforts. All 14 respondents also stated the workshop increased their knowledge of e-commerce tools and strategies to market their products online. Ten of the 14 respondents (71 percent) reported the workshop helped participants gain knowledge and skills to increase sales revenue, reduce costs, prevent losses, increase payroll or make one-time capital purchases for their direct marketing enterprises. Four of the 17 respondents indicated they did not currently have or plan to start a direct marketing enterprise in the next year (29 percent), and therefore did not report gains in knowledge or skills for direct marketing. Eleven of the 14 respondents (79 percent) reported the workshop helped participants gain knowledge and skills to increase sales revenue, reduce costs, prevent losses, increase payroll or make one-time capital purchases for their agritourism enterprises. Three respondents indicated they did not currently have or plan to start an agritourism enterprise in the next year (21 percent). Respondents were asked to indicate how they planned to use the information learned in the workshop. The comments submitted have been organized into four categories: Digital Branding and Communications, E-commerce, Website Development and Business Decision Making.

Digital Branding and Communications

Hone in on developing a brand and farm story.

Stay better connected in online platforms.

Better develop our brand.

Plan to improve "branding" and use more social media.

Create Facebook page using storytelling.

Make a brand for our farm and market. E-commerce

Consider e-commerce in future.

Further expand online business.

Sell products through social media.

E-commerce for CSA's by select producer at my farmers market.

Website Development

To better sell our agritourism website.

Improve current website.

Develop an online presence for our farm.

Business Decision Making

Kir Strobel discusses her e-commerce experience in using the Locallygrown.net software as a producer and market manager of the South Cumberland Farmers Market.

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Got ideas for diversification.

Launching point to do further research.

I plan to build a marketing plan going forward in my start-up grass-fed lamb operation.

Put it into practice. Respondents were asked to provide suggestions on how to improve the workshops. Their suggestions are categorized by Suggestions for Workshop Activities, Workshop Setting, and Positive Comments.

Suggestions for Workshop Activities

Not practical, but one-on-one follow-up on branding, website, ecommerce tailored where we could discuss particular needs would be wonderful but maybe this could be done online as a follow-up?

Workshop Setting

Good content, good speakers, but room was hot.

Video sound.

Softer chairs please.

Positive Comments (Sample of positive comments.)

The workshop was very good.

Excellent presenters and content.

They were very well presented.

I saw no problems in the workshop. It was very well presented.

I was pleased.

I have no ways that I could suggest for improvement. Great class!

Great as is. The final question of the workshop evaluation asked respondents to list a key resource, information or training they still needed at the conclusion of the workshop. Workshop participant responses are categorized by E-commerce and Website Development, Digital Branding and Marketing, Networking Opportunities with Other Producers, Other, and Positive Comments.

E-commerce and Website Development

Website development.

Would like to attend a similar workshop after we have begun our e-commerce development.

Once we get started it would be great to have more in depth info on the same topic.

The "how to" develop a website.

Digital Branding and Marketing

Would like assessment/critique of our branding and social media presence.

More of marketing your farm property for camping, fishing, and hiking.

Networking Opportunities with Other Producers

What are the local CSA's or organizations that sell produce.

Other

QuickBooks/Quicken training.

More information for tourism to farms.

Assistance with grants.

Not sure yet.

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Positive Comments

Excellent! Thank you! Summary The E-commerce Options for Direct Farm Marketers workshop, the second of the three-part workshop series for Growing Digital: Advanced Online Marketing Strategies for Tennessee Farmers, was conducted on May 9, 2016 in Jonesborough, TN. The Growing Digital educational program also included workshops on Advanced Social Media Marketing and Video Content Creation and Marketing. The Growing Digital workshops were partially funded by a grant awarded by the Southern Extension Risk Management Education Center (SRMEC) and United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture. A total of 17 people attended the Jonesborough workshop, 14 of which completed post-workshop evaluation forms, resulting in an 82 percent response rate. Short-term impacts of the workshops included:

14 respondents (100 percent) indicated the workshop increased their knowledge of social media/digital marketing strategies to increase and/or enhance their online marketing efforts.

14 respondents (100 percent) agreed the workshop increased their knowledge of e-commerce tools and strategies to market their products online.

10 respondents (71 percent) reported the workshop helped participants gain knowledge and skills to increase sales revenue, reduce costs, prevent losses, increase payroll or make one-time capital purchases for their direct marketing enterprises.

11 respondents (79 percent) reported the workshop helped participants gain knowledge and skills to increase sales revenue, reduce costs, prevent losses, increase payroll or make one-time capital purchases for their agritourism enterprises.

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Growing Digital: E-commerce for Direct Farm Marketers Workshops Evaluation Form

Please complete this form to help us evaluate the workshop, report possible impacts and provide input for future events.

1. As a result of this workshop, did you…

a. Increase your knowledge of social media/digital marketing strategies to increase and/or enhance your online marketing efforts? Yes No

b. Increase your knowledge of e-commerce tools and strategies to market your products online?

Yes No

2. If you currently operate or plan to start a direct marketing enterprise in the next year (pick-your-own, on-farm

retail, CSA, farmers market, etc.), did the workshop help you gain knowledge/skills to increase sales revenue, reduce costs, prevent losses, increase payroll or make one-time capital purchases?

Yes No I do not currently have or plan to start a direct marketing enterprise in the next year.

3. If you currently operate or plan to start an agritourism enterprise in the next year (on-farm tours, events, family

fun, haunted attractions, etc.), did the workshop help you gain knowledge/skills to increase sales revenue, reduce costs, prevent losses, increase payroll or make one-time capital purchases?

Yes No I do not currently have or plan to start an agritourism enterprise in the next year.

4. How do you plan to use the information learned at today’s workshop?

___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________

5. How could the workshop have been improved?

___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________

6. What is the key resource, information or training you still need?

___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for completing this evaluation! Please watch your email inbox for a follow-up online evaluation in about six months.

Appendix