The Art of Selling Homestead Products

Selling, whether products or services, in person or online, requires a level of promotion that many farmers are uncomfortable with, and a level of interaction that’s challenging for individuals inclined toward being alone. But the truth is that farming is as much about selling as it is about growing, unless you sell all of your crop as a commodity to one buyer.

The image of the farmer as taciturn or introverted just doesn’t fit with the successful farmers I know, all of whom are good at marketing themselves, chatting with customers, and generally being charming and charismatic. If that seems like a high bar, remember that they aren’t like that all the time. As with many people, they have a limited supply of extroversion, which they recharge by being alone.

Making an Impression

I work alone basically every day throughout the year, with the exception of Christmas tree season, and even then, I’m alone (or with my crew) on weekdays. On weekends, I chat and laugh with customers for eight hours straight each day, and I come home tired from socializing. I need the quiet at the beginning and end of the day to balance out the rest, but when I’m on,