Farmers markets, community supported agriculture services, and on-farm sales like u-pick and farm stands are important ways for growers to establish a steady customer base participate in a region’s food system.

Navigating the logistics of these marketing venues can be challenging, and properly planning for direct sales is essential to making these markets profitable.

Our resources can help farmers be better prepared for direct sales, and can help local agriculture advocates support the growth of local markets. 

Resources

Resources for Farmers

Marketing

• Researching Markets for Beginning Specialty Crop Growers: Helping growers understand how to approach potential buyers
• New Farmers Guide: Cultivating Success at Farmers Markets
• Creating a Marketing Strategy (slide deck)
• Golden Rules of Marketing for Small Farmers
• Guide for Selling Directly to Restaurants and Retailers
• Marketing and Markets Resources (Repository of resources from SARE Outreach)
• Community Supported Agriculture (California Alliance with Family Farmers)

eCommerce

• California’s Direct Market Farmers’ Use of Online Sales and Marketing During the COVID-19 Pandemic 
• Small-Farm Tech Hub (California Alliance with Family Farmers)

Products

• Selling Home-cooked Food: The State of Microenterprise Home Kitchens in California
• Elderberry promotional flyers: One page | Two pages
• A Guide to Drying Moringa
  • Hmong-language version: Qhia txog cov Moringa npaj muab nws ua kom muaj nqes
• Hoshigaki: Preserving the Art of Japanese Hand Dried Persimmons (Full Report) | (Executive Summary)

On-Farm Sales

Please also visit our California Agritourism website.

• California Farm Stand Fact Sheet
  • Spanish-language version: Hoja informativa de puestos agrícolas en California
• How agritourism helped farmers during the pandemic
• Planning a U-Pick Operation on Your California Farm

Resources for educators, extension and community development specialists

• Organizing a Successful Agricultural Direct Marketing Workshop

Case Studies

• Specialty Food Markets Small and Mid-Scale Producers: Black Pig Meat Company Profile
• Strategies for Farmers Markets and Small Farm Marketing: Case Studies Overview
  • A Case Study of the Davis Farmer's Market:  Connecting Farms and Community
  • A Case Study of the Laytonville Farmers' Market: A Rural Community Market
  • A Case Study of the Stockton Farmers' Market: An Urban Community Market
  • Using E-commerce to Add Value to Small Farming Businesses in California
  • Direct Marketing with Value-added products (or: "Give me the biggest one of those berry tarts!")
  • Direct Marketing to Schools — A New Opportunity for Family Farmers