CULLMAN, Ala. – Military veterans and beginning farmers looking to improve their outreach and connect with more customers are invited to attend the upcoming “Marketing the Farm: One Picture at a Time” workshop on Thursday, April 17, at the North Alabama Agriplex. The event, which runs from 6-8 p.m., is free to attend and includes a light supper. Online registration is required.
Co-hosted by Alabama Extension-Cullman County and the North Alabama Agriplex, the workshop is part of the Military Veteran & Beginning Farmer series and is sponsored by the Alabama Farmers Cooperative, Operation Grow and USDA-NRCS.
“For many farms, growing the goods is the easy part – beef, vegetables, honey, etc. The hard part is selling it,” said Dr. Kira Sims, county coordinator for the Cullman County Extension Office. “I ask every client that comes into my office with a great farm enterprise idea: ‘How are you going to sell it? Who is going to buy it? How are you going to sell it to them?’ Many people don’t have an answer or have a vague one. That lack of knowledge sparked this workshop.”
She added, “Participants will learn good marketing strategies and tips from experienced farms, especially on the social media side of marketing. Hopefully participants will come away with a better understanding of what it takes to successfully market the farm with the goal to increase visitors and sales.”
The event will feature local farmers with firsthand experience using social media and other tools to effectively market their farms. Shannon Vignolo from Southdown Acres in Crane Hill, who has formal training in marketing, will speak on her experience promoting her family’s veteran-owned farm. Amber Keener with Bare Bottom Farms in Arab, another veteran-owned farm, will also present via video to share her successful marketing strategies.
“We picked these speakers because they are actively marketing their own farms, so the strategies they offer are realistic and have proven to be successful,” said Sims. “This workshop and all of them we offer in this series are beneficial for networking, too. Connections are made with the speakers and other participants that benefit everyone long after the event has passed.”
Registration is available online at www.aces.edu/go/MVBF04. For more information or accessibility needs, contact Dr. Kira Sims at 256-737-9386 or kira.sims@auburn.edu.
The North Alabama Agriplex is located at 1714 Talley Ho Street, Cullman, AL 35055.
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