Progress report for FNC24-1438
Project Information
Kakadoodle is an "online farmers market" that makes it incredibly easy for our community to go online, purchase food from local farms, and have it delivered right to their door. We produce the eggs ourselves and partner with other local farmers for everything else on the marketplace, including meat, greens, dairy, and more.
Kakadoodle's farm and distribution center, where we process eggs and aggregate products from other farms, is located in the southwest suburbs of Chicago on 74 acres. We moved to this farm in January 2024 with 1,000 hens. After being conventionally farmed for centuries, we are in the process of establishing new pastures with the goal of integrating multiple species for grazing to enhance soil health and biodiversity, ultimately supporting our online marketplace— the economic engine of our entire operation. The vision for this land is to be a showcase for regenerative agriculture, reconnecting the community with the land, animals, and their food like never before.
MariKate and Marty started Kakadoodle in 2021 when they moved onto their 5-acre homestead with a vague idea to use technology to make local food more accessible. Their experience with cancer gave them the courage to uproot their family from their modern suburban home and move into a 150-year-old farmhouse, where their farming adventure began.
Our project focuses on helping our community discover the benefits of supporting regenerative farmers through education and a dedicated marketplace. Many people aren’t fully aware of the advantages of regenerative farming, such as healthier soil, reduced carbon emissions, more diverse wildlife, and better-tasting food.
Even for those who know the benefits, finding regenerative products can be challenging. Farmer’s markets have limited availability, operating only part of the year, and it’s hard to verify whether supermarket products come from regenerative sources. Without a centralized marketplace, consumers struggle to support regenerative agriculture confidently, leading to skepticism about food sourcing and sustainability.
Our goal is to make regenerative products easily accessible year-round and educate the community on why supporting regenerative practices matters. By showing how these products benefit both people and the planet, we aim to empower the community to make informed choices that positively impact everyone.
Our primary goal is to educate and empower our local community about the benefits of regenerative farming while making regenerative food conveniently available year-round. We aim to provide our community with opportunities to reconnect with the land, animals, and their food through both education and the creation of a collaborative marketplace.
Teaching Methods and Materials:
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Direct Mail Educational Campaign: We will launch a direct mail campaign featuring newsletters and brochures that outline the benefits of regenerative farming, and encouraging them to purchase from our marketplace. By reaching residents directly, we aim to ensure that everyone has access to valuable information about sustainable practices.
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Community Engagement at the Farm: To deepen community involvement, we introduced a self-service farm stand where visitors can interact with our chickens and learn about regenerative farming through informational posters and brochures. This farm stand serves as a welcoming space for people to engage with our farming practices firsthand.
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High-Traffic Location Advantage: Our farm’s location on a busy road has allowed us to draw attention to regenerative agriculture. We've strategically placed signs along the property to raise awareness and encourage passersby to stop by the farm stand, creating further opportunities for education and community connection.
Sustainable Agriculture Practices:
- Regenerative Techniques: Through our YouTube channel and conversations with farm-stand visitors, we actively promote and demonstrate regenerative practices as we transform our conventionally farmed land into a showcase regenerative farm.
- Local Food Systems: By establishing our collaborative marketplace, we emphasize supporting local farmers, which helps reduce food miles, lower carbon emissions, and bolster the local economy. All products featured come from regenerative farms.
- Reducing Food Waste: Investments in infrastructure like refrigerators and display shelves help preserve the freshness of products and minimize waste, aligning with sustainable agriculture's goal of reducing resource use.
Project Objectives:
- Community Education: Educate at least 4,500 community members through direct mail, on-site visits, and marketplace materials, ensuring they understand the benefits of sustainable and regenerative agriculture.
- Increased Awareness: Ensure community members gain greater knowledge and appreciation of sustainable practices, measured through post-initiative surveys.
- Access to Regenerative Products: Provide year-round access to regenerative products for the southwest suburbs on Chicago.
- Sustainable Purchasing: Encourage at least 60% of marketplace visitors to regularly buy regeneratively sourced products, tracked through sales and surveys.
Through these strategies, we aim to empower our community with knowledge, access, and the motivation to support regenerative farming, fostering a stronger connection to the land and their food.
Cooperators
- - Producer
- - Producer
Research
Our project involved a few different approaches to promote regenerative agriculture and increase awareness. Here’s how we conducted the project and the reasoning behind each step:
- Display Freezers and Refrigeration: We bought display freezers and refrigeration units for both our distribution center and self-service farm stand. These keep our products fresh and looking good, making them appealing and reliable for customers year-round. For others, investing in proper storage can mean better product quality and less waste.
- Brochures: We had brochures printed and stocked them at the farm stand. They’re simple, take-home materials that explain regenerative farming and what we offer. It’s an easy way to provide info without needing someone to be there to answer questions.
- Direct Mail Campaigns: We ran two rounds of direct mail campaigns to reach local households. While they showed some promise as an affordable way to draw new customers, they weren’t a home run for customer acquisition. Still, we think it’s helping spread the word about regenerative practices, so it’s worth testing for others who want to build awareness.
- High-Traffic Farm Frontage: Our farm sits on a busy road, so we took advantage of that with signs to raise awareness about regenerative agriculture and encourage people to stop by the farm stand. It’s a low-cost way to grab attention and get the community curious.
Why We Chose These Methods:
- Freezers/Refrigeration: Keep products top-notch and available year-round.
- Brochures: Simple, self-guided education for visitors.
- Direct Mail: A broader reach to spark interest and awareness.
- Farm Signs: Easy, effective use of our location to boost visibility.
This combo of tools and tactics helped us connect with the community, spread awareness, and promote regenerative farming. These methods are easy to adapt and can work for other farms looking to build local support and educate their community.
Online Marketplace Performance: Currently, our online sales average around $40,000 per month. Achieving critical mass is essential to ensure a financially sustainable marketplace. Our goal is to reach $100,000 in monthly sales, which would make the company profitable enough to provide full-time salaries for the owners.
Farm Stand Performance: In its second month, the farm stand is generating $1,700 per month in sales and shows potential as a strong community engagement tool. From a business perspective, its role is uncertain, as on-farm sales were not part of our original plan. However, it is proving to be a viable way to generate revenue and connect with the local community.
Direct Mail Campaigns: To date, we have sent out 10,000 mailers, resulting in a response rate of less than 1%. We are tracking responses through a unique URL on the mailer, offering a free dozen eggs with the first order. While it hasn't been ideal for customer acquisition, it has shown potential for raising awareness about regenerative agriculture. The mailers were designed using Canva.
Educational & Outreach Activities
Participation Summary:
We've been using YouTube to share our journey and educate a wider audience about regenerative agriculture, posting videos like “How we feed 2,500 hens,” which has 1.6K views, along with content about moving to the farm and setting up our farm stand. This platform directs viewers to our online marketplace and spreads awareness effectively. Locally, our self-service farm stand has proven to be a powerful way to engage the community. We also have posters and brochures out at the farm stand to educate on regenerative agriculture.
Just today, a grandmother and her grandchild stopped by the farm. The child was thrilled to see the chickens, and we had the chance to share our story and explain why regenerative agriculture is so important. It felt like it made a real impression on him. Moments like this happen daily, and it’s truly amazing.
To reach more people, we ran direct mail campaigns, which, while showing less than a 1% response rate, still helped spread awareness. Our farm’s high-traffic location, with signs inviting passersby, has also been useful for drawing in visitors. Moving forward, we’ll continue using YouTube and our farm stand to communicate our work, deepen community connections, and share the importance of regenerative farming.