Project Overview
Information Products
Commodities
Practices
- Education and Training: on-farm/ranch research
- Farm Business Management: e-commerce, farmers' markets/farm stands, market study, marketing management, new enterprise development, value added
- Production Systems: organic agriculture, transitioning to organic
- Sustainable Communities: urban agriculture
Summary:
Problem Addressed:
More than ever, there is a disconnection between local families and the food they buy. A diesel-reliant, monopolistic food system has filled pantries with overly processed foods and far-from-local produce. Consumers know little about where their food comes from and what makes it healthy. However, the answer they’re looking for could be right in their backyard!
Small-scale farms in the suburbs of major midwestern cities are already doing much of the hard work to grow, prepare, and package. However, they need a reminder that on-farm sales outlets can still be a sustainable and viable practice when coupled with modern communication technology.
Technologies are more available and affordable than ever, now is the time to leverage the entrepreneurial revolution. Unfortunately, small-scale farms historically fail to adopt new technology out of cost concern. “Small-scale farmers often face barriers to adopting technologies in a financially sustainable manner. Barriers include lack of capital… and market constraints” (The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN).
Previous SARE projects have explored Radio & Direct Mail with limited results. For today’s farmers and producers, it is necessary to adopt new technologies to draw local support. New technologies and educational content will drive cross-generational participation in sustainable agriculture.
The growing disconnection between suburban consumers and local food systems—in addition to the struggle small-scale farms face in overcoming outdated marketing approaches—was a large reason our research was necessary. This project sought to address these challenges by testing whether an on-farm marketplace combined with digital outreach could improve awareness and support for small-scale producers.
Research Approach:
This project did not involve formal research trials or experimental design. Instead, it functioned as a real-world evaluation of whether an on-farm retail model in a suburban setting could outperform participation in a traditional farmers market, particularly when using modern marketing and social technologies. The project relied on operational sales data, digital marketing analytics, and observational evidence to assess outcomes related to revenue, customer engagement, and community response.
Sales performance was evaluated using Square Point-of-Sale (POS) data to compare two distinct market channels across separate 5-month seasons: the 2024 farmers market season (June 22–October 31), during which sales occurred exclusively at weekly farmers markets, and the 2025 on-farm store season (August 23–December 31), during which sales occurred exclusively through the farm’s on-property retail store. Online and invoiced sales were excluded to ensure a clean comparison between in-person market outlets. Sales reports were reviewed daily and weekly throughout the project period to track revenue trends and customer purchasing behavior.
Digital outreach efforts were evaluated using Square Marketing analytics for SMS campaigns, which tracked the number of messages sent, customer engagement, and attributable purchases. Qualitative observations were also recorded, including informal customer feedback, visitor behavior, and responses from community members. Although food waste and spoilage were not quantitatively measured, the on-farm store model extended the sales window for harvested produce from a single weekly market day to continuous weekday availability, allowing more product to reach customers before spoilage. Earned media coverage, including local print and television news, provided additional insight into community awareness and engagement, serving as an unplanned but influential factor in project outcomes.
A big part of what we learned came simply from watching how people used the farm store. Neighbors didn’t just stop in to grab produce and leave. Families came together, kids asked questions, and many visitors said it was their first time ever setting foot on a farm, even though they lived nearby. People stayed longer than expected, talked with us, and came back again. That response showed us that an on-farm store can work not just as a sales outlet, but as a practical way to invite the community into the life of a small farm and build real, lasting support for local growers.
Project objectives:
Our Project was implemented in three phases:
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deploying a tangible on-farm marketplace for members of the community
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driving awareness and engagement through innovative technology, social educational content, and community marketing campaigns
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measuring outcomes and publishing results to inform other small-scale farmers
Phase 1 – Building the On-Farm Marketplace
The project began with the development and opening of a permanent on-farm produce store. An existing 12×20 ft shed was placed near the front property line, visible from the heavily traveled arterial road (E 41st St), to serve as a dedicated on-farm retail space. Grant funds were used to outfit the structure with the internal infrastructure necessary to support a year-round farm store and to evaluate the effectiveness of an on-farm marketplace in a suburban setting.
These improvements included directional, educational, and informational signage; interior and exterior lighting; temperature control for extreme seasonal conditions; surveillance and security systems; durable shelving and display fixtures; refrigeration and freezer units to extend product shelf life and reduce food waste; and a point-of-sale checkout station.
The store operated as a modern adaptation of a traditional self-serve, honor-system farm stand. Square Point-of-Sale technology was used to manage transactions, track customer activity, and support digital receipts, customer records, and optional loyalty features. Products offered included fresh vegetables, eggs, honey, and select value-added products, informed in part by findings from prior SARE research.
This on-farm marketplace served as the foundational component of the project, providing both a consistent retail outlet for farm products and a physical space for community members to directly engage with a working farm just outside city limits. The store also created the real-world context necessary for evaluating marketing strategies and customer behavior in subsequent project phases.
Phase 2 – Driving Community Awareness with a Dual-Technology Approach
As the farm store was nearing completion, the project moved into a coordinated outreach and marketing phase designed to test how different communication methods influenced community engagement. Outreach efforts included a combination of traditional and digital tools, such as direct mail invitations, SMS text campaigns, email newsletters, social media promotion, and video announcements.
These campaigns were used to promote the farm store’s grand opening and ongoing operations, allowing the project team to observe how different generations and audiences responded to various outreach methods. Free media coverage through local print and television news outlets emerged organically during this phase and contributed significantly to community awareness and visitor traffic.
Throughout this phase, informal customer conversations, observed visitor behavior, and engagement metrics provided insight into how on-farm retail combined with modern communication tools could reconnect suburban families with local food and farming.
Phase 3 – Quantifying Effectiveness and Publishing Findings
Rather than conducting controlled research trials, this project functioned as a real-world evaluation of whether an on-farm retail model, supported by digital outreach, could outperform participation in a traditional farmers market. Sales performance and customer activity were tracked using Square POS data and compared across two distinct seasons: the 2024 farmers market season and the 2025 on-farm store season. Online and invoiced sales were excluded to allow for a direct comparison between in-person market channels.
A major component of this phase involved documenting the full process in order to share findings with other producers. Throughout the project, video footage was captured and used to produce a professionally edited, 12-episode educational series titled “Build Your Own Farm Store.” The series was published free-of-charge on the Grace Place Farm & Gardens YouTube channel and covered the full lifecycle of the project, including:
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Why a Farm Store?
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Permitting & Zoning
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The Foundation
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Structure, Electrical, & HVAC
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Finishing the Interior
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Equipment, Appliances, & Furnishings
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Stock & Merchandise
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Square POS & Customer Database
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Marketing
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The Grand Opening
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Day-to-Day Management
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Recap & Lessons Learned
In addition to the video series, a written instructional PDF guide and tip sheet were published to summarize key lessons learned. A SARE-funded trifold educational brochure was also produced and distributed to farm visitors and customers to explain market gardening, regenerative agriculture, and the purpose of the project.
All educational materials were made publicly accessible to extend the impact of the project beyond the local community and provide practical guidance for other small-scale farmers considering on-farm retail and modern marketing strategies.
Project Objectives
The objectives of this project were to:
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Establish a self-serve, year-round on-farm produce store in a suburban setting.
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Evaluate how an on-farm retail model compares to traditional farmers market sales.
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Test the effectiveness of combining traditional outreach with digital marketing and social educational content.
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Document the full process of designing, building, opening, and operating a farm store.
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Produce and publish a free, publicly accessible educational video series detailing lessons learned.
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Develop and distribute written educational materials to support farmer adoption of similar models.
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Share practical, replicable guidance for small-scale farmers seeking to increase community support and economic resilience through on-farm retail.