by Have you been waiting for a golden opportunity to turn your passion for farming into a profitable business venture?
We have good news: Now is the perfect time.
Today’s consumers are more interested than ever in where their food comes from and how it’s produced — and they’re even willing to pay more for farm to table meats and produce.
Meeting this growing demand can be lucrative, giving you the opportunity to build a solid customer base, enjoy a steady flow of sales, and share your high-quality meat products with your community.
Now that we’ve covered the why, let’s dive into how to sell beef off the farm.
1. Get a Handle on Your Inventory
Your first step in learning how to sell beef off the farm is to master the art of inventory management.
On average, how many pounds of beef does your farm produce? How often do you add new stock to your refrigerators and freezers? How long does it stay fresh?
Knowing the answers to these questions is critical for a successful farm sales strategy. For example, if you only produce one cow’s worth of beef per month, it might be best to start small and sell your products in your farm store or farmers’ market booth. On the other hand, if your freezers and refrigerators are overflowing with meat, you might want to dive headfirst into the world of farm e-commerce.
To take charge of your farm inventory, we recommend investing in an all-in-one point of sale (POS) system designed for managing perishable stock. This tool will track your stock levels in real time and help you make informed decisions to boost your beef sales.
2. Choose the Right Place To Sell Beef
Your next step is to choose where to sell your beef.
There are three main options to consider. You can offer your farm’s products online or in person, or you can go for a combination of both. Let’s take a closer look at each.
In-Person Farm Sales
Farm stores and farmers’ markets are classic choices for selling beef off the farm.
These in-person shopping spaces allow customers to see your farm and products firsthand, chat with you about your farming practices, and browse your offerings.
To succeed in the farm store or farmers’ market space, you need attractive displays and a fast, reliable POS system to process your sales and keep your business running smoothly.
Online Farm Sales
Want to take a future-proof approach to selling beef off the farm? Farm e-commerce might be the right choice for you.
Instead of waiting for customers to make the trek to your farm store or farmers’ market booth, you can create a website and sell beef online.
This approach expands your customer base and boosts your sales, and the only catch is that you need the right farm e-commerce platform.
If you can’t decide to focus your efforts on your in-store or online sales, we have good news: You can do both.
All you need is a farm sales platform with brick-and-mortar and e-commerce functionality.
3. Adopt a Weight-Based Sales Approach
When selling beef off the farm, a weight-based approach is crucial.
While farmers have traditionally sold beef by the half or the quarter, today’s customers would rather have a grocery store experience that lets them choose and pay for exactly what fits into their budgets and meal plans.
To make weight-based sales a breeze, all you need is a POS solution designed for catch weight management and an integrated deli scale. These two tools will make it easy to track, package, and sell your farm’s beef and other products down to the last ounce.
Related Read: Selling by Weight: The What, Why, and How
4. Package Your Beef Strategically
You’ve calculated your inventory, decided where to sell your farm-fresh beef, and studied the art of catch weight management. Now, it’s time to get ready for your first sale.
Packaging your beef correctly is essential for complying with food safety regulations, earning your customers’ trust, and ensuring that your products are as fresh as possible.
We recommend researching best practices for storing, packaging, and shipping meat before launching your farm sales operations.
5. Offer Customers Flexible Options
Learning how to sell beef off the farm is an ongoing process. As you learn more about your customers and their preferences, you can tailor your offerings to meet their needs.
For example, if you notice that your customers purchase the same amount of beef each month like clockwork, consider launching a subscription service. Subscriptions make it effortless for your customers to keep their refrigerators stocked with farm-fresh beef and ensure a steady flow of revenue into your business.
If you decide to go the e-commerce route, make sure to offer customers flexible, convenient options. If they want to save money, they can opt to pick up their products from your farm. If they’re short on time, they can choose your delivery option and have their order sent right to their door.
6. Market Your Beef
Our final tip for success in selling beef off the farm is to craft a marketing strategy.
You might have the freshest, most delicious steaks in the state — but it doesn’t matter if no one knows about them.
That’s why you need to implement strategies to attract new customers to your farm and to keep them coming back. Let’s take a look at a few ways to boost your farm’s sales:
- Nurture an online presence using a custom website and social media. Share your family farm story, highlight the quality of your products, and educate customers on your regenerative farming practices.
- Use email newsletters and SMS updates to keep customers up to date about your newest harvests and hottest deals.
- Launch a loyalty program to encourage customers to choose your farm for all their meat and produce needs.
Implementing the right combination of these strategies from the very beginning will grow your customer base and keep your sales high.
How To Sell Beef Off the Farm With GrazeCart
Ready to start your farm sales journey? Our number one tip is to choose the right partner and invest in the right tools.
GrazeCart is a powerful, all-in-one POS solution designed to help farmers like you sell farm-fresh goods online and in person.
Our software makes it easy to take charge of your inventory, sell perishable goods by weight, and grow your customer base through flexible subscription options and a built-in customer loyalty program.
See GrazeCart in action by launching your free, two-week trial today.