Kristen’s Chickens and Farming Ventures

[Kris5902]

The market was quite a success, with almost $500 in sales, almost all in cooked, and we sold out... of buns, and cooked onions. We figured out the squeeze bottles of grainy mustard aren’t great for functionality, we need a second napkin dispenser, and better signage. I forgive Andrew for the signage and menu, as he was still a little dopey from the surgery when he did it. The square reader thingie was fairly successful, and I expect our Raw Sausage, egg, and meat sales to pick up with the signage changes. I’m thinking we should do a custom banner as a skirt for our tables. And we really have to work out some merchandising solutions for all the different Farm ventures. All said, today was a much better day!

Here are some of the feral turkeys that hang out at the store... they caused a traffic jam leaving as the market started to pick up. So why did the turkey cross the road? To get away from all those people gathered around at their usual hang out! That’s why

 

[WhoDatChick]

Oh wow! $500! That is so great! I am happy for you
And those turkeys are cool! They look like they are wearing those wigs politicians and such.. wore back in the day ... They look very distinguished

 

[Ribh]

Well done! $500 is great!

 

[rjohns39]

Congrats and good morning Kris Turkeys look just like the wild girls who try to entice my boys to follow them home.

 

[aart]

Congrats on the market success!
Yes, marketing is a lot of work. BTDT.

 

[Kris5902]

Thanks for the encouragement, that was our gross take, we can’t figure out our net exactly as we are still waiting on the invoice for the buns. Just like I keep telling the people interested in my meat chickens, I can’t give them a price until I know what our actual cost is! Luckily with our backgrounds in restaurants, grocery stores, retail management, and cash handling, and basic business accounting, Andrew and I are fairly good at most of the skills the farm has been lacking! The actual cost of producing the animals we have a little less of a handle on, but we are learning pretty quickly.

The biggest issues we are facing is stubborn refusal to engage in basic marketing of any sort from the owners of the farm. Give me a logo, a stamp, and $50 of printable labels and we would increase farm sales greatly. Just pick one, one font for the name “Campbell Farm”, and not one that looks at all like the soups of the same name! Do the tourists know they can buy breakfast patties, eggs, veggies, lamb chops or steaks to take home or enjoy while at their vacation home on island? If we stuck a farm logo on the signage that Andrew uses when selling sausage. Free advertising! Every week, at a highly visible Market in the parking lot of the one store we have that is centrally located.

I think what frustrates me the most is the willingness to complain that the money isn’t coming in, and the strange ideas they fixate on to fix that (a wooden skid deck thing with a car shelter tent on it is not Glamping! And where are the campers going to poop? I’ll skip the outhouse maintenance thank you very much!) instead of some simple, practical marketing and changes in product sizing. Not everyone is willing/able to buy a full side of pastured beef, but $100 for some steaks, ground, a roast? More doable... if only there was some way of telling the customers that we have a product for them... hmmmm???

 

[BY Bob]

Morning trip in... the late ferry means better light for photos leaving SaturnaView attachment 1776441View attachment 1776442
Our lateness means we didn’t transfer where we usually do on a neighboring island... this is Village Bay, Mayne Island. It’s much more heavily populated at 1000+ residents and 21 square kms in size, as opposed to our 300 residents on 31 square kms.
View attachment 1776443 View attachment 1776445

Beautiful photos

 

[Kris5902]

Beautiful photos

Thanks!

 

[drumstick diva]

could you ask customers to just fill out a card with name, address etc., and you could mail them a post card mentioning what you have to sell. Or maybe having that info already printed up and give it to buyers.

 

[BY Bob]

The pics are gorgeous! And I love the cows .. so sweet!
You are not crazy.. that’s awesome! I tell people all the time that you can train cats.. I agree about them being on my counters .. mine know “down” as well but they actually know better not to even get up there at all... well, when I’m around.. that is.. I’m no dummy

My cats are well trained as well. It's not hard, people don't give cats enough credit. Just like chickens can be trained as well.

@Kris5902 The cow pictures are awesome. Thanks for sharing. I love catching up on this string. It makes me smile everytime.