By Maci Carter | Radio Okla. Ag Network
Direct marketing of agricultural products has its benefits, according to horticulture specialist Julia Laughlin.
“This is where a producer sells directly to a consumer instead of having a middleman,” Laughlin said during the Women In Ag Conference held in Edmond recently.
Some examples of direct marketing include using farmers’ markets or selling directly to chefs at restaurants rather than selling to a corporation grocery store. Laughlin said it may be harder than it sounds, and often times finding someone to sell for you can be an easier avenue.
“One thing is, it can be sold directly to the consumer, which is generally a higher quality for the consumer,” she said. “And for the vendor or the producer, they’re going to make more money because they can get a full price for the product without going through a second market.”
]While direct marketing has its challenges, Laughlin described a few benefits for producers who choose this route, including higher profit margins.
“As far as trends, I think the example is that young people today, the ones who grew up with their moms taking them to the farmers market or whatever, they see the value of local food,” Laughlin said.
“There’s a whole different mindset with consumers and in urban areas or in rural areas where it’s like, ‘You know, why not get my tomatoes from the person that I know at the farmers market?’”
Laughlin said she believes there is an uptick in demand for direct marketing. While many producers’ first thought is to sell at a farmers market, “Today we are also seeing things like local trading, selling directly to restaurants, selling online, or being a part of a CSA program or subscription that provides a fresh basket of produce from a local producer every week,” she said.
“I think people are branching out into things that they can do as well with a greenhouse, like perhaps I do microgreens or shoots, or maybe they’re adding mushrooms or honey,” Laughlin said. “So, it’s neat to see producers diversifying what they’re producing for direct markets.”
Not only are trends changing in how food is produced, but also trends are sweeping through the producer community. Laughlin said diversifying production has become more popular and she is seeing the addition of unique crops.
“The other thing is probably greenhouse production of transplants,” Laughlin said. “Other nontraditional crops that might seem a little bit unusual, like mustards, are not really unusual but may not always be available at a farmers market.”
For producers who are interested in marketing their products direct-to-consumer, Laughlin offered some tips.
“Definitely on-farm consultations, if you’re trying to start a market garden,” she said. “You can talk to your local ag agent in your county, and we even have, in some cases, the availability of state specialists to help you, but there are educational programs throughout the state as well for market gardeners.”
The resources are nearly endless, Laughlin said. She suggested taking advantage of consultation services, education courses, fact sheets, research, and more through the Oklahoma State University Extension Service.