Better Decisions: Direct farm marketing proves a hit with consumers

Monday, May 4, 2009

The province's 750 on-farm markets draw 8,000,000 customers a year, the bulk of them pleased with what they find

by DORENE COLLINS

With the recent interest by consumers and the media in knowing 'where their food comes from,' the Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association (OFFMA) has just released its 2008-09 On-Farm Marketing In Ontario Report with some encouraging results. 

The Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association (OFFMA) represents over 150 members who sell directly from the farm via on-farm stores, farm gate and pick-your-own operations. Many have ventured into school tours and on-farm entertainment known as agri-tourism.

On-farm markets have reported considerable growth over the last two years. Sixty per cent of those surveyed derive more than half of their total farm income from direct on-farm marketing and more than one-third estimate that they serve between 5,000 to 24,999 customers in a season. It is estimated that the 750 on-farm markets in Ontario host approximately 8,000,000 customers annually. Although these include repeat visits, this statistic demonstrates just how many Ontarians are visiting and purchasing goods directly from a farm each year. 

From a customer perspective, family fun, freshness of product and tradition are prime motivators for visiting on-farm markets. Fruit, vegetables, baking and agri-tainment are the top four products purchased. Eighty per cent of customers rate purchasing directly from the farm as extremely important or somewhat important, and 97 percent say they had their needs met or exceeded at the on-farm market. These statistics prove that on-farm marketing is working and thriving in this province.

With an aging and increasingly urban population in Ontario which seeks out authentic relationships and experiences to meet a variety of lifestyle needs, particularly those focusing on health, there continues to be a growing opportunity for farmers who can "directly" meet those needs. Is this interest and growth a passing phase?

Remember, what a farmer may think as ordinary is considered extraordinary by 98 per cent of the population. With an increasingly urban population, the desire to reconnect with the land (without owning a farm) is very real and farmers working directly with the public have a competitive advantage. 

For more information regarding the 2008-09 On-Farm Marketing In Ontario Report, please contact the Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association at www.ontariofarmfresh.com BF

Dorene Collins is Marketing and Customer Service Program Lead with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Email:dorene.collins@ontario.ca