3: Direct Marketing/Marketing Outlets

For those with the time and resources to spare, direct marketing can increase both revenue and local awareness of an agricultural enterprise. While the prospect of eliminating the middle man is alluring, bear in mind the added labor and costs that diversifying your business can entail. For more on direct marketing and other material related to value-added agriculture, please refer to Chapter IV.

Ag Alternatives: Developing a Roadside Farm Market
A roadside farm market can provide a good venue for selling directly to consumers, particularly for producers of seasonal produce or value-added products.

Ag Map
AgMap is an online searchable directory of America's agricultural businesses which includes producers, processors, and service providers. AgMap contains listings of not only traditional agricultural businesses, but also the businesses in forestry, turf grass, landscaping, nursery and much more.

Farmers' Markets
News, information, and guidelines for starting your own farmers' market, courtesy of the Agricultural Marketing Service.

Farmers' Market Search
An AMS tool for finding farmers' markets in your area.

MarketMaker
MarketMaker is an interactive mapping system that locates businesses and markets of agricultural products in Pennsylvania, providing an important link between producers and consumers

Produce Auctions in Pennsylvania
Many producers choose to market their production through produce auctions. This avenue provides a combination of wholesale and direct marketing as produce buyers for retail stores and other outlets will develop knowledge of the producer’s quality and crops when attending the auctions each week. This relationship will develop over time and provide a working relationship between the two.