LFPP, Education
Brent Lackey
Mapping Kentucky's Local Food System Series: ...

Maps help us navigate the world, and they not only show us how to get from point A to point B, but, depending on the type of map, they can also help us to see where patterns, clusters, and gaps exist in a spatial environment. As part of KCARD’s state-wide Local Food System Expansion Initiative, a series of interactive maps has been developed to visualize the Kentucky local food system. Stay tuned for parts two and three of the series in the next few weeks. We will present a closer look into local food sales in Kentucky and the various industries that make up the local food system. 

Mapping Kentucky's Local Food System Series: Introduction

marketing opportunities

Pivoting Your Marketing During Changing Times

Pivoting Your Marketing During Changing Times

If you are like many business owners, the coronavirus pandemic has turned your world upside down. Your cash flow or product availability might have changed, which means you might have to change up other pieces of your business, such as your marketing strategy. Now is not the time to cut your marketing budget or marketing efforts. Why? With so much uncertainty now, you need to reassure your customers that you are here for them and that your business isn’t going anywhere. Check out five tips to pivot your marketing during changing times.

Consumer Trends – Now and Going into Fall

Consumer Trends – Now and Going into Fall

Due to COVID, consumers are changing the way they are buying and what they are buying. While many consumers are settling into learning to live with the reality of COVID, the impact of the pandemic has left more lasting effects on the way consumers are shopping, and what is important to them. What does that mean for you? In this post, we discuss 3 major themes in consumer trends that are projected to continue into fall.

Email Marketing 101: What is it? Why it’s Important to Your Business.

Email Marketing 101: What is it? Why it’s Important to Your Business.

Did you know that the average email subscriber receives about 13 commercial emails each day? How does your business break through that fog of emails to reach your customer? We’ve included a few tips below to help you get started, in addition to these marketing basics.

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New Methods of Accepting Payments Online

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New Methods of Accepting Payments Online

The name of the game these days is social distance. So how do you accept payments from customers without getting closer than six feet or having to handle cash? Digital wallets are financial accounts that allow users to store funds, make transactions, and track payment histories by computer or phone. Here are some of the most popular options that will allow you to take payments without having to get a credit card reader (and some that connect with Square).

Q&A with KCARD: Turning New Customers into Regulars

Q&A with KCARD: Turning New Customers into Regulars

If you’re in the business of selling local food right now, you might be in a unique situation with an uptick in sales and an increase in new customers. We are hearing from businesses that they are getting orders from folks who have never purchased food anywhere other than the grocery store, who suddenly want to buy in bulk from a local farmer. New customers can be a lot of work. You can spend a lot of time and energy patiently giving answers to endless questions. Here are 3 tips on how to turn a new customer into a regular.

Q&A with KCARD: What's Up with My Markets?

Q&A with KCARD: What's Up with My Markets?

Consumer buying habits are rapidly changing.  Restaurants are only open for carry out and delivery while many schools are implementing meal drop off programs.  No one knows exactly what will happen, but as COVID-19 updates come in, remember the following when it comes to your markets.

Q&A with KCARD: Offering Gift Cards

Q&A with KCARD: Offering Gift Cards

People are requesting gift certificates to help support local farms and local food businesses. Offering gifts cards is a great way to let people support you during this time of crisis. So how do you set that up? It depends on how you take payment now, but you have some options…

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By Design or By Default?

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By Design or By Default?

You can easily “fall into” a marketing channel or a product that you did not plan because you want to take advantage of every opportunity you can in an effort to make your farming business work.  Unfortunately, all too often an “opportunity” may not be as good as it first appears, and you end up with lots of things your business is doing that really do not match where you want the business to go.  And you may be doing a lot of things that actually cost the business more money than they make.

About KCARD

The Kentucky Center for Agriculture and Rural Development is a non-profit organization established to facilitate agricultural and rural businesses in Kentucky. We are supported primarily through grants provided by the USDA Rural Cooperative Development Program and the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board. Additional support is provided through our work with partners around the state and through fees charged for select client services.

Contact Us

411 Ring Road
Elizabethtown, KY 42701

p: (859) 550-3972
f: (888) 319-4962

kcard@kcard.info