John Arbuckle and his wife Holly have landed their pork snack sticks in over 600 retail stores nationwide! Their key accounts include the likes of Sprouts Market, Natural Grocers, HEB, and others. Securing this kind of shelf space is a tough uphill battle... It's low-margin, hyper-competitive, and it feels like the buyer commands all the negotiating power. That's why we were thrilled when John agreed to join the show and share what he knows. If you've ever wondered what it takes to scale a wholesale business, you won't want to miss their story ..read more

An "online farmers market" that connects consumers & farmers within a shoppable platform is a business model many have attempted, but few have accomplished.  Nick Carter and the team at Market Wagon are one of the few! They've hit the INC 5000 list twice during their quick expansion to serve 30+ markets across the Midwest & East Coast. Marketing, tech, and logistics are typically the most difficult parts of the supply chain for farmers to solve, and this is where Market Wagon shines. Nick is a friend, and this industry needs more innovative people like him. That's why we invited h ..read more

Ryan MacKay is the owner of Lilac Hedge Farms. Their primary sales outlet is DTC eCommerce, but they also operate a 7-figure agri-tourism enterprise consisting of: A cozy farm store & ice cream bar. A full-service kitchen & stage for live music. Multiple Air BNB rentals. A giant inflatable jump pad for the kids. And of course, they host farm tours & all kinds of community events. While this is a lot to manage, there's a reason Ryan has been able to scale his eCommerce business with a hyper-regional customer base. Even as they expand to serve customers states away, the on-farm act ..read more

Cody Hopkins is the CEO and founding farmer of GrassRoots Co-Op, and has led the company to become one of the more successful D2C farm-to-fork brands sourcing regenerative products from farms in the US. Here's where we went with the interview: Cody's journey from teaching to 1st gen farming. Their early funding journey for launching the co-op. The pros/cons of the co-op business model. Their transition from wholesale to DTC. *Nerdy tactics on digital marketing tactics & data. One other thing that's easy to admire about Cody is his knack for networking. If you listen carefully, you'll not ..read more

In this episode, you'll hear us (Blaine and Brooks) break down their top strategies for high leverage ways to increase your product margin. We're talking about solutions you can implement once, and retain more ? with every order you receive, or every animal you process. Regardless of how long you've been in direct marketing, I'm confident there's a new idea in this episode that you can take action on this week! We are passionate about equipping small farms to reclaim market-share by implementing the business and marketing principles needed to climb the value chain and sell direct. Each episode ..read more

A full episode to break down the acquisition announcement of GrazeCart by specialty retail point-of-sale provider, POS Nation.  On this episode Blaine and I unpack common questions like: Why did we decide to sell GrazeCart? Who is POS Nation? (you'll hear from their team) What will our involvement be going forward? What did we learn through this process? and what we’re most excited about for GrazeCart’s future! As passionate founders, we're thrilled to have found a partner who is excited about the future of GrazeCart and has the expertise to expand its' position in the marketplace. In c ..read more

Team meetings are tough to get right... Whether you work with a few family members or a full-blown team, you've probably left meetings feeling more confused and discouraged than you came in. Some of us get so fed up that we attempt to steer the organization without meetings altogether. After all, between producing livestock and packing orders, who really has time for formal meetings anyway? However, this only leads to more chaos and sideways energy. So what's the answer? In our experience, the key to having really great team meetings boils down to the AGENDA.  The right agenda helps every ..read more

According to a few recent interviews from CEO Mike Salguero, ButcherBox has scaled beyond $600m in revenue.  In this episode, Blaine and I share our reactions to ButcherBox's remarkable growth, a breakdown of the strategies they leveraged, as well as what their market position means for the everyday farm-to-fork producer.   ..read more

There's a lot of buzz floating around about AI and how it's disrupting countless industries. But are there actually any practical applications to use to help run a farm-to-fork business? We answer that question in today's episode by showcasing some of the ways we're using AI to save time while producing better results ..read more

Whether you're a startup or simply new to marketing, you may feel overwhelmed with a torrent of tools you can use to promote your business. It can be difficult to know where to focus your energy. In this episode, we'll explain why email is king at Seven Sons, even in today's world of social media and influencers. Brooks and Blaine will each share their three favorite emails they use at Seven Sons, and they'll talk about the impact these emails can have on your customers.  ..read more