Marketing and Sales - Raising Poultry - page 346

Don't be afraid to put reasonable hours on your sign to let possible customers know
when they are and are not invited. Make sure you have a large SOLD OUT sign so that
when your inventory is depleted people don't make the effort, mouth watering, and then
get discouraged when nothing is available.
A well-decorated sign can be a boon to your sales, but there may be regulations in
your part of the country that prohibit signs. Be sure to check these out before you spend
a great deal of money on a sign that ends up being illegal.
Farmers' Markets
If you do not have an ideal location for a sign or individual farm stand or you are located
off of a backwoods road with little traffic, you may have to be more assertive with your
marketing approach. Many indoor and outdoor farmers' markets allow you to sell meat
products from freezers and eggs from coolers. In some markets, the staff handle the
product for you, taking a percentage of the profit made off your product. Don't be afraid
to seek out such places. You don't always have to be the face of your farm. Trusted mar-
kets can do the selling for you while you spend time with your live birds or processing
those to be sold.
MARKETING
Robert Gibson and Joseph Marquette
Yellow House Farm, Barrington, NH
Y ELLOW HOUSE FARM , owned by Robert Gibson and Joseph Marquette, is a modest
homestead in Barrington, New Hampshire, yet it has had a substantial impact on the
locavore culture of the region. Robert and Joseph's marketing efforts are based on
education, not gimmick. They raise purebred heritage fowl, breeding on-site and se-
lecting toward the American Poultry Association's Standard of Perfection . Their first
goal is to be thorough and professional stewards of their breeds, and that care and
intention inform their presentation to customers.
In this local food market, in which Yellow House Farm sells to friends and neigh-
bors, the what and how of their farming forms the basis of their marketing:
“We strive to know everything about our breeds, and then we market them ,” the
partners say. “We don't sell 'roasters'; we sell 'Dorking roasters.' 'What's a Dork-
ing?' people ask, and therein lies our opportunity to make a sale and educate people
about our breeds. They leave with their Dorking roaster, excited to give it a try.”