Farm Fresh Blogging
There’s an old saying that March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb…except of course, when it comes in like a lamb and goes out like a lion…..or occasionally when it comes in like a lion and goes out like a lion…and then once in a while when it comes in like a lamb and goes out like a lamb…. in any case, the harsh winter weather eventually becomes much more lamb like.
As I was pondering the expression and the weather, my thoughts turned to business and blogging (as they frequently do) and I began to wonder whether there were any sheep farms who are using blogging as a marketing tool.
Much to my delight I found several of them! If you ever thought your business couldn’t benefit from blogging, take a closer look at these resourceful farmers who are taking advantage of web 2.0. (and don’t forget to check out the pictures of the baby lambs)
Getting Stiched on a Farm Kristin Nicholas has over 150 sheep on her farm in western Massachusetts. She is also a knitwear, stitchery, and textile designer and the author of stitchery and knitting books. She uses her blog to market her books and her expertise. She actively participates in podcast interviews from other bloggers. She is currently being interviewed by a magazine - and they are soliciting interview questions from her blog readers. Deadline to submit questions is April 4th, so if you ever wondered what it’s like to live, work and design on a sheep farm - get your questions submitted!!
The Leaping Lamb Farm has a charming blog called Animal Escapades . Scottie Jones and her husband Greg moved to a farm in Oregon at age 50, succumbing to a mid-life impulse to live a more enjoyable and peaceful life. They soon discovered that while running a 40-acre farm/bed and breakfast was enjoyable, it wasn’t exactly peaceful. Their blog is a treat for anyone who ever fantasized about running away from city life to “get away from it all”. Scottie and Greg use their blog to cross-promote their bed and breakfast, farm and gift store products, and their affiliation with u-haul fences.
Susan at FarmGirl Fare heard the call of the farm at a much younger age - she was 24 when she left her city life in California to live on her own rural farm. As Susan says, “I went from attending restaurant openings & gallery receptions to working the rural fire dept’s BBQ booth at the crafts fair & munching fried pies at country auctions”.
Sixteen years later she is on an even more remote 240 acre farm where she says her life “revolves around food”. She writes food & garden articles, teaches cooking classes & contributes to cookbooks. She is also a passionate bread baker, and is slowly building a small wholesale artisan bread bakery on her farm. Luckily she is also blogging - her site is filled with wonderful recipes and pics of delicious food (as well as adorable lambs!). She won the award for Best Rural Food Blog in 2006 and 2007.
And in case you were wondering whether any farms have blogs to support their actual farm products, be sure to check out Church View Farm in Three Churches, West Virginia. Church View Farm is a sustainably managed artisan farm owned and operated by Steven and Ruth Martin. They have a website and two blogs, whose frequent updates increase their search engine optimization. One blog is their Church View Farm blog which has pictures and stories about their life on a farm.
The second is their Product and Pricing blog which lists their current products and pricing. Using a blog to list prices enables them to update this dynamic information more easily than on a static website. Church View Farms has even started experimenting with podcasts to give an even better of a glimpse of life on the farm.
I hope these farmers and their blogs have given you some inspiration, ideas and confidence for using blogs to promote your own small business…..And here’s a wish that wherever you live, you’re enjoying weather that’s as warm and gentle as a baby sheep.
photo credit: the sea the sea
Related Stories
POSTED IN: Blogging, Small Business
0 opinions for Farm Fresh Blogging
No one has left a comment yet. You know what this means, right? You could be first!
Have an opinion? Leave a comment: