FOA 225: A Masterclass in Building a Direct-to-Consumer Farm Business

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Can a farmer transition from the commodity market into a full-scale direct-to-consumer brand? </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The answer is “yes”, and</span> <strong>David Newman</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">is proof. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But this isn’t a story of an overnight success. The transition for</span> <a href= "https://www.newmanfarm.com/"><strong>Newman Farm</strong></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">has been in the works since the 1990s. Over the past 20 years he has learned many lessons, and he was kind enough to share some of them on this episode. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is a special episode of the “Future of Agriculture” Podcast because for the first time, the interview did not include our usual host, Tim Hammerich. Guest co-host</span> <strong>Janette Barnard</strong> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">sourced the story and interviewed David. </span></p> <p><strong>*Be sure to subscribe to Janette’s weekly newsletter about innovation in the animal agriculture value chain:</strong> <a href= "https://primefuture.substack.com/"><strong>primefuture.substack.com</strong></a><strong>. </strong></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>David and Janette discuss: </strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Transitioning from a commodity focus to building a brand</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Finding the right strategy for growth</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">How COVID-19 has impacted their business</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The need for reinvention no matter how traditional your industry</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The challenges of a branded product with direct customer access</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The importance of relationships and growi