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agriculture

Bigger Isn’t Always Better

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Here in Wisconsin we’ve been happily (and deliciously) celebrating June Dairy Month. Dairy breakfasts, cheese factory tours, ice cream polls—yes, Wisconsinites do love their dairy heritage. And even though many small dairies have given way to corporate, thankfully, there still are family operations successfully defying the “get big or get out.”

Here are premium examples (a few of my favs):

  • St. Isidore’s Dairy: Inga Witscher crafts specialty cheddar cheeses from her micro herd of 10 jersey cows.
  • Chocolate Shoppe is family-owned since 1962 and churns super-premium ice cream.
  • Widmer’s Cheese Cellars is a four-generation factory and store producing traditional Brick and Colby cheese, both of which originated here in Wisconsin.

How to Market Against the Big Guys?

The dairies above are small, highly specialized and quality focused. You won’t find them in big box grocers and their consumers recognize the uniqueness of their brand, meaning they’re willing to pay a little more. These dairies also practice imaginative marketing, a necessity for small business survival.

  • Inga Witcher, of St. Isidor’s Dairy, also hosts Around the Farm Table, a PBS food and farming adventure where she champions not only her own product but also those of small farm producers throughout Wisconsin.
  • Chocolate Shoppe boasts its low overrun and high butterfat (translate: rich and creamy ice cream) with the unabashed tagline “You want nutrition, eat carrots.”
  • Cheesemaker Joe Widmer takes pride in using the same facility, bricks, open vats, brine tanks and traditions his grandfather used in 1922.

Feeling small with your business? Remember the well-spoken words of Basecamp’s Jason Fried: “There’s nothing wrong with staying small. You can do big things with a small team.” 

LET’s WORK TOGETHER

What I’m Working On This Month

Adunate is easing out of the office and into the outdoors—for the summer, that is. For a second year, I’ve done a seasonal lightening of my work load and am spending more time gardening, hiking, kayaking and playing with grandkids. They say it’s good for the soul and the creative mind. I agree!

What I’m Tuned In To This Month

  • Wiser Than Me: Julia Louis-Dreyfus wants to know why we don’t hear more from older women so she invites them to her podcast. I love it.
  • Strawberry-Coconut Tres Leche Cake: June is dairy and strawberries. Yummm!
  • Ixonia: It’s what you get when you randomly choose letters for a town’s name.
  • The Teaching of Plants: Beloved author Robin Wall Kimmerer talks Western science and Indigenous knowledge.

Let’s Work Together

Think Adunate might be a good fit for your next project? Give me a holler and we’ll discuss ideas.

CONTACT ME

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Timing is Everything When Marketing Your Business

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Every July Japanese beetles decide our vineyard is the tastiest on the block. Since we only have 100 vines and are striving to be organic, I simply knock those iridescent irritations into a bucket of soapy water and feed them to my chickens. My mode of defense is easy enough, yet timing is the key to its success. Japanese beetles are lethargic in cool temps, but quick to fly away (and later return) as the day gets warmer. If I want them falling into my bucket, I have to get out there with the morning sunrise.

Timing is everything, as they say. The same can be said when marketing your business. 

Timing Is Everything

  1. Plan six months out. Yes, we’re enjoying the heat of summer, but now’s the time to finalize your autumn marketing plans and brainstorm for winter. Anything big happening in 2022? Got any ideas for a marketing theme?
     
  2. Follow your industry. An awareness of what’s happening in your industry enables you to plan, respond and adapt. Is your product subject to seasonal creep? Do you need to start promoting it earlier? 
     
  3. Stay flexible. A well-scheduled plan makes marketing easy but even the best laid schemes can go awry. Weather, current events or other hot button issues sometimes require a deviation from the plan. Do you a handy backup?
LET’s WORK TOGETHER

What I’m Working On This Month

I’m super proud to serve as a director for Women Food & Ag Network, a non-profit empowering women in healthy food and ag systems. So many inspiring people! This month we’re storytelling as we develop our fundraising/membership drive. After all, stories are the most powerful tool in a marketer’s box. 

What I’m Tuned In To This Month

  1. The Impact of Her Spirit: a 1980s oral history project. Great research for a workshop I’m presenting in November.
  2. What Defines a Family Farm? Obviously, there are differences of opinion, as shown in this article. Either way, we’re loosing our farms.
  3. Grandma Gatewood’s Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail. A well-researched bio of both an amazing woman and the famous trail. 
  4. Firefly Coffeehouse: A story of COVID survival and loyal employees. How’d they do it?

Pros and Cons of Joining Your Chamber of Commerce

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Have you ever thought about joining your local chamber of commerce? This topic came up recently in several entrepreneur discussions. The comments were varied and interesting.

All About Networking

A chamber of commerce is like a basket of businesses. It’s designed to connect local owners so they can collaborate with and advocate for one another. A well-organized, active organization provides education, marketing assistance and overall support. But like any such network, what you put into it determines what you get out of it. 

Based on the comments I mentioned above, I’ve compiled a list of pros and cons for joining your local chamber of commerce. 

Pros

  1. Builds Relationships: Getting to know and regularly hobnobbing with fellow business owners is invaluable. 
     
  2. Establishes Credibility: Most chambers maintain membership directories, online listings, and tourist guides. Such exposure is a great marketing tool and brings credibility to your business.
     
  3. Expands Resources: Chambers work directly with government and educational organizations. They have access to business loans, legislation, discounts, advertising, and so much more than one might have on their own.
     
  4. Being Bigger Than Yourself: Chamber membership is an opportunity to be part of and contribute to your community. It’s a chance to advocate for what’s right for everyone, not just a few. 

Cons

  1. Requires Membership Fees and Time Commitments: Upfront costs and time commitment are cause for consideration, especially for new or small businesses.
     
  2. Not Relevant to Everyone: If your business is not brick and mortar or your target market isn’t local, a chamber membership may not feel useful. Also, if networking isn’t your personal bag, you may not enjoy the social aspect of chamber meetings. 
     
  3. Focus is We, Not Me: An ethical chamber of commerce works for the good of all its members and the community (this is actually a good thing). If you prefer a self-focus for your business, this may not be the organization for you. 
     
  4. No Quick ROI: Just like any networking, the return on what you put into the chamber will need time to develop and grow. Patience will be key.
LET’s WORK TOGETHER

What I’m Working On This Month

Earlier this month I was proud to present my Ice Age Trail poster, a segment-by-segment checklist of hiking Wisconsin’s 1200-mile geologic wonder. I was amazed and humbled by the positive response. 

Stepping into the eCommerce world requires me to step out of my comfort zone (which for the most part is quietly behind the computer). Sales taxes, shipping labels, and trips to the post office are now daily activities. I’m learning so much!

Want a poster? Shop here!

What I’m Tuned In To This Month

  1. The Power of Planting Seeds: Community gardens have immensely broadened the availability for healthy food. We’re well into the gardening season, but acting now enables next year’s possibilities.
     
  2. The Lidice Massacre: Please, let’s not compare COVID vaccines or wearing masks to the Holocaust. This story shows humanity at its worst.
     
  3. Bacon-Wrapped Kielbasa: Fourth of July is coming! We made these recently and they were delish. We’re making them again next weekend!
     
  4. Part 1 and Part 2: Do we shake hands? Can we hug? Gathering post COVID leaves so many questions. Priya Parker is excellent. 

The Sweet Freedom of Your Own Business

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There’s so much to love about winter—glistening beauty, outdoor adventures, indoor coziness. But if there’s one thing we all really love, it’s the END of winter.

a.k.a. Maple Syrup Season

Since I’m relatively new to syruping, I appreciate learning from social media groups. There you’ll find tappers of every kind, from a single tree in their urban backyard to thousands in rural forests. You’ve got your traditionalists hanging buckets and your enterprisers stringing tubal lines. You’ve got your watchkeepers over heat-induced evaporators and your innovators pushing the process with reverse osmosis.

Me? I’m thrilled with my six taps drip, drip, dripping into old-fashioned buckets and I happily stoke wood into our even-more-old-fashioned, not-at-all-efficient, outdoor fireplace. Yet, I’m hinting to my engineering peeps that a home-fabricated RO system sure would be interesting.

When it comes to maple syruping, I’m definitely my own girl. 

Speaking of Sweetness

In a recent workshop, I showcased Hilary Kearny, of Girl Next Door Honey. She’s a savvy business woman and is brilliant in branding herself to her profitable customers. 

When I asked Hilary about her tactics, she admitted: “If I’m totally honest, I was mostly just celebrating my own freedom to make my business and branding whatever I wanted.”

Celebrating your own freedom. Isn’t that simply the best?

Running a business is like tapping for syrup: there are many ways to do it. But in the end, your business is YOUR business. Celebrate the freedom to make it whatever you want it to be!

LET’s WORK TOGETHER

What I’m Working On This Month

As mentioned above, I recently presented a marketing workshop for the Women Food & Ag Network (WFAN) for its “Stories that Sell: A Robust Communications Toolkit for Sustainable Ag Farmers and Ranchers.”

Be sure to follow WFAN for upcoming podcasts, videos, webinars and handouts. 

What I’m Tuned In To This Month

  1. Family Recipe: A poetic video of family, ingredients, and blending together.
  2. No Ordinary Woman, by Janice Sanford Beck. Outdoor adventures—my own and other’s— have saved me from winter/pandemic blahs. Looking forward to reading this for my book club.
  3. Emily Ford—another amazing woman—has been hiking Wisconsin’s 1200-mile Ice Age Trail through since December 28.
  4. 13 Ways to Launch a Food Business of Your Dreams: by Bon Appétit. 

Seasons Greetings from Adunate!

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From our home to yours, may your celebrations be blessed!

So, yes, this is my home office, where for the past 15 years Adunate has worked its magic. This year my work space has been both a refuge and, well, an isolation (I’m guessing you can relate). But, hey, no complaints here. As we wrap up 2020, I’m thankful for so many blessings: faith, family, friends and good health. 

Keep On Keeping On

I’m also thankful for another year working with inspiring clients. It’s an understatement to say it was one of complexities and contrasts, thanks to the coronavirus. I watched some clients struggle to keep their doors open. Yet another client started a new business—check out Hymns In My Heart, a specialty card shop.

One of my clients had to cancel its annual conference part way through our project, yet I was privileged to present marketing workshops at two others. The world stopped meeting in person and overnight we mastered all manner of videoconferencing technology. Amazing, isn’t it?

Many of my clients have changed the way they deliver their products. Curbside pickup and online shopping carts are now the norm, which in turn changes the work I do for them. This year, web design kept me much busier than print design. 

Through it all, I cherish our meaningful friendships. I truly work with the best clients! As Curtis Mayfield used to sing, “And there’s still a lot of faith and warmth and trust, when we keep on keeping on.”

And that’s just what we’re doing—keeping on.

LET’s WORK TOGETHER

What I’m Working On This Month: Vacation!

Every holiday season my husband and I take time off between Christmas and New Year. This year we’re adding a couple days on either side to make it a full two weeks, said with a big cheer! We’re planning a few day trips, hiking (hopefully snowshoeing) and plain ol’ hanging out at home. Glorious!

These off-days are also the time I clean my office and start planning the new year. Stashing the old calendars and putting out the new is always rejuvenating. I think we’re all ready for that, right?

Good riddance, 2020!

What I’m Tuned In To This Month

  1. Christmas in Lake Country: meaningful for the whole family, either in Facebook or YouTube
  2. Ever want to align your planting with the seasons? Me too. I bought this Gardening By The Moon Calendar for 2021.
  3. WFH is a hot topic. I love perusing home offices and creative spaces.
  4. Art Story: The Ecology of Expression and Perspective, celebrate Winter Solstice with the Women, Food & Ag Network.

Wrapping Up 2020

However you celebrate the holidays, my prayer is that God is with you. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!