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312 How a Homesteader Turned Her Side Hustle into a Growing Farm Business

My Digital Farmer | Marketing Strategies for Farmers

Release Date: 05/14/2025

359 Are You Tracking This Number in Your Farm Business? show art 359 Are You Tracking This Number in Your Farm Business?

My Digital Farmer | Marketing Strategies for Farmers

What if the growth you’ve been chasing… isn’t actually about getting more customers? In this episode, I’m introducing a simple (but incredibly powerful) metric called Customer Value. And once you understand it, it will completely change how you think about your farm’s revenue, your marketing, and your growth strategy. Most farmers are focused on the wrong lever. They’re trying to bring in more people… when the real opportunity might already be sitting inside their current customer base. Inside this episode, I’m going to show you: What Customer Value actually is (and how to...

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358 Timing is Everything: The Best Time to Sell Your Farm Products show art 358 Timing is Everything: The Best Time to Sell Your Farm Products

My Digital Farmer | Marketing Strategies for Farmers

I walked into the grocery store this week… and it felt like Easter punched me in the face. Everywhere I turned, there were Easter baskets, chocolate bunnies, pastel packaging, even M&M’s rebranded as “eggs.” It wasn’t just a reminder that Easter was coming—it was a full-on invitation to buy like it was Easter. And here’s the weird part… I found myself wanting things I didn’t even plan to buy. If your farm products aren’t selling, it might not be your pricing… your offer… or even your marketing. It might be your timing. In this episode, I’m breaking down the 5...

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357 How I Built a Spring Plant Sale Launch That Sold Out in 48 Hours show art 357 How I Built a Spring Plant Sale Launch That Sold Out in 48 Hours

My Digital Farmer | Marketing Strategies for Farmers

We just sold out our entire Spring Plant Sale in 48 hours… and I had to shut the store down five days early. I don't think it was luck. This year, I approached the plant sale differently. I built it like a launch. And in the process, I uncovered a few new strategies (and a few surprising insights) that I haven’t shared before. If you’ve ever run a promotion and thought, “Why didn’t this sell as well as I hoped?”... this episode is your behind-the-scenes look at what actually moves the needle. I’m walking you through the anatomy of this year’s Spring Plant Sale launch -- what I...

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356 Inside a Farm Marketing School Coaching Call with MacKenzie Wright from Jones Brothers Farms show art 356 Inside a Farm Marketing School Coaching Call with MacKenzie Wright from Jones Brothers Farms

My Digital Farmer | Marketing Strategies for Farmers

What actually happens inside a Farm Marketing School coaching call? In this episode, you’re getting a rare, behind-the-scenes listen to a real 1:1 strategy session with MacKenzie Wright from , serving the Louisville and Northern Kentucky area with home-grown tomatoes, produce, and beef. In this conversation, we dig into social media strategy, what’s actually working, and how to think about content in a way that builds your email list—not just your follower count. We also explore what it looks like to step more fully into your role as the “face” of your brand… even when that feels a...

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355 The 3 Mindset Blocks Behind Selling Your Farm Products show art 355 The 3 Mindset Blocks Behind Selling Your Farm Products

My Digital Farmer | Marketing Strategies for Farmers

You don’t have a marketing problem. You have a hesitation problem. I see it all the time. Farmers build the offer. They may even grow the list. They do the marketing prep work. And when it’s time to promote?... They pull back. The question is why? This episode aims to uncover those beliefs quietly running your marketing. If you’ve ever thought: “I don’t want to be annoying.” “If they didn’t buy, maybe it’s me.” “Good products should just sell themselves.” You’re not alone. We dig into the three mindset blocks that keep farmers from selling confidently. We...

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354 Stop Selling the Product & Start Building the Offer show art 354 Stop Selling the Product & Start Building the Offer

My Digital Farmer | Marketing Strategies for Farmers

 (formerly ConvertKit.com) -- it is easy to use, powerful, and getting better every year. It also integrates with most e-commerce providers and tools.  Ep 236 – How to Raise Your Prices (and Make More $) Using Price Anchoring Ep 334 – The Anatomy of a Great Email Offer — An Audit -- this is the monthly health membership I joined that allows me to get 2 sets of comprehensive blood tests per year (the ones that most doctors don't check for, but are really significant! It's been an empowering step for me!) The cost is $399/year, and covers the tests! Use this affiliate link...

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353 Turn FAQs Into Farm Sales: Answer the Questions That Stop Customers From Buying show art 353 Turn FAQs Into Farm Sales: Answer the Questions That Stop Customers From Buying

My Digital Farmer | Marketing Strategies for Farmers

The other day I found the perfect desk on Facebook Marketplace. Great photos. Fair price. Only ten minutes away from my house. But I didn’t buy it. Why? Because one simple piece of information was missing — the dimensions. Without that one detail, I couldn’t tell if it would fit our space… so I moved on. And it made me realize something. Farm customers do this all the time. They want to buy… but a small unanswered question stops them from moving forward. If customers are interested in your farm but not actually buying, the problem might not be your product -- it might be the...

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352 The Hidden Goal of Every Farm Promotion show art 352 The Hidden Goal of Every Farm Promotion

My Digital Farmer | Marketing Strategies for Farmers

I thought the goal of my recent promotion was simple: sell 40 prepaid online store credit memberships. That was it. 40 spots. Hit the revenue goal. Move on. But as I was building the emails, teasing it on social media, and checking my stats inside (my email service provider), I noticed something unexpected… My email list had jumped a LOT. And it wasn’t random. It was happening because of how I positioned the promotion before it ever opened. That’s when it clicked! Every promotion has a second goal. And most farmers completely miss it. Yes, promotions are meant to...

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351 How to Find Weekly Email Topic Ideas When You Don't Know What to Say show art 351 How to Find Weekly Email Topic Ideas When You Don't Know What to Say

My Digital Farmer | Marketing Strategies for Farmers

Ever sit down to write your weekly email… Cursor blinking. Brain dead. And you’re thinking: “I KNOW I should email my list… but what on earth do I say this week?” In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on how I actually find ideas when I feel stuck! Most great emails don’t start with “content ideas” at all! They start with stories hiding in plain sight. If writing your weekly email feels harder than it should, chances are you’re looking in the wrong place for ideas. In this episode, I walk you through how to identify the central story of an email, and why...

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350 Lessons from a Handmade Goat Soap Business - Interview with Hooves and Feathers show art 350 Lessons from a Handmade Goat Soap Business - Interview with Hooves and Feathers

My Digital Farmer | Marketing Strategies for Farmers

A few months ago, I opened my mailbox to find a beautifully packaged starter box of goat milk soap from Allan Laird of Hooves and Feathers. Allan is a Farm Marketing School student… and he was proudly showing me his homework. 😊 Inside the box were thoughtfully chosen products, a clear “try-this-first” experience, and a sense that this wasn’t just soap — it was a brand with intention. I remember thinking, This is what happens when someone applies simple marketing frameworks with consistency. So I called Allan and said, “You need to come on the podcast and walk us through what...

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More Episodes

What happens when a total city girl decides to go all-in on the homesteading life… and ends up building a full-blown farm business from scratch?

In this episode, I sit down with Beth DeClerq, a self-taught homesteader who started out just wanting to be self-sufficient—and ended up creating a profitable farm business that’s now helping her family build toward a full-time income.

Beth didn’t grow up farming. She had zero experience with animals or agriculture. But one step at a time—raising chickens, gardening, milking a cow, selling eggs—she figured it out. And along the way, her neighbors started asking if they could buy from her. Fast forward to today, and Beth is scaling her farm operation, growing an online membership that teaches homesteading skills, and using the early bird sales system she learned from this podcast to sell out her pastured poultry… before they’ve even hit the freezer.

🎧 This is a story of grit, organic growth, and leaning into your niche. Tune in to hear how Beth turned her side hustle into something bigger—and the key takeaways she’s learned along the way.


Today's Podcast Guest: Beth Declercq

Beth Declerq

Beth Declercq is a city-kid-turned-homesteader, raising 8 kids with her husband Tommy on 10 acres in mid-Michigan. She originally began homesteading with the desire to provide better food for her family, but eventually their change in lifestyle grew into a longing for financial self sufficiency too. Their small homestead now generates enough revenue to cover all it's own costs, and then some, and they are currently on the journey of scaling from family homestead to a small farm.

Follow Beth on Instagram @BethDeclercq

Here's the link to her homesteading membership: IntentionalHomesteading.com


Podcast Sponsors:

Local Line:

Local Line is my preferred e-commerce platform for farmers. Are you looking for a new solution for your farm? I can't recommend it enough. Easy-to-use inventory management, great customer service, continuous improvement, and a culture dedicated to equipping farmers with marketing expertise. Local Line is offering a free premium feature for free for one year on top of your paid subscription. Claim your discount by signing up for a Local Line account today and using the coupon code: MDF2025. Head to my special affiliate link to get started: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/localline

Farm Marketing School:

Marketing doesn’t have to feel overwhelming! Farm Marketing School is my step-by-step system for building a profitable farm marketing plan. Inside, you'll get access to bite-sized marketing projects like:

  • 📆 Creating a promotion calendar that drives consistent sales
  • 🛠️ Setting up & optimizing your Google Business Profile
  • 📧 Writing high-converting emails (nurture, promotions, onboarding)
  • 🗣️ Collecting & using customer testimonials effectively
  • 🔍 Auditing & improving your sales funnel
  • 💬 Monthly live coaching calls for answers to your burning questions

Each project includes a workshop and step-by-step plan so you can take action and see results without the overwhelm. Join here:
👉 www.mydigitalfarmer.com/fms (Cancel anytime!)

Helpful Links Mentioned in This Episode

  • Want to build your own “early bird” sales campaign like Beth did? My online course Early Bird Campaigns that Convert is now inside of Farm Marketing School!! Enroll monthly in FMS and get access to this course.
  • What email provider do I use? I recommend Kit.com (formerly ConvertKit.com) -- it is easy to use, powerful, and getting better every year. It also integrates with most e-commerce providers and tools. Use my affiliate link!
  • Follow Beth on Instagram @BethDeclercq

  • Here's the link to Beth's homesteading online membership: IntentionalHomesteading.com

  • 📲 Follow me on Instagram: @mydigitalfarmer
  • 📬 Join My Email List: Get weekly farm marketing tips delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up at www.mydigitalfarmer.com/subscribe.
  • 🌱 Want more farm marketing strategies? Visit my full resource library at www.mydigitalfarmer.com

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  • Subscribe on your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode.
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