My Digital Farmer Podcast

Corinna Bench

CSA farmer and marketing specialist Corinna Bench from MyDigitalFarmer.com and Shared Legacy Farms brings you the My Digital Farmer podcast, revealing the best online marketing strategies you can apply to your retail farm business to help you grow your leads and sales. These days, it's not enough to just grow your product. You've got to be able to sell it too. In this podcast you'll be exposed to the fundamentals of marketing theory and practice so you can apply them to your own business.We'll cover marketing funnels, copywriting, website messaging, CSA marketing, lead generation, brand building, social media, customer retention, Facebook ads, sales pages, Facebook groups, YouTube, Instagram, email marketing, and stellar customer service. We also interview other farmers to find out what's working (and not working) in farm marketing so you can feel more confident in your ability to convert leads, increase sales, and build a strong brand for your farm.

  1. 6d ago

    378 Who Should NOT Buy Your Farm Product? (A Worthy Thought Exercise)

    We spend a lot of time defining our ideal customer, but here's a question we don't ask nearly enough: Who should NOT buy your product? If you're spending too much time answering questions, overcoming objections, or trying to convince people to buy (only to have them walk away!) you may not have a sales problem. You may have a qualification problem. In this episode, I'm sharing a recent encounter that made me realize how valuable it is to recognize our "no signals" -- the clues that someone simply isn't a good fit for what we're selling. And even better: What if our marketing could communicate those signals for us, so people self-qualify before they ever reach the sale? We'll look at practical ways to build these filters into your website, social media, emails, FAQs, pricing, and other marketing assets, so more of the right people make it to the bottom of your funnel. I'll also challenge you to finish this sentence: "My farm/product is probably NOT a good fit for someone who…" Because clear marketing doesn't just attract. It also repels. Farm Marketing School (FMS) member Bonus: We're workshopping this topic together during our monthly Zoom call this month! We'll identify your "no signals" and brainstorm ways to build them into your marketing. Can't come live? I'll save the replay in the FMS library. Join Farm Marketing School here: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/FMS Thank You to Our Podcast Sponsors: Local Line is my farm's 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: MDF2026. Head to my special affiliate link to get started: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/localline Farm Marketing School is my step-by-step membership program for direct-to-consumer farmers who are ready to treat marketing like a system, not a guessing game. Inside, you'll get plug-and-play projects, templates, monthly coaching, and a repeatable framework to help you grow your email list, run stronger promotions, and increase sales (whether you're a vegetable, meat, CSA, flower, dairy, microgreen, or value-added farm). Your investment is only $69/month. Over 15 marketing projects to choose from. Learn more and enroll at: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/fms Support the Podcast: Love the My Digital Farmer Podcast? Help me reach more farmer earbuds! Subscribe on your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode. ⭐️  Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts, because it helps other farmers find the show. Share this episode with a fellow farmer or small business owner. Or forward my weekly email about the show to a farmer! (Get on that email list here to get more marketing tips: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/subscribe)

  2. Sep 9

    377 Practical Ways to Get More Referrals From Your Farm Customers

    Most farmers will tell you that word-of-mouth is one of their best sources of new customers. But there's a big difference between being grateful for referrals, and intentionally creating more of them. In this episode, we're talking about how to put an engine behind word-of-mouth. I'll share a whole bunch of practical ways farms can make referrals easier, more natural, and more likely to happen—without needing complicated software or some fancy loyalty program. More importantly, I'll show you how to think strategically about who you ask, when you ask, what you give customers to share, and what happens when a referral actually converts. By the end of this episode, you'll be able to look at your own customer journey, spot the places where referral opportunities are hiding, and design a simple referral experiment you can actually test on your farm. If you've already got customers who love what you do, this episode will help you turn some of that goodwill into growth. Helpful Links & Resources What email provider do I use for my email marketing launches? I recommend Kit.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! Thank You to Our Podcast Sponsors: Local Line is my farm's 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: MDF2026. Head to my special affiliate link to get started: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/localline Farm Marketing School is my step-by-step membership program for direct-to-consumer farmers who are ready to treat marketing like a system, not a guessing game. Inside, you'll get plug-and-play projects, templates, monthly coaching, and a repeatable framework to help you grow your email list, run stronger promotions, and increase sales (whether you're a vegetable, meat, CSA, flower, dairy, microgreen, or value-added farm). Your investment is only $69/month. Over 15 marketing projects to choose from. Learn more and enroll at: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/fms Support the Podcast: Love the My Digital Farmer Podcast? Help me reach more farmer earbuds! Subscribe on your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode. ⭐️  Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts, because it helps other farmers find the show. Share this episode with a fellow farmer or small business owner. Or forward my weekly email about the show to a farmer! (Get on that email list here to get more marketing tips: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/subscribe)

  3. Sep 2

    376 What Should I Call This? How to Name Farm Products (So That They Sell)

    Could changing one word on a sign or product listing make a product sell better? Last week at our Farmer's Bag Toledo pickup, I noticed something strange happening with two kinds of onions sitting right next to each other. Customers kept choosing one—and passing over the other. Then one of our volunteers made an observation: "I wonder if it's the name." That comment made me think, "Oh I've got to do a podcast about this!" Because as farmers, we often name our products based on what we call them -- i.e. the variety in the seed catalog, the technical name of the cut, or whatever makes sense to us behind the scenes. But your product name isn't just an inventory label. It's marketing copy. In this episode, I'm sharing seven simple tests you can use when naming (or renaming) your farm products—from everyday items in your online store to bigger signature offers and programs. We'll talk about how the right name can help a customer understand what you're selling, recognize why they might want it, remember it, and sometimes even stop in their tracks and ask, "Wait... why do you call it THAT?" If you've ever struggled with what to call something, or you've got a product customers consistently seem to overlook, this episode will give you a new way to look at the words on the sign. Listen in and then choose ONE product on your farm to rename and test this week. Helpful Links & Resources What email provider do I use for my email marketing launches? I recommend Kit.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! Thank You to Our Podcast Sponsors: Local Line is my farm's 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: MDF2026. Head to my special affiliate link to get started: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/localline Farm Marketing School is my step-by-step membership program for direct-to-consumer farmers who are ready to treat marketing like a system, not a guessing game. Inside, you'll get plug-and-play projects, templates, monthly coaching, and a repeatable framework to help you grow your email list, run stronger promotions, and increase sales (whether you're a vegetable, meat, CSA, flower, dairy, microgreen, or value-added farm). Your investment is only $69/month. Over 15 marketing projects to choose from. Learn more and enroll at: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/fms Support the Podcast: Love the My Digital Farmer Podcast? Help me reach more farmer earbuds! Subscribe on your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode. ⭐️  Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts, because it helps other farmers find the show. Share this episode with a fellow farmer or small business owner. Or forward my weekly email about the show to a farmer! (Get on that email list here to get more marketing tips: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/subscribe)

  4. Aug 19

    375 The Five Transformations Farmers Really Sell

    What if your customers aren't actually buying your vegetables? In this episode, Corinna shares a personal story from her son's Air Force Basic Training that reinforced a key marketing principle, and it has nothing to do with farming. If you've ever struggled to know what to say in your emails, on your website, or in your social media posts, this episode will help you uncover the deeper reason people choose to buy from your farm. Eventually all business owners realize that customers don't buy products... they buy the life those products help create. You'll learn how to identify the transformation your farm really delivers, why some customer motivations matter more than others, and how this one mindset shift can change every piece of your marketing. If you're ready to stop talking about vegetables and start connecting with what your customers truly want, this episode is for you. Helpful Links & Resources What email provider do I use for my email marketing? I recommend Kit.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! Thank You to Our Podcast Sponsors: Local Line is my farm's 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: MDF2026. Head to my special affiliate link to get started: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/localline Farm Marketing School is my step-by-step membership program for direct-to-consumer farmers who are ready to treat marketing like a system, not a guessing game. Inside, you'll get plug-and-play projects, templates, monthly coaching, and a repeatable framework to help you grow your email list, run stronger promotions, and increase sales (whether you're a vegetable, meat, CSA, flower, dairy, microgreen, or value-added farm). Your investment is only $69/month. Over 15 marketing projects to choose from. Learn more and enroll at: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/fms Support the Podcast: Love the My Digital Farmer Podcast? Help me reach more farmer earbuds! Subscribe on your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode. ⭐️  Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts, because it helps other farmers find the show. Share this episode with a fellow farmer or small business owner. Or forward my weekly email about the show to a farmer! (Get on that email list here to get more marketing tips: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/subscribe

  5. Aug 12

    374 Behind the Launch: How Farmer's Bag Toledo Went From Idea to Sold Out

    How do you go from a random idea... to selling out a brand-new food access program in just a few days? In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on the complete behind-the-scenes story of launching The Farmer's Bag Toledo. You'll hear how one unexpected meeting planted the seed, how the right partnership changed everything, why we chose to beta test instead of trying to make it perfect, and all the practical work that happened behind the scenes -- from pricing and logistics to technology, funding, naming, messaging, and launch strategy. If you've ever had an idea sitting in your notebook wondering... "Could this actually become something?" ...this episode will show you exactly how we walked one idea all the way into the marketplace. Inside this episode you'll discover: Why one unexpected opportunity made us believe Farmer's Bag Toledo needed to exist. How the right strategic partnership accelerated everything. Why thinking of it as a beta test removed so much pressure. The dozens of decisions every new offer requires before anyone can buy. How we built the offer itself—from pricing and bonuses to messaging and positioning. The technology stack we used to automate the customer experience. The launch sequence that created momentum before the doors even opened. What surprised me most after watching the entire launch unfold. The biggest lesson I'll carry into every future offer I build. Whether you're launching a CSA, opening a farm stand, starting a flower subscription, or creating something completely new, this episode is really about learning how successful offers are designed. Helpful Links & Resources See the sales page for the Farmer's Bag Toledo here. I mentioned it in this episode. Download the Farmer's Bag Toledo Promo Flier. I originally created this as something to pass out to potential customers to explain what it was in a nutshell. In the end, we didn't need to use it that way. Instead I gave it to my media outlets to help explain our pitch. I mention Zapier in this podcast. This is a tool that will connect apps to each other and create automations for you.  What email provider do I use for my email marketing launches? I recommend Kit.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! Thank You to Our Podcast Sponsors: Local Line is my farm's 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: MDF2026. Head to my special affiliate link to get started: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/localline Farm Marketing School is my step-by-step membership program for direct-to-consumer farmers who are ready to treat marketing like a system, not a guessing game. Inside, you'll get plug-and-play projects, templates, monthly coaching, and a repeatable framework to help you grow your email list, run stronger promotions, and increase sales (whether you're a vegetable, meat, CSA, flower, dairy, microgreen, or value-added farm). Your investment is only $69/month. Over 15 marketing projects to choose from. Learn more and enroll at: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/fms Support the Podcast: Love the My Digital Farmer Podcast? Help me reach more farmer earbuds! Subscribe on your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode. ⭐️  Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts, because it helps other farmers find the show. Share this episode with a fellow farmer or small business owner. Or forward my weekly email about the show to a farmer! (Get on that email list here to get more marketing tips: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/subscribe)

  6. Aug 5

    373: The 7 Essential Offers Every Farm Business Needs

    Imagine asking the first runner in a relay race to carry the baton from the starting line all the way to the finish. No winning team would do that. Yet many farm businesses unknowingly expect one offer to do exactly that. In this episode, I introduce a simple framework that completely changed the way I think about marketing: The Offer Portfolio. Instead of relying on one offer to attract new customers, create first-time buyers, build loyalty, increase order value, and generate referrals, you'll discover the 7 essential offers every farm business should consider -- and the unique role each one plays. Just like a relay team, every offer has one job: run its leg of the race, then pass the baton to the next. In this episode, you'll discover: Why every offer should have one clear job. The 7 essential offers every farm business needs. How each offer pulls a different business growth lever. How to identify the missing "runner" that's holding your business back. By the end of this episode, you'll stop asking, "What should I sell next?" …and start asking, "Which runner is missing from my relay team?" Helpful Links & Resources What email provider do I use for my email marketing? I recommend Kit.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! Thank You to Our Podcast Sponsors: Local Line is my farm's 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: MDF2026. Head to my special affiliate link to get started: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/localline Farm Marketing School is my step-by-step membership program for direct-to-consumer farmers who are ready to treat marketing like a system, not a guessing game. Inside, you'll get plug-and-play projects, templates, monthly coaching, and a repeatable framework to help you grow your email list, run stronger promotions, and increase sales (whether you're a vegetable, meat, CSA, flower, dairy, microgreen, or value-added farm). Your investment is only $69/month. Over 15 marketing projects to choose from. Learn more and enroll at: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/fms Support the Podcast: Love the My Digital Farmer Podcast? Help me reach more farmer earbuds! Subscribe on your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode. ⭐️  Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts, because it helps other farmers find the show. Share this episode with a fellow farmer or small business owner. Or forward my weekly email about the show to a farmer! (Get on that email list here to get more marketing tips: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/subscribe

  7. Jul 29

    372 Dealing with Dread: The Hidden Marketing Obstacle That's Keeping Farmers Stuck

    Have you ever found yourself putting off the very marketing task that could help your farm grow? Writing the email. Launching the promotion. Recording the video. Raising your prices. Building the sales page. You know it needs to get done... but every time you think about it, you feel that heavy sense of dread. In this episode, I share a personal discovery that is challenging the the way I think about procrastination, marketing, and business growth. After catching myself avoiding two important projects this month, I realized something surprising: I wasn't avoiding the work. I was avoiding the story I was telling myself about the work. In this episode, we'll explore why your brain creates dread in the first place, why we often mistake uncertainty for difficulty, and why many farmers wrongly conclude they're "bad at marketing" when they're really just avoiding uncomfortable marketing tasks. Most importantly, I'll show you how to reinterpret dread -- not as a stop sign, but as a possible indicator that you're standing at the edge of growth. If you've been procrastinating on marketing, struggling to take action, or feeling stuck in your farm business, this episode will give you a completely new way to think about what's really holding you back. Helpful Links & Resources What email provider do I use? I recommend Kit.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! Thank You to Our Podcast Sponsors: Local Line is my farm's 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: MDF2026. Head to my special affiliate link to get started: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/localline Farm Marketing School is my step-by-step membership program for direct-to-consumer farmers who are ready to treat marketing like a system, not a guessing game. Inside, you'll get plug-and-play projects, templates, monthly coaching, and a repeatable framework to help you grow your email list, run stronger promotions, and increase sales (whether you're a vegetable, meat, CSA, flower, dairy, microgreen, or value-added farm). Your investment is only $69/month. Over 15 marketing projects to choose from. Learn more and enroll at: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/fms Support the Podcast: Love the My Digital Farmer Podcast? Help me reach more farmer earbuds! Subscribe on your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode. ⭐️  Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts, because it helps other farmers find the show. Share this episode with a fellow farmer or small business owner. Or forward my weekly email about the show to a farmer! (Get on that email list here to get more marketing tips: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/subscribe)

  8. Jul 22

    371 Re-Broadcast: Use This Weekly Checklist to Sell More at the Farmer's Market

    This podcast is for all of you who go to farmer's markets!! This episode is a rebroadcast! I first recorded it two years ago, and I decided to share it again, because it needs repeating! Do you want to walk away from the market feeling like you did everything you could to maximize sales that day? Here's a fact: You're going to sell more at the farmer's market if you do a little bit of preparation in the sales strategy department. In this episode, I'm sharing my checklist of "things to make sure you do" before you hop into the truck and head to market. Things like: create a weekly special offer. Print this checklist out and create a workflow each week to check them off. The more of these you can do, the more revenue you will drive. Promise. To get them all in a nice tidy checklist, subscribe here. https://www.mydigitalfarmer.com/saleschecklist Helpful Links & Resources What email provider do I use? I recommend Kit.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! Thank You to Our Podcast Sponsors: Local Line is my farm's 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: MDF2026. Head to my special affiliate link to get started: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/localline Farm Marketing School is my step-by-step membership program for direct-to-consumer farmers who are ready to treat marketing like a system, not a guessing game. Inside, you'll get plug-and-play projects, templates, monthly coaching, and a repeatable framework to help you grow your email list, run stronger promotions, and increase sales (whether you're a vegetable, meat, CSA, flower, dairy, microgreen, or value-added farm). Your investment is only $69/month. Over 15 marketing projects to choose from. Learn more and enroll at: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/fms Support the Podcast: Love the My Digital Farmer Podcast? Help me reach more farmer earbuds! Subscribe on your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode. ⭐️  Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts, because it helps other farmers find the show. Share this episode with a fellow farmer or small business owner. Or forward my weekly email about the show to a farmer! (Get on that email list here to get more marketing tips: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/subscribe)

4.9
out of 5
89 Ratings

About

CSA farmer and marketing specialist Corinna Bench from MyDigitalFarmer.com and Shared Legacy Farms brings you the My Digital Farmer podcast, revealing the best online marketing strategies you can apply to your retail farm business to help you grow your leads and sales. These days, it's not enough to just grow your product. You've got to be able to sell it too. In this podcast you'll be exposed to the fundamentals of marketing theory and practice so you can apply them to your own business.We'll cover marketing funnels, copywriting, website messaging, CSA marketing, lead generation, brand building, social media, customer retention, Facebook ads, sales pages, Facebook groups, YouTube, Instagram, email marketing, and stellar customer service. We also interview other farmers to find out what's working (and not working) in farm marketing so you can feel more confident in your ability to convert leads, increase sales, and build a strong brand for your farm.

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