Food Chain Wars

John Arbuckle and his wife Holly have landed their pork snack sticks in over 600 retail stores nationwide! Their key accounts include the likes of Sprouts Market, Natural Grocers, HEB, and others. Securing this kind of shelf space is a tough uphill battle... It's low-margin, hyper-competitive, and it feels like the buyer commands all the negotiating power. That's why we were thrilled when John agreed to join the show and share what he knows. If you've ever wondered what it takes to scale a wholesale business, you won't want to miss their story.

An "online farmers market" that connects consumers & farmers within a shoppable platform is a business model many have attempted, but few have accomplished. Nick Carter and the team at Market Wagon are one of the few! They've hit the INC 5000 list twice during their quick expansion to serve 30+ markets across the Midwest & East Coast. Marketing, tech, and logistics are typically the most difficult parts of the supply chain for farmers to solve, and this is where Market Wagon shines. Nick is a friend, and this industry needs more innovative people like him. That's why we invited him on the show to share his fascinating journey from farm kid, to serial farm-to-fork entrepreneur. If you're serious about growing your direct marketing business, I'm confident you'll benefit from this episode. Today, Nick has transitioned from CEO to the board of Market Wagon and is now the managing partner of 9Strong Holdings, which is buying businesses in the meat-to-consumer ecosystem. It's an inspiring concept and in the episode, you'll hear Nick share about the portfolio that currently includes a raw meat pet brand, a processing facility, and a cold fulfillment center in Indianapolis. This all made for a 90-minute episode that's worth listening to twice.

Ryan MacKay is the owner of Lilac Hedge Farms. Their primary sales outlet is DTC eCommerce, but they also operate a 7-figure agri-tourism enterprise consisting of: A cozy farm store & ice cream bar. A full-service kitchen & stage for live music. Multiple Air BNB rentals. A giant inflatable jump pad for the kids. And of course, they host farm tours & all kinds of community events. While this is a lot to manage, there's a reason Ryan has been able to scale his eCommerce business with a hyper-regional customer base. Even as they expand to serve customers states away, the on-farm activity will still build trust & authenticity for the consumers who will never visit. Why? Because these experiences are something Omaha Steaks and ButcherBox could never recreate. Feel like you're in a good market for agri-tourism? You won't want to miss this episode with Ryan. Learn more about Lilac Hedge Farms at – https://lilachedgefarm.com/

Cody Hopkins is the CEO and founding farmer of GrassRoots Co-Op, and has led the company to become one of the more successful D2C farm-to-fork brands sourcing regenerative products from farms in the US. Here's where we went with the interview: Cody's journey from teaching to 1st gen farming. Their early funding journey for launching the co-op. The pros/cons of the co-op business model. Their transition from wholesale to DTC. *Nerdy tactics on digital marketing tactics & data. One other thing that's easy to admire about Cody is his knack for networking. If you listen carefully, you'll notice how so many of his breakthroughs at GrassRoots came from a new relationship. Want more content like this? Don't forget to subscribe to the email list.

In this episode, Blaine and Brooks share their experience acquiring new customers by advertising on platforms like Facebook and Google. With their brand Seven Sons, the brothers are acquiring hundreds of new customers every week, with paid advertising being the key strategy to produce those results. But will their strategy work for you? The key is having the right business model in place before you start writing checks to the big tech giants. What does that model look like? Listen to learn more!

In this episode, you'll hear us (Blaine and Brooks) break down their top strategies for high leverage ways to increase your product margin. We're talking about solutions you can implement once, and retain more 💰 with every order you receive, or every animal you process. Regardless of how long you've been in direct marketing, I'm confident there's a new idea in this episode that you can take action on this week! We are passionate about equipping small farms to reclaim market-share by implementing the business and marketing principles needed to climb the value chain and sell direct. Each episode, you'll learn insights from our experience of scaling an 8-figure brand (SevenSons.net), as well as coaching hundreds of farms across North America.

A full episode to break down the acquisition announcement of GrazeCart by specialty retail point-of-sale provider, POS Nation. On this episode Blaine and I unpack common questions like: Why did we decide to sell GrazeCart? Who is POS Nation? (you'll hear from their team) What will our involvement be going forward? What did we learn through this process? and what we're most excited about for GrazeCart's future! As passionate founders, we're thrilled to have found a partner who is excited about the future of GrazeCart and has the expertise to expand its' position in the marketplace. In case you're wondering, this podcast isn't going anywhere, and you can consider this episode the launch of season three!

Team meetings are tough to get right... Whether you work with a few family members or a full-blown team, you've probably left meetings feeling more confused and discouraged than you came in. Some of us get so fed up that we attempt to steer the organization without meetings altogether. After all, between producing livestock and packing orders, who really has time for formal meetings anyway? However, this only leads to more chaos and sideways energy. So what's the answer? In our experience, the key to having really great team meetings boils down to the AGENDA. The right agenda helps everyone show up fully prepared, ready to make quality decisions and to stay accountable to their commitments. Not to mention the agenda we use actually saves us time by consolidating other meetings and eliminating the need for 1-on-1 updates. We've been using this exact same agenda for over a year and today we've broken down the entire structure for you in this episode.

According to a few recent interviews from CEO Mike Salguero, ButcherBox has scaled beyond $600m in revenue. In this episode, Blaine and I share our reactions to ButcherBox's remarkable growth, a breakdown of the strategies they leveraged, as well as what their market position means for the everyday farm-to-fork producer.

There's a lot of buzz floating around about AI and how it's disrupting countless industries. But are there actually any practical applications to use to help run a farm-to-fork business? We answer that question in today's episode by showcasing some of the ways we're using AI to save time while producing better results!

Increasing your AOV (avg. order value) not only increases revnue and margin, but it also reduces your operational headaches... Why? Because every order you receive comes with a similar level of overhead and risk. Basically as your order count increases, so increases: customer complaints packing mistakes no-shows & restocking failed deliveries declined payments bad checks ... Shall I go on? This simple lesson is easy to overlook, and it's the inspiration behind this week's episode – Two EASY ways to increase AOV by next week!

It's something rarely talked about, but your brand name and logo does have an impact on the future of your business. Fun fact, Steve Jobs paid the renown designer Paul Rand, $100k to create the logo for NeXT, Inc. Now, I'm not saying you need to drop a large % of your startup capital on your logo, especially in the freelance-art world we live in today. However, it is important that you get the basics right because a bad name and/or logo, can be a ball and chain for a new farm-to-fork startup... In this episode, Blaine and I share past stories of old logos we've since moved on from, and how to make that transition if your business could use a rebrand.

A common killer of healthy businesses is poor cash flow. This is like a predator that always strikes when you're not expecting it. It doesn't matter if you have a great product, happy customers, or even healthy profit margins... It only takes one bad cash crisis to cause it all to fall apart. The good thing is that you can protect yourself from this fate! In this episode, Blaine and I break-down the most common mistakes that create cash flow disasters and how to avoid them.

To ship, or not to ship? 8 years ago, that's the big question Blaine and were battling with at Seven Sons... Up to that point, we had built a very successful buying club model, delivering to 50+ pickup locations throughout our region. Shipping always felt WAY too expensive, and a bad value proposition for our customers. Fast-forward to today, and we've closed all 50+ pickup locations and now exclusively ship door-to-door. What changed, and is a buying club program something you should even consider today? Those are the question we answer in today's episode: Shipping vs Curbside!

Retail vs wholesale... Which is most relevant for you in 2023? The short answer is that it depends! In this episode we unpack the pros & cons of both channels in order to help you determine where both fit into your 2023 strategy. Click for website & show notes

There's a lot of power in understanding your customers' buying psychology... Without a subscription, your customer has to let your know when they want their next order. With a subscription, your customer has to let your know when they DON'T want their next order. It's amazing how much value is tied up in that subtle, but distinct difference. Catch this episode to learn more about the tips, data, and pitfalls of this innovative strategy. Click for website & show notes

Are your priced stay profitable in 2023? According to the USDA, consumers paid 12.4% more at the grocery store in Oct, 2022, vs Oct, 2021. As we continue through a season of unpredictable inflation, the consequences for neglecting price corrections has never been higher. At best-case, unsustainable pricing suffocates your ability to invest in growth. Maybe that's how you feel now... We've all been there. The good news is that it doesn't have to be this way. In today's episode of Food Chain Wars, Blaine and I unpack the thinking & systems we use stay on top of profitable margins! Click for website & show notes

With season 2, we're relaunching the show under a new name (Food Chain Wars). Our vision is to grow the show into the most valuble free resource for farm2fork marketers (regardless if you use GrazeCart or not). We're here to help you climb the value-chain and reclaim your rightful market-share from big-ag and greedy 'greenwashing' corperations. That's what this show is about! Sound interesting? Catch the trailer to learn more about what to expect out of season 2!

Want to generate more engagement, clicks, and revenue with every email you write? We've brought Chad Graue (Director of Digital Marketing for Seven Sons) back on the show to help you do just that! In this episode, Chad will share three tips you can use to improve your email copywriting. Each tip is simple enough, you can put them to work in the very next email you write!

In the 'expert interview, you'll hear from Chad Graue (Digital Marketing Director at Seven Sons) share three proven promotion strategies that you can use to drive revenue growth this quarter. If you're looking for growth strategies, and have yet to offer your customer the occasional promotion or incentive to buy, then I guarantee you're leaving low-hanging fruit on the tree.

5 Marys Farms are doing a lot of things right and we've yet to see anyone leverage Instagram better. Their account is up to 200K+ followers, and they've used that audience to grow one heck of an eCommerce business. Catch our interview with Mary Heffernan to get their full story and advice for fellow farmers!

With any business, it is vital that your customers know and trust your operation which helps build a long-term customer relationship. In this episode, listen as Blaine and I discuss the importance of mastering video to build trust with your customers!

Our three favorite walk-in freezer solutions you can buy for up to ten times less than the price of buying new! This episode is the perfect resource to bookmark and refer back to the next time you're in the market for additional freezer square footage, (and need to do so on a budget).

This episode is for anyone who's ever been discouraged by failing to achieve their goals. In this episode, we show you how to use the SMARTER goals framework to increase the probability of goal achievement, and give you confidence that you're setting the right goals in the first place.

In this episode, you'll learn about how you can save time, and increase sales by dedicating a little upfront effort to simplifying the steps required to bring home a 1/4th cow!

Looking for a great example of an operation that's scaled completely from scratch? In this interview, we unpack Jordan and Laura Green's story and the key ingredients that have led to their success. If you dream about scaling a viable farming enterprise, you will benefit from being introduced to this couple.

In today's episode, Blaine and I discuss the three critical questions to ask before expanding your workforce!

Rolling out a much-needed price increase, but aren't sure how your customers will take it? In this episode, we share a formula you can use to communicate major price changes in a way that will maintain trust with your customers (vs deteriorate it).

Listen and learn as we sit down with Dr. Allen Williams to discuss the importance of quality grassfed meat, soil health, plant species diversity, and more!

We're officially building a robust subscription module to accompany GrazeCart's eCommerce platform! This has been nearly a year in the making, and we've decided to record an official announcement video to share more about what to expect, as well as what makes our approach to subscriptions unique.

How to scale your business by increasing product turnover. The final episode of a three-part series called the Three Levers of Profit. Watch or listen for tangible tactics on increasing AOV, customers LTV, and more!

A small improvement to gross margin can have a HUGE profit impact on established businesses. E.g. a 5% margin improvement for a $1M business will double your profit. This episode is all about margin-boosting tips to help you discover the compounding impact a healthy margin can have on your business.

No matter your business type, or what industry you're in, there are only three core ways to improve your year-end profit. 1. Increase gross product Increase turnover Reduce overheads Learn how each one works, as well as how to identify your weakest link!

If there's anyone who's been able to seriously scale a farm-to-fork business, it's Will Harris and his team at White Oaks Pastures. It's run by a staff of 180 strong, and I've always been curious about how it all works! Which is why we decided to invite him on for an interview to get a closer look. For your benefit and ours. Tune in, to learn more about the business side of this fascinating ranch. I'm sure the conversation will leave you as inspired as it did me!

If you're seeking a more reliable processing arrangement, learn more about the mistakes to avoid in this GrazeCast episode!

In this episode of GrazeCast, Brooks and Blaine will answer three major questions for anyone looking to scale their curbside pickup.

In this episode of GrazeCart, Brooks and Blaine reminisce about some of their biggest pickup day goof-ups and reveal three systems they developed that helped curbside-pickup run smoothly.

In this episode of GrazeCast, Brooks and Blaine unpack what made the Seven Sons farm-store such a success and help you identify if this model is a good fit for you!

In this episode, Brooks and Blaine will share the three most important lessons they've learned during their 4-year journey of transforming into a farm delivery business.

In this episode of GrazeCast, Brooks and Blaine unfold a simple framework to help you prioritize where you should be spending your time.

In this episode of GrazeCast, Brooks and Blaine unfold a simple framework to help you prioritize where you should be spending your time.

In this episode, you'll hear Blaine and Brooks provide their take on Shep Hyken's book Amaze Every Customer, Every Time. They'll unpack their biggest breakthroughs and ways the book has changed their approach to customer service.

In this episode of GrazeCast, Blaine and Brooks reveal the top marketing metrics they watch at Seven Sons.

In this episode, you'll learn a handful of ways you can improve your search rankings, by implementing the foundational things Google & other browsers look at when determining your SEO value.

Leveraging technology is one of the most effective strategies for getting more done, with less effort! In this episode, our goal is to help you do exactly that, by reviewing a few of our favorite tools, that have helped us do exactly that.

In this episode, you'll hear Blaine and Brooks unpack their experience using Tripwire Offers, as well as an overview of: How the customer decision-making process works Why the Tripwire makes it easy for them to say YES The 7 attributes of an irresistible Tripwire Offer What products your Tripwire Offer must include.

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. The goal of this episode is to help kick-off your 2021 goal setting by sharing the top changes & opportunities our farm is pursuing to make 2021 a home-run year!

Email lists are one of the greatest assets to online brands, which is why we've invited our email-marketing domain expert; Chad Graue, to share his advice on how to grow your email list.