In January, you should have your cover crops up and going. Greenhouse and high tunnel people are starting new crops or continuing old crops. Outside, it is time for lime, field cleanup, tomato cage removal, and pruning chores.

If you have not made your plan for the year—what plants, seeds, and supplies you will need—now is the time. If you do not have a marketing plan and strategy—do it now!

If you read the papers and agricultural magazines, you are well aware of the fact that organic production demand is way ahead of supply. If you know it, you can be sure the big food companies and conventional farmers are also aware of it—and aware of the premium prices being paid for organic products.

Never before has it been so important that small producers—organic and natural—have a good marketing plan.

I have said it before: if everyone grows the same thing for the same market, the price will go down, just as it has for corn, wheat, and beans. How do you protect yourself? Your marketing strategy should be to sell as much of your production as possible at retail price direct to your customer.

Sell locally, and sell yourself and your farm as well as your product. Add on value with agritourism or ag entertainment to generate interest in your operation, draw customers back for repeat visits, and add profit. Try out combinations of corn mazes, pumpkin patches, hay rides, holiday events—farm days, spring/summer festivals, Fourth of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s—or on-farm sales with all kinds of products—pumpkins, sausage, jams, jellies, hamburger, bacon, roasts, garden compost, homemade candies, herb products, dry herbs and flowers, bread and flour mixes, U-pick berries, spinning/weaving, etc.

If you still have products left to sell, you need to partner with neighbors and nearby producers to sell functional foods—and trade with them, too. Sell free-range eggs with increased Omega-3, which lowers cholesterol. To advertise this claim, your eggs must be tested at a creditable laboratory. The same thing can be done with meat—grass-fed beef has increased CLA’s, which reduce cancer risk. Research these and other benefits, and put a note about their advantages with your products.

On page 10 of the November/December issue of Small Farm Today, “Functional Foods” noted that the functional food market is currently at $8 billion per year, and is growing 8% annually. It is a market worth pursuing.

The future of small farms is bright, but you must plan if you want to be a part of it.