Success Stories
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- Success Stories from the Four Corners
Agri-tourism Trend, Arizona
An article in The Business Journal--Phoenix reports that as development surrounds them some farmers are selling most of their land and turning to agritourism to make a living on what remains. The story cites several instances of farmers who have maintained a small piece of their farm to offer visitors amusement or an idea of what farm life is like. Owners say they make more money with the agritourism enterprises, such as restaurants, rides and petting zoos, than they made farming. However, they say that the key to keeping even these small agricultural enterprises alive in the area is agricultural zoning to keep taxes down.- Agua Linda Farm, Arizona
A farm that has successfully developed a number of small micro-businesses that draw people back throughout the year. - Babbitt Ranches, Arizona
This in Coconino County ranch has been successfully mining sustainability for farm profit for decades. - Community Wild Foraging Project, Arizona,
Gathers wild foods from farms, ranches, and public lands and assesses the productivity and sustainability of harvesting those foods. The project also documents the best ways to clean, preserve, and prepare the foods, as well as the most effective way to market them. - Diné, Inc., Arizona
Morgan Yazzie has successfully grown food in the high desert country of Seba Dalka, Arizona, for some three decades. - Drake Family Farms, Utah
A West Jordan, Utah, farm that is successfully marketing goat's milk products, including cheese, raw milk, yogurt and handmade goats milk soaps. - Masayesva Family Farm, Arizona
A family farm in Black Mesa that has successfully produced several crops for the past 50 years using sustainable production methods. - Oberle Botanical, Colorado
This successful farming business has diversified into a number of small enterprises while maintaining a commitment to sustainable agriculture methods. - Rocky Mountain Beef Cooperative, Colorado
A group of beef producers from western Colorado successfully developed a direct marketing approach that emphasizes that their products are "natural” beef products grown without hormones or feed additives. - Schnepf Farms, Arizona
Schnepf Farms is among a number of farms in Arizona turning to agri-tourism to maintain their livelihood. - Stargate Valley Farms, Arizona
Located in Holbrook, Arizona, Stargate Valley Farms is a successful dairy goat operation run by two retirees. - Sutcliffe Vineyards, Colorado
This former winter pasture for cattle is successfully transformed into a thriving vineyard. - Western Profiles of Innovative Agricultural Marketing
Focuses on 17 Western farms with successful direct-marketing enterprises. - Regional/National Success Stories
- American Pasturage, Inc.
This Marionville, Missouri, operation is reaping economic benefit from natural grazing techniques and direct marketing. - Alderspring Ranch
Located outside Salmon, Idaho, Alderspring Ranch specializes in selling grass fed, artisanal beef to upscale, niche markets in Boise, Missoula, and Bozeman Montana. - Angelic Organics
This Caledonia, Illinois, company sells its organic herbs and vegetables directly to some 1,000 customers through community supported agriculture shares. - Apple Crisp Cooperative
Located in southwest Minnesota, this successful cooperative is comprised of seven independent apple growers working together to develop new products and markets. - Aspelund Family Farm
This family farm successfully increased profits by diversifying with sustainably produced hogs, poultry, and fruit. - Benrud Family Farm
The Benrud Family has found success through rotational grazing and tapping into a market that values local, antibiotic and hormone free dairy products that are produced in an environmentally sound manner. - Blackstar Farms
This thriving farm/business enterprise, located in Leelanau County, Michigan, is an example of 'new entrepreneurial agriculture, a blend of small-scale farming and business practices that eliminiates middlemen and sells finished products directly to customers. The enterprise includes a winery, a stable, a cheese factory, and even a bed and breakfast. - Bossie's Best
This successful operation in Kansas has been producing organic beef for some 150 years. - Bow View Farm
A family-run operation in Nebraska that focuses on diversity to remain profitable. - California Grown
Fresh Choice and Subway restaurants in California will soon be promoting the state’s produce in more than 1,400 restaurants statewide through agreements with California Grown, the marketing campaign for the state’s homegrown farm goods. Both restaurants will identify California-grown menu items, with federally-funded California Grown paying for many of the posters and promotional materials used in the campaign. - Columbia Plateau Producers, Oregon
A company that markets Northwest wheat grown using environmentally sound practices for consumption in the Northwest. While as much as 85 percent of the Northwest's wheat crop is shipped overseas, Columbia Plateau Producers purchases wheat from farmers who use no-till cultivation and sustainable agriculture methods to reduce pesticide use and conserve soil and water. The wheat is milled in Spokane, Washington, and sold at a premium price to restaurants and bakeries in the Northwest under the Shepherd's Grain label. - Dairy Business Innovation Center, Wisconsin
Wisconsin will receive $2 million in federal funds to restore and reinvigorate the state's dairy sector, including establishing a new Dairy Business Innovation Center to expand specialty and niche cheese marketing. The federal money will help fund the state's Value Added Dairy Initiative, which is a central piece of the governor's plan to grow Wisconsin agriculture. The initiative will focus on helping dairy farmers modernize and add value to Wisconsin's milk, and on advancing the state's specialty cheese and dairy industry. In particular, the Dairy Business Innovation Center will offer technical assistance to farmers and cheese processors for product development, business planning or market development. The initiative will also include grant monies for producers and processors. - Earthen Path Organic Farm, Minnesota
A farm that successfully produces organic fruits and vegetables using permaculture and annual cropping strategies. - Farm to Chef Express, New York
A new program that connects agricultural producers in upstate New York with chefs in New York City. The program is unique in that it provides for the transportation of fresh produce, meat, and eggs directly from farms to restaurants and caterers. - Food Alliance Midwest
A coalition of farmers, processors, distributors, grocers and consumers in the Midwest working together to promote sustainable farming. - Golden Oval Eggs, Iowa
A value-added cooperative created, owned, and managed by farmers committed to assuring the future of the family farm. Farmers are working together, strategically planning for the future, and capturing more of their farm profitability. - Great River Gardens, Minnesota
This successful enterprise uses a minimalist approach in producing a bounty of fruits and vegetables. - Hidden Stream Farm, Minnesota
A 180-acre operation that successfully produces beef, chicken, and pork using a grass-based system. - Matt Freund, Dairy Farmer, Connecticut
Connecticut dairy farmer Matt Freund successfully developed a new product developed from dairy manure. Freund separates manure solids from liquid, and uses the solids to create biodegradable 3-inch planting pots. The pots offer a value-added use for dairy manure, which in many cases can be a farm liability, and they provide the plants in them with a fertilizer boost as the pot degrades in the soil. Freund isn't revealing his proprietary process, but has recently landed a federal grant that will allow him to purchase machinery to mass produce the pots. He hopes to be supplying prototypes to growers by winter. - Pahl's Market, Minnesota
A successful operation that relies on integrated pest management to produce its vegetables. - Plate & Pitchfork, Oregon
Plate & Pitchfork dinners represent agritourism at its finest. The gourmet meals are prepared by professional chefs and served in fields near Portland where part of the meal was grown, reports The Oregonian. Participating farms all support sustainable or organic agriculture, and each dinner begins with a farm tour followed by a four or five course meal. Dinner organizers hope to turn Plate & Pitchfork into a nonprofit that would support farmland preservation, promote farm awareness, and help low-income people get access to high-quality local food. - Sand Hill Berries, Pennsylvania
Sand Hill Berries, an operation that began with 5 acres of raspberries in 1986. Today the farm has approximately 60 acres in production, growing a wide range of berry crops. In addition to raspberries, strawberries and blueberries, the small family farm is also growing currants and gooseberries to tap specialty markets. The owners have found success comes not only from marketing specialty crops, but from making value-added products and marketing them directly to customers. The value-added products such as vinegars, juices and pies not only return more income to the producer, but also allow the use of underripe and overripe berries not suitable for the fresh market. The alternative products help the producer recover value from every berry that is picked, and not be at the mercy of commodity market pricing. - Suburban Organics, New Jersey
The Courier-Post reports on the growing demand for home delivery of organic produce in South Jersey and across the nation. Based in Voorhees, New Jersey, the entrepreneurial Suburban Organics began with 10 customers six years ago and now makes deliveries to over 300 locations. The company delivers primarily to food co-ops, but home delivery is an attractive option for people unable to volunteer hours at a co-op or pick up food from a central location, as CSA (community supported agriculture) subscriptions often require. Because delivery services get their produce from more than one farmer, they are also able to offer their customers a greater range of products. - Swanton Berry Farm, California
The first certified organic strawberry grower in California. The farm direct markets almost half its production through farmers' markets and a farm stand. - back to top