Winter Is When Next Season's Sales Get Planned

Winter is slow on most farms, and that's exactly why it's the best time to work on the selling side. Once spring hits, nobody has time to rewrite a website or set up an email list. Here's what I'd put on the winter list.

Get your website current

Start with the basics. Are your hours, pickup spots, and prices right? Are last summer's sold-out signs still up? Swap in a few fresh photos from this past season and take down anything that's out of date. A site that looks cared for tells people you're still in business, and it helps you show up on Google, too.

While you're at it, Google your own farm's name and check your Google listing. Make sure the hours, phone number, and address or pickup spot match your website.

Start (or restart) your email list

Email is the most reliable way to reach the people who already buy from you. Social posts get buried. An email lands in their inbox.

If you don't have a list yet, set one up now and add a signup box to your website. If you do have one, plan a simple schedule for the year: a note when the season opens, one when something new is ready, one before holidays. A short email once or twice a month is plenty.

Make it easy to buy online

If people still order by text or Facebook message, winter is the time to set up a simple online store. Shopify, Square, Barn2Door, and GrazeCart all work well for farms. The right one depends on how you sell: shares, cuts, CSA boxes, pickups, or shipping. Getting it set up in January means you're not learning new software in May.

Plan what you'll sell and when

Look back at last season. What sold out fast? What sat? Which weeks were slow? Use that to plan your products, your prices, and the two or three moments you'll push hardest, like CSA signups, holiday orders, or half-beef sales. Write it down as a simple calendar, so the marketing plan is ready before the work gets busy.

Stay in touch over the winter

You don't have to go quiet just because the market's closed. A winter email or a few behind-the-scenes posts (calving, seed orders, the new greenhouse) keep people thinking about you, so they come back when you open.

Where to start

If you only do one thing this winter, make it the website and Google listing check. It takes an afternoon and fixes the things customers notice first. My free Farm Website Self-Check walks you through it in about 10 minutes.