Direct Marketing of Agroforestry Products

Authors

Stefanie Aschmann, United States Department of Agriculture, National Agroforestry Center, Lincoln, Nebraska

Date of this Version

9-2003

Document Type

Newsletter Issue

Citation

Agroforestry Notes 27, September 2003

United States Department of Agriculture, National Agroforestry Center, Lincoln, Nebraska

Comments

United States government work

Abstract

Agroforestry can enhance cash flow on many farms through the production of high-value forest products. The greatest challenge, however, is often marketing rather than production. Unlike commodity crops that have a readily available, but relatively uncompromising, market; the market for some agroforestry products is not always apparent. Landowners may need to take an active role in marketing to reap the benefits of their production. Producer goals, resources, and products, as well as local customer needs and habits usually dictate marketing strategies. This Note describes several different direct marketing strategies that might be used to market agroforestry products. Many variations on these options exist--the only limitation is one's creativity.

Direct marketing is based on selling a product directly to the consumer. It involves the elimination of one or more middle steps in the marketing process. As a result, the producer receives a significant percentage of the retail price. At the same time, responsibility for selling farm products is shifted from the retailer to the producer, making direct marketing more risky but potentially more rewarding than wholesale marketing.