UACES Facebook Direct Marketing resources for Arkansas Farmers | Data on Arkansas agriculture direct marketing
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Direct Marketing in Arkansas Agriculture

Direct marketing is defined as "The business of selling products or services directly to the public, rather than through retailers". For Arkansans farmers this is a viable way to increase farming profits. Facts and information about direct sales are noted below.

Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) sales:

  • Farms decreased by 6.9% from 2017 to 2022
  • Sales nearly increased by 40% from 2017 to 2022
  • Arkansas DTC farms decreased roughly 5% between 2017 and 2022
  • Arkansas DTC sales decreased 7% between 2017 and 2022

Local Food Marketing Practices Survey

  • The Farmers Market Directory provided by the Ag Marketing Service lists 78 Farmers Markets in Arkansas
  • The food hub directory lists 2 food hubs in AR
  • The CSA Directory lists 3 CSA’s in AR
  • DTC sales in AR in 2022 totaled $8,537 according to NAAS

Pie graph showing DTC Marketing channels

  • CSA is Community Supported Agriculture. It’s an arrangement between community members and a farmer in which the community member pays an up-front fee to the farmer in exchange for a weekly box of produce throughout the growing season.
  • A Farmers Market  is two or more farmer-producers that sell their own agricultural products directly to the general public at a fixed location, which includes fruits and vegetables, meat, fish, poultry, dairy products, and grains.
  • A Roadside Stand or market is a temporary or semi-temporary structure that allows farmers to sell directly to consumers. They can be located on or off the farm, preferably in close proximity to a high traffic area.
  • Having an online market via the Internet can be a great way to increase farm visibility and for local marketing, Sell directly on the web to consumers, shipping them products or offering pickup. 
  • On-site sales allows businesses to control their brand’s story and relay their messaging directly to consumers. Also for many, the most compelling reason to sell directly to consumers is the potential to collect massive amounts of customer data. 
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