47 | This week, Katie and Sierra hop on a live webinar to share updates, including a new Chop Local website header and improved zip-code entry, and Sierra’s upcoming road trip to photograph and film vendors in Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, and Kentucky. The main training covers building email lists for farmers markets and farm stands using lead magnets such as recipe or cooking guides, coupons, swag, and customer-only giveaways, with guidance to keep signup forms minimal, use Mailchimp landing pages, deliver PDFs made in Canva, and promote signups via social media and urgency.
They caution against adding past customer emails to Mailchimp without opt-in and suggest inviting customers via a one-time BCC email, plus enabling email opt-in on Shop Local checkout. For in-person collection, they recommend multiple QR-code signs and paper forms, and provide Canva QR-code template signage. They discuss connecting Square to Shop Local for synced inventory and share practical inventory management approaches, including leaving online inventory leeway and using paper-and-pen tracking. The group announces a North Central risk management grant offering webinars and four free coaching sessions, and launches a new Facebook group, “Farm to Consumer Meat Mastery,” for peer support.
00:32 Team Updates and Website Refresh
01:25 Sierra’s Vendor Road Trip Plans
03:49 Why Meeting Vendors Matters
04:24 Farmers Market Email Signups
04:48 Lead Magnets That Work
07:40 Giveaways and Targeting
11:10 Mailchimp Signup Pages Setup
14:18 Promoting Your List on Social
15:31 Inviting Past Customers Properly
19:46 In-Person Signup Best Practices
21:47 QR Codes and Canva Templates
24:29 Paper Forms and Booth Signage Tips
25:19 Cash and QR Options
26:36 Farmers Market Pickup Setup
27:52 Email Frequency Basics
28:14 Resend to Non Openers
29:59 Repurpose and Schedule Emails
31:42 Done For You Email Service
33:40 New Coaching Grant
37:08 Facebook Group Launch
39:08 Inventory Management Struggles
43:07 Paper Pen Tracking Tips
45:44 Freezer Reliability Talk
And learn more about ChopLocal and ChopLocal University Below!
