Tips and best practices to running a successful online store for your farm or farmers' market
Learn how to succeed as a local food supplier with success stories, marketing tips and more.
Farmers' Markets Thrive Selling Online During COVID-19 Pandemic
March 30, 2020
Farmers are being hit hard with the increasing closure of farmers’ markets around North America. With the uncertainty of the timeline for the..
6 Tips to Get Your Online Storefront Ready for Orders
March 25, 2020
Your business is a fundamental part of our food system, and the changes to standard business during the COVID-19 pandemic affect the way people in..
How to Navigate Delivery During COVID-19
March 24, 2020
COVID-19 is changing the way farmers do business. Farmers’ markets and farm stores are closing, so we need to find new avenues to get local..
How to Launch and Promote Your Market's Online Store in Under 3 Days
March 20, 2020
Offering your market's local food to customers online is a convenient—and crucial—way to get local food into the hands of your community during..
5 Ways to Get New Customers from Instagram
March 4, 2020
The goal for your Instagram business account should be to connect and engage with people who want to buy your products. With 1 billion active..
How to Take Product Photos for Your Online Store That Sell
February 19, 2020
Photos sell! Your online store needs to be a showcase of your brand, quality, and story. Often businesses don’t spend the time needed on their..
How to Sell Food Subscriptions
January 28, 2020
Subscription boxes have become a massive trend among consumers. Today we can get about anything in a subscription box, from makeup to books to..
Local Line and Market Maker Launch Free E-Commerce Tool for Illinois Farmers
January 8, 2020
Local Line, an e-commerce and logistics software platform for farmers, food hubs and markets, is pleased to announce the launch of an integration..
How to Market Your Seasonal Food Business During the Off-Season
December 9, 2019
Food production works in seasons. If you are a seasonal business, you don’t want to lose customers over the off-seasons. Here are our five best..
How The Chef’s Farmer is Saving Time with Local Line
December 5, 2019
The Chef’s Farmer produces and sells high quality, Calgary-grown produce to chefs and restaurants across the city. Started by Kye Kocher, the..
5 Ways to Attract New Customers
November 21, 2019
If you looking to expand your customer base, here are five tips for getting more customers:
How to Save on Shipping Costs as a Farmer
November 13, 2019
It’s no secret that distribution is a pain point for a lot of farmers. Shipping can be very expensive, and you want to make sure it's worth it for..
Customer Service 101: How to Respond to an Order Complaint and Keep the Customer
October 30, 2019
Excellent customer service is the best way to maintain and retain customers. Sometimes things happen, and a customer is left unhappy with a..
How to Sell Local Food to Retailers (and Their Customers)
October 21, 2019
In order to be successful when selling to retailers, you have to consider that you are selling to two different channels: the retailer and their..
Supporting Their Community Through Local Food and an Online Store: KW Habilitation and Our Farm
October 6, 2019
KW Habilitation is a local not-for-profit organization located in Kitchener-Waterloo that provides a wide range of individualized services for..
7 Tips to Setting Up the Best Online Storefront
October 3, 2019
Congratulations on your online store! Welcome to the world of selling online. Your online store is the first thing customers now see when..
How to Write Product Descriptions That Sell
September 18, 2019
When you’re selling food online, your product descriptions and product photos are the most persuasive tools you have to get customers to buy. A..
How an Online Store Enhances Your Customer Relationships
September 12, 2019
The biggest concern when transitioning to an online store is the fear of losing great customer relationships. We hear this all the time, but I..
Why You Should Consider a Shipping Partner For Your Farm Business
September 12, 2019
Offering delivery services to your customers can be advantageous. Depending on the current status of your business, delivery comes in many..
Selling Local Food to Restaurants: Where to Start
September 9, 2019
Selling food to restaurants can be a hard market to enter. Restaurant sales in Canada have grown significantly in the last 25 years, and finally,..
How to Recruit the Best Talent For Your Farm or Farmers' Market
September 3, 2019
There usually comes a point in your business where it’s time to expand and grow your team. As a small business owner, every hand contributes..
How to Prioritize What Crops to Grow for Next Season on Your Farm
September 2, 2019
Prioritizing which crop to grow each season is a delicate task. You must take into account which products have the highest yield, have the highest..
Local Line Launches Free Website Builder For Farmers
August 21, 2019
Local Line, an e-commerce & logistics software platform for farmer’s, food hubs, and farmers markets is pleased to announce the launch of a free..
How to Use Facebook Insights to Measure Your Success
August 15, 2019
Facebook offers an analytics tool with their business page to show you trends, but has updated its algorithm to prioritize content from family..
How to Calculate Hourly Delivery Costs for Your Farm
August 12, 2019
Delivery costs can be very expensive and hard to track. When first starting to offer delivery in your business, it is important to calculate the..
Expert's Guide: How to Use Advanced Inventory to Save Time
July 19, 2019
To help our customers better manage their inventories, we created Advanced Inventory. This feature allows you to create multiple packages, units,..
How to Set Up a Referral Program for Your Business
July 18, 2019
Getting new customers takes a lot of time and money. Make it easy for yourself and set up a referral program! Word of mouth is one of the best..
How Increasing Your Prices 5% Will Make Your Farm 10% More Money
July 9, 2019
We all want to make a bit more money this year. What is one thing you can do next season to increase your profits? It’s simple — increase your..
How to Write Instagram Captions That Drive Engagement with Customers
July 2, 2019
Good Instagram marketing is a skill to be learned and mastered. In addition to posting good pictures, interacting with your followers, and..
How to Start Using Paid Social Media Advertising
July 1, 2019
Social media marketing is essential for your business to thrive. As consumers have increased their online presence, it is necessary to start..
How to Determine Cost of Goods Sold for Your Farm Products
June 20, 2019
Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) is the total of all the costs that go into producing a product. Calculating this value can become complicated depending..
How to Create a Facebook Business Page
June 17, 2019
Facebook can be very powerful for small business owners. It serves as social proof that you are current, and actively running your business. The..
5 Tried and True Ways to Improve Your Digital Marketing
June 3, 2019
Marketing allows your customers to understand your business, your products, and why you’re unique. Good marketing can help you reach your target..
Re-Inventing the Local Food Economy in Minnesota with Online Food Hubs Across the State
May 9, 2019
When you think of local food, most people think of places like California. For us “insiders, actively working in the industry every day, we know..
5 Things You Can Do For Your Marketing Today (From Your Kitchen Table)
May 7, 2019
Running your own business is a lot of work, and it can be overwhelming to get everything done in one day. With all the duties and added work of..
How to Take Better Farm Photos for Instagram
April 30, 2019
Social media is all about content. Consumers like quality photos that represent your brand, story, and product! Good content increases sales,..
How Argus Farm Stop Uses a Retail Store, Food Hub, and Local Line
April 23, 2019
Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Argus Farm Stop is an independent local food retailer that is changing the way their community members access..
How to Send the Perfect Email Newsletter
April 18, 2019
Newsletters are an important way to keep your customers updated on your business and your products. Lucky for you, there’s a generally accepted ..
How to Get Started with Instagram as a Farmer
April 8, 2019
Instagram is a great tool to help you market your business! It’s all about visual content and is great for showcasing your production process,..
The Advantages to Accepting Online Payments
March 11, 2019
An essential aspect of having an online store is providing online payments. Here are six reasons why accepting payments online could benefit your..
How to Get More Online Product Reviews for Your Products
March 4, 2019
Social-proof is the best way to sell a product. Consumers want to know that they are making a smart, informed decision based on what others are..
3 Ways to Use Instagram Insights to Get More Customers
March 1, 2019
Tracking your analytics may seem like a tedious and overwhelming task, but it really doesn’t have to be! It can help you better determine what to..
How Castor River Farm Used Local Line to Reduce Order Errors
February 27, 2019
Operating for 30 years and selling direct to customers for the last 12 years, Castor River Farm specializes in rolled oats that are rolled daily...
The Farmers’ Market Goes High Tech
February 22, 2019
Squinting through blowing snow isn’t how most vendors travel to farmers’ markets across Manitoba—but that’s the sort of trip owners of Thousand..
Why You Need to Treat Your Small-Scale Farm as a Business
February 19, 2019
When you ask a small-scale farmer why they farm, they often don’t say, "because I want to make money." You're passionate what you do. Whether you..
How to Use Instagram Stories as a Marketing Tool
February 6, 2019
Instagram has proved an extremely useful tool for marketing. Many businesses are using it to increase their customer engagement and develop their..
The New Model for Local Food Distribution in Northern Ontario
January 24, 2019
Located just outside Sudbury in Northern Ontario, Click Fork, an innovative new food hub, is serving their community with fresh, local food in a..
Local Orbit Joins Local Line: The Sales and Distribution Platform for North American Food Suppliers
January 23, 2019
KITCHENER, ON – Local Line, a sales and distribution software platform for farmers and food producers is pleased to announce a partnership of..
How Woolleys' Lamb Took Charge of Their Branding with Local Line
January 18, 2019
Starting a new business isn’t easy. One of the biggest challenges for food suppliers today is getting your product in your customer’s hands. Many..
How Thousand Hills Ranch Enhances Customer Communication with Local Line
January 17, 2019
Located in Morden, Manitoba, a two-hour drive from Winnipeg, Thousand Hills Ranch is a family farm producing grass-fed beef and lamb. Thousand..