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.
How This Kentucky Cattle Farm Saw Record Sales During COVID-19
July 20, 2020
Bluegrass Beef Kentucky has seen record online sales since the start of COVID-19. Since March 2020, this grass-fed beef farm has seen sales increase..
How This 200-Year-Old Farmers’ Market is Finding Success Selling Online
July 14, 2020
The Ottawa Markets have been serving their community for almost 200 years, starting in 1826. This community favourite was forced to adjust when..
How Owen Sound Farmers’ Market Increased Sales with Local Line
July 7, 2020
Co-market managers Richard and Morag have been running the Owen Sound Farmers’ Market together since August 2019. They love bringing their community..
Finding Success with Your Online Farmers’ Market Store with Darren Stott
July 3, 2020
Times have changed. Getting markets connected and online is new for a lot of market managers and vendors. At Local Line, we want to help! We were..
Local Line and Perennia Partnership Helps Nova Scotian Food Producers Sell Online
June 16, 2020
Local Line and Perennia Food & Agriculture Inc. are pleased to announce their partnership to support Nova Scotian food producers during COVID-19.
How This Ontario Farmers’ Market Found Success Selling Online Using Local Line
June 10, 2020
The Bradford Farmers’ Market has been serving their community for over 13 years. Throughout those years their twenty vendors have become very..
How Wild Flight Farm Manages Multiple Sales Channels Using Local Line
May 20, 2020
Hermann and Louise Bruns, founders and owners at Wild Flight Farm in Mara, British Columbia, have been farming together for 27 years. They produce..
How Simcoe Farmers' Market Continues to Thrive with an Online Store
April 17, 2020
Located in Norfolk County, Ontario, the Simcoe Farmers’ Market has been serving its community since 1980. This vibrant market offers a wide range of..
Crash Course: How to Tell Your Brand Story
April 14, 2020
When making the switch to selling online, getting your marketing down is more important than ever. In this time of crisis, your traditional sales..
How to Launch and Promote Your Farm's Online Store in Under 3 Days
April 5, 2020
Offering your products to customers online is a convenient—and crucial—way to get fresh, local food into the hands of your community during these..
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 products..
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 these..
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 monthly..
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 online..
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 food...
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 tips..
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 urban..
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 product..
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 purchasing..
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 assure..
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 different..
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 and..
How to Calculate Delivery Cost 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, and..
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 ways..
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 prices!
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 building a..
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 tapping..
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 on..
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 that..
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 being..
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, while..
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 local..
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, your..
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..