260. Megan Neubauer on Transforming Farms with U-Pick Agritourism

Ever thought about shifting your farm to a U-Pick model?  On this episode of the Thriving Farmer Podcast, Michael is diving into the world of agritourism with Megan Neubauer of Pure Land Farm located in McKinney, Texas. Megan literally wrote the book on pick-your-own farming and her farming journey offers invaluable insights into transforming local agriculture into a profitable, community-driven experience. Tune in to hear about Megan’s thriving U-Pick operation and her new book!   You’ll hear: How Megan got into farming 0:52 What led Megan to shift her farm to Upick 4:52 What the average customer expects when participating in U-pick 10:37 How their crops are priced 11:42 About how they package their berries for U-Pick customers 15:08 What software Megan uses for booking 21:23 About how they deal with “problem people” 25:00 About their marketing focus 30:19 What Megan’s advice is for newer farmers or farmers looking to change things up 38:04   About the Guest: Megan Neubauer is a farmer in North Texas. She graduated with a BS in Biology from Boston University in 2004 and after several years working in biotech and scientific research, Megan and her father created Pure Land Farm in McKinney, TX in 2012. Pure Land Farm uses regenerative growing methods on three acres of thornless blackberries and two acres of diversified fruits and vegetables, exclusively marketing their products using agritourism. Her new book on Pick-Your-Own-Farming releases December 4th, 2023.    Resources: Website - www.purelandorganic.com Megan’s Book - Pick-Your-Own Farming - available NOW Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PureLandFarm Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/purelandfarm TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@purelandfarm     The Thriving Farmer Podcast Team would like to thank our amazing sponsor! MyDigitalFarmer.com was created by CSA farmer and marketing specialist Corinna Bench to help farmers learn the marketing fundamentals — so you can stop feeling uncertain, frustrated, guilty, or inadequate when it comes to selling your products. In the My Digital Farmer podcast, you'll be exposed to the fundamentals of marketing theory and practice so you can apply them to your own farm and business. She'll cover marketing funnels, copywriting, website messaging, CSA marketing, lead generation, brand building, social media, customer retention, Facebook ads, sales pages, Facebook groups, YouTube, Instagram, email marketing, and stellar customer service. She also interviews other farmers to find out what’s working (and not working) in farm marketing so you can feel more confident in your ability to convert leads, increase sales, and build a strong brand for your farm. Subscribe to her show at https://www.mydigitalfarmer.com/podcast