Developing Objectives and Strategies for Implementing the Plan

Once objectives have been established and the marketing plan developed, specific strategies must be defined for accomplishing the objectives. Strategies must be set in realistic terms. One needs to review the objectives to decide if they are still valid or need adjustment. Further adjustments may become necessary when the capital requirements, manager's time, and labor needs are determined. Other considerations include available acreage to plant and harvest, yields per acre, and the total volume of produce to become available. In setting objectives and strategies for starting a business, a good idea is to think in terms of starting out small and expanding, if and when the opportunity arises (Worksheet 5).

Product Mix

The next step involves selecting the set of products that will make up the product mix. The mix should reflect the target market's potential demand as well as the grower's ability to supply. The objectives should be set to provide the consumer with a wide variety of quality products (Worksheet 6).

Market Site and Type

The market's location often determines its success. In some cases the site is predetermined because of capital constraints or zoning laws. Refer to the location factors presented under Market Resources.

Once a site is selected, choose the appropriate type of retail environment that will promote the enterprise's objectives and strategies. Market type is inherent to many of the market analysis factors already discussed. The type of market should reflect the target market's life-style and should ultimately allow identified comparative advantages to be realized (Worksheet 6). A description of farm retail market types is presented in Appendix A.

The following sources of information may be useful in collecting data for use in completing the marketing plan:

  1. U.S. Agricultural Census ( http://www.nass.usda.gov/census_of_agriculture/index.asp )
  2. U.S. Census.
  3. College of Agriculture ( http://ag.udel.edu )
  4. Local Extension Office
  5. Farm Service Agency ( http://www.fsa.usda.gov )
  6. State Department of Agriculture
  7. State Chamber of Commerce
  8. Suppliers
  9. Banks and Cooperatives
10. Local News Media
11. Competitors
12. Trade Publications
13. Library
14. State Economic Development Office
15. County Planning and Zoning Office
16. College of Urban Affairs
17. Other Contacts

Some of the information needed for completing a marketing plan is readily available; getting it is simply a matter of contacting the right source. When the marketing plan is complete, a picture of the market potential for products and services begins to emerge.

A completed set of worksheets is included in Appendix A. The New Farm Market case study is intended for illustration purposes only.

[Back]     [Next]