Pick-Your-Own Operations

Successful pick-your-own operations which do well year in and year out take care of their customers and potential customers in some of the following ways:

    Advertising - Local newspaper advertising within a 30-mile radius attracts customers, as does radio spots on stations popular with housewives and senior citizens. Also, a sturdy directional sign, prefereably with the farm's logo, is an important tool for getting business.

    Promotion - Some growers distribute recipe flyers to explain pricing or other information about their farms. A "giveaway," such as a keychain, is sometimes used to encourage repeat business. Personal contact on the telephone, rather than relying solely on an answering machine, also helps improve public relations.

    Other business and field management tips proven successful in the past include:
    Provide designated parking spaces for customers.
    Use flags to mark the rows of fruits and vegetables.
    Employ a field hand to assist customers.
    Place straw between the rows for a knee cushion.
    Provide cold water and restroom facilities.
    Let customers use two-gallaon sturdy plastic buckets for picking.

From July 14, 1993 Farmers and Consumers Market Bulletin , which incidentally is a good place to advertise a pick-your-own operation in Georgia.