Farm & Business Branding | Center for Crop Diversification

Branding is a flashy word sometimes offered as a solution to all of your marketing problems. Here we think of it as a blend of business identity and strategy that will inform all of your other marketing decisions. While we're often excited to post to social media, create a website, or get banners printed to tell everyone about our businesses, putting some time and thought into who you are (and who you are not) as a business and the key messages you want to convey BEFORE you start developing materials will come in handy as you start to build our your marketing plan.

Understanding Your Buyer

What to Think About Before You Plant

This publication lays out many of the things you'll want to consider about your business operations BEFORE you put any seeds in the ground. Considering your markets (i.e. your customer/buyer's expectations) is an important part of building a brand. Branding is about both telling your story, and fitting with your buyer's story, too.

two people pulling a red wagon with two pumpkins inside

Explore Market Types

As you start to understand the needs and expectations of customers or buyers at different markets, you should start identifying the market(s) you really want to focus on. As you do, take a bit deeper dive on our Market pages. Here you'll find a deeper exploration of specific kinds of direct, intermediated, and specialty markets and buyers.

Choosing a "Look" for your Brand

Once you have decided on your target market(s), it's time to think about how you will convey your values and value as a business. This can be reflected in your logo, packaging, website, social media, retail aesthetics, and many other places. As you consider what your "look" will be ask yourself:

Who are my core customers and what do they care about?
What identity do I bring to my business that I want to share?
What are some other brands that you'd like to emulate?

Below we share some AI-generated images that ChatGPT thinks represent different aesthetics. Do you agree?

AI-Generated Farmstands

We used ChatGPT to generate some example images of different "looks" based on some branding keywords. See if you can spot the differences. Any inspiration?

Homegrown Farmstand

This stand captures a sense of bounty, but the green, the containers, and even the table cloth help to convey a sense of "homegrown."

Chic Upscale Farmstand

While part of the "look" of this stand is a result of its surroundings, it also has cleaner lines, a bit more minimalistic approach, and lots of neutrals and earthtones reminiscent of a fancy hotel or spa.

Rustic Farmstand

Rustic is one of those buzzwords in design and food over the last 15 years or so, but what might it mean? In this case it's using some antique accents, layout, and signage to conjure images of an old-time country store.

AI-Generated Jelly Jars

Again, we prompted ChatGPT to generate some example images of different "looks" but this time for packaging of Grape Jelly. Which of these might sell best to your customers?