364 CSA Buy Down Offers: Marketing Case Study with Thirsty Fruit Farm

In this episode, I sit down with Krista Barzen-Hansen of Thirsty Fruit Farm (one of my students from Farm Marketing School!) to break down how her farm marketing has evolved and strengthened over the past year. In this farm marketing case study, we unpack: how customers discover her farm, how she nurtures leads, how she's constantly optimizing her "gateway" product what content she creates, how she thinks about onboarding, the systems she's building, and how she's learning to approach marketing with confidence and experimentation instead of overwhelm. Krista's primary sales model happens to be a CSA "buy down" structure, so much of the conversation naturally flows through that lens. But the real lesson here is seeing how marketing principles come together inside an actual farm business. If you've ever wondered what it looks like to move from "random acts of marketing" into a more intentional marketing ecosystem… this episode will give you a practical example. Meet Our Podcast Guest:  Krista Barzen-Hanson from ThirstyFruitFarm.com Krista is an environmental chemist turned farmer. She and her husband, Brad, started Thirsty Fruit Farm in upstate NY during the pandemic. They farm about 10 acres of certified organic fruit and vegetables and sell direct-to-consumer through their buy-down CSA farm share, online store, and farm stand. Krista oversees the vegetable operation and marketing. Helpful Links & Resources Krista's Tip Jar Ideas: You can find these at our show notes page: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/364 Proof Sentence Live Workshop: Want help finding your farm's proof sentence? This June inside Farm Marketing School, I'm hosting a bonus live workshop where we'll write your farm's proof sentence together. You'll get time to draft it, share it for feedback, and get coached on revisions so you can use it in your emails, product descriptions, website, and social media. Join here: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/fms What email provider do I use to connect with my farm customers? Choosing a good marketing email provider is SO important. It's one of the most important tools for making money!  I recommend Kit.com -- it is easy to use, powerful, and getting better every year. It also integrates with most e-commerce providers and tools. Use my affiliate link! Thank You to Our Podcast Sponsors: Local Line is my farm's preferred e-commerce platform for farmers. Are you looking for a new solution for your farm? I can't recommend it enough. Easy-to-use inventory management, great customer service, continuous improvement, and a culture dedicated to equipping farmers with marketing expertise. Local Line is offering a free premium feature for free for one year on top of your paid subscription. Claim your discount by signing up for a Local Line account today and using the coupon code: MDF2026. Head to my special affiliate link to get started: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/localline Farm Marketing School is my step-by-step membership program for direct-to-consumer farmers who are ready to treat marketing like a system, not a guessing game. Inside, you'll get plug-and-play projects, templates, monthly coaching, and a repeatable framework to help you grow your email list, run stronger promotions, and increase sales (whether you're a vegetable, meat, CSA, flower, dairy, microgreen, or value-added farm). Your investment is only $69/month. Over 15 marketing projects to choose from. Learn more and enroll at: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/fms Support the Podcast: Love the My Digital Farmer Podcast? Help me reach more farmer earbuds! Subscribe on your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode. ⭐️  Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts, because it helps other farmers find the show. Share this episode with a fellow farmer or small business owner. Or forward my weekly email about the show to a farmer! (Get on that email list here to get more marketing tips: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/subscribe)