What do most people think of when they think of branding? They think of logos. In fact, many people think that their logo is their brand. And you can’t have a great brand without a super cool logo design, can you? Today, I’m gonna tell you the mistakes you’re making with your farm logo design and what you really should be doing, instead.

Okay, so it’s strategy week here on the Small Farm Nation podcast. And nothing says “strategy” more than business planning, so that’s the focus this week. Now, the first thing you're told to do when starting a business is to write a business plan. But should you? Do traditional business plans help? Or is there a better way.

Yes, there is a better way, and in this episode I'll walk you through how to create an actionable one-page business plan.

Okay, so it’s Marketing week here on the podcast. And it’s an important episode, and if you’re a farmer, this is gonna really resonate with you. I want to talk about why small farms struggle so much to sell their products. If you’re a small, family farmer, you know what I mean. I've created a list of ten reasons why small farms struggle to sell their products. Listen in and see what you think.

Okay, so it’s Online Marketing week here on the Small Farm Nation podcast, and we’re gonna discuss the dirty dozen...the 12 Fatal Flaws of Most Farm Websites. I'd say at least 90% of farm websites commit these sins. Do you?

One of the most common things new farmers stress over is what to name their farm business. Well, in this week's episode I'm going to tell you there are lots of WRONG names to choose, and give you a tool for choosing the right name for your farm. We'll also cover how to choose product names and taglines.

Farmers love to blame Wal-Mart, regulations and unpatriotic consumers as reasons why their farms struggle. But is that really the case? In this episode I explain why it is not the case, and I also share some structural changes I'm making to upcoming podcast episodes.

This week I'd like to introduce you to an awesome new podcast. I really enjoyed my conversation with Tim and Tyler Nuss of the Modern Acre podcast recently. If you haven't heard their podcast, here's your chance. Then hit their site and subscribe.

smallfarmnation.com So, of course, Small Farm Nation is far from the only agricultural podcast out there. I’m sure you have other favorites.

But I’d like to introduce you to a rather new one if you don’t listen to them already. It’s the Modern Acre podcast hosted by Tim and Tyler Nuss.

The Nuss brothers, nothing but Nuss on the Modern Acre podcast.

Recently I had a fun conversation on their podcast and they’ve given me permission to share that episode with you, so I’ll do that today. And if you enjoy the episode, head over to their site at themodernacre.co and subscribe to their episodes.

I really enjoyed my talk with Tim and Tyler because I felt a kinship. I mean, if you read the “about” section of their website, you’ll see they have one foot deeply planted in agriculture, as they both have farming backgrounds and are involved with farming and food businesses now.

But they have another foot deeply planted in the business world. Tyler has worked at Apple and in tech startups, and Tim studied international business before joining one of the larger produce marketers in the U.S.

And you know how much I enjoy blending the business side of farming with the romantic, pastoral side, so this was a fun interview.

In the interview we discussed:

how I got into farming

how our pasture-based livestock farm grew

go to market approaches for farming

using employees and apprentices on our farm

the Small Farm Nation Academy

common marketing mistakes farmers make

and much more

I think you’ll get a lot out of this interview I did on The Modern Acre podcast, so let’s dive right in.

In this episode, I talk with John Suscovich of Farm Marketing Solutions. We discuss John's new book on Marketing Pastured Poultry, how to start a pastured poultry business, the critical success factors to achieving profitability and much more.

And, of course, we discuss what Howard Stern has in common with pastured poultry.

Today I want to discuss a crisis in small business. A crisis in most businesses, actually, but particularly in farm businesses. It’s a problem that creates undue stress, panic and results in farmers not building their brands, getting enough customers and growing their farm business.

I’m talking about Random Acts of Marketing.