'Ohio Signature Beef' Promoted

Many consumers like to buy food from their area and are interested in how it was produced. When farmers tell their story to these savvy consumers, it’s called “story marketing.”

Story marketing informs the consumer about the farm and how the food was produced. The farmer sells a branded product rather than a general food item, and adds value by promoting the farm and its management practices.
The story often has a focus on health, animal welfare, how it was raised locally and sustainably raised, and ethnic or religious purposes. It might emphasize organically grown, antibiotic/hormone free, free range, Ohio Proud, Asian, or Kosher.

By adding value, the farmer becomes a price maker rather than a price taker.
Surveys show consumers are spending only 10 percent of their income on food and are willing to pay more for specially grown products.

To read the rest of the story, please go to: The Courier