OFI 2016: Carrying On A Family Farming Tradition Through Value Adding And Diversity | Anne Diemand Bucci And Tessa White-Diemand | The Diemand Farm | Re-Cap Episode

On tomorrow’s Ag Business Episode I am profiling a farmer from South Virginia with an impressive vegetable farm. This made me think about the interview I did with the owners of Diemand Farm back in 2019 and how many different enterprises and value added products they had to keep going. I thought this was a great tie in for tomorrow’s ag business episode, and I am eager to play it for you again.

The original show notes can be found below:

SHOW NOTES

KEY IDEAS:

Today I get to profile another generational farmer, actually a set of generational farmers who love the lifestyle and are not taking it for granted. Anne Diemand Bucci and her daughter, Tessa White-Diemand, are working the farm started by Anne’s father in 1936 during the Great Depression. They are doing this in conjunction with other family members, and you would not believe the amount of value adding as well as revenue generation projects they are involved in to keep this farm going and profitable.

Just look at this list of products, services and revenue sources:

CSA
Over 25 soups
6 different sandwiches and other ready to eat dishes
Over 48 main dishes made from their chicken, turkey, beef and vegetables
Over 7 salads
Over 10 desserts
Grass fed beef
Fresh eggs
Free range turkeys
Free range chickens
Custom cut lumber
Woodcrafts
Pullets
Compost
Maple syrup
Wool products
Selling turkey legs at four festivals
2 Events at the farm

It is truly mind blowing how much they are doing to insure that they have value built into their products and they can weather any storm.

ADVICE FROM ANNE & TESSA:

ASK: Make sure to ask your customers what they would like for you to sell. If they don’t want it, you won’t be able to sell it.

EQUIPMENT: What equipment do you already have on the farm that you can make money from?

SATURATION: Do your best to make sure you don’t get into a market that is over-saturated with products or services.

RECORDS: Keep accurate records, especially if you are involved in as many ventures as Anne and Tessa. You need to know what is, and what is not making money.

BEST BUSINESS ADVICE ANNE HAS EVER RECEIVED:

“Put Your Name On Your Products” – it keeps you accountable to the quality.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Website: LINK