We were standing at our farmers market booth when she walked up and asked about pork shares.
We’d had sold a few small things before. A pound of bacon here, some pork chops there, eggs, etc, but this was different.
She put a deposit down on a half pork share right there at the booth.
We were nervous. Excited. Terrified we’d mess it up (I still have a fear of leaving all my hard work in the hands of processors – whole other topic).
We took the pig to the processor, brought it back to the farm, and called her to come pick it up.
She didn’t just grab her meat and leave.
We stood in the driveway for almost an hour. We showed her where the pigs were raised. We explained how we were different. Not just from the grocery store, but from other farms too.
She asked questions. We answered them. She told us what mattered to her. We listened.
I didn’t realize it then, but looking back, that conversation changed everything.
Here’s what that first customer taught us:
She showed us our real value. It wasn’t just the pork. It was the story. The transparency. The relationship. Those things mattered more than we realized.
She had an interest of starting with some chickens, to raise her own food and we shared what worked for us (and a lot of what didn’t at one year in).
She taught us how to sell. We learned what questions people actually ask. What concerns they have. What makes them feel confident buying from a small farm.
She helped us build our process. We didn’t even have a real system yet (just Square POS at the market). But that first experience, realizing what was confusing, what questions she asked, what would have made it easier, showed us exactly what we needed to build.
One customer gave us the roadmap that 100 couldn’t have—because we were paying attention.
She became our best marketer. That first customer told her friends. Then her coworkers. Then her family.
One sale turned into many without us doing anything except making her first experience really, really good.
Here’s what most new farmers get wrong:
They think they need 100 customers before they can start.
They think they need:
- A perfect website
- A full product line
- A farmers market booth
- An email list of thousands
- Professional branding and the perfect logo
But here’s the truth:
You need one person who loves what you do.
That’s it.
One customer who gets it. Who tells others. Who comes back. Who gives you honest feedback.
That first customer will teach you more about your business than any course, any book, or any YouTube video ever could.
So if you’re sitting there thinking “I’m not ready yet” – I’ll bet you are.
You don’t need to be perfect.
You just need to care enough about that first person to make their experience unforgettable (and you’ll learn along the way).
Start small. Start simple. Start with one.
The rest will follow.
(And when you’re ready to make ordering easier, a simple website helps. That’s what we built Homegrown Hosting for.)
with my appreciation,
Jason
Aka: The Part-Time Farmer
Your Farm Website Shouldn’t Feel Like a Second Job
I build it. I write your copy. I enter your products.
You send photos and details. I do the rest.
Simple pricing. Simple process. Completely managed by someone who actually farms.
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