Pick-your-own is an underused marketing channel for local vegetable and flower farms, one that could be transformative if PYO were implemented on anywhere near the scale of farmers markets or CSAs. Megan Neubauer of Pure Land Farm in McKinney, Texas is here to tell us how, after struggling with farmers markets, she made PYO more profitable and efficient for her farm. She used these experiences to write the book, Pick-Your-Own Farming: Free Yourself from Farmers Markets and Join the Agritourism Revolution.

Learn how to deal with “customer blight,” why she charges admission, how they choose good PYO crops, and what veg and flower crops those are. It all adds up to making double or triple what they made at farmers markets in just eight weeks of PYO (though of course it takes more than eight weeks of farm work to make that happen).

Megan didn’t start her career in farming — she has a BS in Biology from Boston University and worked for several years in biotech and scientific research. But in 2012, Megan and her father started their farm together using regenerative growing methods on three acres of thornless blackberries and two acres of diversified fruits and vegetables, exclusively marketing their products using agritourism. They offer their local customers a uniquely diverse pick-your-own or u-pick experience, which you can hear about on this week’s Growing for Market Podcast.

Connect With Guest:

Read her book: Pick-Your-Own Farming: Free Yourself from Farmers Markets and Join the Agritourism Revolution

Email: megan@purelandorganic.com

Website: www.purelandorganic.com

Facebook: @purelandfarm

Instagram: @purelandfarm

TikTok: @purelandfarm

Podcast Sponsors:

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