Link to original article: Farmer Spotlight: Hopkins Farms
Located in Southwest Georgia, Hopkins Farms is a 220-year-old family Farm owned and operated by the Hopkins family. They grow a variety of produce and have expanded recently to grow peanuts. With 5 generations of farming in the family, Hopkins Farms continues to grow operations, expand their product range, and push the envelope on their business model – delighting customers with modern conveniences.
As one of the newest members of the Barn2Door Advisory Network, we recently sat down with David Hopkins and his wife, Candace, on the Direct Farm Podcast. We learned how they’ve transitioned from a traditional Farm into the modern world, how they package products for success, and how a Direct Delivery program has helped expand their customer base.
FROM TRADITIONAL METHODS TO THE MODERN WORLD: THE DECISION TO PIVOT ONLINE
David quickly realized that the need to sell online was crucial for the growth and success of Hopkins Farms. Initially, he transitioned Hopkins Farms online through a website that a family friend built. With a generic site and no underlying software to help streamline Farm operations, David and Candace quickly realized that getting online wasn’t worth the time or effort without a solution like Barn2Door.
“When we found Barn2Door, it was much easier. No one had any trouble with the transition. Our customers are now used to ordering online, inventory updates automatically, and no one calls me to place an order! It’s saved us a ton of time.”
Pivoting online with a solution that helps streamline Farming operations, automate marketing, and offer customers the convenience of easy online ordering was a big deal for Hopkins. They quickly recognized the difference between “being online” with a website versus selling online with an all-in-one solution to help them grow and manage their Farm business. Farming is undergoing a digital transformation, and David knew the importance of his Farm to build a resilient business model in the modern era to serve buyers online.
“If Farmers want to grow and expand, then you need to go online with Barn2Door. Everything and everyone is online nowadays. The more Farms can get involved in selling direct-to-market online, the better for everybody. We’re helping build a sustainable and reliable business model for getting local food to our community. They know where their food comes from and that we truly care because farming is our livelihood. We intend to keep the Farm going. That’s why word of mouth is huge for us! It takes just one customer to get involved, and then they tell somebody who tells someone else. Sooner or later, you’ll have a full-blown direct-to-consumer business! That’s what happened to us.”
PACKAGING PRODUCTS FOR SUCCESS WITH BUNDLES AND SUBSCRIPTIONS
Many Farms offer Farm Box Subscriptions (Produce, Proteins, or Dairy) to get customers committed to purchasing food regularly. Hopkins Farms is no different. With plenty of products on hand, David quickly understood that offering an ala-carte Buyer’s Choice Subscription model (aka when customers get to choose every item in their box) would take too much time, be difficult to manage, and increase his operating costs. Instead, Hopkins Farms decided to offer a Farmer’s Choice Box to streamline operations and move more products:
“We initially thought we could make a buyer’s choice model work, but we quickly recognized that we can’t make it happen. We have to keep it simple with a Farmer’s Choice Box because it is less time-consuming for everyone.”
After implementing a Farmer’s Choice Bundle Box, David and Candace realized that offering various sizes would enable them to attract more customers. As ⅓ of Americans live alone, ⅓ live with 2 people, and ⅓ live with 4+ people, customers want options that meet the needs of their household. With this in mind, David and Candace quickly expanded to include multiple box options that their buyers can choose from:
“When we started bundles, the first box we offered was a $50 box which targeted bigger families with three or four kids. Then, we were getting inquiries for a smaller box, so we started one that was good for three or four people. After that, we helped pack boxes for another Farm, and they showed up with a bag one day. I asked, ‘What are you doing with that?’ He said, ‘I sell this to people with just one or two people.’ So now we also offer individual bags, which have become our biggest seller!”
As David and Candace strategically expanded their inventory to package bundles for different household sizes, they increased conversions as more customers could find what they wanted. However, even with the expanded options, Hopkins Farms has few inventory options in their store, making it easy to shop a simplified inventory and quickly find the best purchase option for your unique needs.
DELIGHTING CUSTOMERS WITH DIRECT DELIVERY
Hopkins Farms initially ran a typical pickup service for the Farm. David and Candace held customers’ boxes at pickup locations where they would wait for customers. While this worked for the time, customers often forgot about their orders due to busy schedules. This often led David to track them down or coordinate separate accommodations. Understanding that his buyers were busy, David decided to implement a Delivery service to bring his customer’s products straight to their doorstep.
We started Delivery and charge a fee of $10 a box. We can’t drive everywhere without making a profit. We know we can’t make everybody happy, but we want to do anything we can to make our customers happy. However, to be profitable, we need to charge a $10 delivery fee to cover our costs and account for our time.”
With their Delivery program, buyers pay online for their orders, and David no longer has to contact individuals to ensure orders were received. For many customers today, Delivery is an expected convenience. However, it’s also a service that shouldn’t be available to everyone depending on the distance from your Farm. If large corporations like Amazon (who charges a flat rate of $9.95 per grocery delivery) need to charge a delivery fee to make the venture profitable, then Farms too need to cover their costs and account for their time.
“Delivery is something all Farmers should do, but it does depend on where you’re located. When you think about South Georgia, we’re in a rural area. But we target the small towns and the bigger ones too! It helps us drive revenue for the business.”
We’re honored to support Hopkins Farms and Farmers like David and Candace, who dedicate themselves to providing their customers with convenient access to locally sourced, fresh food.