Apple Barn Cider from Taves Family Farms
Along the side of the label, a mix of practical and emotional features are listed: no added sugar; non alcoholic; locally made; refrigerate after opening.
Cedar Isle Farm whole grain wheat flour
The colorful and beautiful image of Cedar Isle Farm with mountains as a backdrop make this standout. Add a peek-through window to the four and a organic certification sticker, and this is a home run label.
Drinkable yogurt from The Farm House
Simple graphics are enough for this product.
Farm House Yogurt
Contrast this label from the same farm with the previous product. It's colorful, and so may stand out in a crowded shelf, but the information is not as easy to access.
Goat milk from The Farm House
The elegance of The Farm House's logo adds a dignity to this product -- something it may need to reassure those willing to try goat's milk, but who are still skittish.
Krause Berry Farms' No-Sugar Added Blueberry Spread
This is the first of several Krause Berry Farms' products. Note the similarities and differences among each label.
Frozen berrys from Krause Berry Farms
Pies from Krause Berry Farms sold at a local market
Raspbery sauces from Krause Berry Farm
Maan Farms' Thousand Island Relish
The clean lines of this label make the information easy to access. The vegetables are a visual ingredients list, a smart move.
Several different local supplies in a freezer at Lepp Farm
Often your label will be just one of many on a shelf. Looking at this freezer, which labels stand out the most?
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Owning a farm marketing business calls on skill sets never anticipated. For those who have spent most of their lives working fields, vineyards, and orchards, it’s enough of a stretch to learn how to run a retail operation. Hidden in running a farm market, however, are many unexpected specialties you’ll need to master — advertising, merchandising, and many others similar skills.
If you bottle or can your fruit and vegetables, you can add one more skill set needed: designing a label.
During a tour of farm markets in the Vancouver area hosted by North American Farm Direct Marketing Association [NAFDMA], I saw a lot of local farms selling canned and bottled products. In other words, I saw a lot of labels.
The photo gallery above features many of the labels I saw. Take note how the labels not only include legally required information, but also marketing messages that make the product more appealing.