3 Unexpected Ways to Boost Customer Retention for Your Farm

When it comes to farming, customer retention is crucial for long-term success. But how do you keep your customers coming back? While most farmers focus on traditional strategies—such as offering competitive prices and ensuring product quality—there are a few overlooked tactics that can work wonders for building lasting relationships with your customers. 

👉 Before we jump in, we hosted a workshop: Mastering Retention: 4 Cheap Ways to Keep Your Customers all about customer retention. Watch the recording to get our best insights.

3 unexpected farm retention tips

Here are three unexpected ways to boost customer retention that you can start implementing today.

1. Make friends, not just sales

You might think that customer loyalty revolves around having the best produce or the most convenient delivery service. While these factors are important, one of the most powerful—and often overlooked—ways to increase retention is by building real relationships with your customers.

Think about this: people buy from people they like. While it's essential to provide great products and services, don’t underestimate the power of human connection. In today’s digital age, many people crave personal interaction. They want to feel like they’re more than just a transaction. Take the time to engage with your customers beyond the sales pitch. Ask them about their lives, remember their preferences, and share stories from your own life.

You don’t need to become best friends with all of your customers, but small gestures can go a long way. Customers who feel valued and personally connected are more likely to stick around simply because they enjoy doing business with you as a person, not just as a farm.

2. Evoke nostalgia and emotions in your marketing

While quality is vital, it’s not always the only reason someone will choose to buy from you over a competitor. Emotional connections often play a huge role in customer loyalty. Many farm-to-fork businesses overlook the power of nostalgia and storytelling in their marketing.

Think about the last time you had a truly memorable food experience—chances are it wasn’t just about the taste. It might have been the memory of eating fresh strawberries in your childhood backyard or the smell of fresh-cut herbs that reminded you of your grandmother’s kitchen. As a farmer, you can tap into these emotions by evoking nostalgia and creating an emotional connection to your products.

Instead of just saying, "Our strawberries are the best," try something like, "Remember how strawberries tasted when you were a kid—juicy, sweet, and packed with flavor? Rediscover that taste with our freshly harvested, local strawberries." 

When you appeal to emotions, you're selling more than just food—you’re selling an experience, which can turn a one-time buyer into a loyal customer.

3. Involve your customers in the planning process

This may sound counterintuitive at first, but involving your customers in the planning stages of your farm can be a powerful retention tool. Many farmers prefer to handle the business side—such as crop planning or product decisions—independently, but your customers' input can be invaluable.

By asking your customers what they’d like to see from your farm next season, you not only get a sense of demand, but you also make your customers feel heard. You don’t need to act on every suggestion, but simply taking the time to ask and acknowledge their preferences creates a sense of collaboration and partnership. For example, you could send out a quick survey asking what products they’d like to see more of or what types of produce they’re missing in their diets.

This approach also presents an opportunity to ask for early commitments. If a customer expresses interest in a particular product, you can say, “Great! Would you be interested in pre-ordering this for next season?” While not a guaranteed sale, verbal commitments plant the seed of loyalty and make it more likely that they’ll buy from you in the future.

Boosting customer retention for your farm

At the end of the day, customer retention is about more than just providing good products. It’s about creating meaningful connections, tapping into emotions, and making your customers feel involved. By implementing these three strategies, you’ll not only improve retention but also build a more loyal and engaged customer base for your farm.

This approach will differentiate your farm and give customers reasons to stick around beyond just your produce.

👉 In case you missed it, check out workshop: Mastering Retention: 4 Cheap Ways to Keep Your Customers all about customer retention. Watch the recording to get our best insights.