Building a website for your dairy farm is like opening a virtual door for your customers, but it's one in which you control everything they see.
It allows them to peek into your world, understand your values, and connect with the source of their dairy products. This easy guide will help you gather the information you need to create a website that fosters trust and showcases your passion for farming.
Opening the gate to your farm story
The basics: Start by laying the groundwork. What's your farm's name and location? Introduce yourself and your family, sharing the history of the farm and your motivations for becoming a dairy farmer.
Dairy products, services, and sustainability: Delve into the heart of your operation. Describe the crops you grow and how they contribute to your farm's ecosystem. Introduce your dairy cows, their breed, and how you raise them with care. Explain your milking processes and where the milk goes after it leaves the farm. Highlight the quality and safety measures you take. Don't forget to express what excites you most about what you do!
A virtual farm tour: Take your visitors on a journey through your farm operation with engaging text or video content. Offer glimpses into the calving area (people love calves), barns, milking parlor, and your fields.
Create compelling website pages:
Homepage: This is the digital representation of your farm. Introduce your farm name and family and highlight why you work so hard for the cows and your customers. Share what drives you as a farmer and how your practices benefit consumers.
About us: Dive deeper into your farm's story. Explain the name's origin, your family's history with the land, and your farming journey. Weave in your core values, allowing visitors to connect with your dedication to your farm's legacy.
Our cows: Celebrate your animals! Introduce their breed, size, and milk production. Describe their living conditions and what makes them special to you. Include a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section to address common cow-related inquiries from consumers.
Our land: Showcase your farm's land management practices. Explain the crops you cultivate, their role in your operation, and how they contribute to cow nutrition. Discuss sustainable practices and manure management. Address consumer questions about land use and environmental responsibility.
Our products: Showcase your dairy products or where they are produced. Highlight the tests you do to the milk to ensure the highest quality.
Dairy farm tour: This is where your virtual farm tour comes to life. Use engaging text or video content to showcase your farm's different areas: calving area, barns, cow feed, milking parlor, maternity barn, and so forth.
Blog: Establish your credibility by creating a blog. Share farm updates, address current issues, and answer consumer questions. This is a powerful tool to share your farm's story and connect with your audience.
Contact us: Make it easy for visitors to connect with you. Provide your farm address, phone number, email address, and social media links.
Here are a few other tips to remember:
Visual Appeal: Complement your text with high-quality photos and videos that capture the essence of your farm life.
Mobile-friendly: Ensure your website functions flawlessly on all devices, especially smartphones and tablets.
By incorporating this information and showcasing your passion for dairy farming, you'll build a website that fosters trust and connects with your customers.
If you've gathered and created all this information, now it’s time to select an affordable website platform like Wix, Squarespace, or Weebly. These easy-to-use tools can help you bring your website to life.
If you need more help, please reach out to your local checkoff. Most local checkoffs have programs and resources in place to help you get your website up and running in no time.
To learn more about your national dairy checkoff, visit usdairy.com/for-farmers or to reach us directly, send an email to TalkToTheCheckoff@dairy.org.
The author is a Senior Vice President of Digital Initiatives at Dairy Management Inc.
