Food Chain Wars

John Arbuckle and his wife Holly have landed their pork snack sticks in over 600 retail stores nationwide! Their key accounts include the likes of Sprouts Market, Natural Grocers, HEB, and others. Securing this kind of shelf space is a tough uphill battle... It's low-margin, hyper-competitive, and it feels like the buyer commands all the negotiating power. That's why we were thrilled when John agreed to join the show and share what he knows. If you've ever wondered what it takes to scale a wholesale business, you won't want to miss their story.

An "online farmers market" that connects consumers & farmers within a shoppable platform is a business model many have attempted, but few have accomplished.  Nick Carter and the team at Market Wagon are one of the few! They've hit the INC 5000 list twice during their quick expansion to serve 30+ markets across the Midwest & East Coast. Marketing, tech, and logistics are typically the most difficult parts of the supply chain for farmers to solve, and this is where Market Wagon shines. Nick is a friend, and this industry needs more innovative people like him. That's why we invited him on the show to share his fascinating journey from farm kid, to serial farm-to-fork entrepreneur. If you're serious about growing your direct marketing business, I'm confident you'll benefit from this episode. Today, Nick has transitioned from CEO to the board of Market Wagon and is now the managing partner of 9Strong Holdings, which is buying businesses in the meat-to-consumer ecosystem. It's an inspiring concept and in the episode, you'll hear Nick share about the portfolio that currently includes a raw meat pet brand, a processing facility, and a cold fulfillment center in Indianapolis. This all made for a 90-minute episode that's worth listening to twice.

Ryan MacKay is the owner of Lilac Hedge Farms. Their primary sales outlet is DTC eCommerce, but they also operate a 7-figure agri-tourism enterprise consisting of: * A cozy farm store & ice cream bar. * A full-service kitchen & stage for live music. * Multiple Air BNB rentals. * A giant inflatable jump pad for the kids. * And of course, they host farm tours & all kinds of community events. While this is a lot to manage, there's a reason Ryan has been able to scale his eCommerce business with a hyper-regional customer base. Even as they expand to serve customers states away, the on-farm activity will still build trust & authenticity for the consumers who will never visit. Why? Because these experiences are something Omaha Steaks and ButcherBox could never recreate. Feel like you're in a good market for agri-tourism? You won't want to miss this episode with Ryan. Learn more about Lilac Hedge Farms at – https://lilachedgefarm.com/

Cody Hopkins is the CEO and founding farmer of GrassRoots Co-Op, and has led the company to become one of the more successful D2C farm-to-fork brands sourcing regenerative products from farms in the US. Here's where we went with the interview: * Cody's journey from teaching to 1st gen farming. * Their early funding journey for launching the co-op. * The pros/cons of the co-op business model. * Their transition from wholesale to DTC. *Nerdy tactics on digital marketing tactics & data. One other thing that's easy to admire about Cody is his knack for networking. If you listen carefully, you'll notice how so many of his breakthroughs at GrassRoots came from a new relationship. Want more content like this? Don't forget to subscribe to the email list [https://www.foodchainwars.com/].

In this episode, Blaine and Brooks share their experience acquiring new customers by advertising on platforms like Facebook and Google. With their brand Seven Sons, the brothers are acquiring hundreds of new customers every week, with paid advertising being the key strategy to produce those results. But will their strategy work for you? The key is having the right business model in place before you start writing checks to the big tech giants. What does that model look like? Listen to learn more!