Here’s the weekly roundup from Watson Farms and your direct connection to your farmer. Enjoy the latest edition of Pasture Posts where we show you what we were up to!
Healthy Growth
The times we live in right now are different in many respects to say the least, but one definite difference our farm has seen is the new appetite that many people have for foods purchased directly from a local farm. We welcome this new appetite with open arms and have embraced it fully over the last year and a half – so much so that we drastically shifted our production methods to pastured animals only with nothing marketed through conventional channels. You can read more about that transition here.
One challenge that we haven’t entirely figured out is how to continue to grow and at what speed to grow our farm. The growth we saw in the spring of 2020 was great and afforded us many opportunities to be better farmers. We saw our meat and egg sales increase over 250% when we compare the spring of 2019 to the spring of 2020. This quickly showed us that many new customers were finding us, and we quickly shifted all our efforts to satisfying the demand for pastured proteins in order to retain as many of these new customers as possible.
One goal we have around growth is to increase our sales in lockstep with our production. This way we don’t end up with shortages that tend to make customers unhappy. Nobody likes to see “sold out” next to the item that they wanted to purchase. We promise we are doing our best to not run out of the things you need, but we are a small farm in the grand scheme of things. So please bear with us if we can’t keep the shelves stocked like a grocery chain can.
We’re looking into the possibility of partnering with other like-minded producers once we are to the point that our farm can no longer produce what our customer base demands. Not only does this allow another farmer to get paid better than the conventional markets afford, but it also transitions more acres to regenerative management. We’re not completely outselling our supply right now, but we’re not terribly far off, especially in the beef department. The important part is finding producers who believe that grass is better and who can match the quality that our customers expect.
So remember, your choice to purchase directly from the farm sends an instant signal to the farmer, who will continue to adjust based on your choices. If customers continue to seek out locally grown pastured proteins then we will adjust in order to supply it.
With all that said, one thing we know is that our sales need to continue to grow in order for our farm to stay viable. Advertising is very expensive, and if we did it right might cause a supply problem. So we rely on word of mouth for the most part, which can better provide the most appropriate rate of growth.
Here’s how you can help: tell others about us! Forward this email to someone you know who might be interested and encourage them to at least subscribe to our emails. Ask us for some magnets, brochures, or business cards that you can give to others for us. We can drop them in your next order. And don’t forget to remind whoever you tell about us that they and you can receive a $15 credit if they fill out the form in the email they will receive after their first order. We’re also working on some other ways that you can help new customers discover us, so stay tuned.
Lastly, we can’t say enough how much we are thankful for the choices you make with your food dollar in support of our farm. It is truly a joy to all of us here at Watson Farms to be able to talk with you as we deliver or as you pick up orders. Thanks for the encouraging words, and we look forward to serving you long into the future.
We’ll leave you with some photos that spotlight our pastured laying hens. These hens cover about 30 acres of pasture per year!
Sky does a great job protecting her flock 24/7! 
Some hens just lounging around after we just finished moving their house and topping off the feeders with freshly ground non-GMO whole grain feed. 
Abby is becoming quite the helper! Here she is gathering floor eggs yesterday. 
We’re super excited about these new pre-printed cartons that we will begin using soon – especially the part about not having to manually stick labels to each carton!
Noah loves the broiler chicks! He hasn’t figured out how to stop them from “digging” though. ????
Upcoming Tour
There’s a lot more that we can show you in person! Take advantage of the tour day set for Saturday, August 28 at 10am.
Make plans now to bring the family! The hayride will be covered with a tarp to provide some shade as we take a ride through the pastures. Slots are limited so go ahead and reserve your spot! Kids 5 and under are free. Herd Members and their immediate family also receive one free tour per year!
Product Spotlight
As you might guess, with all the chicken processing we’re doing lately, we’ve got plenty of premium pasture raised chicken in stock. Stock up with these handy bundles below while saving money!
We re-use packaging!
You can help us reduce our carbon footprint by returning your CLEAN egg cartons and meat boxes.
The main reason that we switched to plastic egg cartons a while back was because they are so much more durable than paper which could only be used once. They also protect the eggs much better!
So if you have some egg cartons or boxes to return, you can just place them on your porch on your home delivery day. Farm pickup customers can, of course, drop them off when you come to pick up your new order.
Thanks for helping us re-use our packaging!
Referral Program
If you enjoy our products please consider passing the word along to your neighbors, friends and family! We don’t spend a lot of money of advertising but rather depend on customers like yourself to advertise for us if they are amazed by our products and customer service.
All you have to do is refer someone to us and when they place an order for the first time they will get a link to a form where they can say who referred them. You and the new customer will receive a $15 credit! So make sure they tell us your name. Hit the button for more info!
Order Deadlines
Charleston: 12 noon Mondays
GSP: 12 noon on Wednesdays
Charlotte/Rock Hill: 12 noon Fridays
Farm Pickup: Please wait until you receive an email stating that your order is ready to be picked up (usually 1 business day from when you place your order). Farm Pickups will now be done during our store hours:
- Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 10am to 6pm
- Saturday: 10am to 2pm
- Closed Sunday and Wednesday
Did you know that we have a webpage that displays all the reviews we have received?
Check it out!
Check out this ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review:
“Love Watson Farms! Enjoy their beef and chicken with a bi-monthly subscription. It’s always a pleasure to pick up directly on the farm. Great customer service and affordable. Highly recommend.”
We would greatly appreciate it if you would be kind enough to leave us a review. It helps first-time customers purchase with confidence.
Thanks again for being partners in this endeavor of local, pasture-raised proteins that has truly transformed our farm. We look forward to continuing this transition while serving you long into the future.
Sincerely,
The Watsons
Pasture Posts is written by Matt Watson.