Doing the Heavy Lifting

Regular listeners to our OnFARM podcast will be aware that we have regularly covered agri-tourism in recent months. An episode recorded at the Scottish Agritourism / GoRural Scotland conference emphasised that agri-tourism is, in many cases, not actually a diversification from farming, but rather can be looked at as simply marketing farm produce in a different way. We have subsequently produced an episode focussing on farm-based attractions as days-out around Dundee and today’s (Monday 25th April) looks at farm tourism around Edinburgh. Future episodes will focus on Glasgow and Inverness.I write this little blog, however, not solely as a means to highlight the podcast. Rather, I would like to share my thoughts on the importance of agri-tourism businesses to our wider farming industry.

Could you be a TV star?

Born Mucky? This Farming Life? The Farmers' County Showdown? Which are your favourite rural tv shows? Since it was first broadcast in 1988, BBC One's flagship rural affairs series Countryfile remains the highest-rated factual programme on British television. Three decades later, the new kid on the rural block is Clarkson's Farm, featuring a year in the life of Britain's most unlikely farmer, Jeremy Clarkson set against a backdrop of unhelpful weather, unruly animals and an unexpected pandemic. The rise of unscripted entertainment in recent years has been staggering - our own OnFARM episodes rank in the top 2% of global podcasts - and whatever the reason for our ongoing love affair with the land and the people who make their living there, rural programmes look set to continue.

May we ask you for some help?

Whenever we write our weekly email updates, we focus on trying to help. I hope that, more often than not, we are able to do that. Sometimes we offer snippets of PR and marketing advice. Sometimes we recommend really useful books to read or podcasts to listen to. Sometimes we’ll give you an easy access list of important dates in the agricultural calendar. Today, however, I was wondering if we might ask for your help?

The Lost Art of Saying No

Whether it's a collaboration that doesn't quite fit with your brand, a job applicant that doesn't have the required skills or a project that you simply don't have the capacity for, at some point, all businesses have to say “no”. It's not easy but it is an essential time management technique that brings you closer to your goals. Are you still saying “Yes” when you want to say “No”? The following might help:

What Your Favourite OnFARM Episodes Tell Us

When we launched the OnFARM (Food, Agriculture and Rural Matters) podcast, our aim was simple: to give rural areas a stronger voice and a new platform from which to share their wonderful and inspiring stories. We could scarcely have imagined that just two years later, OnFARM would be performing in the top 2% of 2.8M benchmarked podcasts by Listen Notes! We took a look at some of the most popular episodes and here's what we discovered you LOVE about the OnFARM podcast....

Join us for a free online marketing masterclass

Join Anna and Monty for a free masterclass designed to help you get your business better seen and heard by the right people. We will share FIVE strategies for making sure that your potential customers are aware of your business. After the webinar, you will feel less overwhelmed, more focused and more confident when it comes to marketing your business and you will have a clearer plan as to how to direct your time and energy towards the best activities. This is 60 minutes that you do not want to miss!

Scottish Rural Calendar 2022

This year, having missed out on two years of county shows, the promise of in-person social interaction is long overdue. Agricultural shows are especially important platforms to business owners, responsible for much of the coming year’s successful trading. They provide a sympathetic atmosphere and relevant all-in-one shop window to those trying or selling new products, discovering or promoting new concepts, and spotting or setting the latest trends. Can your organisation afford not to have a slice of that cake?

Instagram – Top Tips

Are you on Instagram? Are you considering it? Are you perhaps a little afraid that you’ll end up down the rabbit hole of trying to get on top of social media and never re-emerge? Well, we have good news for you! Not only do we have a list of top tips here, but we also have two training sessions now available within our OnFARM Academy training to help you master Instagram.

20% off online training - offer ends midnight Sunday

Just a wee reminder that if you are keen to sign up for any of our first four OnFARM Academy training courses (covering Instagram, Facebook, Working with Influencers and Storytelling for PR), your unique 20% discount expires at midnight on Sunday. Don’t miss out!

Launch of Online Training Designed Specifically for Rural Businesses

PR and Marketing agency Scene & Herd Ltd, has today launched a brand-new initiative, the OnFARM Academy, offering online training specifically designed and curated for rural and food and drink-related businesses.Born out of a recognition that not all in-person training is geographically accessible, that not all businesses and organisations can afford personalised bespoke training and that much current online training is not tailored towards rural business, the OnFARM (which stands for Food, Agriculture and Rural Matters) Academy is designed by rural business, for rural business.

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