Barry Pritchett Ellijay, GA

Barry Pritchett
Ellijay, GA
www.redapplebarn.com
About Us
• Open August-December
•
Not on the traditional “Apple
Alley”
•
Offer: apples, peaches,
pumpkins, wildflowers, fried
apple pies, baked items,
jams & jellies, other value
added products and
souvenir items
•
Agritourism: Hayrides, UPick, Pumpkin Patch,
Weddings
Most Profitable Use of Crop Land
• We have planted:
• Hay
• Strawberries
• Pumpkins
• Vegetables
But the BEST Cash Crop Is…
5
History
•
1965: First Trees Planted
•
1971: Built apple barn to sell apples
•
1977, 1979, 2005, 2011: Expanded apple barn
•
1979, 1994, 2002, 2014: New orchards planted
AGRITOURISM EXPANSION:
•
2010: U-Pick Apples started
•
2012: Pumpkin Patch
•
2013: Wedding Venue opened
Generational Changes
• Different generations
mean changes to what we
offer on the farm.
• Both in Family AND
Customer bases
• What has changed?
Most Important Thing-Make it Enjoyable...
We share our family farm with other
families. Treat them as your guests.
The Road Less Traveled
• Located on western
side of Ellijay, out of
the way from the other
apple markets
• Have to find ways to
stand out
• Both challenge and
opportunity
Attracting Customers to our Farm
• Prayer!
• Be THE Destination
• Internet-website and social media
• Traditional Advertising
• Signs-road, weekend, homemade
• Local Chamber/Visitor Centers/Explore Ga
• GFB Certified Farm Market
• Agritourism Association and other groups
16
Community and Area Events
Social Media
• Can be overwhelming
We use the following:
Facebook
Twitter
Google+
Pinterest (Very little)
YouTube
Instagram (coming soon)
• You have to devote time
but it can be rewarding.
• Most Social Media is
Free and can develop a
huge following.
Social Media Made Easier
Make Your Website Work For
You
•
Make your website easy to read and understand
•
Make use of pictures, videos
•
Show website visitors you are a
•
fun family outing
•
Build Your Site to be Mobile-friendly
Looking at your Business Numbers
• Using traditional
and web graphs
helps evaluate
what we do
• Showed we need
to offer more
during the week
to spark interest
• How to find and
fill the gaps
Weekends
Weekdays
Tools For Your Website
•
•
•
•
Google Analytics
Google Keyword Finder
Google Webmaster Tools
Word Tracker
Social Media
SocialMediaToday.com
A Lot of Hats
Picture Perfect
People are
searching for an
experience, a
destination. They
want to have fun,
relax, make
pictures, make
memories, start a
family tradition.
Most of them want
to eat, take
something home
from your place.
Help them find you
and provide them
with a memorable
experience!