One of the best things about living in Dane County is having access to a lot of great locally grown and locally produced food. During the summer, farmers’ markets are everywhere. CSA boxes are as plentiful as they are mind-boggling. I never did figure out how to get through all of last summer’s beets.
But sometimes I think local food marketing leaves a little to be desired.
When consumers buy local food, they aren’t just investing in the local economy or sustainability. They are investing in local people. Farmers, cheesemakers, craft bakers and others have to sell themselves as much as their product.
Luckily, our area’s craft brewers offer a wonderful Marketing 101 for food producers.
Some places are already following the brewery model. A couple of weekends ago I visited Sassy Cow Creamery with my family. They were offering tours, and, as a regular consumer of their dairy products, I wanted to go.
The tour was great. I got to see baby cows, which is always a solid way to spend a Saturday afternoon. More importantly for me, I got to go to the barn where the cows were fed. It smelled really good for a dairy barn. I grew up in rural Wisconsin — I’ve seen some nasty barns. Sassy Cow looked and smelled about as nice as a dairy could.
The people were pretty good too. The Baerwolf brothers who run the dairy were out and about answering questions. I’ve never met the CEO of Kemps or the chairman at Land O’Lakes, but I got to have a conversation with the people who make my milk.
We even saw where they make the ice cream. They only have one ice cream maker for all of the ice cream they sell on site and in stores. I was surprised at the small scale; it reminded me of a nanobrewery. That’s when it hit me. The whole experience reminded me of a brewery tour.
I love brewery tours. The science stuff is fun, and free samples never hurt. What I enjoy most is watching people geek out about the things they are most passionate about. For brewers, that’s beer. For the Baerwolfs (Baerwolves?), that’s dairy.
Personality and passion can really help sell a beer. Obviously, the beer has to taste good. The beer varieties should be unique or the brewery should have some niche it excels at. But I think a huge part of the success of a craft brewery relies on the personalities of the people making it.
The local beer market is crazy crowded and competitive. Local food producers should study what they’ve done to sell their products and carve out a niche.
When Ale Asylum started out, their irreverence made them stand out as much as their hoppy beers. The silly names and high alcohol content differentiated them from the more buttoned-up New Glarus and Capital breweries. Ale Asylum's personality isn’t so unique anymore. Fast-forward to 2015, and breweries are in a war of quirk escalation. The label for Karben 4’s Fantasy Factory features a cat riding a unicorn.
Brewmaster Ashley Kinart at Capital Brewery is often recognized for being a female brewer in a male-dominated industry. That’s important, but I feel people ignore what I feel is her greater accomplishment — stepping out of the shadow of Kirby Nelson. Nelson, now an owner at Wisconsin Brewing Company, was one of the first personalities of the Wisconsin brewing scene. He made people stand outside in a Wisconsin winter and then threw fish at them. He created beer varieties — including a calendar full of seasonals — his successor could have just coasted off of.
Instead of just maintaining a legacy, Kinart has been innovative. Her Grateful Red is unique among IPAs. Considering everyone and their mother has made an IPA, that’s impressive. Kinart has made Capital feel fresh for the first time in years.
As our local food market matures, it is time to ask some questions. With all of the bakers and growers in the area, what makes this producer distinct? How is their product different? Why is it worth my money?
You can tell which producers are doing a good job of this by attending any farmers’ market. Every Sunday at the Northside Farmers Market, I buy produce from the same family. They sell good stuff, particularly their carrots, but I keep going back to them because their kids are adorable, and they make good smalltalk.
Beer often sells an experience — my extended family will forever associate Wisconsin with Spotted Cow. Spicy cheese bread can command its high price because the folks at Stella’s have made it part of the experience of attending the downtown farmers’ market.
