Gofarmer.com - revolutionse the way you sell
Added: (Wed Dec 29 2004)
Pressbox (Press Release) -
GoFarmer – revolutionise the way you sell your farm produce
GoFarmer is a new website to help farmers and smallholders seller their goods by farm to farm sales and market directly to the consumer. The site has been set up by John Dixon and his partner Rachel Gawith, who run a small hill farm in the Lake District, Northern England as a way to help the farming community. The philosophy behind the site is to bring the farming community into closer contact nationally and in turn closer to the ordinary public as they are the usually the final customer, especially if farmers are doing bed and breakfast, holiday cottages, farm shops or even home deliveries Members can advertise everything from cattle, sheep and alpacas to farm machinery, bed and breakfasts to rural crafts.
The idea was born over a year ago after John became disillusioned with the options available to sell his stock. John, has sheep and beef cattle, was tired of always having to accept a particular price offered for his stock and being limited to the number of people he could sell his stock to. The inspiration for the site came from spending hours attending auction marts only to see your stock fetch less than expected but be sold anyway as you don’t want to take the animals home again. Plus of course the auction marts always take their commission fee! During Foot and Mouth, farmers started to make use of online auction sites to sell stock that could not be easily transported or had restrictions placed on transportation. And the idea of Gofarmer was born at http://www.gofarmer.com
Items for sale include all types of livestock such as sheep, cows, goats, pigs, poultry and alpacas, farm machinery, vehicles, land and property for sale and vegetables and meat produce delivered directly to your front door. Farm stays, holiday cottages, campsites and bed and breakfasts are also advertised as well as farm shops, farm attractions and rural crafts.
The idea is that farmers and smallholders will be able to use the site as a huge online market place and thus be able to advertise their stock and other produce to a wider range of potential buyers as well as get a better return for their goods by avoiding the middleman. The site is also aimed at the general public who will be able to view all the goods for sale for free and source such things as bed and breakfasts, farm stays, boxed vegetables and rural crafts from all over the country.
Farmers, smallholders and consumers alike can visit the site and browse through the numerous categories to see what is for sale. If anything catches their eye, they can simply register for free as a buyer and be able to contact the seller directly. Alternatively those interested in selling produce and goods on the site can register as a seller for an annual fee of currently £35 and then upload as many adverts as they wish, having full control over their adverts through an easy to use admin area. You are also able to upload pictures with each advert. The site is fully automated with people able to signup directly on the site and pay by credit card. Within minutes you can be up and running and advertising your products to a huge audience. Potential customers can then get in touch with the seller by e-mail, telephone or post.
The website took over a year to build from the conception of the idea, to going live in Spring 2004. The site currently has over 250 registered members selling everything from cattle to Landrovers and tractors, damson gin, specialist equine law services and farm insurance and other rural crafts. There is also a forum for farmers to discuss various farming issues and where the general public and get to know more about farming, a Farm Focus page which looks at a particular member’s farm in more detail and a Business Focus page giving details of professional services of use to the farming sector. In the future John and Rachel hope to add additional benefits for their members.
John and Rachel are undertaking national advertising to promote the site as well as using search engines, leaflets and posters.
People can sell all third produce or services with no commission, no middle man, direct to the customer. There are no hidden costs, in effect it could put an end to high cost, time consuming sales.
Get one step ahead – try http://www.gofarmer.com
Gofarmer.com
John Dixon & Rachel Gawith
Grassgarth farm, Ings, Nr Kendal, Cumbria
http://www.gofarmer.com
Tel: 01539 822625