Online Directories for Farmers

Getting internet visibility is one of the most important things you can do for your small business. An easy way to do this is to take advantage of online farm directories, many of which will offer your farm business a free listing as long as you register on their website. Below are a few of the directories we recommend that can help you get more site visits and hopefully more customers. 


Managing multiple profiles on multiple websites can become daunting so we recommend sticking to a few or only adding one additional one if you are already on Google My Business or Yelp. Keeping a separate tracking document in your files can help you remember what directories you are listed on. This document can include the directory website, the email and password you used to set up your account, and other useful notes like fees, etc. 

 

The CAFF Farm Directory allows visitors to search farms by location, crop, and type of sales.


CAFF Farm Directory


This directory is run by the Community Alliance for Family Farmers, a California-based non-profit organization that provides resources, information and advocacy for California small farms and farm associated businesses. This directory allows you to describe your farm based on size, crops, growing methods, etc. With over 1000 visits per month and almost 300 farms listed, this is a great directory to get started for businesses in California. 


Local Harvest


This is a nationwide directory that aims to help customers find local food producers. Local Harvest offers both a free and a sponsored plan. The sponsored plan removes ads from your business’ page, and is available for a suggested donation price of only 30 dollars a year. 



USDA Local Food Directories


This service offered by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Services program allows listings for farms and food businesses that offer buying opportunities for both wholesale and retail customers. For farms, this means that you can be eligible for a listing if you have an on-site farm stand, U-pick, or farmstays and farm tours. The Local Food Directories also offer listings for CSAs, farmers markets and food hubs. For more information about how to register your farm, please visit the USDA Listings Update page to find the category that best suits your needs. For most small farms with on-site sales opportunities, the USDA On-Farm Market Directory is probably the best choice. 



Eat Well Guide


The Eat Well Guide is a nationwide directory of over 25,000 sustainable food businesses, ranging from farms to restaurants to bed and breakfasts. The guide allows users to search by location and business type in order to find local and sustainable food options both at home and while traveling. The listings on this site highlight vendors near major metropolitan areas nationwide, so might be more useful for those farms that have large to medium sized cities in their region. For more information about what standards are required to be listed, see the Eat Well Guide’s Standards for Inclusion.



NSAC – National Guide to Finding Local Food


The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition is a collective of grassroots organizations that promotes policy work at the national level to promote sustainable food systems. This blog post from April 2020 lists a number of national as well as state-specific resources and directories for small and local farmers and food producers.



Local Small Business Directories

Don’t forget about the small businesses directories used by thousands of potential customers everyday! These may include yelp.com, Next Door, Facebook marketplace, local publications such as Edible magazine, and much more! 


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