Episode 99: Why Maine Farmers Need Marketing, Not Just Better Fences with Erin Percival Carter

In this episode of the Maine Farmcast, hosts Colt Knight and Glenda Pereira are joined by Dr. Erin Percival Carter, associate professor of marketing at the University of Maine, to examine one of the biggest challenges facing Maine farmers today: making farm businesses profitable while competing outside the commodity system. Drawing on her background in agriculture, consumer behavior research and farming experience, Carter explains why simply being a good farmer is not enough and why marketing, pricing and understanding target customers are critical to long-term success. From the realities of Maine’s higher production costs to the limits of “if you build it, they will come” thinking, the conversation reframes marketing as a necessary business tool rather than an afterthought.

Episode Resources

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