For dealers who specialize in smaller equipment, the professional farmer who is categorized as “small” should also represent a fertile area for customer prospecting — because it’s huge.

Outgoing Secretary of Ag Tom Vilsack outlines the department's accomplishments, including efforts to embrace both small and large farms and ranches.

As the market for local foods continues to expand, the customer base for many rural lifestyle dealers includes direct-to-consumer (DTC) farms. Comparing data from USDA’s 2007 and 2012 (most recent data) Census of Agriculture show DTC farm operations with DTC sales of food increased from 116,733 to 144,530. At the same time, the number of farmers’ markets grew to 8,268 in 2014, up 180% from 2006.

Check out opportunities to uncover potential customers or new ways to market your dealership to this growing segment.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced a proposed rule for a new microloan program that would be part of the suite of credit options available to farmers through the Farm Service Agency (FSA).