Identifying Marketing Strategies for a Farmstead Cooperative to Increase Goat Milk Soap and Skin Care Product Sales to Targeted Markets

U.S. agricultural producers increasing subsidize raw product or commmodity production with off-farm jobs(90 percent of producers surveyed in Wisconsin) or federal subsidies, and marketing challenges are formidable for individual producers who attempt to add value to production and increase margins alone. Isolated efforts also require specialization and mass production to meet demand, defeating integrated, diversified goals of sustainability. Project producers are adding value to goat milk, coping with competition through a guild and marketing cooperative and blocking farmstead milk soap and natural skin care item production to meet demand in 4 targeted sales areas. Expanded membership in the tri-state, electronic-based web catalog and sales development, quality control and centralized packaging and shipping will help participating farmers maintain whole farm and integrated practices and cut need for off-farm employment.