Arizona Farm Bureau recently completed a “Talk to a Farmer” series on the direct market farmer. We were able to interview four families in the direct market space. The conversations help us understand some of the unique aspects of opening a farm to the public.

A direct market farm (also commonly called a direct-to-consumer farm or farm-direct operation) is a farm that sells its agricultural products directly to the end consumer or to buyers very close to the consumer (like local restaurants or small retailers), bypassing traditional wholesale commodity channels, middlemen distributors, and large supply chains.

This model allows farmers to capture a much higher share of the retail dollar, often two to five times more than wholesale prices, all while building personal relationships with customers, telling their story, and responding quickly to niche demands.

Key Characteristics and Common Outlets

  • Direct-to-consumer channels (the core of most "direct market" definitions):
    • Farmers' markets
    • On-farm stores or roadside stands
    • Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs (where customers buy seasonal shares upfront)
    • U-pick / pick-your-own operations
    • Online sales with farm pickup, delivery, or shipping
    • Agritourism activities that include sales (e.g., farm tours bundled with product purchases)
  • Sometimes includes direct sales to local retailers, restaurants, institutions (schools, hospitals), or food hubs—these are "intermediated" direct marketing but still qualify under broader USDA/local food definitions because the farm sells without going through national commodity brokers.
  • Focuses on freshness, transparency, local identity, and often specialty products that command premium prices.

What a "Retail Farm" Typically Means

The term retail farm is less standardized in agricultural literature but usually refers to a farm that operates its own retail outlet, most often an on-farm store, farm stand, or small shop where the public comes to purchase products directly. It emphasizes the farm functioning as its own retailer, often with:

  • A physical storefront (sometimes year-round)
  • Refrigerated displays, packaging, and customer amenities
  • Sales of both raw farm goods and value-added items (e.g., jams, cheeses, baked goods made from farm ingredients)

In zoning, permitting, and some state regulations, "retail farm" or "farm retail sales facility" describes small-scale on-site selling operations to distinguish them from wholesale-only farms.

Insightful Distinction and Why It Matters

In practice, direct market farm is the broader, more commonly used term encompassing any skip-the-middleman approach, while retail farm highlights farms that have invested in a customer-facing retail experience (like a charming farm shop with hours, signage, parking, and possibly additional attractions). Both represent a shift away from commodity agriculture toward relationship-based, resilient, and often more profitable models. These farms thrive by:

  • Building customer loyalty and word-of-mouth marketing
  • Diversifying income streams (reducing reliance on volatile wholesale prices)
  • Meeting growing consumer demand for knowing who grew their food and how
  • Often requiring more labor in marketing, customer service, and storytelling—but rewarding farmers with greater control, satisfaction, and economic viability

In short, a direct market or retail farm isn't just growing food, it's growing connections, trust, and a more localized food economy, one transaction at a time.

What One Farmer Can Tell You About Direct Market Farming

Mandy Kirkendall of Apple Annie’s in Cochise County shares her insights below.

Arizona Agriculture: Give a comparison between traditional farming and direct market farming from your family’s farming perspective.

Mandy Kirkendall: From our family’s perspective, traditional farming and direct marketing farming are very different worlds — even though they both start with growing quality crops.

Traditional farming focuses primarily on production. You grow a crop, harvest it, and sell it wholesale. The customer is usually a distributor or packing house, and your success depends heavily on market prices, volume, and weather. It is production-driven.

Retail and agri-tainment farming, like what we do at Apple Annie’s Orchard, is relationship-driven. We’re not just growing peaches, apples, pumpkins, and vegetables — we’re creating an experience. Our customers come to pick their own fruit, walk the corn maze, take photos in the sunflower field, eat cider donuts, and spend the day with their families. We’re both farmers and hosts.

In traditional farming, you market to buyers. In direct market farming, you market to families. That means customer service, food safety, events, social media, and hospitality are just as important as irrigation and soil health.

Both are hardworking lifestyles, but retail farming adds an entirely different layer of public interaction and creativity.

Arizona Agriculture: Talk about the most important aspects of opening your farm to the public.

Kirkendall: Opening your farm to the public requires intentional planning far beyond crop production.

The most important aspects include:

  • Safety – You’re inviting families with small children onto working farmland. That means clear signage, secure equipment areas, trained staff, and strict food safety practices.
  • Customer Experience – Clean restrooms, organized parking, friendly staff, clear picking instructions, and good flow throughout the property all matter.
  • Consistency – If customers drive from two or three hours away, we have to deliver what we advertise.
  • Education – Many visitors have never been on a farm. We help them understand where food comes from and why local agriculture matters.
  • Brand Trust – When customers associate your farm with family traditions, that’s something you protect carefully.

It’s about creating a welcoming environment while still maintaining a working agricultural operation.

 

Arizona Agriculture: What are the unique challenges of a direct market farm?

Kirkendall: Retail farming combines all the challenges of agriculture with the challenges of running a customer-facing business.

Some of the biggest challenges include:

  • Weather unpredictability – A storm during pumpkin season or bloom frost in the orchard affects both crops and attendance.
  • Labor management – We need seasonal staff who can handle food service, retail, and guest interaction.
  • Inventory balance – We must grow enough to supply visitors without overproducing.
  • Seasonal revenue – Our business is concentrated July through October, especially fall.
  • Customer expectations – social media can create high expectations. We work hard to meet or exceed them.

Unlike wholesale farming, we cannot simply ship product elsewhere if traffic is slow. Our success depends on bringing people to the farm.

Arizona Agriculture: What do you like most about what you do?

Kirkendall: What I love most is seeing families make memories here.

 

We regularly meet parents who say, “I came here as a child, and now I’m bringing my kids.” That’s incredibly meaningful. We’re not just selling apples or pumpkins — we’re part of people’s traditions.

I also love watching children pick fruit for the first time. Seeing them connect food to the land is powerful. It reminds us why local farming matters.

 

There’s something special about providing a place where families can slow down, spend time together, and enjoy a day in the country.

Arizona Agriculture: Talk about the future of Apple Annie’s. What can your customers expect?

Kirkendall: The future of Apple Annie’s Orchard is rooted in tradition but open to growth.

Our family has been farming for decades and preserving that legacy is important to us. At the same time, we continue to evolve. Customers can expect:

  • Continued focus on fresh, local produce
  • New seasonal experiences and events
  • Expansion of value-added products like baked goods and specialty foods
  • More ways to connect through social media and community partnerships
  • Ongoing improvements to enhance the visitor experience