They Use The Internet To Boost Farm Income

They Use The Internet To Boost Farm Income COMPUTERS 30-6-6 The internet is the perfect place to promote farm products, say Sandy and Ron Tombaugh of Streator, Ill. The couple uses two websites to market their own farm products, as well as those of other vendors like themselves. Ron sells hay and straw on www.darthay.com, while Sandy offers a wide array of items on the "American Farm Goods Website," at www.farmgoods.com. "It's usually a struggle for small farms like ours to generate enough income, so we've found ways to add value to our products and offer them to a bigger audience. We believe that many people without daily access to a farm, are looking for the products that we and our fellow farmers produce," Sandy explains.""We've had our websites for over three years now, and they help get our name and products out there." The Tombaughs sell hay and straw in a variety of ways, from big round bales to ordinary square bales to miniature "baby bales." The couple has three mini balers, and each makes a different size bale: 5 by 7 by 12-in., 6 by 6 by 12-in., and 2 by 3 by 5-in. Each of the balers requires two or three people to operate, and they produce about 30 bales per hour. "They are quite labor intensive but with three balers, we now have a capacity of 188,000 bales per year," Sandy says.""We're hoping to sell them wholesale by the pallet (8 dozen) to places like pumpkin farms and orchards." The Tombaughs purchased all three mini balers from various online sources such as eBay. "The first baler took me two years to find and was out in Texas. It cost me $3,500 and another $1,000 to have it shipped here. The other two balers came from Michigan," Sandy points out. Baby straw bales can be used for mulch or bedding for small pets, and the baby alfalfa bales make good guinea pig and rabbit food (they're being sold in pet stores.) All the bales are excellent for crafts, and kids love them for handling with their toy farm equipment. They're also just the right size for horse enthusiasts as treats. Mini bales sell for $4 retail, with discounts for quantity orders since they prefer to ship in dozen-bale lots. The baby bales wholesale at $2.50 each. Other straw products the couple offer include wreaths and barley straw packed in 10 by 30-in. polypropylene mesh bags for killing algae on farm ponds. According to Ron, the bags won't disintegrate, are easily refilled, and allow water to flow freely through the straw. "We even have some water treatment plants that buy 150 to 200 square bales of barley straw a year," he says. Another unique item that the couple offers is a barn-shaped cardboard gift box that's made to hold six jars of jam. When it's shipped, the box folds down into a rectangular shape, but the top of the box flips up to form a hip roof. Other products featured on the Tombaugh's website include apple and pumpkin butter, honey, candy, dressings, chutney, fruit spreads, whole grain four, jams and jellies, mustard, preserves and sauces. Other farmers can list products on the website by paying a small commission fee to the Tombaughs. "We're still expanding our group of vendors, and hope to become a one-stop farm shopping outlet," Sandy says. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, American Farm Goods, Sandy and Ron Tombaugh, 1240 N. Illinois Route 18, Streator, Ill. 61364 (ph/fax 309 531-HAAY (4229) or 815 672-3066; amerfarmgoods@yahoo.com; www.farmgoods.com).

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