Grow something new: Farmers share diversification stories

INDIANAPOLIS — Diversifying your farm can be a big change, but the rewards can be big, too.

Kacie Luckett, co-owner of Luckett Farms, diversified her farm by adding a variety of produce. She and her husband now have a CSA program to offer fresh food year-round.

“You have to just jump in,” she said at the virtual Indiana Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers and Ag Professionals Conference. “You can’t keep second-guessing yourself. You can’t keep questioning things. You can do research, but you have to just jump in.

“If it’s your passion and it’s what you want to do, then it’s going to work out. And if it doesn’t, it’s going to teach you a lesson.”

Jacy Lippoldt, co-owner of Native Acres Meat Co., started an online beef shop with her husband and friends.

“We jumped in with both feet and gave it a year to see if it was successful,” she said. “We now ship to over 17 states. We’re excited to keep growing and sharing about our company.”

For Lippoldt, building a website was the biggest challenge when diversifying her farm.

“We knew we needed the (website) to be our storefront,” she said. “Our website shares our story. Being online, it’s hard. You can click 10 different websites in two minutes. You have to stand out on your website.”

Having a strong social media presence is important to both Lippoldt and Luckett.

Making changes to your farm isn’t simple, but it can make your farm more profitable and resilient.

Learn more about Luckett Farms and Native Acres, respectively, at luckettfarms.com and www.nativeacresmeatco.com.

Learn more about diversification at www.purdue.edu/dffs.