Are you a farmer or butcher ready to master direct-to-consumer marketing and “Meat Success”?
Then you're in the right place! From the team responsible for the ChopLocal meat marketplace, each episode of this podcast features interviews with farmers and butchers who have built successful direct-to-consumer meat businesses. And they’re going to share their secrets for success with you!
From actionable tips to inspiring stories, this podcast has the ingredients you need to succeed in the meat business!
After the show, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, follow us on social and check out the rest of our educational resources at ChopLocalUniversity.com.
Small Business Marketing Lessons from Main Street Shops
48 | Today on the Meat Success Podcast, Katie Olthoff shares a quick solo story about visiting two small businesses after her kids’ dentist appointments and the marketing lessons it revealed. Her child noted that the craft shop was more expensive than Hobby Lobby but worth it because the owners were friendly and helpful—paralleling why customers buy meat directly from farmers and butchers despite higher prices.
At the first shop, the owner verbally invited Katie to join a Square-based loyalty program by phone number, which immediately triggered texts showing points earned and prompting her to join the email list for bonus points. At a second treat shop using Square, a sign promoted loyalty but staff never asked, and Katie didn’t join despite being a repeat customer. Her takeaway: set up loyalty/text/email programs and verbally ask customers to join while explaining benefits.
00:27 Dentist Trip Backstory
01:03 Choosing Small Business
02:16 Yarn Shop Loyalty Win
03:13 Square Text and Email Flow
05:29 Why It Works
05:58 Treat Shop Missed Ask
07:30 Incentives and Lead Magnets
And learn more about ChopLocal and ChopLocal University Below!
https://choplocal.com/ (https://choplocal.com/)
https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/ (https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/)
9 Jul 2026
Farm to Inbox: Effective Email Marketing for Direct to Consumer Producers
47 | This week, Katie and Sierra hop on a live webinar to share updates, including a new Chop Local website header and improved zip-code entry, and Sierra’s upcoming road trip to photograph and film vendors in Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, and Kentucky. The main training covers building email lists for farmers markets and farm stands using lead magnets such as recipe or cooking guides, coupons, swag, and customer-only giveaways, with guidance to keep signup forms minimal, use Mailchimp landing pages, deliver PDFs made in Canva, and promote signups via social media and urgency.
They caution against adding past customer emails to Mailchimp without opt-in and suggest inviting customers via a one-time BCC email, plus enabling email opt-in on Shop Local checkout. For in-person collection, they recommend multiple QR-code signs and paper forms, and provide Canva QR-code template signage. They discuss connecting Square to Shop Local for synced inventory and share practical inventory management approaches, including leaving online inventory leeway and using paper-and-pen tracking. The group announces a North Central risk management grant offering webinars and four free coaching sessions, and launches a new Facebook group, “Farm to Consumer Meat Mastery,” for peer support.
00:32 Team Updates and Website Refresh
01:25 Sierra’s Vendor Road Trip Plans
03:49 Why Meeting Vendors Matters
04:24 Farmers Market Email Signups
04:48 Lead Magnets That Work
07:40 Giveaways and Targeting
11:10 Mailchimp Signup Pages Setup
14:18 Promoting Your List on Social
15:31 Inviting Past Customers Properly
19:46 In-Person Signup Best Practices
21:47 QR Codes and Canva Templates
24:29 Paper Forms and Booth Signage Tips
25:19 Cash and QR Options
26:36 Farmers Market Pickup Setup
27:52 Email Frequency Basics
28:14 Resend to Non Openers
29:59 Repurpose and Schedule Emails
31:42 Done For You Email Service
33:40 New Coaching Grant
37:08 Facebook Group Launch
39:08 Inventory Management Struggles
43:07 Paper Pen Tracking Tips
45:44 Freezer Reliability Talk
And learn more about ChopLocal and ChopLocal University Below!
https://choplocal.com/ (https://choplocal.com/)
https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/ (https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/)
2 Jul 2026
From Rural Roots to Online Success with Schultz Country Market
46 | On the Meat Success Podcast, guest host Sierra Long, talks with Nola and Mikaela Schultz of Schultz Country Market, a family farm-to-direct meat business in Illinois, about growing their brick-and-mortar store and social media presence.
They describe researching Illinois requirements for retail meat sales, opening their on-farm market in September 2023, expanding through a freezer trailer and a busy local farmers market, and starting nationwide shipping in February 2026 after extensive testing of supplies and packaging (favoring ice blankets over dry ice). They explain how TikTok giveaways and support from a local influencer helped grow to nearly 50,000 followers, and how they use Facebook for local customers and TikTok to drive shipping sales. They emphasize consistency, authenticity, quick Facebook Lives, and being intentional with messaging to convert views into sales.
00:53 Schultz Market Origins
03:14 Launching Retail Store
07:11 Farmers Market Strategy
10:26 Farm Store Experience
13:22 Shipping Meat Logistics
18:55 TikTok Growth Giveaway
22:05 Influencer Events Boost
24:32 Family Farm Story
25:06 Influencer Event Boost
26:32 Getting Comfortable On Camera
30:11 Facebook Live Routine
32:21 Choosing Platforms
37:48 Turning Views Into Sales
39:26 Content Ideas That Convert
Learn more about ChopLocal and ChopLocal University Below!
https://choplocal.com/ (https://choplocal.com/)
https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/ (https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/)
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
7,673
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
4 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 55 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
67
Social presence
0
YouTube
74
Engagement
32
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