$75 worth of freezer beef. Lauren explained that it adds value to their purchase while keeping the meat at safe temperatures on the drive home. Lauren does most of Flying C Ranch’s marketing–whether through social media or their website. But on both, one thing is obvious, connecting with the consumer is incredibly important. The couple uses social media to highlight their day to day life on the farm, as well as sell their products. “People say they love seeing our actual life on the farm on social media, so we take it one step further. We invite them right out to the farm – to see where their beef is grown and how we treat them. We want to make sure the consumer is educated, and we’ve done a lot of that through marketing,” said Lauren. The Lees are focused on producing the best possible product, but also on interacting with consumers in a way that shows their passion and proves they are trustworthy. Before they sell anything, they get to know the consumer as a person first. Consumers can’t trust people if they do not know them. “We use social media to show that the farmer works seven days a week. And to show that we feed this beef to our family too,” said Lauren. Social media allows their passion for their product and their way of life to shine. It also allows people who otherwise would not know their farmer to connect with and ask questions of the people who are raising the food. Selling directly to the consumer is not always easy, but it provides a unique educational opportunity that the Lees participate in with pride. “We’re taking a product from birth to the plate and selling it to consumers that we used to know nothing about, but through this process, we get to know them. They leave here knowing your story,” said Michael. 66 ARKANSAS GROWN
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