by 
Nestled on 232 acres in Jefferson, Texas is a family-owned farm called Shady Grove Ranch.
Matt and Jerican Cadman, the owners of Shady Grove Ranch, are dedicated to natural nutrition standards and regenerative farming principles.
They raise grassfed beef and pasture-raised chicken, turkey, and pork. They also offer pantry and refrigerator staples, including chicken and beef broths, fresh-baked bread, and dairy products like yogurt — all made with wholesome, trustworthy ingredients.
Their farming journey hasn’t always been easy, but they’ve overcome challenges and become a vital source of nutritious food for their surrounding community.
In this blog, we’ll share their story — including the five ways they’ve used GrazeCart to provide top-notch service, grow their customer base, and make running their business stress-free.
Shady Grove Ranch’s GrazeCart Success Story
Shady Grove Ranch has an on-farm store where customers can browse and purchase products in person, but the Cadmans have also experimented with in-store pickups, off-site buying clubs, and even local shipping.
Finding technology to fit this unique business model wasn’t easy. At first, they relied on a generic e-commerce tool, but they quickly became frustrated with its frequent bugs and limited features.
Enter: GrazeCart, a software solution designed with direct-to-consumer (DTC) farms like Shady Grove Ranch in mind.
Let’s look at five ways the Cadmans use GrazeCart to keep their farm running smoothly and profitably.
1. They Let Customers Choose How They Shop
When it comes to food, customers have choices. They can rely on the supermarket across the street, or they can support local farms like Shady Grove Ranch.
That’s why it’s so important to create a shopping experience that’s just as flexible and convenient as the typical grocery store business model.
Here are some of the options Shady Grove Ranch’s customers have:
- Traditional in-store shopping: Customers can visit the farm store, browse products in person, and get tailored recommendations at the checkout counter.
- Pickup orders: Customers can cut down on shopping time by selecting their products and paying online — all they have to do is pick up their order in store.
- Off-site dropoffs: Customers who live far from the farm can join a buyers’ club. They place an online order and pick it up at an off-site location on a specific day.
- Local shipping: For an additional fee, customers can have their favorite farm-fresh products delivered right to their door.
Instead of investing in separate point of sale (POS) systems to handle each of these channels, the Cadmans trust GrazeCart to run their entire business. Since our software includes POS features designed for in-store sales, integrated payment processing technology, and e-commerce tools like a website builder and order management system, they can rely on it for their in-store and online operations.
This saves them time and money since they don’t have to pay for and maintain multiple systems.
2. They Set Different Prices for Different Fulfillment Methods
Achieving profitability is one of the biggest challenges farmers face. The Cadmans overcame this hurdle by adopting a smart pricing strategy: They charge different prices for each of their sales channels.
Online orders are almost always more expensive to fulfill than traditional in-store purchases, so adding a small markup to each product is a go-to strategy for e-commerce-focused farmers. They might charge $8 for a pound of pork sausage at the farmers market booth or farm store, but $10 for pickup and $12 for delivery.
GrazeCart makes it easy for the Shady Grove Ranch team to adjust their prices for different sales channels, preventing confusion and eliminating the need for manual price changes.
Related Read: How To Price Produce in Your Farm Store
3. They Sell Products by Weight or by the Package
Shady Grove Ranch sells a variety of products, including farm-fresh meat and natural pantry staples. The Cadmans needed a system like GrazeCart that could handle variable weight and unit-based items.
When customers place an online order for two steaks on the Shady Grove Ranch website, they get a price estimate. When it’s time for the Cadmans to process the order, they weigh the steaks to calculate the exact price — and GrazeCart handles the rest.
This protects their profit margins and ensures customers get exactly what they paid for.
Unit-based products like loaves of bread, canned goods, and broths are easy to ring up at the checkout counter — no weighing required.
4. They Take Preorders for High-Value Products
Quarter beef and half pork are always in demand at the Shady Grove Ranch — which is why the Cadmans use GrazeCart to accept preorders for these high-value items.
When customers want to purchase one of these bulk packages, they have to create an account on their website, pay, and pick it up at the farm store. It’s simple for the Cadmans and their customers!
Pro tip: Preorders are a must-have strategy if your farm sells limited-time seasonal products like turkeys around the winter holidays. Letting customers secure their bird early is an excellent marketing strategy. Plus, it means guaranteed sales.
5. They Build Their Email List and Loyal Customer Base
Finally, the Cadmans use GrazeCart to market Shady Grove Ranch and nurture their loyal customer base.
They love that they can create a new customer account within seconds at the checkout counter, allowing them to collect valuable contact information like email addresses and phone numbers.
From there, they use GrazeCart’s built-in email marketing tool to stay in touch with their community. Whether it’s a harvest update, new product drop, or personalized promotion, these emails keep customers engaged and drive sales.
Related Read: How To Grow Your Email List: 3 Steps for Farm Stores
Write Your Farm Success Story With GrazeCart
The Cadmans didn’t settle for generic software to run their farming business — and you don’t have to, either.
GrazeCart was built with farms like Shady Grove Ranch and yours in mind. Our all-in-one software comes with all the features you need to sell online and in person, build a website, manage orders, and turn a profit on every single product.
Get started by exploring our flexible pricing options.
