NYS Fiber Farmers Make their Mark on Etsy

The e-commerce platform Etsy is a space where NY Fiber Farmers are finding a market. In my interviews with New York fiber farmers, reaching a broader market was often part of the conversation. Fiber farmers from all over use various strategies to find new customers. Some farmers have unique farm websites, social media, and use Etsy. These are all valuable media presences which allow potential customers to find local fiber farms.

Many farmers have unique items such as natural fibers, specialized fiber processing tools, and an authentic story linked to place, which may appeal to Etsy customers.

A Closer Look at Etsy

Etsy has a mission to “keep commerce human” and offers a global marketplace to sell and buy unique, hand-made items. Therefore, Etsy can be a prime site to help farmers reach a broader market. At the end of 2018, Etsy reported that there were 2 million sellers and 37 million active buyers. Top categories include “Clothing & Accessories,” “Home & Living,” “Jewelry,” and “Craft Supplies.” (Please note that Etsy recently changed its transaction pricing for Etsy sellers from 3.5% to 5%, and is yet to report how that has affected sellers).

A recent study by Dr. Casey Stannard at Louisiana State University presents several strategies taken by US fiber farmers who sell on Etsy. She analyzed 47 different fiber products and seller “About” sections. Consistent with the strong narratives and branding that I saw from many NY fiber farmers, Dr. Stannard found that farmers emphasize their “Farm History,” “Motivations for Farming,” and “Buying Farm Fresh.”

New York Fibers & Etsy

With thousands of unique products available on Etsy, I sought to discover leading Etsy sites from New York farmers. In my search, I focused on craft supplies, spinning, roving, and New York as a location. The following are top Etsy Fiber Business sites that persist throughout the state.

Each of these NY Etsy producers and sellers offer several diverse and unique products. Willow Glen Farm, Apple Rose Fibers, Fetching Fibers, Rock Garden Alpacas, and WE Sheep focus primarily on fiber products such as roving, top, and yarn. Several sellers, such as Llady Llama Fiber Co. and General Bailey Farm, carry both fiber products and fiber processing tools. Additionally, farmers from Daisy Hollow Farm, WillOWool Sheep Farm, and Clover Brooke Farm also sell body care products such as hand-made soaps, lotion, lip balm, and deodorant.

This table provides an overview of each of these NY Etsy Fiber Businesses and includes their general location, year established on Etsy, and products available.  I organized the table by the total amount of sales each business has generated from its inception on Etsy to January 21, 2019.

Some of these farms have 10+ years on Etsy, but many are relatively new over the past 5 years. An important observation is that each of these farms have a 5-star rating and positive customer feedback. This information can provide a nice point of reference for other farmers who are interested in actively selling products online.

What Have We Learned About Etsy ~ For Fiber Farmers

As Etsy continues to grow, keeping an eye on strategies to compete in their marketplace will be valuable. A change I’ve noticed over the past few months is Etsy’s increased efforts to highlight unique products in their weekly email campaigns. Some recent email marketing headlines include “It’s here: Monday marvels,” “Handmade with *love*,” and “Ooh, where’d you get that?” Through these efforts, Etsy is trying to engage with their customers by consistently communicating in a conversational tone.

As many farmers already engage directly with customers, how can Etsy’s adaptive, e-commerce marketing strategies influence approaches to marketing and merchandising? The availability of unique products seems to be key, as well as good photography. All Etsy fiber businesses featured here have a 5-star rating and receive consistent customer reviews. When presenting to investors, Etsy highlighted specific occasions that their customers search for unique, hand-made items. These include birthdays, baby showers, back-to-school dates, anniversaries, and holidays throughout the year. For fiber farmers and artisans, creating a year-round e-commerce strategy can help increase customer reach and stimulate loyalty. It is interesting to see these fiber businesses highlighted on Etsy especially after meeting several farmers at the various NY fiber festivals.

Over the next few months, I’ll keep an eye out for more platforms that can support fiber farmers’ economic development. This includes trends in the National Make it With Wool Competition, and the recent Livestock Conservancy’s “Shave ’em to Save ’em Challenge” that aims to increase the visibility of farmers with wool from rare or heritage breeds of sheep.

References

Etsy. (2018). Etsy keep commerce human [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from https://investors.etsy.com/home/default.aspx

Stannard, C. R. (2018) Pastoral dreams and quirky goats: An analysis of selling strategies of fiber farmers on Etsy. International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA) Annual Conference Proceedings. 53. Retrieved from https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/itaa_proceedings/2018/posters/53