Because I’m interested in not just farming, but ways to make a comfortable living on a sustainable farm, I am attracted to stories like this one in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune about Brian Goldenman and Dan Adamson who made $2 million in sales with their Farm Boy and Farm Girl apparel.
Wow. That’s a lot of baby doll t-shirts.
The two farm-bred entrepreneurs founded Farm Boy Co-op & Feed Co. with the idea that they would transform the farmer’s image from “hick to hip” with a line of catchy casual clothing. My favorite t is the wheelbarrow image with this message, “sorry I only clean after my horse.”
I’m not sure I buy the transformation line. But the timing is probably pretty good with so much emphasis on knowing where food comes from.
But here’s where it gets a little tacky/creepy: “The business is supported by a slick catalog and website that features real farm boys and girls, sometimes shown in mildly risqué settings: kissing in a cornfield, hugging in a haymow or huddled together on a tractor. Think Abercrombie & Fitch meets ‘Green Acres.'”
The risqué model poses are a little too porn-ish for my comfort level.
Still, the strategy seems to be working. More than 1,000 retail outlets in the U.S. and Canada sell the line.
Virtual Farmgirl 