369 The One Metric That Tells You if Your Farm Leads Are Actually Worth Anything
July 8, 2026
What is a lead actually worth to your farm business?
Most farmers know how many email subscribers they have.
Far fewer know what those subscribers are actually worth.
And that can lead to some very bad marketing decisions.
In this episode, I introduce a simple metric called Earnings Per Lead (EPL) that helps you measure the value of the people entering your world — i.e. whether they came from a Facebook ad, a farmers market, a farm tour, a referral, or a lead magnet.
You’ll learn how to calculate EPL, why it’s different from Cost Per Lead, and how it can help you decide which marketing activities deserve more of your time, money, and attention.
In this episode, we’ll discuss:
- What Earnings Per Lead (EPL) is and why it matters
- Why Cost Per Lead can be misleading
- How to calculate EPL using a simple formula
- How to track the value of different lead sources
- Why some leads are far more valuable than others
- Real-world examples from CSA farms, meat producers, flower farms, and online stores
- How EPL can help you make smarter marketing decisions
If you’ve ever wondered whether your lead magnets, email list growth efforts, farm tours, or Facebook ads are actually producing customers, this episode will give you a new way to look at your marketing.
Helpful Links & Resources
What email provider do I use? I recommend Kit.com — it is easy to use, powerful, and getting better every year. It also integrates with most e-commerce providers and tools. Use my affiliate link!
Thank You to Our Podcast Sponsors:
Local Line is my farm’s preferred e-commerce platform for farmers. Are you looking for a new solution for your farm? I can’t recommend it enough. Easy-to-use inventory management, great customer service, continuous improvement, and a culture dedicated to equipping farmers with marketing expertise. Local Line is offering a free premium feature for free for one year on top of your paid subscription. Claim your discount by signing up for a Local Line account today and using the coupon code: MDF2026. Head to my special affiliate link to get started: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/localline
Farm Marketing School is my step-by-step membership program for direct-to-consumer farmers who are ready to treat marketing like a system, not a guessing game. Inside, you’ll get plug-and-play projects, templates, monthly coaching, and a repeatable framework to help you grow your email list, run stronger promotions, and increase sales (whether you’re a vegetable, meat, CSA, flower, dairy, microgreen, or value-added farm). Your investment is only $69/month. Over 15 marketing projects to choose from. Learn more and enroll at: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/fms
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