How to Grow WITHOUT Paid Ads

If you've been reading for a while, you've heard us talk about authentic storytelling and why real, practical marketing usually outperforms polished content. This week, Amber from Our Family Farms (Los Fresnos, TX) shows what that looks like when you pair it with a clear growth plan. Amber didn’t start with paid ads. She started by testing demand in local social media groups, learning what people actually wanted, and building simple systems that could support growth as interest increased.

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Keep reading for a candid, practical breakdown of how one farmer scaled a herdshare step by step — from proving demand before buying her first cow, to simplifying signup, to expanding through porch sites, to building a system that could actually keep up.

1. Test demand before you invest

Amber leaned into the social networks she already had access to (including local moms' groups) and simply asked if people would be interested in raw milk before making a major investment.

That one move gave her signal fast.

Demand didn’t trickle in — it skyrocketed. Around 600 people were interested, which gave her proof there was real demand before buying her first cow.

2. Set up the right systems

As interest grew, Amber was juggling too much: SMS ordering, emailing terms and agreements, and trying to keep it all organized in spreadsheets and forms.

It worked — until it didn’t.

What got her here wasn’t going to get her where she wanted to go next, so she knew she had to professionalize the experience and the operations behind it.

3. Make it easy for people to say yes

One of the biggest shifts Amber made was simplifying the signup process.

Instead of sending people all over the place, she created one clear path: a single website + signup link she could direct people to.

The result:

• people could get their questions answered
• people could join in one place
• Amber stayed more organized on fulfillment day

If people are interested but confused, they stall. Clarity converts.

4. Scale with your community

Amber used Facebook to ask a simple question: Can anyone host a drop site?

That opened the door to partner porch sites and helped her expand pickup reach without needing a traditional business location for every stop.

Even better, some of those porch hosts turned out to be a better fit than business sites — more community-driven, more natural, and easier for members.

Sometimes growth doesn’t come from a big campaign. It comes from one good question in the right community.

5. Be authentic — the not-so-glamorous parts build trust.

Amber shares behind-the-scenes content, including what’s working, what’s hard, and the not-so-glamorous parts of farm life.

That matters because people don’t just want the product — they want to know the people behind their food.

The real day-to-day builds trust. And trust is what turns interest into support.

What Amber wishes she knew earlier

One of the most valuable parts of this conversation is Amber reflecting on what she wishes she knew when she was just starting out.

If you’re in the early stages of building (or rebuilding) your herdshare systems, this part alone is worth the watch. 👇

👉 Watch Here (6min)

If you’re trying to grow without paid ads, Amber’s playbook is a great reminder: start with demand, make it easy to join, build community trust, and put the right systems in place before growth turns into chaos.

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