Uncover The 7-Figure Exotic Fruit Farm Business
Over the past decade, Rane Roatta has grown from selling fruit from his bicycle to owning a 7-acre farm that ships delicious tropical fruit all over North America. He’s sharing his journey to becoming a farmer in this interview.
Before he started farming, Rane was a professional saxophonist. He built his fruit business completely from scratch, starting off with just his bike and $200 worth of inventory from local farmer’s markets. It didn’t take long before his friends further north started asking him to ship tropical fruits to them. That was when he realized the full potential of his tropical fruit business, setting up a website to connect with customers from across the United States and Canada.
Rane is passionate about sustainability and the food he grows, and that passion is what’s led to his success. Being a new entrepreneur did mean he had to figure some things out as he went along. In this interview, we’ll hear the biggest lessons he learned during the early growth years of the business. He’ll also share the key skills and traits someone needs for farm life, and what systems and tools he’s implemented since starting to continue his business growth.
Miami Fruit really started to expand after Rane purchased his own farm. We’ll take a look around the property in this interview and find out the types of crops he grows, which fruits are the most profitable, and how a new farmer can best acquire the knowledge they need to succeed.
Timestamps:
00:00 - START
00:40 - Intro and meeting Rane
01:47 - Starting the farm
02:20 - Overhead of the farm
03:05 - Financing the farm
03:57 - How to get started
04:48 - Exceptional customer service
05:54 - Shipping
06:50 - Building reputation and brand
07:38 - Competitive advantage
09:38 - Tour of the farm and fruits
10:28 - Challenges of starting a fruit farm
11:45 - Employees and hiring
12:26 - Sponsorship ad - Masterworks
13:40 - Most popular products
14:26 - Packing a box
15:34 - Seasonality of fruit farming
16:38 - Rectifying customer complaints
18:07 - Fan blitz
19:35 - Managing time and workflow
20:44 - Finding new growers and suppliers
21:38 - Building the team
22:31 - Biggest headache for him right now
23:43 - Impact of social media
25:06 - What they do differently from other fruit sellers
26:04 - Packaging
27:01 - Percent of fruit from growers vs. farm
27:34 - Advertising budget and best platforms
29:04 - Exploring some of the fruits
30:06 - Composting and recycling
31:13 - What to look for in suppliers
32:11 - Final advice
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