I love that Janelle and Maddie are still going strong with Taeda Farms merchandise. People can be so negative, acting like the farm should’ve been up and running the day after it was announced, but in reality, permitting for agricultural projects often takes over a year (sometimes longer). What they’ve accomplished so far is completely normal for the process.
In the meantime, their consistent merch drops have been such an important way to keep the farm visible and supported. For a small business like theirs, merchandise isn’t just “extra,” it’s a vital part of building community and sustaining the dream while the groundwork gets done.
The only mistake I think they're making is in not modeling the products themselves. They're already using the parasocial relationship they have with the audience to get a running start. That would seal it in even further.