Back to School Product Fundraising Benefits

 With school back in session, fundraising season is in full swing. At Ashley Farms, we strive to keep things simple and effective by offering tons of services that will save you time. Here are 5 reasons you should think Ashley Farms when you think fundraising.

1. 9 Sensational Brochures

From cheesecakes to cupcakes, pizzas to pretzels, Ashley Farms has got it all. We offer nine jam-packed packages for you to pick from, all loaded with delicious desserts and dinners.

2. Step By Step Instructions to Get You Going

If you are having trouble getting started, just take a look at our step by step instructions. We try to make your fundraising as successful as possible, and leading you in the right direction is a great first step.

3. Cheesecakes, Cheesecakes, and more Cheesecakes!

Ashley Farms’ main product is our legendary cheesecakes. We have been the number one cheesecake fundraiser in the country and for good reason. We offer tons of delicious flavors like the New York Original Banquet or the kid favorite Oreo Cheesecake.

4. Painless Pre-Packing System

All orders will be pre-packed and individually boxed with labels clearly indicating the child’s name and team. We will deliver your order on our own freezer trucks and you will have a pre-scheduled delivery appointment that is convenient to you.

5. Free Computer Tallying:

When your order is complete, Ashley Farms will tally your order and provide a complete computerized sales report showing the group sales and profit as well as individual student sales and profit. This makes results easy to read and easily accessible for any customer.

Ashley Farms strives to keep things simple for you, the customer. We offer plenty of helpful tools and resources in hopes that you will be satisfied when everything is said and done. Make this school year a memorable one and get started with Ashley Farms today! 

End of Year Warehouse Clearance Sale!

It’s that time of the year again! 

Every year, here at Ashley Farms, we hold an annual Warehouse Sale where we sell our delicious desserts and other food items at great discounted prices. 

This year’s Warehouse Sale will be held on June 12 and 13 10:00am - 4:00pm each day, and here are some of the products that will be featured:

Cheesecake:
We are known for our delicious cheesecake, and we have many different kinds. This particular cheesecake is our Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake – it’s covered in delicious Reese’s chunks and drizzled with chocolate so you can get the perfect mix of peanut butter and chocolate in every bite.

Cookies:
Who doesn’t love cookies? At Ashley Farms, we sell a number of different kinds of cookie dough and every one will be available at the sale. Just pop the ready to bake cookie dough in the over and patiently wait to indulge in delicious cookies Ashley Farms has to offer.

Pies:
Looking for a perfect dessert after a family meal? Look no further than Ashley Farms! Our pies are made to your satisfaction, and all you have to do is put them in the oven and let the aroma fill your kitchen. Shown here is an American classic, apple pie. 

Pizza:
We sell more than just desserts! We also sell mouth-watering pizza that will make your taste buds go crazy. 

This is just a small taste of what you can expect at our Warehouse Sale. Which food items are you most interested in trying? They will all be available starting on June 12, and if you would like to see all of our products and descriptions, please visit our website. 

We hope to see you there! 

  

8 Tips to Follow When Fundraising

When it comes to fundraising, some struggle with where to start. If you are looking for a little guidance, here are eight essential tips to follow that will ease your stress and help you increase your sales. 

1. Publicize Early and Often

Getting the word out early enough is key. If you promote your fundraiser early enough, more people will become aware of it through word of mouth and by exposure to the promotion sources. One popular way of getting the word out is by having your school do an “email blast” through the PTO/Parent Organization school/group website to all of the parents telling them when and where the fundraiser is taking place. Other popular sources of promotion are newsletters, websites, outdoor signs, and the local newspaper.

2. Limit the Number of Fundraisers

More products aren’t necessarily a good thing. Some parents believe it can get to be too much and will eventually walk away from the sale. If you focus on having fewer fundraising products, people will be more apt to buy.

3. Promote the Product as a Gift

Market a product as being a great gift to a friend, loved one, or family member. Individuals prefer this because they are supporting a good cause and also buying a gift for a special someone. Our Gourmet cheesecakes, pies, and cookie dough are always great options because who doesn’t love a sweet treat every now and then?

4. Personalize the Product

Putting a slogan on your product might be helpful when it comes to selling. Adding images helps if you can add it to the slogan. It also engages the sellers and gets the parents and teachers involved.

5. Try a New Product

Try selling one of the new items in the fundraising brochure. There are many things that would strike someone’s interest in our brochures including our new products for 2014. Finding fresh, new things to sell makes a world of difference instead of focusing on selling the same items each fundraiser.

6. Switch the Timing of Your Fundraiser

Timing is everything; individuals who have changed their sale to November or early fall have seen tremendous success. It helps to have your fundraiser when others aren’t going on at the same time. 

7. Use Creative Prize Incentives

Offering prizes for selling five to ten items will increase student participation immensely. At Ashley Farms, we like to reward students for their hard work, and we do this with our Disney World Grand Prize drawing. Having incentives makes students want to work that much harder because they can get rewarded for their efforts.

8. Rethink Your Sales Approach and Sales Territory

Having a child go to a place of business and ask around for orders is actually very effective. Going to churches and the local courthouse are good options as well. You will be amazed at what power young children possess. 

Whether you use one or all of the eight tips during your next fundraiser, we hope they help you exceed your fundraising goals!

Who Loves Cheesecake? We Love Cheesecake!

Mmm…cheesecake, cheesecake, and more cheesecake. At Ashley Farms, there’s one thing that we love, and that’s our signature cheesecakes. Why? Because these beautiful desserts are the foundation of our company - not to mention they are beyond delicious! When it comes to choosing a cheesecake flavor, get your taste buds ready, because with so many varieties it can be hard to choose. From complex to plain and simple, there’s always something to try. Here are a few of our favorite cheesecake flavors:

Chocolate Symphony Cheesecake: This cheesecake sampler brings music to a chocolate lover’s ears! With three slices each of Chocolate Marble Swirl, Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Truffle, and German Chocolate, this sampler is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth!

Oreo Cookies n’ Cream Cheesecake: America’s favorite Oreo cookie meets its match with this one! Oreos are crumbled and combined with our amazing cheesecake to create an Oreo cookie lover’s dream!

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake: Everyone’s favorite peanut butter chocolate candy combined with our gourmet cheesecake - what’s better than that? This delicious cheesecake is topped with chunks of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups to ignite your taste buds.

Fruit Sampler Cheesecake: Love fruit? Then this cheesecake is for you! This sampler includes three slices of four different fruits to give you a fruit-tastic variety. What fruits can you expect? Strawberry, Blueberry, Cherry and Pineapple!

Turtle Cheesecake: Who doesn’t love the great combination of caramel and chocolate? This cheesecake starts out with our classic New York cheesecake and is topped with creamy caramel, rich and gooey dark chocolate and chopped pecans. Yummy!

Is your mouth watering yet? Some of the cheesecakes listed above may sound like unusual combinations, but they make us realize that eating cheesecake will never get old. Whether you stick with a plain slice of the classic New York Cheesecake (which we offer), one topped with fruit, or a more complex concoction, the options are endless.

At Ashley Farms, we take pride in our cheesecakes, and we believe one thing is for sure: they don’t disappoint. If your group needs to raise money, an Ashley Farms cheesecake sale is the perfect vehicle to get you there - learn about or Intro Package or contact us today!

Write a Review for Ashley Farms!

At Ashley Farms our main priority is satisfying the individuals and groups we work with! We try to go above and beyond to make the fundraising process run as smoothly as possible. Any feedback from organizations we have worked with in the past, whether it is good or bad, helps improve our internal processes immensely. Please follow the instructions below to help us perfect the overall fundraising experience we offer:

Write a “Review” on our Google+ page.

1) Login to your Google Account. Sign in to Google with your email and password or Sign up for an account.

2) Search for a place to review. After you have signed in to Google, search for a place you would like to review in the Google search box.

After you have searched for a place or business of your choice, look for the “write a review” tab. Please note that both places will take you to the same place. Make sure that this is the business you would like to write the review for. If you do not see the “write a review” tab, try to make your search more specific by including the state, city or zip code. In the example below, PA was added to narrow down the search.

3) Write a review. After you have clicked on “write a review”, you will be able to rate and describe your experience. When you are finished click the “publish” tab. Congratulations you have written a review!

Write a “Review” on our Facebook page.

After you log in to your personal Facebook account, simply search for the Ashley Farms Facebook Page using the search bar at the top of the page or click this link: https://www.facebook.com/AshleyFarms

Scroll down the page until you locate the “Reviews” section on the right hand side as shown below.

Select a star rating and type a review in the text box. Once you’ve said some kind words, click the “Review” button and you’re done!

New Year, New Products!

We here at Ashley Farms, Inc. hope you had a joyous holiday season and are ready to take on the New Year!

Below you will see some quick photos we did earlier this month to give you a hint of what we will be offering, but the true test is in the tasting!

Here are brief descriptions of our new products:

We take a paper thin whole grain tortilla shell and stuff it full of deliciousness, fold it over, and over one more time and what you have is the most unique new pizza item to come along in years; you really must taste it. The light flaky crisp crust makes this an instant winner. It comes in three different varieties. The original N. Y. pizza, pepperoni and cheese and the incredible mac and cheese. Each variety offers cheddar, mozzarella and provolone cheeses.

Really quite amazing, just heat and serve.

We have a graham cracker pastry shell stuffed full of marshmallow and dark chocolate. It's perfect for kids of any age! Just heat and serve.

Everyone has been looking for something "gluten free" that actually tastes good. Look no more, this might be the most elegant and delicious cake we have ever sold, and it takes a lot for us to say that. Once again, tasting is believing. You owe it to yourself to stop by and have 

a bite!

Pigs in a blanket are still the number one selling hors d'oeuvres in the country, but this is a fun take on that eternal winner. We take a great New York pretzel and wrap it around a delicious all beef mini hot dog. Another sure winner!

Classic New York pretzel sprinkled with chipotle cheese then twisted and baked, yum! We also offer just cheese for those who don't have quite the palate for the hot stuff. You don't know what you are missing!

This is another sure winner. We have been famous for our cheesecakes for over 25 years, but this is a new twist. We took three popular varieties, NY plain, Chocolate and Strawberry and enrobed them in luscious dark chocolate. 12 portions in each box.

Another variation on our already successful line of cheesecakes. Variety has always been a cornerstone of sales. This four pack consists of NY Original, Cappuccino, Black Forest Swirl, and Triple Chocolate. 4 inch cakes make for a nice presentation and a very appealing dessert.

Wow! Need we say more?

A variation on the old stand by, cupcakes- just smaller and on a stick. Always keep in mind we sell through the eyes of a child, so this is a " no brainer". We have five flavors available, but you can put together any combination you wish.

Which delicious treat are you most excited about tasting? Tell us your pick in the comments below!

Ashley Farms, Inc.

Support@AshleyFarmsInc.com

(973) 616-8877

Doing Your Fair Share

A team can achieve far greater things together than they can apart. In order for this to be true, it is important that every individual is doing their fair share so the group can achieve their overall goals. When each member contributes their own unique abilities and efforts, the result can be something quite incredible.

For example, here’s how Jim Messina (President of Ashley Farms) relates doing one’s fair share to a musical performance:

"Everyone must attend all of the rehearsals, have a good attitude at rehearsal, there must be group discipline, students must work on their parts at home- or in other words, show up for the performance as prepared as you can be individually. That is the definition of doing your fair share.” 

Doing ones fair share can add up to something wonderful, in the case above: a flawless performance.

The concept of doing one’s fair share can definitely be related to fundraising as well. For example, if each student participating in an Ashley Farms’ fundraiser takes a brochure, shows it to friends and family and sells at least a minimal amount of 10 items, then two goals have been reached. The student has achieved an individual goal- which adds up to a collective group goal. 

Working hard alongside others to achieve a common goal (whether it is your teammates, group members, classmates or coworkers) is a skill that will be used throughout one’s entire life. Just remember- better results can be accomplished as a team, not only the collective results but the individual results as well!

A Different Kind of Fundraising Company

In our last blog, we explained how Ashley Farms Inc. was founded. The founding years are what we like to attribute to three things: Fate, Risk, and Cheesecake. There’s a little more to the story though... To really understand who Ashley Farms, Inc is, you need to understand how we go about business. Jim Messina and Mike Gambuzza (our founders) describe what makes our company’s way of doing business different from our competitors:

Jim Messina (Left) and Mike Gambuzza (Right)

“We pride ourselves on the ability to motivate the students and members of the groups we help. We do this through a well planned professional presentation as well as proven incentives and of course we have all of the members taste our delicious cheesecakes and more. This sets us apart from our competitors and keeps our customers very loyal. Every day, as we enter a school, we hear someone say as they see us, "this is my favorite day of the year," that is just music to my ears and makes me feel good about what we do to help non-profits achieve their goals. It's not just "all business" it's more about joining with these groups and forming a team to meet the challenges of today’s market place. Our latest incentive program is called the Goal Card, and all students who earn it, receive special privileges from the teacher throughout the school year. Little things like this, keep the students and teachers involved with the concept of making the students work to achieve goals.”

–Jim Messina (President)

“Ashley Farms is well respected in the fundraising industry. We basically started the frozen food market within the fundraising industry. We are known for quality products and excellent customer service. Personally, we pride ourselves on character and integrity and our handshakes are as good as any contract ever signed. We have helped raise over one hundred million dollars in our thirty years in business for customers trying to improve the quality of their fundraising groups. That's what we do best.”

–Mike Gumbuzza (Vice President)

Ashley Farms, Inc. has been an innovator since its inception. We will always strive to stay ahead and help our customers with the latest most effective products and techniques available. We pride ourselves on being a dedicated partner to the non-profit organizations that come to us for fundraising help, and we genuinely care about the success of those organizations’ fundraisers.

Fate, Risk, and Cheesecake

Every successful company begins with one thing: A solid foundation. Taking a look at a company’s founding leaders and values can tell you a lot about a company as a whole. Gain a better understanding of how Ashley Farms has gotten to where it is today by learning about its two founders: Jim Messina and Mike Gambuzza. It is a tale of crossing paths at the right time, taking risks, and a love for the fundraising industry.

Gaining the Necessary Experience

Jim Messina

Jim was a graduate of Fairleigh Dickensen Univeristy. His primary interests at that time were music and the marching arts. After graduating he moved to California and was employed by the Anaheim Kingsmen Drum and Bugle Corps as a choreographer and instructor of visual arts. Becoming homesick, Jim moved back to NJ and became the chorographer for many of the top competitive marching bands, drum, and bugle corps in the North East. After marrying his college sweetheart, Barbara, Jim became a sales rep for a local band uniform company Collins Uniforms. While employed there, Jim learned about the fundraising industry. He decided to switch jobs to the nation’s leading firm, Henco, out of Selmer TN. Jim rose to regional sales manager and spent four successful years there. Jim decided to switch jobs and work for a new fundraising company in New Jersey, Planned Achievement Corp. Despite his responsibility for all aspects of the company's development, he sought a change and longed to start his own company.

Mike Gambuzza

Mike played two seasons of Division III football at NJ City University before transferring to Montclair State University, where he graduated with a degree in Physical Education and Health. After graduating, Mike returned to his alma mater, Memorial High School in West New York NJ, to teach PE/Health and coach football. Mike taught and coached for 8 years. He had the privilege of helping many young students become wonderful young men and women. During his eighth year, Mike helped lead the football team to a county championship for the first time in 20 years. He decided this was the perfect way to go out.

After leaving teaching, Mike landed a sales position at a fundraising company called Planned Achievement Corp. Mike’s girlfriend at the time, Kelly, had an inside connection. Her brother in law was the one who was trying to get the company off the ground. He quickly became Mike’s mentor and taught him everything he knew about the product fundraising industry. This mentor was Jim Messina!

The beginning of Ashley Farms Inc.

Two years after meeting, Jim and Mike decided to leave Planned Achievement Corp and start their own company together: Ashley Farms!

After selling the “usual” type of fundraising merchandise, Jim & Mike decided to break into the frozen food market. The industry did not think the idea of selling frozen food to non-profits would be a successful one, but Ashley Farms proved them wrong! Frozen food is now the largest segment of food products in the industry, and Ashley Farms is extremely proud to be the ones who started it all. In 2014, Ashley Farms will celebrate 30 years in business- all thanks to a little bit of fate, risk, and cheesecake.