Wondering if Farmers Only is worth a try? From how much this niche dating site costs to real user experiences and what to expect, these Farmers Only reviews have all the details you’re looking for!
A Dating Site For Cowboys (And Cowgirls)
While you’ve probably seen the funny commercials, Farmers Only isn’t a joke – it’s a dating site and app designed specifically for people living in what founder Jerry Miller calls “flyover country:”
You look out the window when you fly from New York City to Los Angeles, and in the nighttime you see a couple of clusters of twinkling lights, small communities in the middle of nowhere.
He understands how difficult it can be for singles in rural areas to meet people. An agricultural marketer, he routinely came into contact with lonely farmers and ranchers who told him the relative isolation and lifestyle made it difficult to meet new people.
Miller launched Farmers Only in 2005, and it’s grown to over 6 million subscribers. Not a lot of people compared to sites like Match.com and POF, but with a tagline like “City folks just don’t get it” Miller targets a very specific demographic.
Specifically, people who favor “wide open spaces and blue skies” over “high heels, blue suits, taxi cabs.”
As he told The Guardian, he designed the dating site to facilitate “serious relationships,” and Farmers Only attracts everyone from young people seeking their first real relationship to older people looking to remarry after a divorce or being widowed.
Despite the name, Farmers Only isn't just for farmers. It's for anyone interested in living a more rural lifestyle as well.
But is it a good dating site right for you?
Pros Of Using This Niche Dating Site:
- Thanks to effective marketing, it attracts singles who either live or are interested in living “the country life.” If that’s the type of person you’re looking for, Farmers Only is one of the best places to find them.
- Because it isn’t free to contact other singles, Farmers Only generally attracts people who are actively seeking a relationship.
- There’s an even balance of men and women, and a broad range of ages.
Cons Worth Considering:
- As with any niche dating site, the sheer numbers just aren’t there. You may not find many singles in your area, especially if you live in “the big city”.
- Exchanging messages with anyone who interests you requires a paid subscription.
- Compared to other paid dating sites like Match, the overall look and feel of Farmers Only is quite dated and you won’t find as many features.
Verdict:
If you’re in or close to a rural area in the US or Canada, it wouldn’t hurt to give Farmers Only a try. Since creating a profile and checking out member profiles is totally free, you won’t lose anything but your time hopping on and taking a look around.
Farmers Only Dating Site Reviews From Around The Web
Best Company Reviews
A common complaint about Farmers Only is the number of fake and inactive profiles, as these reviews on Best Company mentioned:
Other users like this one thought it was overpriced for the limited features it offers:
On the positive end of the spectrum, other reviewers had a good experience with Farmers Only:
BBB Reviews
Farmers Only has a “B-” rating with the Better Business Bureau, with over 50 complaints lodged in the last 3 years. The vast majority of the complaints involve subscription and payment issues, like this one:
In many cases, including the complaint above, Farmers Only worked with the former customer and issued a refund.
Most of the BBB Farmers Only reviews were 1 or 2 star, resulting in an overall 2-star rating.
The majority of the unhappy users cited billing issues and lack of customer service support:
There were also a handful of 5-star reviews, like these two from users who met someone via Farmers Only:
How Much Does Farmers Only Cost?
Creating a Farmers Only profile is free, but you won’t have full use of the dating site.
Free members can send “flirts,” browse and search the profile database, and receive a notification if another member has sent you a “flirt.” But just like Match.com, if you want to communicate freely with other members, you’ll need a premium subscription.
These are the premium features you get when you pay for Farmers Only:
- Unlimited messaging with other premium members
- Read & reply to email via the Farmers Only mobile app
- See other members’ status and last online date
- See who “liked” and visited your profile
- Block other members from contacting you
- Upload unlimited photos
It costs $27.95 to join Farmers Only as a premium member for one month.
Farmers Only has two other ala carte features that are only available for Premium members:
- Gold Status: For an extra $9.99 a month, free users will be able to read & respond to your messages. Both free and Premium members will know you’re a Gold Status member because your messages will be highlighted in gold in their inbox, so it is a good way to stand out from the crowd.
- FarmPhone: For an extra $4.95 a month, you can text other members without revealing your phone number. You can also use it to message other users even if they’re aren’t using the texting feature – your text will be routed to their email inbox, and their reply will be texted back to you.
Getting Started On Farmers Only
Creating an account is simple – just provide your email, zip code, gender and gender sought, and your age. The second time you log in to the site, you’ll need to retrieve a verification code sent to the email address you provided.
You’ll also get an email containing an auto-generated username and password, which you’ll need to log back in as well.
Your username will start with the word farmer, cowboy or cowgirl, followed by a string of unique numbers. You can change it in your profile settings, but only once. You’ll find plenty of tips for choosing an attractive username here.
You’ll then be prompted to select your primary photo, which you can do via Facebook if you choose. (Make sure to check out these expert dating photo tips first!)
If you just want to take a look at the singles in your area, you can skip this step by clicking “Continue.” However, you must upload at least one photo to view anything other than thumbnail photos of other members.
That’s all there is to the initial set up process.
Writing Your Farmer's Only Profile
You can write your profile by clicking “Edit Your Profile” in the “Profile Settings” menu.
There are two main sections, “About Yourself” and “About Your Match.” You can also provide a short headline (30-character limit). Your headline displays prominently in the search results, so make it sure builds intrigue and make someone want to keep reading.
Great results on any dating site start with a solid profile, so spend a bit of time jotting down the qualities you have that would be most attractive to the type of person you want to date.
Then, write a couple of sentences describing how you embody each quality. For instance, being physically fit is a big plus – but writing “I’m in good shape” is boring. Instead, mention hobby or two of yours that requires fitness, like hiking or trail riding.
When you describe your ideal match, focus on a few of your “must have” qualities – preferably ones that aren’t physical descriptors. It’s a good idea to end your profile with an icebreaker question, as that will make it easy for someone to send you a first message – all they need to do is answer it, and the conversation is off and running.
How Farmers Only Works
According to various Farmers Only reviews, this dating site has a reputation for sending a lot of notifications to the email address you signed up with.
You can manage those by clicking on “Account Settings” from the left-hand menu, then selecting “Email Preferences.”
Simply uncheck any scenario you don’t want to be emailed about, then click “Save.”
When it comes to finding local singles, you can browse profiles several different ways:
- Checking out “Who’s Online”
- Using the filters in the “Member Search” section
- Browsing profiles that match your age and distance requirements in the “Discover” feature
As a Premium member, you can also see who visited and who liked your profile.
Farmers Only “Discover” feature is similar to Tinder – you can “like” or “pass” on someone based on the primary photo, or you can tap the “info” icon to check out the rest of their profile:
If you purchased a Farmers Only subscription, you can also send a message by clicking the “conversation” icon.
To search for profiles of people who meet your criteria, click on “Member Search” in the left-hand menu. That will bring up all the available search filters:
PRO TIP: Instead of defaulting to ordering your results by age, filter them by “Most Recently Online.” That can help ensure you’re only messaging people actively using the site.
When you find someone you’d like to message, click “email.” To increase the odds of getting a response, your icebreaker should follow these simple rules:
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