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market-farming - Re: Reselling at FMs

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  • From: "wiediger" <wiediger AT msn.com>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Reselling at FMs
  • Date: Thu, 26 Apr 2001 11:58:46 -0500


Lucy wrote:
> Any quotes as to why reselling (at the farmers market) is bad would be
nice also


We sell at a farmer's market that allows reselling. The pinhookers have
basically driven almost all the farmers out of the market. The pinhookers
purchase their produce from an out of state wholesale produce auction, come
to the market and set up huge displays, sometimes as much as 56 feet
(running, not square) of produce and sell as if they were the local grocery
store. Small growers and farmers can't compete with the wide variety of
produce offered by the pinhookers. There is a supermarket mentality with
the average consumer. Easier to do all the shopping with 1 vendor than with
a number of vendors. Every year we see new growers joining the market, only
to drop out due to frustration because of lack of sales. In the last 5
years, only 1 new grower has returned to the market and now they resell more
than they grow. Farmer's markets should be what they say they are: a market
for farmers - not pinhookers! I personally think that reselling at a
farmer's market is misleading, if not unethical.

I also think that allowing reselling inhibits innovative growers. For
instance, we grow tomatoes in high tunnels and bring vine ripen tomatoes to
market 4-5 weeks ahead of field grown. However, the pinhookers will have
had tomatoes for sale since the day the market opened. When we show up with
our home grown crop, the pinhookers will drop the price on the tomatoes they
have for sale. So what happens to the incentive for the hard work and
additional costs involved with season extension?

And no, most consumers are too removed from produce production to have any
concept as to when any specific produce is in season. The consumer has been
spoiled by the vast and varied array of produce available almost all year
long in the grocery stores. It is difficult to teach "eating in season".
And yes, there are ways around this dilemma, such as relationship marketing,
but I find it sad when customers come up to buy from me and ask "Did you
really grow this, or did you buy it somewhere?" ( Even with a large sign in
our display that reads "We grow everything we sell")

However, I do think that farmers and market growers should be allowed to
cooperatively sell each others produce as long as it is identified as to
where it comes from. This allows small growers to attend more than 1
market.

Paul Wiediger
Au Naturel Farm
http://aunaturelfarm.homestead.com





  • Re: Reselling at FMs, wiediger, 04/26/2001

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