Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

market-farming - Re: Roadside Stands | Certification alternatives

market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Market Farming

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Willie McKemie <mckemie AT austinfarm.org>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT franklin.metalab.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Roadside Stands | Certification alternatives
  • Date: Fri, 27 Sep 2002 13:09:41 -0500


> Here in our markets anymore we have no new growers, they are just getting
> the items they nned form the large grocery store chains and coming to
> markets
> and saying they are growing it. In the past five years I can only find two
> new growers in our big markets. There is something wrong with this
> picture.
> This is a little too much work for a lot of folks. We keep cutting back on
> some items every year because the market managers will let vendors sell
> some
> items at least one month ahead of the actual growing time it takes to
> develop
> a crop, melons for example, late May , I don't think so. Not I Iowa.....


Phil, if you are a grower and are participating in a market with
peddlers, you are only contributing to the air of legitimacy that the
peddlers need to operate. Find another market. Start another market.
These peddlers only take business and destroy markets of legitimate
growers. Your May melons are a prime example. After the peddlers have
been selling trucked-in melons for a month, the poor ignorant consumers
will be suspicious of the quality of your local melons and not be
nearly as eager to buy; you will have to work harder to sell.

Find, convert, or develop a market in which consumers can have
confidence. One reason you "have no new growers" is that you have
allowed the peddlers to take or destroy your market and local producers
find it not profitable to produce.

I "hear" that the peddler problem is generally under control in
California, it certainly is not in Texas; can anyone comment on that?

> Phil From Iowa

Willie from Texas




Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page