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market-farming - Re: End of the Season Whine Session

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Subject: Market Farming

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  • From: "Liz Pike" <liz AT laughingbrookfarm.com>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: End of the Season Whine Session
  • Date: Wed, 2 Oct 2002 07:15:37 -0400


> I live in a very upscale tourist/boomer/yuppie town. I promise there is no
> limit to the number of foodies that would support more and better produce.
> There may be some education required but not much.
>
> So am I totally off base?
>
> Steve

No, you're not off-base, Steve. I've found market managers, to SOMETIMES
be, the most frustrating people on earth (before you fling your excess
tomatoes at me, note I said SOMETIMES). I don't know why they can't check
their egos in the fields before they hit the market.

Anyway, there are other ways to set yourself up to do business in your own
town. Find a vacant lot somewhere, and get permission to sell. Find a
yard, or shopping center who will let you set up. Anywhere, somewhere. The
fm doesn't have a monopoly. I had to do this too, and it worked. Much
better than I thought. Eventually a couple other people joined me. I was
almost embarrassed the first time I set up...it was beside a busy road, but
it turned out to be advantageous. I had all those people going home after
work, who never frequented the fm which was too far away.

I've argued long and hard that locating fms downtown can be death to a
farmer if the downtown committees expect the fm to pull in the customers.
Tourists aren't customers, and fm have to be big to be a draw for the local
economy. If it's such a good business practice, why aren't more grocery
stores downtown? No, they're out in the residential areas where people live
and eat.

Make you own space!

Liz Pike
Laughing Brook Farm
Westfield NC





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