Homestead mailing list

[Tim Oppenheim <timopp AT mac.com>]

Just on the face of things it looks like you are competing on price  
instead of other things. I really think that getting the word out to  
the right audience is crucial. Every week in our office we get the  
several faxes from local restaurants that show the specials and I  
know that works. There is also a band of guys that bring produce  
( supposedly from Texas ) and they come by with cases of oranges and  
apples and sell them for $50 a case. When you can probably get the  
same at Walmart for way less. So it would seem to me that  
differentiate your product as a better but more costly alternative is  
the way to go.

As for restaurants, most are driven only by cost and consistency. I  
am sure they would buy but need to be assured of a constant supply  
and a consistent quality. I have worked in restaurants and tried to  
buy local, but either couldn't get a reliable supply or would work to  
get something established and the guy would just never show up again.

In the realm of cheap effective marketing I think the fax is a great  
tool. Be consistent in your message and offering. Tell people where  
you will be ( farmers market or roadside ) Build an audience. Lynn   
look on  eBay and buy complementary wholesale items that you can mark  
up and sell while your are waiting http://bnfusa.com is the source of  
all the Maxam brand knives and gadgets you see on Ebay. The markup is  
phenomenal .

Tim


On Jun 27, 2006, at 10:54 AM, Lynn Wigglesworth wrote:

> Marketing is one of the real problems I have with the farm business.
> Farmers' Markets are so hit-or-miss. Somedays when I didn't have  
> much to
> sell, I sold out in the first half hour and had to sit the other  
> 3.5 hours
> (I'm the Market Manager, so I can't leave). Other days, I bring  
> lots of
> produce home. I never know if half the vendors will have lettuce or  
> I'll
> be the only one. One of our vendors has a bucket of beautiful green  
> onions
> every week. She rarely sells any, but has rows and rows of them  
> planted.
> Even in our rural county, there are 42,000 people, and they all  
> eat. We
> raise fresh, tasty, nutritious food. There's GOT to be a better way to
> make the connection! That's one reason I'm thinking of a farmer
> coop...selling to restaurants, maybe schools (there's a big farm-to- 
> school
> program in Pennsylvania). If market farmers had a guarenteed market  
> for
> their produce, and didn't have to sit in the rain all day hoping to  
> sell
> it, they might be more willing to grow more.
>
> Lynn Wigglesworth
> Peasant Farmer
> Tioga County, PA
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "VAN DELL JORDAN" <vdjor AT yahoo.com>
> To: <homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, June 27, 2006 10:49 AM
> Subject: [Homestead] marketing
>
>
> > Please don't be too quick to take the conversation off
> > list.  I'm interested in anything about marketing,
> > what products can pay and related subjects.  As I am
> > not yet in research mode, and due to the way I learn,
> > any information / ideas I pick up here will be
> > helpful.
> >
> > Lynn, have you tried going back to say $1.30 or
> > something in between.
> > Van Dell
>
>
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