Market Farming

[Sojourner <sojournr AT missouri.org>]

Michaele Blakely wrote:
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Elizabeth Pike <pike AT always-online.com>
> To: market farming <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
> Sent: Friday, February 04, 2000 11:20 AM
> Subject: Re: Farmers Market Display ideas
> 
> I
> > used.)  Fix up the display with greens on bottom, & serving sized veggies
> > or whatever on top.  Keep dressing in the bottle with those tiny little
> > sample cups for serving. Be generous with size.  Grab them by their eyes &
> > nose, tickle their tummies & you'll have a customer for life!
> >
> 
> I'm sure health regulations vary county to county or state to state.  One
> item absolutely demanded by health authorities in our state is a hand
> washing station set up in the booth somewhere.  This doesn't need to be
> complex, a simple large water jug (although in our state it has to be
> insulated) with a free flowing spout, a drain bucket, soap and paper towels.
> Something to clean the knive with as well, and a food handler's card.  Why
> we can't just wash our hands after visiting the restroom and call it good is
> beyond me.  The health department insists that we wash our hands after we
> get back to the booth and I go along with it because it isn't too
> unreasonable.  If we don't cut the samples up, none of this is necessary.
> I have not seen farm signs mentioned in this thread.  A well placed and well
> designed sign really draws the customer.  It also gives credence to your
> operation.  You look more proffessional; your giving off  an air of success.
> It helps the customer separate your stand from the rest of the vendor's.
> I agree with Liz that selling at the markets is a competitive game and
> rather than use pricing as an advantage (it really isn't though)  I strive
> to set myself apart from the rest of the vendors.  I look for making my
> booth distinct, attractive, and a benefit to the customer. Product is
> arranged to draw the eye. I plan my plantings to make sure certain items are
> harvestable at the same times because they draw more if shown together than
> separately.  Sometimes that also means hiring a third or fourth person at
> peak season times to keep customers from waiting too long in line. The extra
> cash paid out evens out in the long run.  I look at the arrangement of my
> booth so customer flow is the best it can be.  At times it can be really
> crazy and I feel at the end of the day I haven't had a moment to catch my
> breath, I still want to try to make a personal connection with each
> customer.  Remember names and tid bits about as many people as you can.
> Bring those names and tid bits up the next time you see them.  Study the
> fine art of manipulation and use it to your advantage.( manipulation isn't
> always a bad thing!)  Enjoy building repoire with your customers, they will
> love you for it.
> With all that being said, it won't mean too much if you are in a spot that
> goes against the psychology of the crowd.  Location, location, location.
> Watch how your crowd flow works.  We were at a new market last year and
> didn't get a chance to help decide where our booth was going to be.  It was
> horrible!  We expected sales to be down by maybe half of what other markets
> had been, but were not prepared for it being a fourth.  The sun hit every
> customers eyes for 2/3 of the market hours and people walked right by us.
> We were also in the middle of two booths that were ez ups and try as we did
> to separate our look we couldn't make enough of a distinction.  I
> continually told the manager it was a bad spot for the three of us.  She
> eventually moved us and we tripled sales immediately.  It was pretty
> dramatic.
> Try to keep your containers of product full and over flowing if possible.
> Nothing slows sales down then a partially filled container.  If I sold out,
> I didn't bring enough.

Speaking of which, how do you transport the goods?  The only farmers
markets that are worthwhile for me to go to are an hour and a half and
an hour away.  That's quite a distance to transport veggies in high
summer in Missouri!  They'll have to go in the back of my pickup, and
I've been picking up styrofoam coolers from the vet (the ones
medications come packed in).

Does anyone have their own ice machine, and where did you find it and
how much did it cost?

-- 
Holly ;-D
Contrary Peasant
sojournr AT missouri.org