Market Farming

["Michaele Blakely" <mjb AT premier1.net>]

----- Original Message -----
From: Alex McGregor <waldenfarm AT sprintmail.com>
To: market farming <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
Sent: Friday, February 04, 2000 2:37 PM
Subject: Re: Farmers Market Display ideas/sampling/signs


> Wilderness Flowers wrote:
>
> > >Nothing slows sales down then a partially filled container.  If I sold
out,
> > I didn't bring enough.
>
Actually I wrote that, and W. Flower's reply was that perhaps the price was
too low.  Our prices are on the high end of market prices.  We sell at an
extremely busy market and sometimes that means two or three loads at peak
times in the season.  We use to have a box van but sold it.  I didn't like
it, took up too much space for our booth size.  I also feel it's important
not to run out, but sometimes customer
demand exceeds supply and I just can't in good conscience raise my prices
any higher.

Alex McGregor wrote:
> I adapted this to selling at a market by carrying extra baskets of various
sizes. When
> there were lulls in the action, I put vegies in smaller baskets. The half
bushel of
> whatever is more appealing to customers spilling out of a half bushel
basket than in a
> half full bushel basket.

I do this as well, although I try to keep a large display, by the end of the
day it isn't possible, so out come the smaller baskets/boxes, down go the
tables and things are once again re-arranged.  Not only do you still look
full, but it also attracts a different customer that is seeing your stand
through
different eyes, and your stand didn't attract them the first time around
>
> The main thing is to keep working your produce. Cull the wilted or mangled

Nothing turns a customer off  faster than wilted produce.

> also give away the less than perfect and mangled as freebies- buys more
good will and
> repeat sales than cash does.

Unfortunately at my market, we aren't allowed to give freebies (except to
the food bank at the end of the day) but I do offer deals for food that has
been pulled off the tables.  It's not free, but almost.
>
Frozen water jugs take up too much space for me, and I don't have to worry
as much about heat as some folks do.  If I need extra cooling for the day I
freeze plastic ziplock bags full of water and can tuck them in where need
be.  If I had to worry about heat I'd probably want the gallon jugs.

Michaele
Growing Things
Carnation WA