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market-farming - Re: Making a living

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Subject: Market Farming

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  • From: Lucy Goodman-Owsley <goodows AT excite.com>
  • To: market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu
  • Subject: Re: Making a living
  • Date: Tue, 9 Jan 2001 12:54:48 -0800 (PST)


My husband and I make our living from about 5 acres of mixed veggies and
fruits, some certified organic the rest in various stages of transition,
plus a flock of certified organic laying hens.
We haven't made a decent living yet from our market garden but each year we
get more effecient, increase our markets and make more gross income. We sell
most of our stuff directly to the customer via 2 farmer's markets and a CSA
and about 20% we sell through retail stores and about 10% to resturants.
We do make enough so that both of us can farm full time and take the winters
off. We live very cheaply and simply so we don't have to make a whole lot to
live in a way we feel is a good life. And we eat better than most.

I believe that in the near future we will start to make a living wage for
what we do. I feel that it is worth the pain and hard work of farming to get
there.

I hear many folks on this list complaining of burn out and wondering if
farming is worth it when you don't make money. I noticed these complaints
come from women.

Girlfriends, I have noticed that women left to their own devices will
undersell themselves. I lost a resturant client this year because she cannot
afford our produce. she feels she cannot charge any more for her entrees
than she already does. I notice in the same town there are two restuants run
by men that can buy7 our produce because they feel they can charge more for
the food and do. Niether resturant has as good a cook as the one run by the
woman nor, in my opinion is the abieance as nice in the more expensive
returants.

In the past I would have lowered my price to get this woman to buy my food
but that would be shooting myself in the foot and I have learned through the
years to sell for as much as the market will bear. Now that I will not lower
my price I can make a living.

An example on this list was asking if she can get more for her eggs. Yes you
can. I charge $3.50 a dozen for my eggs and they sell out every week at the
healthfood stores I sell to. another example was a woman feeling too burned
out ands just wanting to give the food away-noble gesture but will take you
into the poor house. You work very hard to farm, get paid for the work.
There are lots of people out there willing to pay for fresh certified
organic food. They are willing to pay your price too. All you have to do is
ask that price and not get scared and bring it down if a potential customer
says they can get it cheaper. Let them buy cheaper food, just tell them
yours is better and that is why it costs more.

It works.


Lucy Goodman-Owsley
Boulder Belt CSA
New Paris, OH
Website: http://www.angelfire.com/oh2/boulderbeltcsa
Organic Farming and Gardening Forum:
http://www.InsideTheWeb.com/mbs.cgi/mb135705
Want Social Change? Join a CSA!





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