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market-farming - Re: Peddlers at Markets

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  • From: S & S Aqua Farm <snsaquasys AT townsqr.com>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Peddlers at Markets
  • Date: Sun, 11 Feb 2001 07:42:07 -0600


At 07:24 AM 02/11/2001 -0600, Del wrote:
>I agree Dori. When we started our market, there were local produce stores
>that wanted to be included.
>
<SNIP> I mean, the produce stores already have a retail
>location. Why interfere with the farmers' market?

That's a scenario I hadn't heard of before, or even considered as a
potential problem. When our local farmers market started, over 25 years
ago, I've been told that one of the locally owned groceries tried all kinds
of legal mechanisms to get the market shut down (I wasn't here to verify it,
but there evidently was some hard feelings). Of course this was in the era
when larger chain stores were starting to have a big impact, moving into the
smaller towns and pricing a lot of small stores out of business -- hard to
remember when it was someone other than WalMart doing this.

During my year as President of the market (1995), we worked very hard to
include our downtown merchants in whatever promotions we had going, always
pointing out that whatever shoppers we brought to town would probably also
take advantage of shopping their stores (within a few blocks) for the items
we did not carry, thus benefiting both segments of the community. That is,
they might have some fewer sales on in-season items during our market hours,
but the customers would still be there to buy the products the stores had
brought in from other areas that we did not offer, being a grower-only market.

We don't have any exclusive "produce stores" in our rural town, and still
have two locally-owned groceries surviving by tailoring their stores to meet
the needs of a specific market segment.....older citizens who just can't
walk the enormous size of a WalMart to get their groceries, die-hard
community supporters who work hard to support their local stores, and those
of us who enjoy knowing and being known by the store personnel.

I'd think your produce stores were fearful that your market would detract
enough business that they would suffer -- and probably rightly so. By being
included, they could at least be aware of what was going on and plan their
store strategies around it. I'm also sure there were some who would take
advantage of the opportunity to sell at lower prices and offer brought-in
products, hoping to boost their sales and force some growers out of the
market as well.

Bottom line is that there's no standard format that will fit all
communities, and having a grower-only market will create its own set of
problems; but sticking to that policy will absolutely help to build your
customer base over time, and do wonders for your reputation among those who
care. "Those who care" are becoming more numerous every day -- stick to
your policy, be patient, and the market will work.

Paula

S&S Aqua Farm, 8386 County Road 8820, West Plains, MO 65775 417-256-5124
Web page http://www.townsqr.com/snsaqua/





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