market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Market Farming
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- From: "wiediger" <wiediger AT email.msn.com>
- To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
- Subject: Farmers markets
- Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 12:32:36 -0600
> Like you, I don't understand a practice of limiting the maximum price. Let
> the consumer set the the limits. The local grocery store isn't a very good
> standard to go by.
>
> Bill Shoemaker
> Sr Research Specialist, Food Crops
> Univ of Illinois - St Charles Hort Research Center
Ag extension at the Univ of Ky has a fairly good publication out on farmers
markets.
http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/aec/aec77/aec77.htm
If someone were starting a new market, this publication could be helpful.
We are encourage by local ag extension to set a price somewhere between
wholesale and grocery store prices. The attitude being that consumers who
shop at farmers markets are looking for economy as well as quality. They
"recommend" a price which is usually 65-80% of the local grocery store.
When I look at the quality of what the grocery store has to offer such as
summer squash that looks worse than what I threw on the compost pile,
tomatoes which if they weren't bright red you couldn't tell if you were
eating them or the box they came in...spinach that looks as if it laid out
in the sun all afternoon after being harvested...I don't see why I should
ask for a lower price.
Some items we price in order to sell out at the market. But other items,
especially greens such as spinach and lettuce, we sell at above grocery
store prices. The quality of the produce allows us to sell out of these
items week after week.
I can see where a board of directors can really help a market to grow. But
then that raises the question: Who is the primary beneficiary of having a
farmer's market? Is it the local farmer/grower or the consumer or the
city/local organization that sponsors it? It's a difficult task blending
all these different wants and needs into a successful market. It's much
easier to try and figure this all out before a market starts than to change
it once it's up and running.
Many fm take advantage of the American consumers image of what a fm is all
about. Most believe that they are buying locally grown fresh produce.
Sadly, with grocery stores selling everything all the time, most people have
no idea what is in season anymore.
Paul
Au Naturel Farm
http://aunaturelfarm.homestead.com
-
Farmers markets,
HackettShark, 02/14/2001
- <Possible follow-up(s)>
- Farmers markets, wiediger, 02/14/2001
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