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market-farming - Re: [market-farming]Profitability

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Subject: Market Farming

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  • From: "Rick Williams" <mrfarm AT frontiernet.net>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: [market-farming]Profitability
  • Date: Mon, 2 Sep 2002 22:12:15 -0500



Del Williams wrote:
> I sold at one market at our county seat. Small city. It was
> impossible to
> make any money there. The location was great, the traffic flow was
> excellent... nobody came to buy. Well, and if they did, they
> didn't want to
> spend much. Complained about prices all the time. Most customers were
> elderly and looking for something to do on Saturday morning.

This sounds somewhat like our market except there are more active buyers,
but would like to see about double the buyers:)

It sounds like the Kankakee market is doing really well.

> What will sell and why has something to do with your market base of
> customers. Why are they there, what are they looking for? Why
> do they take
> the time to go to a farmers' market? There must be some distinguishing
> features of those customers that each vendor should take into account to
> increase sales.

We do get some vacation travellers. And even have sold beef to them in the
afternoon so they could grill steaks, brats, etc. And we also have quite a
large alternative medicine interest and perhaps that is also due to the
presence of one of the midwests well known Waldorf School. Many of those
folks are interested in food quality since the founder of the school
(Rudolph Steiner) also was the creator of biodynamic farming. There is also
an increasing number of people buying land and actually moving to it who are
from the cities surrounding the so called "circle city" region that our
driftless area is sometimes called. Because we were not touched by the past
few glaciers that leveled much of the surrounding states, we have very hilly
land which was not as good for farming but is now becoming the place to be
for retirement and recreation. Quite a change from when I was growing up in
the 50's and the driftless area was considered one of the lowest income
areas in the state.

> And speaking of berries, a vendor was selling blackberries for $4.50 a
> quart. I couldn't justify that. But damn did they look good. I went for
> the $3 raspberries instead and some peaches.

Interesting comment. I would have said the same thing except I would not
even consider selling blackberries for only $4.50 per quart. We are
unwilling to sell blackberries for an less than $3 per pint. The labor and
the injuries are way to much for such a low return. So we don't sell them to
the public and pick from our own wild patch and freeze quite a few quarts
and Judy makes a low sugar jam that some of our relatives literally beg for
as gifts:)

Like I say, those of us who have this kind of lifestyle, are able to eat at
a level that most millionaires simply can not attain.

Sincerely,

Rick Williams
Misty Ridge Farm
Dairy heifers and dairy beef graziers
Viroqua, WI

www.mistyridgefarm.com





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