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market-farming - Re: Roadside Stands

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  • From: "Liz Pike" <liz AT laughingbrookfarm.com>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Roadside Stands
  • Date: Fri, 27 Sep 2002 09:21:02 -0400


Rick, here are some things I researched & discovered before deciding to NOT
open an on-farm stand where I am:

First, I started paying close attention to the traffic passing our property
(unfortunately, DOT statistics were unavailable, but they might be in your
area). The counts go way up in the fall, reflecting the amount of tourists
here to view colorful fall mountain scenery. These people may stop to buy
pumpkins or apples, but they're not here to buy "cooking produce". I want
repeat customers, not one-stops. Repeat customers, as Chris says about his
CSA, reduce the marketing & promotion load on any business. I also don't
want to use my space for vine crops & I only have 1 apple tree (don't want
more).

The second surge comes in the spring, due to motorcycle clubs using our
twisting, curving scenic route for bike rallies & poker runs. Again, a
non-market. (Oh, they might stop to buy snacky stuff, but these guys aren't
the carrots & radish sort ; ))

That left me with local traffic the bulk of the year. Amazingly, driving
around, few of our rural farms have gardens. They may grow a tomato plant
or two, but that's all. I "almost" got excited. Then I noticed no one was
home either. Meaning these people (man & woman) all leave the area to go to
office or factory jobs 30-45 minutes away, which means no time to cook.

Now this is an obstacle that can be overcome by heavy marketing, promoting
baby veggies that take less time to cook, custom picking for orders,
delivery, etc. But I didn't want to go that route, either. (I know, I'm
picky. I just want to grow what sells, and sell what grows.)

While driving around, I noticed several stands of "single item" produce,
like you mentioned, sweet corn, potatoes, etc. These people rarely sold
anything. One woman said what didn't sell got tossed to her pigs. She
didn't keep records of how much sold, but her pigs were nice and fat ; )).

I also researched the other market farms in the area, and the only
successful produce farms are CSAs or farmers who travel to farmer's markets
45 minutes away, and none sold anything from home. At these farmer's
markets, the competition to get in, get customers, & sell is fierce. I
don't want to sit on a two year waiting list for that opportunity.

My next option is something I'm getting ready to research. From just the
preliminary informal surveys I've done, I think the idea is doable. Alot of
families, who still do family cooking in spite of their jobs & other
responsibilities, would use more fresh veggies if it were made convenient,
as Phil pointed out. These people, both moms & dads are the ones who attend
soccer games Saturday morning, or won't get up at 6am to buy produce, no
matter how fresh & local. There's a whole population out there who never be
Farmer's Market customers, nor do they want to tie into a CSA. Why not
bring the Market to them?? Similar to the old fashioned veggie peddlers who
used to visit neighborhoods.

I've not worked out the specifics yet, but the few people I've already
talked to, got very excited. So that's where I am now.

I have observed that the successful stands (and I've interviewed from the
mountains to the coast) are those who offer a very wide range of items,
along with value-added products, whether from the farm or a wholesaler.
These stands had all been in business at least 5 years (several 10 years),
and for most it took anywhere from 3-5 years to build the business--another
factor that is true no matter what business you're in. And they all did
newspaper advertising.

hope this helps....

Liz Pike
Laughing Brook Farm
Westfield NC





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