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market-farming - RE: [Market-farming] Farm markets vs. getting out of farming

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  • From: "Rick Williams" <mrfarm AT frontiernet.net>
  • To: <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: RE: [Market-farming] Farm markets vs. getting out of farming
  • Date: Sat, 8 Feb 2003 21:06:42 -0600

Jay Gee wrote:
> In your case especially, you are unlikely to have a unique product.
> Like it or not, beef (butchered or ground) is a commodity.

You are of course right as usual as the marketing expert here. Not that many
are interested in high CLA/Omega 3 products in our area. But it is
interesting that we get criticized from those on this list who think our
prices are too low, then we get criticized for delivering the product to the
door, and now we are getting criticized for not even having a unique
product. So we are "just" selling some hamburger like Wal-Mart in the eyes
of the customer.

> According
> to your posts, you are placing very high hurdles in the way of those
> who might be interested in in buying your meat. So high that the
> average person is likely to say, "I don't need this! This is too much
> work!" They may buy once, but then they go elsewhere.

What hurdles are we putting in front of people any different than other
direct marketers? You completely lost me on that one. We want to sell local
food and have said so many times. We do NOT exclude anyone who wants to come
here to buy. We can not sell out of state anyway and could not ship out of
state either. We luckily will be marketing at two farmer's markets this
summer and if we do close to what we did at the end of last season, that
ought to be quite good.

> There are very few people on this list wearing rose colored glasses,
> except maybe yourself. You continue to argue that your customers
> should bend to your desires in spite of all the evidence to the contrary
> that it won't happen.

We have NO problem with people not buying our product if they chose not to
do so. In fact, they should NOT ever buy products they don't want. Where do
you somehow see that we are expecting customers to bend to our desires. It
is we who have been criticzed on this very list for doing this. What are we
doing that is obstructionist to our customers in your mind?

> Are there no two income families in Minnesota?
> What reasonable person would burden their
> spouse with a two hour round trip to buy some
> steaks or roasts?

Again, I will repeat what I said in previous posts. It only makes sense to
me (and this has been proven out with actual experience) that customers may
come from a long distance, such as from Minnesota or Illinios if, and only
if, they are coming up for a mass buying or are here in the driftless area
for a vacation trip or some other purpose. Do you understand what I am
saying?

We never expected people to come here from long distances. Some may come
from around 35 miles based on our actual experience. This is not necessarily
from the main population center of La Crosse, as it varies in all
directions.

> What multitude of things are offered in your area to
> justify to a city dweller leaving town and driving for
> an hour? They are unlikely to come to the country
> for the retail shopping...

Again, I will repeat that our area has exceptional and rather spectacular
vacation and tourist attractions. We are fortunate in that respect. It is
ironic that in my lifetime, the area has gone from the second poorest county
in Wisconsin, to an emerging craft, bed and breakfast, touring, fishing, and
etc. area. And it is just starting to do this in the last two decades. And
the reason that it was a poor area is also the same reason that it is now
such an emerging tourist area.

> I think you missed my point. Unless you offer 35% or more off,
> people are unlikely to respond in quantity. Makes no diff whether
> it's Sirloins, T-bones or anything else.

Then clearly it will not work.

> Again, you are missing the point. Your existing customers do not
> need a discount.

Then clearly it will not work. Current customers by your reckoning should
not be given any specials. It goes against my grain and find it difficult to
give the discounts to new people.

> If you believe you are offsetting the value of their time to drive
> 140 miles by providing a discount, you are fooling yourself.

Then clearly it will not work.
>
> Exactly! Your biases ARE the culprit.

Yes, moral scruples can get in the way of business. Imagine that! This
separates us from those who are in it strictly for the money and we have to
pay the price. But, and this is the important thing ... we are willing to do
that.

> I guess if you want to reinvent the wheel, that is your
> business. I don't think most of the rest of us feel that
> way -- we would rather make success the easy way,
> by doing things that work.

I do not actually believe all the claims you make on marketing. Some maybe,
some not. And some are not acceptable to me and are one of the reasons that
we do it the way we think is the fair and proper way to do it. In other
words, we do it the way that we would want to be treated.

It reminds me of the Jimmy Dean commercial and the marketing whiz who just
wanted to make a few changes....

Sincerely,

Rick Williams
Misty Ridge Farm
Direct marketed dairy beef and produce
(also dairy heifers and beef stockers)
Viroqua, WI






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