Market Farming

[Roger Weeks <rjweeks70 AT comcast.net>]

Sure you can sell tomatoes by the piece.  People at my markets do it all 
the time.  Some folks just don't want to be bothered with a scale.  For 
some of the latino farmers around here, it's a language and skills issue.

I couldn't disagree more about the electronic scales.  I hate them. 
They break, they need EXPENSIVE calibration, and when you need parts for 
them, the parts are expensive.

Sure my old hobart might not be accurate down to the ounce.  But you 
know what?  I don't care, because my customers don't care.  If they get 
an extra quarter pound of tomato, it doesn't hurt me and I get a happy 
customer.

Furthermore, with a hanging scale, the customer has the option to verify 
that you're not cheating him.  Most electronic scales require table 
space in order for this to work, and during this time of year, table 
space in my booth is at a premium.

What I really should say is that not one solution fits every market farmer.

Roger

Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2004 00:32:28 -0400 (GMT-04:00)
From: ecook516 AT earthlink.net
Subject: [Market-farming] Reasonably priced scales for market// ode to
        august
To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org

Please, please do yourself a favor and just invest in an electronic (if 
you have power at market) or battery operated scale that figures price 
per pound for you. I've used everything under the sun at various markets 
and now that I have a good one that figures price per pound I would 
never go back. You'll probably make back the couple hundred you invest 
in revenue you make NOT rounding down that quarter pound for every 
customer.  And who needs to do math at market.  I also make all my 
market employees use $20. large button calculators with register tapes. 
  No one wanted to use them at first, but now everyone loves them.  And 
you can see if you've gotten all the items, or show a customer that you 
added correctly.   You can't sell tomatoes by the piece....