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  • From: GreenMrkt AT aol.com
  • To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] More thoughts on marketing
  • Date: Wed, 9 Feb 2005 19:20:17 EST

I am working on it Paul!!!!

     At a recent meeting of a local Farmers Market the market manager asked who had 'real' jobs, not off farm work, but 'real' jobs. So here's a market manager who doesn't value farming or farmers. No wonder her market did so poorly in 2004. The customer won't value us unless we value ourselves.

     Farmers need to think and act like all the other value based systems out there. We need to be both sexy
and smart. As I've said before, consumers are a very discerning bunch. Look at my signature info and it will tell you what I read concerning the food, hospitality, craft and greenhouse industry (each month). This info is vital to us so that we can talk to the customers in the market language they are using, keep current with trends regarding food, etc. So many farmers I've talked to are out of touch with the lives their customer base is living.
     Remember that our customers are not farmers, they are health workers, lawyers, teachers, artists, etc. Speak to them about their lives and they will connect. You can count on it. Marketing isn't rigged against us, it's an opportunity for us to play into a value based system already in place. We don't have to reinvent the wheel, the structure exists. We just have to plug into it.  Beyond the basics, we really don't
need anything. Food, clothing, shelter.  And there we are at the top of the list. We can't lose.

     I worked in a Doctors office in New York and the Doctors had to buy the Enquirer every week, because if there was a health related article in that weeks issue, then you can be sure that a great percentage of the patients were going to ask questions about it, or think that they had whatever malady was being described. My point is that we need to go outside of our comfort zone to be able to speak to our customers. Just ask you local town hall for the demographics of your area, or go online for the info and that will tell you who your possible customer base is. And don't forget to ask your customers what they think and what they want.

     This is Farming with a capital F. Food is a precious commodity, most folks realize this. Every article I've read on this subject talks about the customer being less concerned about price of goods and will buy based on Value. And value is a perception based action. The industrial based foods system knows this and so should we. What is that our customers value? That's the question any person who wants to sell more needs to ask. Big or small. Have heirloom tomatoes become valuable to our market customers? You betcha!! These same customers were fairly consigned with super market tomatoes until they tried an heirloom. They don't know what they want until we share the new things with them. That's what I think Ogilvey was talking about. Let's give customers the opportunity to experience the wonderful life they can have while eating fresh locally grown stuff. They won't know they need it until we grow it for them!

     Maybe we need one of those calendars with Naked folks in it. Naked farmers, now that's a marketing plan!! We could include the expected harvest  for each area, recipes, etc. Can't believe it hasn't been done!
Any volunteers???

     A good sign is that folks are really starting to connect with regional foods in a big way. There is a big push by the European marketplace to reclaim place names for food production (cheddar cheese can only be from Cheddar England, Champagne from, well you get the point) So regionalism is an important coming trend. And let's not forget AUTHENTICITY. I predict that this will be a huge trend in the near future. Eliot Coleman gives a great description of what authenticity means to him at his website for Four Season Farm. Folks will be connecting with this more and more. And Just like Organic, these new food and product identifiers will be important to folks.

Blessings,




Karen Wallman    
Green Market Farm
710 Daniel Shays Hwy.
New Salem, Massachusetts 01355

TEL: 978-544-7911
FAX: 978-544-7587
EMAIL: greenmrkt AT aol.com    
WEB: HarvestAndHome.com(offline until 2005)

Green Market Farm is now a member of:
The Federation of Massachusetts Farmers Markets (FMFM)
Massachusetts Association of Roadside Stands (MARS)
The Massachusetts Specialty Food Association (MSFA)
North American Farmers Direct Marketing Association (NAFDMA)
Northeast Organic Farmers Association (NOFA)
Community Involved In Sustaining Agriculture (CISA)
Journal and Industry Affiliations
Confectioner
Candy Industry
Food Engineering
Fancy Foods and Culinary Products
Greenhouse Production News
Vegetable Growers News
Craftrends
Meetings and Conventions
Convenience Store News
Apparel
Natural Foods Merchandiser
Packaging Digest
Modern Baking
Growing for Market
Food Management
New England Food Service
Kitchen And Cook
Food And Wine
Stagnitos New Products Review
Chain Store Age
Food Arts



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