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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] Farmer's Market Problem

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  • From: Brigette Leach <avalonfarmshomegrown AT earthlink.net>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Farmer's Market Problem
  • Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2006 19:42:56 -0500

I am a firm believer that /personal contact/ is the best way to recruit people, regardless of what you want them to do. And by personal I mean face to face.

Since we have a number of parochial and charter schools in our area, families are frequently looking for ways to pay for tuition and some may be willing to get together to do a market garden project, home school families might, too. I like Mark's idea of working with 4-H, and there could be other youth groups as well.

Both Lucy and Mike have offered some very good advice. What I'm wondering right now is have you done any real demographic research, or any surveys to find out what people want? How well do you know your "customer"? Just my opinion, but I think it's easier to supply something that people already think they want than to develop a new customer base on something. I'm not saying you shouldn't try, you should, but something has to get their attention first. And then they have to get the same message something like 7 times before it registers.

I think what I'm hearing, too, is how important the market master is to the success of the endeavor, as does having all the vendors on the same wave length. We have one market master, granted at a relatively small market, 10-12 vendors, good variety, but he monitors prices, and doesn't let anyone undercut anyone else. We've all come to appreciate this extra effort on his part. This year instead of getting $1.25 a dozen for our sweet corn, we got $4, everyone sold out, and none of our regulars complained. They know they are getting quality.

At the same market, we consider local to be Michigan, not just Calhoun county/Battle Creek area. That way I can bring in dark sweet cherries from Traverse City, strawberries, nectarines, and Honey Crisp apples from Hartford, etc., you get the picture. Otherwise there wouldn't be any fruit to speak of. Today's shopper expects to get a wide variety of produce, similar to what they find in grocery stores. Some don't understand why we don't have local strawberries in September. It is a constant educational process to teach them about seasons, how to select and use what we grow, but I view that as an opportunity to establish a relationship with customers. I want people to know about all of the crops grown in Michigan and how important agriculture is to our states economy. Besides I don't like to be viewed as self-serving and only interested in my own welfare. If the size of what I have doesn't fit a particular customers needs, it doesn't bother me at all to send them to someone else's stall, and they do the same in return. All of the folks I get stuff from are family farmers and friends of ours. I want them to succeed, too. If that makes me a re-seller so be it. Some markets are very profitable for the guy who goes to Benton Harbor and picks up stuff wholesale to re-sell. There are all kinds of shoppers and if one who buys on price frequents his stall rather than mine, it is still traffic and you've got to get customers there before they buy from anyone.

I wouldn't dream of handing out farmer's market fliers in front of grocery stores, especially local ones. Why irritate them? They need to stay in business, too. Their employees are a part of the community. Why ruffled feathers if you don't have to? Everything we do is part of our image...what our stall looks like, how we dress for market, how we treat cusomers, /and/ how we treat our community.

Is there a local elevator or feed store? How about a county Farm Bureau office, some counties even send a regular newsletter to members, and they may put something in, especially if you write it.

Good luck, when I get to feeling down, I just remind myself that I am also "growing a business", not just veggies..

Brigette
Avalon Farms Homegrown

Lynn Wigglesworth wrote:

From: "Tradingpost" <tradingpost AT gilanet.com>

Hi Pat. Get more prospective growers together and >plan to have more to

sell, and have them plan ahead to >get together at the start of selling
season and hand out >flyers in front of grocery stores, advertising the
farmers >market with 10% discount coupons on the flyers.

I'm also with Pat's group. How do you find prospective growers? We've
blanketed the county with fliers offering to list growers for free in our
directory of local food, and we've gotten a very poor response. We plan to
have a 'Growing for Market' workshop in the spring, but I don't know how
else to find/encourage more growers.

Lynn Wigglesworth
Cowbridge Farm
Tioga County, PA
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