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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] consumer perceptions, was free range eggs

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  • From: "Bill Shoemaker" <wshoemak AT inil.com>
  • To: "Barbara Miller" <barbmill2 AT verizon.net>, "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] consumer perceptions, was free range eggs
  • Date: Fri, 18 May 2007 07:25:39 -0500

I think it's critical that people understand the qualitative difference between what you sell them and what they can buy at the grocery store. Make sure they understand that they are buying a living product that respires. As it respires it consumes nutrition and culinary quality. Respiration over time reduces the quality of the product. They should measure freshness in hours, not days. The grocery store product can be more than 1 week old before consumers access it. Teach them how to preserve the highest quality in the product. Then they will understand how poor the quality of produce is in grocery stores and realize they are getting a bargain from you when they pay more for your product. It takes time but once they realize the qualitative difference in your product, they will appreciate it, and taste it. Of course, you need to do everything you can to ensure that they buy nothing from you except super-fresh produce that's well-handled.
 
Bill Shoemaker, Sr Research Specialist, Food Crops
University of Illinois - St Charles Horticulture Research Center
www.nres.uiuc.edu/faculty/directory/shoemaker_wh.html
 
, we should actually be charging less than grocery store prices for our produce.  Obviously we have a lot of educating to do... 



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