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

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  • From: Home Grown Kansas! <hgkansas AT sbcglobal.net>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] consumer perceptions, was free range eggs
  • Date: Fri, 18 May 2007 07:13:37 -0700 (PDT)

I do not have a lot of time at market to explain why our products are better than the grocery store products - although given the time, I will.  The bottom line is that if my product does not taste better than what  you get at the grocery store - don't buy it.  It is our responsibility to bring the best product that we can to the market.  Just because it was locally grown, does not make it better.  It has to be noticeably better - which means it must taste better.  That is the test.  If it does, the customers will come back for more.  I will give a vegetable to a customer who is skeptical, for them to discover for themselves - they usually come back to shop.  I will hand a piece of asparagus to a customer to taste raw - if it does not taste good raw, it will not taste good cooked.  If the product is not to the customers satisfaction - come back and I will replace it or give you your money back with a smile on my face.  One must show confidence in their product, provide product knowledge when you can (most don't want to hear it) and stand behind ones products.  If the customer is just shopping price, they should go to the grocery store - if the customer is looking for the freshest, best tasting and most nutritional food they can - they have come to the right place.  My products sell themselves.
 
Elzie
Wichita, Kansas        

Bill Shoemaker <wshoemak AT inil.com> wrote:
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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