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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] Imports in our Local stores

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Subject: Market Farming

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  • From: "Bill Shoemaker" <wshoemak AT inil.com>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Imports in our Local stores
  • Date: Sun, 12 Aug 2007 11:03:27 -0400

Matt

You remind me of my uncle who had a produce store in a small town. He felt responsible for the integrity of his product and the fairness of the deal. He made a decent living, his customers appreciated a fair deal. It was all done locally. Even back in the 50's and 60's he sourced better product locally, bought other stuff from terminal markets, but always maintained quality standards. He had a relationship with his customers, who were his neighbors. There was integrity built into the system. It's great to hear your store still believes in it. I'll bet your customers do too. There really is a moral element to this situation and consumers may not be able to articulate it but they respond none-the-less.

Bill

> > > Good > Morning, > As > Produce Manager at a large single store Cooperative grocery in Burlington, VT, > we have been able to build quite a following by doing precisely the opposite of > what these larger grocery stores are doing. First off, if it's available > locally, we buy it. Second, we don't focus on price. If a grower feels they need > to get a certain price for something, we'll do our best to sell it at that > price. In addition, since education is one of the reasons for our existence, > it's vital that we keep a well trained and educated staff that's passionate > about food. While we do our best to source things locally (during the heart of > the Vermont growing season a good amount of our department features local > products, if we have something non-local there's a good chance it doesn't grow > here) if we've gotten it from somewhere else we indicate origin on each sign. I > realize we are but one small example, but as we've seen with the explosion of > successful farmer's markets and CSAs, at least here in Vermont, this model is > part of a growing trend heading in the complete opposite direction of the global > economy. I feel that it is important to support the infrastructure of stores and > cooperatives such as ours that work hard to promote a sustainable locally based > food system.  Thanks for all that you do. > Cheers, > Matt > Burlington, VT >   >   >   >   >  -----Original Message-----From: Home Grown Kansas! > [mailto:hgkansas AT sbcglobal.net]Sent: Sunday, August 12, 2007 9:28 > AMTo: Market FarmingSubject: Re: [Market-farming] Imports > in our Local stores > > That is exactly right.  When we first started Market Farming we > realized that folks have lost their food skills.  They had little > knowledge of what to do with fresh vegetables or herbs.  We had to > become educators to sell our products.  I don't see it as unfortunate > though, I see it as part of our marketing responsibilities.  A recipe > card, weekly newsletter, chef at market or advice at the point of sale are > very important elements in educating the customer.  If you make it > interesting and many do not, the customers will find it interesting to > visit your market.  Actually, the supermarket scenario may be doing us a > favor - as perverse as that may sound - by leaving a void for quality food > that can be filled by savvy local producers.  It is our > responsibility to bring to market the best tasting food available.  It is > the "better mouse trap" theroy.  >   > Elzie > Wichita, Kansas  Bill Shoemaker > wrote: > > Phil, that's my experience too. The people working produce today don't > know what quality is and many don't care. It's really changed over the last > 30 years. I think consumers share the blame for not being smart shoppers. > Unfortunately, I think good growers are left with the challenge of educating > the consumer. > > Bill > > > > > > We recently did a little research on what is in our > grocery store that we shop and was astounded to the amount of food in > general that is shipped in from China.  It will really blow your mind > when you start checking to point of origin.  In our local store all the > frozen fish was shipped form china, frozen juice private label (store Label) > was all shipped in from china, fresh grapes we all from Brazil, and it go's > on and on.  We the American farmer are really getting the shaft when > the grocer's tell us we as local growers cannot keep their shelves full > year around.  It boils down to bottom line and nothing else, if > the produce they sell looks like crap it probably is.  I had a produce > manager tell me he could get 25 days out of most of his produce, so really > fresh stuff doesn't really matter to him, all he wants is a really good > price, or maybe I could just give it to him really cheap if I have a lot of > surplus, I had one guy actually say that to me. >   > Phil from > IowaGet a sneak peek of the all-new AOL.com. > > > _______________________________________________ > Market-farming mailing > list > Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org > > http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming > > > William H. ShoemakerSr Research Specialist, Food CropsSt > Charles Horticulture Research CenterUniversity of Illinois, > Urbana-Champaign-- CoreComm Webmail. http://home.core.com > _______________________________________________Market-farming mailing > listMarket-farming AT lists.ibiblio.orghttp://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming > > _______________________________________________ > Market-farming mailing list > Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org > http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming > >


William H. Shoemaker
Sr Research Specialist, Food Crops
St Charles Horticulture Research Center
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

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CoreComm Webmail.
http://home.core.com


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