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  • From: road's end farm <organic101 AT linkny.com>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] was high value crops/now pricing.
  • Date: Sat, 8 Dec 2007 09:42:56 -0500


On Dec 8, 2007, at 3:32 AM, Franklin W. Davis wrote:

Hello John...tnx for the advice. I never thought of pricing maybe hurting local farmers. A novice question would be...how do you find out what pricing is for various fruits and veggies in your area? Franklin<unknown.gif> 
 
Growing for Market (which is a great resource for any form of farm direct marketing) has a free download of a special issue about selling at farmers' markets which addresses pricing (among other things). Even though you're not selling at a market, you'll probably find other stuff in it useful.

http://www.growingformarket.com/
scroll down the main page to the link for that download.

I also agree with others who have said that you should go around to groceries, farmers' markets, other farmstands in your area and note prices. You'll probably find a lot of variation on similar items. My recommendation is to *not* try to engage in a price war and try to match the cheapest prices you find, or to undersell everybody. Instead, sell quality, and price it at or near the top end. You can sell some "seconds" or "canning grade", clearly labeled as such, for less, if whatever you grow produces more usable culls than you can use yourself.

You also need to work out what it's costing you to grow the particular crop -- and don't forget your time, or overhead costs, such as machinery and machinery repair, land taxes on your roadside stand, etc. If the area price for something is lower than your cost of production, it's wise to grow something else. Note, however, that on some items specialty varieties and/or packaging may bring you a much higher price (for instance, potato prices around here are all over the map, even at the same store).
-- Rivka; Finger Lakes NY, Zone 5 mostly
Fresh-market organic produce, small scale




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