Market Farming

["Liz Pike" <liz AT mymarketfarm.com>]

>I've been following this list for quite some time and it seems as though most people just do this for fun, to get their hands dirty. It seems like the toughest part of Market-Farming is not the farming part but the Marketing part.

 

That is true of any business.  But with farming, throw in a gambling factor, aka the weather, and a carefully laid marketing plan will never see the light of day. That's when you go to plan b.  or c.  or d.  or just chuck it all on the compost pile.  Farmers are eternal optimists which leads to your next question:

 

> Why is it that is seems most people are lucky to break even?

 

Again, true of any business. Doesn't matter what one does, if he/she does not factor in ALL costs, adding in a margin for profit and salary, breaking even is the best scenario.  I bet if many admitted it, they'd say they don't even break even.  Collecting and analyzing data doesn't seem to mesh with growing and harvesting, though it is as vital a role on the farm as a successful crop.  And we all know that just because the farmer "over there" didn't make it, doesn't mean we won't.  Like I said, eternal optimists.  

 

> Why can't you make a decent living supplying the growing organic market?

 

You can.  Depends on the size of the market. Or if it even exists.  How many farmers conduct marketing studies before setting up shop??  More often than not they must create the market as an after-thought and that means in whatever area you're in, including areas where everyone has a home garden or where everyone thinks supper is Hamburger Helper.   It takes time to educate people, a task frequently at the bottom of the list below the more urgent business of getting crops in the ground. 

 

> I don't understand what the main difficulty is. Marketing?

 

I don't think marketing is the most difficult.  At least it's never been the most difficult for me.  There are enough foodies out there who appreciate good food to pay what it's worth, organic or not, and it's not that difficult to find them. For me the difficulty has been figuring out what will grow where, and when, and for how long.  When I figure it out, I'll bottle it and get rich selling it on late-night infomercials ; )) 

 

Liz Pike

Morning Star Garden

Hillsville VA