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  • From: "Lynn Wigglesworth" <lynnw1366 AT hotmail.com>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Lettuce price?
  • Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2009 21:46:50 -0400

The problem with the local farmers' market is that there aren't any local market farmers (the few market farmers here have a CSA or other outlet for their produce). Last time I was there, the vendors at the farmers' market were backyard gardeners with a few baseball bat sized zucchinis or a basket of overripe cucumbers, and someone who sold flowers planted in old boots (kinda cool, actually). That farmers' market had many political problems and didn't welcome new vendors. A couple of us started a new farmers' market, but people came expecting prices lower than the grocery store. The vendors dropped out until I was the only one left, so I shut it down.
 
This area is many years behind the times and very conservative about what they eat  (I can't sell any tomato that isn't red, even pink tomatoes are looked on with suspicion...I had pints of beautiful Sungolds, even gave samples, but never sold one; I also can't sell leeks or Florence Fennel, although both grow well here...people gawk and point, but don't buy). I usually enjoy the backwardness of the people  here, unless I'm trying to sell quality produce!
 
Lynn Wigglesworth
Tioga Co. PA
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, July 01, 2009 9:06 PM
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Lettuce price?

I plant six to eight varieties of lettuce per planting, sell most of it at farmers' markets as 3 different lettuces to a gallon bag, young to nearly full sized but not baby lettuce; weight of bags vary, usually half to three quarters pound; and get 3.00 a bag for it in a generally low-priced area. I wholesale it, sometimes, (not bagged), at $3.00 /lb. It is not triple-washed, just rinsed off with a hose (to sell as washed ready to eat in NY my understanding is that you're supposed to have a processor's license); and again it is usually not baby lettuce, unless the next planting's not up to size yet but I need to take from it anyway to have any.

There is no way in the world that I'd sell what you're describing for fifty cents a bag, wholesale or not.

I second trying the honor system for the farm stand -- but set up a locked chamber that most of the money falls down into, just leaving a little change available on top of the stand.

Do you know what's wrong with your local farmers' market? Do they usually have a decent selection of high quality stuff? Do they do any advertising? -- Of course, trying to take over an existing market and shake it up into shape may make you unpopular with the people now running it; even if you have the time.

-- Rivka; Finger Lakes NY, Zone 5 mostly
Fresh-market organic produce, small scale



On Jul 1, 2009, at 1:58 PM, Lynn Wigglesworth wrote:

What do you all get for mixed baby lettuce? I raise Johnny's Wildfire mix;
pretty red and green leaf lettuce. I cut it young, triple-wash and bag it in
1/2 lb. bags (that mix goes for $3.99/half-pound in the grocery store).

In the past, I've had an on-farm stand, but I'm a one-person operation and a
farm stand took too much time away from farming. I decided this year to try
selling through someone else's farm stand here that features 'local
produce'. She offered me $.50/bag for my baby lettuce (she sells it for
$1/bag...I was getting $2/bag 2 years ago). I also have early green beans
(probably the only local ones available this early...I start them in cell
packs and transplant under row covers), and she offered an insulting price
for those, too..

Our farmers' market in town has 2-3 vendors, and they mostly just sell stuff
to each other..some weeks they don't make the $5 vendor fee. I don't raise
enough to justify taking it 50+ miles to the nearest decent farmers' market.
Is selling in my own farm stand, at my own prices, spending more on
advertising than I make some weeks, the only answer? Sheesh...no wonder
farmers need day jobs!

Lynn Wigglesworth
Tioga Co. PA


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