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  • From: "Wiediger, Alison" <alison.wiediger AT hart.kyschools.us>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] other food marketing methods
  • Date: Fri, 4 May 2012 14:24:52 +0000

I know the extension agent in a nearby county has talked with us about “floor” pricing.  Basically, setting a minimum price for each product, which I would assume is legal since the agent was suggesting it.   Farmers may then set their price at or above the floor price, but not below it, to avoid “dumping” and I think a market or two in our area has tried it in the past.  Over the years, our market board has re-visited this idea a few times.  The big downside is the time that someone must spend each week or two to research current prices, set the ”floor” and get the information to the vendors. And, then you would have compliance issues, and we already have enough headaches J.  What we have opted for instead is education.  When we have new (to our market) growers who have problems pricing, veteran growers try to help them through doing actual costing of the crop and how to price it.   We have even had costing/pricing presentations as part of our annual meeting.  Over time, most vendors learn to value their work appropriately. I’m glad, because it has always made me uneasy, personally, to have anything to do with any sort of price setting.

 

Alison Wiediger, Au Naturel Farm

 

From: market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of KAKerby AT aol.com
Sent: Friday, May 04, 2012 9:13 AM
To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] other food marketing methods

 

Good to know.  Thanks, Rivka.  I was actually a little surprised when I was told, on my first day at market, that I had to raise my prices on this-n-that because the market manager didn't want me to undersell another vendor.  Given that it was my first day, there was quite a learning curve involved and I got the impression that was standard practice.  I'd be curious to know if that was something really unusual, or if others have had that experience (or one like it).  I can definitely remove the text, or at least modify it so that it better reflects national conditions.

Kathryn Kerby

frogchorusfarm.com

Snohomish, WA

Ruminations- essays on the farming life at frogchorusfarm.com/weblog.html

 

In a message dated 5/4/2012 7:04:57 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time, organic87 AT frontiernet.net writes:

Kathryn, I'd delete that line. In many areas setting minimum prices is illegal.

 

 

 

-- Rivka; Finger Lakes NY, Zone 6A now I think

Fresh-market organic produce, small scale

 

 

 

 

On May 4, 2012, at 12:04 AM, KAKerby AT aol.com wrote:



4)  Many markets will also set informal minimum pricing standards, such that one vendor cannot come in with a glut of product, and undersell other vendors with the same product.

 

=

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