Market Farming

["stonecirclefarm tds.net" <stonecirclefarm AT tds.net>]

One option for wholesale baby carrots is to charge by the count rather than the pound.  I sell wholesale baby carrots in 100 count cases (with tops but NOT bunched) to chefs.  The equivalent price per pound actually ends up being higher than (most) farmers market prices.  100 baby carrots is somewhere around 5 lbs (maybe a bit more, sometimes a bit less).  I sell 100 count cases at $20 to $25 per case.  Baby carrots do not store well so this is not a winter market option.  -John

On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 11:41 AM, Richard Moyer <ramoyer AT gmail.com> wrote:

Gary,

Here in SW VA we charge $3/# for winter root crops, and sell all we bring to winter markets, 2x per month.

While not on your scale, I still ask chefs: If I can sell all these roots to my customers at market for $3/#, should I deliver them to you for less? So the couple of chefs we sell to, they buy at market early.

As for baby carrots, have never done that because they grow exponentially the last few weeks to full size, so why take so much less money when most of the costs of production are already in the crop? So the few chefs I've dealt with buy full size carrots from us; though cultivars on the small end of carrot size.

Not sure I'm helping you, except to point out: Why take less money from a chef when you can sell it now or later for so much more?

BUT, some growers would rather be flogged than deal with markets, so many customers, etc.  And certain chefs will pay a premium on other items throughout the season, so some crops MAY be worth selling at lesser prices to build/maintain the relationship. But use your records to do the math!

I realize that for certain items and scales/models of production, wholesale accounts are needed.

Richard Wiswall in "The Organic Farmer's Business Handbook" shares considerable data on his carrot production, including wholesale and retail pricing.  And the assumptions and details of his production costs and ways to record/analyze these.

Another factor in all this, local winter veggie production is a specialty item that deserves a price premium.  If it was easy, more growers would be doing this.  With a few customers, I've explained what it took to get the crops displayed before them to market through this frigid winter, and price has not been an issue.

Hope I'm not being too ornery in this.  But those who choose not to grow their own winter food but still want local, it's not too much to ask a premium for the labor and expertise of the ones making it happen.

Others please weigh in on pricing of specialty, local items, esp. off sesaon.

Thanks,

Richard Moyer

SW VA; peas planted for Patrick yesterday!

   1. Winter Root Crop Price Check(s) (Gary Scott)
   2. Re: Winter Root Crop Price Check(s) (Beth Spaugh)


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Message: 1
Date: Mon, 17 Mar 2014 12:04:51 -0400
From: Gary Scott <twinspringsfarmva AT gmail.com>
Subject: [Market-farming] Winter Root Crop Price Check(s)
To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
Message-ID:
        <CANJjqBqDfEtYd7zb0JfF6Shg2+Dg5tpR6dOoeQeYskRD8PJUZA AT mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

I have been delivering Hakurei Turnips and Baby Beets to local consumers
and restaurants and am interested in others pricing. I am bunching the
Turnips 5-6 per bunch about 1lb, Beets 5 -6 per bunch 1lb to 1.5 lbs,
selling them to on-farm retail customers for $2.50. I am selling them
wholesale to chefs bulk in 1.19 bushel boxes 15 to 18 lbs for $2.00 per lb.
I have several chefs that want early "baby" Carrots, I usually wait till I
can sell them when 5 -7 in a bunch make a lb. I have seen prices on the
internet all over the price map. Any suggestions would be greatly
appreciated, in particular on baby carrots, thanks in advance.

--
*Gary Scott*
twinspringsfarmva AT gmail.com
www.twinspringsfarmva.com

434-964-6911

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