Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Farmers' Markets
Farmers' markets provide opportunities to sell produce, get to know other
food producers in the area, and develop a reputation with local customers.
This is especially useful for small orchards and those new to farming. Market
orchardists often find this is the only marketing outlet they ever need. You
will find organized farmers' markets in practically every city and in many
small towns. The markets range from a few people selling tomato seedlings
off card tables to huge operations covering many acres.
Several things make selling goods through a farmers' market attractive.
First, there is virtually no overhead or capital involved in marketing. You sell
everything from the back of a pickup or from a booth made with a folding
table and canopy. Signs and promotional aids usually consist of your offer-
ings and prices displayed on hand-lettered poster board. Second, customers
are coming to see you with the idea of shopping in mind. By keeping track
of what you sell and what produce is popular at other nearby stands, you
quickly learn what goods are in demand, and when they are in demand. Many
farmers' market organizations do, however, charge participants a flat fee to
operate, in addition to a percentage of the profits.
There are three basic types of customers at farmers' markets. The first
come with a shopping list, just as if they were at a supermarket. They have
specific purchases in mind and little interest in anything else. As you might
gather, novelty and impulse-type goods are of little interest to these shop-
pers; their primary concerns are freshness, overall quality, and price.
The second type of customer comes to the market out of curiosity, seldom
with any specific purchases in mind. These customers browse for a while,
look skeptical, occasionally buy a few small impulse items or some fruit to
snack on, and leave without putting much money into anyone's pocket.
The third type of customer is looking for a recreational experience, just
as many people visit shopping malls to window shop and spend time with
friends or family. Particularly in tourist areas, this group of shoppers can
be very important to sellers at a farmers' market. Impulse items are the big
sellers here, such as fresh fruit for eating out of hand or value-added snack,
