Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 31
Farmers Market...
7/4/2015 at 11:54 PM
My Wife Gemma "Gemma's Garden" and I have done it for over 10 years and have taken this summer off, issues with our kids.
This is what the customers want, Fresh! Local! Safe! They want to know the grower, that's you. They want to know it's safe and how you grew it. We ran an open farm, customers were encouraged to come to our property to see the garden, few did, we are 3 miles east of Brandon, on the hwy paved to our driveway. By the way most of our produce was picked and packed the day before the market, and stored in a walk-in cooler that we build. We usually started picking as early as possible the morning before a market and were often packing till 1:30 AM, so if we ever made an error while making change sorry.
Prices. OK here is the SECRET Customers Listen up:
Ag Canada lists typical whole sale prices for all Vegetable prices, online for everyone! We tried to be fair...
We also took note of Superstore prices, and what our table competitors were asking. We are also selling a perishables product we would sell it or give it away to Samaritan House. Last Year we gave away almost $1000 worth, what we would not take to the market went to compost. Some of our competitors have well fed chickens and pigs, a good idea. Prices were set for the day with-in the first 10 minutes or so, we seldom changed the price, but would negotiate, with 4 for 3 , or 3 for price of 2, we often did this near the end of the market, but we've given lots to Samaritan House.
Some Advice to LoveMyGirl, Figure your costs, Cost per linear foot, and Cost in time by crop. Time is the big one. Figure your potential profit by the linear foot of each crop. Track what sells and what dosent. We have grown corn, but it's never made made for us any money expensive hybrid seed, that was to mature quick and didn't "EVER" and then corn boors. Grew it because the competitors did, sometimes you do dumb things.
Training:
Most of the Advice above is good, also take the advice of your competitors both markets are full of great vendors.
ACC's hort course is good, Gemma took their program, part time, it took years but got she her diploma.
Youtube is a great place to get all kinds of good free advice.
I truly miss the business, but we need the time away.
For those that miss us, we miss you too...