| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| FieldsofThyme |
Posted - Aug 03 2013 : 11:13:20 AM
I kept track of our sales last year, and this year, we are down by about 50% during the same months as before. I'm barely making a profit this year.
Anyone else experiencing this in your area? It could just be the area I at too. Not sure.
Farmgirl Sister #800
My Life: http://pioneerwomanatheart.blogspot.com/
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| 12 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| countrymommy85 |
Posted - Sep 05 2013 : 10:35:30 AM
I've noticed here our farmer's market is very expensive to sell at and it's shrunk massively (the number of vendors are way down). So sad! I think the big box stores advertising is really hurting the local farmer's market but that is only my speculation. For me, personally, I'd rather buy something I know for sure is local at a farmer's market than go hit a sale at a big box store. . .
Mothers are those wonderful people who can get up in the morning before the smell of coffee. ~Author Unknown
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http://www.etsy.com/shop/SunflowersAndHoney |
| brightmeadow |
Posted - Aug 17 2013 : 06:39:00 AM
When I was sellng at our local farmer's market in Ohio, my average weekly sales were probably about $50. If I counted the time I spent ordering seeds, preparing the garden, planting, fertilizing, weeding, harvesting, in addition to the expenses of farmers market day there would be no way to justify the farmer's market economically. Or if I counted the costs of the inputs - seeds, fertilizer, tools, gasoline. That farmer's market only charged $5.00 for the whole year for a spot, so at least selling expenses were low. But I had the cost of the canopy, my tables, my shelving units, etc. that I had to spread over several seasons also.
I figured it took me an hour to load the car, an hour to set up, four hours at the market, an hour to tear down, and an hour to unpack the car. So for an 8-hour day, with $50 in sales, I made $6.25 an hour just for my labor on market day.
But I wasn't doing it for the money. I had a full-time job. I did it to get out in the fresh air, talk to my neighbors, exposure for my blog, practice for when I start doing it for real.
I had a limited amount of produce in my stand, basically only what was currently in season, and I made some soap to sell. I think to actually make money, I would have to have a much wider variety of goods, including things I could make in the off-season, perhaps jams and jellies, maybe some Watkins products, maybe some hand-knits and hand-wovens, a cookbook or two, and have a farm "market" at my home in addition to the farmer's market. Then I would look at the farmer's market as "advertising" expense for my real farm business.
Since I wasn't ready to commit to that full-time, I didn't carry on once I moved to Michigan.
But I remember one vendor who did seem to be successful - she was a college English professor who had summers off. In the summer she ran a CSA, and the farmer's market was one of her delivery points. She did exactly what I mentioned above, the farmer's market was a "marketing" opportunity that she used to advertise and promote her CSA.
How can you use the publicity that the farmer's market generates to increase your off-market sales? Hand out flyers with your Etsy site or farm blog or Local Harvest listing? Sell cookbooks? catalogs? calendars? Anything else produced on your farm? Cornhusk dolls?
You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands - You shall be happy and it shall be well with you. -Psalm 128.2
Visit my blogs at http://brightmeadowfarms.blogspot.com (farming) http://brightmeadowknits.blogspot.com (knitting) or my homepage at http://home.earthlink.net/~brightmeadow |
| FieldsofThyme |
Posted - Aug 17 2013 : 05:24:32 AM
I have thought about samples. It would be buying crackers to do it, which could me more cost, but it may help. Last year, I gave out soap samples, and I gave a free crocheted cup coaster with my card, to folks walking around (I out them in CD cases that snapped shut and had a business card holder on the side, so folks could re-use the holder too. I got them for $.50/box for 24 holders, so it was not a big expense. However, it didn't bring anyone to our site on-line. Nothing this year either.
Farmgirl Sister #800
My Life: http://pioneerwomanatheart.blogspot.com/
Recycle Ideas: http://scrapreusedandrecycledartprojects.blogspot.com/
Our Family Store: http://roosterscrowfarm.blogspot.com/
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| brightmeadow |
Posted - Aug 16 2013 : 7:23:53 PM
When I was selling at the farmer's market in Ohio, I noticed an AMISH farmer who was selling stuff way early in the season/ Like ripe cantaloupe in June. I also noticed that it was a non-Amish guy's truck that he was loading stuff out of the back of, and that the fruit crates the melons were packed in were labeled "California"...
So I asked the Amish guy if he raised the food himself. The non-Amish guy spoke for him and said "YES". The Amish guy just looked at me funny. I told my husband later and he said, "Yes, he raised it right from the floor of the produce market into the bed of his truck"
The following week I mentioned it to another vendor and he said he knows the Amish guy, and he does have a greenhouse, so it is possible that some of the stuff, at least, was actually ready early. It was still pretty hard for me to swallow. And the particular market did have rules that said you had to produce the majority of what you were selling.
You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands - You shall be happy and it shall be well with you. -Psalm 128.2
Visit my blogs at http://brightmeadowfarms.blogspot.com (farming) http://brightmeadowknits.blogspot.com (knitting) or my homepage at http://home.earthlink.net/~brightmeadow |
| EllaRow |
Posted - Aug 16 2013 : 5:28:33 PM
Our closest farmers market is on the main highway that cuts right through town. So it can get quite busy. They started out on Main Street in a small grassy area, but there just wasn't any traffic.
Soaking in wisdom as the showers fall
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| Montrose Girl |
Posted - Aug 15 2013 : 10:46:39 AM
Kristina,
We have that too. But I have found that samples (I don't know what you sell) brings people in and usually a sale. I'm bold about it. Plate in hand and standing at the edge of the tent. "Want to try a sample of peach?" It usually brings them in and then most of hte time they buy. I get repeats that way. Around here it the Palisade Peach brand that sells, even though they have the same varieties as the rest of us, that is what people ask for. I try to have decent prices that keep them coming too, and a bit under the Palisade folks.
Location is also a big thing. I'm on a corner, depending on your set up ask for a different spot. When I was buried in the middle of a row, I barely sold half a box of peaches. Don't be afraid to request something different.
Laurie
http://www.inntheorchardbnb.com/ |
| EllaRow |
Posted - Aug 15 2013 : 10:32:07 AM
I have not sold anything at a farmer's market before, but I am considering the one locally for next year for my crafts and the hubbie's woodcrafts. I know I spend my fair share on the local honey and such. They just started the farmer's markets around here 2 years ago so its grown really fast. One booth even got organic certified and sells lots of tomatoes, green peppers, kholrabi, and the like.
Soaking in wisdom as the showers fall
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| EllaRow |
Posted - Aug 15 2013 : 10:28:20 AM
In certain states, like Minnesota, you can only sell things you made or grew yourself at farmer's markets. They also have to be labeled a certain way. I do see people forgetting the labels on canned items and such, but have yet to see anyone that resells stuff.
Soaking in wisdom as the showers fall
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| FieldsofThyme |
Posted - Aug 05 2013 : 04:56:54 AM
This year, they added another vendor that sells items made from recycled materials, and she sells goat's milk soap. They also added another vendor who crochets items, and I see many people buying from her and walking right past me (she's one vendor to my side). And there are so many more produce vendors. I don't see them putting a ban on reselling items either. I think they are hard up for the cash from vendors. I'm not sure I will mess with it next year. Bringing home $35.00 or less is not worth the gas to drive there. We have one woman who comes every time, but I could get her number and deliver to her too, if we don't sign up next season.
Farmgirl Sister #800
My Life: http://pioneerwomanatheart.blogspot.com/
Recycle Ideas: http://scrapreusedandrecycledartprojects.blogspot.com/
Our Family Store: http://roosterscrowfarm.blogspot.com/
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| Montrose Girl |
Posted - Aug 04 2013 : 3:04:52 PM
Kristina, that is an issue in a lot of places. Our market has banned reselling for that reason. If no vendor carries an item then a vendor can request permission to sell it. We've received a lot of positive feedback from patrons for doing this.
Laurie
http://www.inntheorchardbnb.com/ |
| FieldsofThyme |
Posted - Aug 04 2013 : 05:27:33 AM
Well, I did find something out. Some of the vendors buy up food at auctions, then re-sell them. It's not home grown or local sometimes. I set up next to a produce person, and visit their farm often, so I know what I am buying.
Farmgirl Sister #800
My Life: http://pioneerwomanatheart.blogspot.com/
Recycle Ideas: http://scrapreusedandrecycledartprojects.blogspot.com/
Our Family Store: http://roosterscrowfarm.blogspot.com/
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| brightmeadow |
Posted - Aug 03 2013 : 8:11:15 PM
There seem to be a lot more farmer's markets around than there used to be. Could it be increased competition? Then Walmart and Meijers are advertising that their produce sections are like farmer's markets.
I get confused sometimes between "farmer's market" and "farm market". In my mind a farmer's market is multiple vendors but a farm market is one, here in Michigan it seems like you have to go there to figure out which type it is.
You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands - You shall be happy and it shall be well with you. -Psalm 128.2
Visit my blogs at http://brightmeadowfarms.blogspot.com (farming) http://brightmeadowknits.blogspot.com (knitting) or my homepage at http://home.earthlink.net/~brightmeadow |
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