Farmers markets becoming a Rip Off?
$4 for a basket of four smallpeaches at the Philmont Farmers Market, a photograph from the market showing cucumbers $1 a piece.................................... but this practice is not just the staus quo in Philmont it is a systemic problem in which too many vendors perceive their customers as all from NYC and their prices justified just because it was picked this morning.
You who sell at markets at high prices are putting yourselves out of business. I have seen indifferent vendors, product with no signage and insane prices. The biggest rip was a small bunch of swiss chard 4-6 stems, with a price of $3. What is that $15lb? Not to mention it was wilting in the heat, it is well past season for such a cool weather green, hot weather and slight rainfall. There was a bitter taste in my mouth without even trying a bite.
Lessons to learn: customer service
marketing
Display your product in attractive CHEAP BASKETS with nice hand written sigans with your farm name on every sign and the battle is half won. Who wants to choose from just one or two bunches of greens or root crops sitting on a card table in blazing heat. Put ice packs in the bottom of the baskets and advertise them that way!
You have a lot to learn if you expect me and others to buy from you. A little down home genuine niceness equates to a whole lot of professionalism and a long way to getting my money
Tags: eggs, farm, fresh, market, markets, organic, prices, produce
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Meghan E. Murphy on -
This is interesting, considering I just paid 99 cents a pound for peaches at a farm stand.
My best guess is that the farmers are pricing based on how much they need to make to afford bringing the product to the market. Especially if the market is not well attended, they would need to get more money from each customer to justify having a person man a table for hours.
However, this is probably doing themselves a disservice in the long run because fewer people will go if the prices are too high. Ah, capitalism.
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Permalink Reply by greg draiss on -
Self defeating prophecy for sure. Then again you can also go too low with prices and put yourself out as well. I am spoiled by the great produce prices where I work but I LOVE THE SMALL TOWN FEEL OF FARMERS MARKETS! Hudson market pretty fair overall with a few exceptions.
99 cents a pound is a steal for peaches good find
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Permalink Reply by Cheryl Paff on -
Some of the prices at the farmers' market can be a little higher than in the conventional supermarket but in my opinion, the freshness, quality and selection can't be beat, so it's worth a little extra for me. In my opinion, the supermarket cannot hold a candle to farm fresh, just picked, in season produce from just down the road. Plus, I know that my money is going into the local economy. If you've ever talked to a farmer and his family, you will find that they work extraordinarily hard under some tough conditions and they take alot of risks with the whims of the weather. Their prices reflect that and I for one, think it a great value. I get sad when the season is over and I have to resort to the doldrums of the supermarket produce aisle.
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Permalink Reply by greg draiss on
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I will pay for value at a farmers market. Price to me has little to do with value. I will not pay $10-$15 a pound for swiss chard and peaches however. Nor will I give my money to indifferent vendors who don't smile or act like they want your business in the first place.
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