I have been selling at the farmers market for sixteen years as of this summer. Over the years, there have always been new growers that come into the market and sell their wares for a considerable amount less than myself and some of the others at the market. Of course, not all of the lower priced vendors are the ‘newbie’s’ either.
Most of the farmers who are selling at farmers markets are small acreage producers who do not have the quantity that competes with mechanized farms that supply the grocery stores. I believe the farmers who sell for retail store prices do not consider the true value of the food they are selling. One of the toughest things for most of us to do is come up with a viable price for what we grow. For what ever reasons, it is common to not acknowledge the value of our time and labor investment that we have endured to plant the seed, grow the crop, and get it to the market to sell.
There will always be vendors that sell for less than everyone else. There will always be shoppers that come for the cheapest produce they can find at the market too. My observation has been that the low priced folks often are selling poor quality produce that is not washed or prepared much other than from the field to the market. Maybe those lower priced vendors will be busy for the first hour or so of the market, but soon enough, they sell out and shoppers move on to search for other vendors.
I can honestly say that consistently over the years, we have been one of the higher priced sellers at the market. When everyone else is selling beans for $2 per pound, I am selling for $2.85 a pound and still sell out every week. When everyone has salad mix for $5 a pound, we are selling ours for $9 a pound and consistently sell out. We can receive a higher price because our produce is double or triple washed, pre-bagged, and certified organic. We have signs that promote all of these things and make every effort to always sell the best. Our customers know that when they buy from us that it is clean and the finest that our gardens have to offer. Many times over these years I have overheard my regular customers stating “Greentree Naturals is the most expensive seller here ….” Our motto has always been ‘Sell the best and compost the rest’.
There will always be shoppers who are selective enough to consider why the certified organic farmers are asking a higher price and are willing to pay more. Personally, I don’t mind anyone coming in selling for lower prices. It gives me more reason to be creative with marketing and connect with our customers. It is not appropriate to be attempting to set prices between vendors. Price fixing is not exactly legal in any sense, but encouraging other vendors by example is just fine.
Diane Green
Greentree Naturals
Sandpoint, Idaho