Dan Thomas wrote:I was hoping John Hagan, who grows really nice tomatoes, could weigh in on this subject.
Well I was waiting to see where this went before chiming in. Yes, I would love to some sort of permanent market place. After living near Seattle and some time in the Bay area its one of the things I miss most about the west coast. As to the question "what obstacles would have to be overcome so we could enjoy something like Seattle's Pike Place" Id like to think on that more before a reply. The other issue Im reading here is the perception that local farmers are sticking it to consumers at the market. Again, Id like more time to think this one out. But first thoughts are this....Dan you made a comment when I saw you last at Selenas,that farmers have virtually no overhead. I would venture a guess that an average Ag operation has far more overhead than a standard brick and mortar outfit. Liability,licensing,employees,health insurance,tractors and equipment,huge fuel costs....the list goes on and on..Another example....I raise starter plants for a number of farmers who sell produce at local farmers markets. I have got things like cabbage,broccoli,cauliflower, tomatoes and peppers all going in the greenhouse right now. I am only heating one out my five houses at the moment(Ill start heating one ever week for the next month) but even that one house takes over 500 gallons of propane a week to heat. A small producer has higher costs per pound than any of the big farm operations,and thats reflected in the price. Is three dollars a pound justified? I think(actually I know) two to three dollars a pound is what a local small producer has to charge to make it worth while. I most often charge between 2.00 and 2.50 but if folks are selling out at three bucks more power to em. One thing to keep in mind is fair pricing among vendors. There is a unwritten, or in the case of many markets a written rule about pricing. Nobody wants to be undercut and most vendors agree on a set price or a range of pricing that is fair to all involved.You may not have the option to set your own price. Steves example of comparing KY raised tomatoes at Meijer for 1.59 to market tomatoes at three dollars does not make sense to me. Steve, do you think that Pappy Van Winkle should be the same price as a bottom shelf whiskey thats also made in Kentucky? I agree that its not uncommon to find lame produce at the market. Nobody can control the weather,that going to affect the price and quality.The grocery has the luxury of buying local when it looks good,and getting produce when from South America whenever they want. The farmers market is not a grocery store. You cant be guaranteed the availability or quality of anything. I take care of my regulars,holding the best for them. Most of the vendors I know do the same. The chefs that come and buy from us know they can get cheaper tomatoes at the terminal,but they dont. To anybody who thinks that the market price is too high,I challenge you to grow,harvest and bring to market(at three or four in the morning) hundreds of pounds of tomatoes every week. Its not as easy as growing a couple dozen plants in the backyard. Let me think on this and I will add more.
The tall one wants white toast, dry, with nothin' on it.
And the short one wants four whole fried chickens, and a Coke.
. I can buy meat for less than that, carbon footprint be damned. My money doesn't grow on trees (No Pun Intended) 