nikki
July 12th, 2006, 09:02 AM
Anyone on here done this either as supply or a consumer?
We have a stand at the local small farmers market. This is my first year doing it. I originally decided to do this for fun and to "feed my habit"- I have a gardening addiction :p and wanted an excuse to plant (and pay for) all 20 varieities of tomatoes I wanted to try (one example!). I knew if I planted as much as I wanted even with canning etc I would have too many. I am having enough produce for the market and am starting a second when all those tomatoes (80 plants) really get ripe- but the market can be unreliable as to how many people come and what they want (nobody wanted beets, kale or arugula and I could have planted 100's of more shelling pea plants and not had enough!) plus all the extra time to pick eveything that day, go there set up and then sit there for 3 hours. I work as a Cardiac Intensive Care RN (very part-time) and looking at hourly rates and what-my-time-is-worth the market is not really cost effective. When I look at what I have spent for the market (tables, canopy, market fees to go), I would make more money working those extra hours and donating all my extra produce somewhere. It is almost like in the area I am in you need to be bigger scale to make the market worth your time (unfortunatly). We also sell eggs- free range heritage breeds- we had to lower the price because someone has eggs from a big production (not-free-range-in-small-cages-all-day-birds but still fresh) that were selling for 1$ less. (we started at 2$- they started at .50 cents- there was a compromise they went up to 1$ and ours went down to 1.50$ which is cheaper than the free-range-not-as-fresh eggs you buy at the grocery store). Anyway....
Last farmers market a guy came over to strike up a conversation and he has a CSA- providing food to 33 families this year. I am now debating next year not doing the market at all but attempting to get 3-5 families to provide for. With the CSA they get paid at the beginning of the growing season for investment in the garden seeds etc. Then once a week through the growing season deliver whatever is in season to each family. He said they take a survey in the beginning to get a general idea of what everyone really wants. I think this would solve my problem of too much produce and then would help the garden pay for itself (like maybe get me that tiller I have been eyeing literally for YEARS!). I do see that if it were to work this could be a viable way to "work" as well- if I went a little larger scale.
I am not certified organic yet but do organic garden and if I can make some sort of income from my garden would go through the whole process.
Sorry this is so long- what I am wondering after all the background is if anyone here has done this, what your experiences have been and what you thoughts if any are on the subject! Thank you!!! :)
We have a stand at the local small farmers market. This is my first year doing it. I originally decided to do this for fun and to "feed my habit"- I have a gardening addiction :p and wanted an excuse to plant (and pay for) all 20 varieities of tomatoes I wanted to try (one example!). I knew if I planted as much as I wanted even with canning etc I would have too many. I am having enough produce for the market and am starting a second when all those tomatoes (80 plants) really get ripe- but the market can be unreliable as to how many people come and what they want (nobody wanted beets, kale or arugula and I could have planted 100's of more shelling pea plants and not had enough!) plus all the extra time to pick eveything that day, go there set up and then sit there for 3 hours. I work as a Cardiac Intensive Care RN (very part-time) and looking at hourly rates and what-my-time-is-worth the market is not really cost effective. When I look at what I have spent for the market (tables, canopy, market fees to go), I would make more money working those extra hours and donating all my extra produce somewhere. It is almost like in the area I am in you need to be bigger scale to make the market worth your time (unfortunatly). We also sell eggs- free range heritage breeds- we had to lower the price because someone has eggs from a big production (not-free-range-in-small-cages-all-day-birds but still fresh) that were selling for 1$ less. (we started at 2$- they started at .50 cents- there was a compromise they went up to 1$ and ours went down to 1.50$ which is cheaper than the free-range-not-as-fresh eggs you buy at the grocery store). Anyway....
Last farmers market a guy came over to strike up a conversation and he has a CSA- providing food to 33 families this year. I am now debating next year not doing the market at all but attempting to get 3-5 families to provide for. With the CSA they get paid at the beginning of the growing season for investment in the garden seeds etc. Then once a week through the growing season deliver whatever is in season to each family. He said they take a survey in the beginning to get a general idea of what everyone really wants. I think this would solve my problem of too much produce and then would help the garden pay for itself (like maybe get me that tiller I have been eyeing literally for YEARS!). I do see that if it were to work this could be a viable way to "work" as well- if I went a little larger scale.
I am not certified organic yet but do organic garden and if I can make some sort of income from my garden would go through the whole process.
Sorry this is so long- what I am wondering after all the background is if anyone here has done this, what your experiences have been and what you thoughts if any are on the subject! Thank you!!! :)