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There is another tip for you upcoming farmers!

Don't grow enough of anything where you can send it with others to sell it for you at other markets because then you will make jobbers out of them and who wants to eat produce that wasn't bought directly from the hands that grew it anyway.

Everybody knows my salad greens will only taste right if I am the only one who picks it and sells it anywhere for people to eat.

Thats a shame to because I had 3 people lined up to sell it for me at 3 other markets so they could make a little money on it to to help feed their kids and buy them shoes. Oh well I guess it is just real important to make sure nobody but picker/growers sell at the local markets, that way we can be certain that the grocery stores will have to get it somewhere else because if we sold it to them it just wouldn't taste the same if people bought it there in stead of the local farmers market directly from me as soon after I picked it as possible.

But Gosh I picked more than what I could sell at 1 market, too bad I can't send my neighbor down to the next county to sell some I hate to see it go to waste, he;s trying to round up some money to pay his cable bill, cable tv has got so expensive for my TV watching neighbors they can't even afford to shop at the local farmers market anymore.

From: Dutcher Farms [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Sunday, July 27, 2008 2:07 PM
To: [log in to unmask]; [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: FW: "No Spray" conundrum

That is also what we do at the farmers market in Sault Ste. Marie, local growers only, no jobbers, outside the tri-county area, by invitation only. The customers do notice the difference in the products offered at our farmers market, small community, lots of talk amongst customers, most all know each other. Vendors also do not cutthroat each other on prices, we have regular vendor meetings where gripes can be solved. We set up our ground rules at our first annual post harvest potluck dinner.

John Dutcher

----- Original Message -----

From: [log in to unmask]" href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">Creation Farm

To: [log in to unmask]" href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]

Sent: Sunday, July 27, 2008 11:35 AM

Subject: Re: FW: "No Spray" conundrum

So let that be a lesson to you upcoming farmers!

Don't grow enough to where you can ship out any of your produce if you want to sell at your local market!

From: Lucy & Darrell Pier [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Saturday, July 26, 2008 11:21 PM
To: [log in to unmask]; [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: FW: "No Spray" conundrum

Hello Molly and the rest

I run the Menominee Downtown Farmers Market, I am also one of the vendors. Here the number one rule is you have to grow it yourself. This cuts out the larger farmers in the area that ship in there produce. (And yes I check out each and everyone of our vendors. )

Here the 80 % of the customers first questions is," Do you use pesticides? " Being in a small community people talk and someone knows someone who know you. So if my people are using sprays and tell there customers they are not, I am sure the customers will find out from the local feed mills, stores or whatever and lose that customer forever. All vendors are aware of this. Many of our customers have stop going to the local large farmers because they are not sure of what they use and where it comes from. Our market is mainly small farmers who enjoy the work of the farm and the company of the customers. We are small but our group is honest and our customers keep us that way.

This is our third year and our first year was rocky. We sat down with our local Ag Dept Rep and had rules set up for our market.

We have grown from one vendor to twenty. Along with produce we have homemade crafts,homespun wool, homemade soap and lotions, potted herbs, fresh flowers, and this year we have the local commerical fishermans selling fresh whitefish and a Certified Organic CSA program was started. I have turned down many flea market vendors because we don't want that in our market. Our vendors come from as far as 30 miles away to be here. We have no fee and they do not have to be here every week. This program has worked well for all and keeps the customers coming to see what is new each week. We have gone from the no market to the new place to be.

Is it hard being the Market Master? Not here, I stand by the rules, Honest with the vendors, and ask they are honest with there customers. We welcome each new vendor as family and watch each others booth. We have no price cutting and We even tell our customers what each of us have and let each vendor know that people were asking about them when they weren't here as well as letting the customer know when the vendor will return.

The point is, Your vendors may make your market up but it is your customers who will make or break it. Treat them right from the start and you will keep them.

Proud to be

Menominee Downtown Farmers Market Manager

Lucy Pier

----- Original Message -----

From: [log in to unmask]" href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">Creation Farm

To: [log in to unmask]" href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]

Sent: Friday, July 25, 2008 5:57 PM

Subject: Re: FW: "No Spray" conundrum

EXACTLY!

From: [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Friday, July 25, 2008 3:47 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: RE: FW: "No Spray" conundrum

It all comes down to trust and if you do not trust your market vendors or the people you are buying produce then you have no business in the farmers market - maybe grow your own food. Unfortunately, there are people who will claim they don't spray but they do....you cannot police morality!

Isn't it a crying shame a farmer just can' post a simple statement about their growing practices in this day and age without a bunch of do-gooders trying to figure out if the farner needs to prove it or not, does this mean that people don ' t trust what farners say?

Some of you market masters go way over the top when it comes to these types of issues. your vendors/farmers are human beings that work harder than most people on earth to provide their products, you should be slauting and praising these people not harrasing them about how they describe their individual growing practices. Do you check out the local mega dairies that supply your local groceries to make sure they go enough rbst in their milk?

Give it a Break! Be real with people instead of a bunch of control freaks.

From: Michigan Farmers' Market Managers [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Notarianni, Molly
Sent: Friday, July 25, 2008 10:02 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: "No Spray" conundrum

hello!

I would love to hear any experiences you have had with the use of the phrase “no spray” at your markets. This has been a common practice of many vendors at our market for years, but has recently been brought into question. Does one vendor saying “no spray” offer them an unfair competitive advantage? Especially complicated is the fact that it is very difficult to prove whether or not vendors’ products truly are grown without spray.

How have you dealt with this situation? I do feel that it is important for vendors to have the opportunity to provide as much information as possible to customers about their products, but can see how using the phrase “no spray,” without defining what it really means, could be problematic..

thanks so much!

Molly Notarianni

Farmers Market Manager
City of Ann Arbor
[log in to unmask]
734.994.3276

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