What makes a Great Farmer’s Market?
It is not just good food, not just fresh food, but great food that was grown by a farmer selling their own stuff. It is not just a place to buy these things it is a place that is Live, full of people, full of action music, things for the kids and adults to enjoy and be a part of. We need to get to the roots of why farmer market where started or came to be in the first place. That that is being sold in the Grocery store has gone though many hands before it is sold. These many hands take you the buyer alone ways from the people that grew what you now are looking at to eat. What goes into you is what makes you what you are, healthy or not, not to say that is in the store is not healthy but it is not the same as fresh from the soil that it was grown in. The farmer losses a lot of the money that is needed to keep the farmer farming, what is being produced is sold into these many hands before you buy it. The farmer needs to get that money to pay their bills just as you need the money you get from what you do for a living. So, Farmer Market where born. A place that one could sell right to the person without these things going though all of the many hands and time before you get a change to enjoy it’s goodness. The same holds true with all of the many other things being sold at the markets. Have had buyers ask me why I am so real, and those out there are so business like. This is, they are not the grower, someone that is being employed to sell some other persons stuff, and there is a difference.
Now what came first the Chicken or the egg? Many of those that are trying to run these markets do not understand that it’s the vendor that the people are coming to the market for. The fresh goodness and the chance to talk with those that have grown or made by their own hands that is being sold to them. If the market is what it needs to be the buyers will come, you do not need to do much to get them to come. The old saying you build it they will come, holds very true to this. But if the community fells that it is part to the market, this is and would be of a great help to make the market grow. The same thing holds to true to the vendor that make the market, the buyers need to fell that they are part of the people that are producing the goods they are buying.
Once lived on an Island there was a market in the centre of the town that we sold are goods at. At the start there was just two of us selling are goods. The first couple hours would go by and most but not all of what there was would be sold. Some years went by and the person that owned the land that the market was being sold on. Was getting old and wanted to sell the land, but did not want to see the market be lost. And asked if we those that were selling are stuff on this piece of land if we wanted to buy it. Well, we asked to community if they wanted to market to stay, and they said yes. Started to give of their money so that the land would stay as the place for the market to be. The county was told of what was being done, and they made it so as long as there where people or a market being ran there was no taxes needed to be paid on this land. An open wall building was built and about six or more farmers sold their stuff at the market. The craft people sold their stuff out on the lawn around the market. Are sells where three as much with having all the other vendors selling produce, than they were with having just the two vendors. I have had many of those running the markets that you should not have too much of any one thing. That statement does not hold true. When I was in business school was told the best thing that could happen is if another business like yours would open on the same corner as our business was. Now if those that are selling their stuff, one is giving their stuff away and the others were selling to make a living, now you would have an unfair deal going on. This sadly does happen, and for many years wish that these that were buying, could see the differences. But to me if it is the price or your unwillingness to pay what needs to be paid for your food, then you are not the one that I am looking to be the one that enjoys the goodness of what is being sold to you. When I was doing landscaping I was taken by the willingness to pay so much for a plant to be in the yard. But to see the unwillingness to buy what needs to be paid for your food, is sad. The price does need to reflect what you are buying, and how it was grown or made!
Once soil is changed from what it is before being changed by man, it could take a 1,000 years before it would become back to being as it was before man changed it. Those that are in the governments of our land need to care about the need to keep food close by for those that need the food. So, to think about this now, not years after it the land is gone is very important. The community i.e. the government should care about the farmers and the farmer markets.
What the buyer should know before they buy.
Have seen many farmers bring their produce to the market without to being store in a way to keep it fresh. If you read in the old books from the 30’s 40’s much time is taken up in the care of what is being produced to keep it fresh before it is sold. Once the product is removed from the grown it starts to go bad. So, to keep it fresh or stay good, takes some care. Must be keep cool or some things cold so when you get it home it is still good for some time before you enjoy it. So, if it is warm or some things the way they have been handed must be hot before you buy it, if it was me I would not buy it. To keep the greens i.e. Lettuce, spinach and those kinds of things fresh they should be washed and slid in a bag before it is sold to you. All of what is being sold should be clean before it is sold.
Some of my thoughts
Broadview Farm-Roy Beck
Alberta Canada
It is not just good food, not just fresh food, but great food that was grown by a farmer selling their own stuff. It is not just a place to buy these things it is a place that is Live, full of people, full of action music, things for the kids and adults to enjoy and be a part of. We need to get to the roots of why farmer market where started or came to be in the first place. That that is being sold in the Grocery store has gone though many hands before it is sold. These many hands take you the buyer alone ways from the people that grew what you now are looking at to eat. What goes into you is what makes you what you are, healthy or not, not to say that is in the store is not healthy but it is not the same as fresh from the soil that it was grown in. The farmer losses a lot of the money that is needed to keep the farmer farming, what is being produced is sold into these many hands before you buy it. The farmer needs to get that money to pay their bills just as you need the money you get from what you do for a living. So, Farmer Market where born. A place that one could sell right to the person without these things going though all of the many hands and time before you get a change to enjoy it’s goodness. The same holds true with all of the many other things being sold at the markets. Have had buyers ask me why I am so real, and those out there are so business like. This is, they are not the grower, someone that is being employed to sell some other persons stuff, and there is a difference.
Now what came first the Chicken or the egg? Many of those that are trying to run these markets do not understand that it’s the vendor that the people are coming to the market for. The fresh goodness and the chance to talk with those that have grown or made by their own hands that is being sold to them. If the market is what it needs to be the buyers will come, you do not need to do much to get them to come. The old saying you build it they will come, holds very true to this. But if the community fells that it is part to the market, this is and would be of a great help to make the market grow. The same thing holds to true to the vendor that make the market, the buyers need to fell that they are part of the people that are producing the goods they are buying.
Once lived on an Island there was a market in the centre of the town that we sold are goods at. At the start there was just two of us selling are goods. The first couple hours would go by and most but not all of what there was would be sold. Some years went by and the person that owned the land that the market was being sold on. Was getting old and wanted to sell the land, but did not want to see the market be lost. And asked if we those that were selling are stuff on this piece of land if we wanted to buy it. Well, we asked to community if they wanted to market to stay, and they said yes. Started to give of their money so that the land would stay as the place for the market to be. The county was told of what was being done, and they made it so as long as there where people or a market being ran there was no taxes needed to be paid on this land. An open wall building was built and about six or more farmers sold their stuff at the market. The craft people sold their stuff out on the lawn around the market. Are sells where three as much with having all the other vendors selling produce, than they were with having just the two vendors. I have had many of those running the markets that you should not have too much of any one thing. That statement does not hold true. When I was in business school was told the best thing that could happen is if another business like yours would open on the same corner as our business was. Now if those that are selling their stuff, one is giving their stuff away and the others were selling to make a living, now you would have an unfair deal going on. This sadly does happen, and for many years wish that these that were buying, could see the differences. But to me if it is the price or your unwillingness to pay what needs to be paid for your food, then you are not the one that I am looking to be the one that enjoys the goodness of what is being sold to you. When I was doing landscaping I was taken by the willingness to pay so much for a plant to be in the yard. But to see the unwillingness to buy what needs to be paid for your food, is sad. The price does need to reflect what you are buying, and how it was grown or made!
Once soil is changed from what it is before being changed by man, it could take a 1,000 years before it would become back to being as it was before man changed it. Those that are in the governments of our land need to care about the need to keep food close by for those that need the food. So, to think about this now, not years after it the land is gone is very important. The community i.e. the government should care about the farmers and the farmer markets.
What the buyer should know before they buy.
Have seen many farmers bring their produce to the market without to being store in a way to keep it fresh. If you read in the old books from the 30’s 40’s much time is taken up in the care of what is being produced to keep it fresh before it is sold. Once the product is removed from the grown it starts to go bad. So, to keep it fresh or stay good, takes some care. Must be keep cool or some things cold so when you get it home it is still good for some time before you enjoy it. So, if it is warm or some things the way they have been handed must be hot before you buy it, if it was me I would not buy it. To keep the greens i.e. Lettuce, spinach and those kinds of things fresh they should be washed and slid in a bag before it is sold to you. All of what is being sold should be clean before it is sold.
Some of my thoughts
Broadview Farm-Roy Beck
Alberta Canada