First market Sale in Texas.. Interesting

[Keger]

We did our first market yesterday, and it was very interesting, and a LOT of fun!

Nice new small market, ground level deal, and we all got run smooth over.

We sold out in an hour and forty minutes, no price haggling, and they just kept coming, it was nice.

What I took note of that stuck in my head.

They loved the rainbow of colors in the "salad" tomatoes, the black cherry especially, and the sweet million, yellow pear, and sungold. Loved it.

They prefered the medium size tomatoes over the big guys, and the heirlooms went last, little interest.

The common theme from customers was the same. " We just want good food, the stuff in the supermarket is junk"

Back next week..

[stonysoilseeds]

of course my harvest wont begin until much much later but i participate in a similar market as the ones you described and made similar observations there was a small percentage of people that liked hierlooms but most liked the smaller tomatoes they loved the sungold and stupice tomatoe because it was smaller were always sold out for me then i had a write up in a local [a[er about my hierlooms and it defenitely helped and some would try the local hierlooms and become repeat but its a slow process in a rural area but i believe each year it will improve i like my market as its very friendly and hels also there are no fees.. happy growing season to you

[Keger]

Thanks, and happy growing to you as well.

Also, they went crazy over the Juliets. My Roma's arent ready just yet, but I thin they will do well.

[Tracydr]

Are you allowed to give tastes of the heirlooms?

[Keger]

Dont know, dont really see a reason for taste tests, the folks seem to know what they want.

[stonysoilseeds]

in my market you are unable to offer anything sliced only whole cherry tomatoes

[stonysoilseeds]

unless you want to give then a whole tomato to try lol

[Wi-sunflower]

That's the same problem I have.

At my biggest market you aren't allowed to "sample" anything you need to cut. Killed heirloom sales because they usually aren't " store perfect". Halved melon sales too. It's the taste that sells both of them.

At another market we can sample and then the heirlooms sell OK when we have the time to do it.

But at my big market I don't even bother with the big varieties and only take cherries because we can give them samples to taste all the odd colors and such.

It's a shame govmt gets in the way of common sense. All the rules get made after big corporate idjits goof up. But it's us small guys that always suffer.

Carol

[ScottinAtlanta]

At my biggest market you aren't allowed to "sample" anything you need to cut. Killed heirloom sales because they usually aren't " store perfect". Halved melon sales too. It's the taste that sells both of them.

Unbelievable. The wisdom of clueless bureaucrats. I believe you could fairly easily get this rule changed.

[Boutique Tomatoes]

Originally Posted by ScottinAtlanta

At my biggest market you aren't allowed to "sample" anything you need to cut. Killed heirloom sales because they usually aren't " store perfect". Halved melon sales too. It's the taste that sells both of them.

Unbelievable. The wisdom of clueless bureaucrats. I believe you could fairly easily get this rule changed.

It's the interpretation of the Dept of Ag that if you cut the produce you are 'processing' it and you need a food processing license/inspected facility/etc.

A few of the markets apply the common sense rule and turn a blind eye, but most do not.

[ScottinAtlanta]

Is that the Wisconsin Dept of Ag?

[feldon30]

Originally Posted by marktutt

It's the interpretation of the Dept of Ag that if you cut the produce you are 'processing' it and you need a food processing license/inspected facility/etc.

A few of the markets apply the common sense rule and turn a blind eye, but most do not.

This is an issue that is very near and dear to my heart, and something that I think is worth fighting for change.

Being unable to cut up a fruit or vegetable and provide a sample to the public is ridiculous. As others said above, heirlooms really need to be sampled/tasted to attract attention. Otherwise, people buy what they already know -- round red baseballs.

Originally Posted by Keger

dont really see a reason for taste tests, the folks seem to know what they want.

Originally Posted by Keger

I kinda think its a good idea to give them what they want, plus its a lot easier to grow.

If people are only familiar with Walmart, they may not be aware that there are higher quality products.

As I said in your other threads, it is perfectly ok if you sell the typical red round tomatoes to the general public and they are happy with it. But depending where you sell, or your market audience, there is the possibility of educating the public and getting them engaged in what you are growing and selling. And you can also sell at a higher price. I never go to a farmer's market expecting to pay $2 a pound for whatever. I am looking for high quality produce FIRST and then I decide if I can afford the price.

I am actually interested in where my food comes from, how it was grown, etc. But I do realize that most people either don't know, or don't want to know.

[Boutique Tomatoes]

Originally Posted by feldon30

This is an issue that is very near and dear to my heart, and something that I think is worth fighting for change.

Being unable to cut up a fruit or vegetable and provide a sample to the public is ridiculous. As others said above, heirlooms really need to be sampled/tasted to attract attention. Otherwise, people buy what they already know -- round red baseballs.

I wholeheartedly agree, but just haven't figured out where to go next with this. In discussing it with a Wisc Dept of Ag supervisor last year I can see both sides of the issue. I've eaten plenty of produce straight from the garden/orchard, unwashed and perhaps cut with a pocketknife that seldom sees soap and water and lived to tell the tale, but does that mean I'm lucky or that there is no danger? I think there should be some common sense rules applied that are condusive to the farmers market environment. Wash the produce, cutting board and knife. Put plastic wrap over samples to keep insects off of it, offer toothpicks so people don't contaminate it with their hands. That sort of thing is all that I see is needed.

I'm equally frustrated with the idiocy regarding selling dried peppers. The imported dried peppers in the grocery store may have been dried hung in ristas in the open air in some other country, but if I want to legally sell dried peppers here I need an inspected facility to dry them, store them, etc. They have to be washed in a bleach water solution to kill any surface contaiminants before drying and have to be dried in an approved dehydrator at a temperature which will pretty much destroy their natural colors. And because of the nature of drying hot peppers I'm pretty much restricted to doing this somewhere in an unincorporated area (i.g. outside of town) as no municipality will give a business permit for it due to the possibility of objectionable odors.

@%!$^ gubberment protecting us all...

[Tracydr]

Originally Posted by Wi-sunflower

That's the same problem I have.

At my biggest market you aren't allowed to "sample" anything you need to cut. Killed heirloom sales because they usually aren't " store perfect". Halved melon sales too. It's the taste that sells both of them.

At another market we can sample and then the heirlooms sell OK when we have the time to do it.

But at my big market I don't even bother with the big varieties and only take cherries because we can give them samples to taste all the odd colors and such.

It's a shame govmt gets in the way of common sense. All the rules get made after big corporate idjits goof up. But it's us small guys that always suffer.

Carol

That's too bad. At our markets, they give chunks of melons, slices of tomatoes, salsaa and even lit samplers of cooked, homemade pastas to try.

[stonysoilseeds]

ithe sad part is once customers try the hierlooms they become addicted to the taste but without sampling them they are confused by the different colors shapes and imperfections the hierlooms hat are offered at larger markets sell 5 dollars a pound and are no comparison to the ones homegrown and i wasnt able to get a fraction of the price for my beautiful hierloooms but didnt care just wanted people trying them.. i happen alo to be at my market only person selling hierlooms