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Old June 17, 2018   #586
Cole_Robbie
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Yeah, we pay. I like all of the vendors at my market as people, but the competition is brutal. Setting up shop two hours early and collecting your own early bird customers is also common. Those customers tend to buy only from whatever one vendor they frequent, which doesn't help the rest of us.
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Old June 17, 2018   #587
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My oh my. We would never allow this at the market we participate in.
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Old June 17, 2018   #588
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Our market wouldn't allow that either. Sounds like he is trying to drive the competition out of business?
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Old June 18, 2018   #589
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And just one more gripe, while I am complaining - you can put Sun Chocola, Esterina, and TomatoBerry in a box together, and they look like heirloom cherry tomatoes, but labelling them as such is a lie, and takes business away from vendors selling genuine heirloom/OP varieties.
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Old June 18, 2018   #590
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It is pretty common practice here to call hybrids heirlooms, although no vendors can make a sell before opening bell or they get fined and 2nd offense your banned.
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Old June 18, 2018   #591
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BVV... really? you have an opening bell? there are people who can only be there 1/2 hour before the market opens ... on their way to work or just driving through. it does irritate me when the regulars come before we are officially open... to get the good stuff. can I confess I sometimes don't put all my stuff out when I see them coming... I hold it back until they leave the market... just so others get the little batches of small first fruits too.
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Old June 18, 2018   #592
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We do. Our market is a producer only market and every vendor is very adamant about following rules and regs. I love it b/c I'm the kind of person to confront others about bullsh*t practices, idh to do that much here. It's very much like a big family. We all know each other and talk about issues as a group. We also aren't allowed to leave until 12 noon. Regardless of weather we sell out or not. Sucks sometimes, but I understand the reasons behind it. If me or another vendor brings up an issue, it is immediately looked into and we are kept in the loop. Overall the best market I've ever sold at by a mile.
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Old June 18, 2018   #593
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way cool. we also are a producers market but we still have a few who push the envelope every year.. I am always glad to see them go to a "bigger better market". other than them we seem to have a similar atmosphere... friends even outside the market and we aren't afraid to ask each other for help or offer it if we see someone needs something.
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Old June 18, 2018   #594
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Yeah the biggest market in my area I've not sold at but I hope to one day. Everything there is top notch, and customers pay top prices for it. The waiting list is kinda nuts, as well as both fees but it draws a huge crowd. No need trying to get in until I'm full time and gotten better at farming/growing.
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Old June 23, 2018   #595
Cole_Robbie
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This morning's table:
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File Type: jpg Resized_20180623_080625_2288222.jpg (769.0 KB, 106 views)
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Old June 23, 2018   #596
bower
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Gorgeous!! How did you do with the zinnias as cut flowers? Are you selling them with the little vase?
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Old June 23, 2018   #597
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Thanks, Bower. I sold most of the zinnias. There were still 3-4 bouquets left over. I did drop the price to $3 and $4 on the other arrangements, and they started selling faster. I think the other cut flower vendor's arrangements are $5, so mine sell a lot better at $4. Customers seem to like a mixed flower arrangement better than just a bouquet of zinnias. I need to get better at working the zinnias into arrangements. I planted a lot of filler plants for bouquets, but nothing grew very well.
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Old June 24, 2018   #598
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Interesting.
I believe the fillers we used are mostly perennials, which is great as you don't need to keep sowing them and just harvest to maintain them each year. Ribbon grass, yarrow... that sort of thing. Poppy pods. Small flowered herbs.
I was surprised how important filler is for a bouquet. You would only need a few zinnias in the mix with lots of filler in it to make them really pop! We were able to stretch it out pretty well when we were short of those bright focal blooms..
Maybe you could try the Johnson grass .. (I have no idea, what does it look like?) we foraged native stuff = weeds as well, if our fillers were low.. Customers didn't object. They're city, they hardly have even weeds I suppose.
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Old June 24, 2018   #599
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Very nice table! You would do well at our market.
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Old June 24, 2018   #600
clkeiper
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bower View Post
Interesting.
I believe the fillers we used are mostly perennials, which is great as you don't need to keep sowing them and just harvest to maintain them each year. Ribbon grass, yarrow... that sort of thing. Poppy pods. Small flowered herbs.
I was surprised how important filler is for a bouquet. You would only need a few zinnias in the mix with lots of filler in it to make them really pop! We were able to stretch it out pretty well when we were short of those bright focal blooms..
Maybe you could try the Johnson grass .. (I have no idea, what does it look like?) we foraged native stuff = weeds as well, if our fillers were low.. Customers didn't object. They're city, they hardly have even weeds I suppose.
very very true. filler is a must ... even if it is weeds.
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