[FMC] Alternative market structure?

[Zachary Lyons]

Allowing FFA or 4-H kids to experience the reality that there is  
money to made in farming, not just shows to go to with livestock, is  
a good way to encourage our future farmers.  However, perhaps  
connecting a couple students with one farm, with the expectation that  
the money is going back to the farm, and they are an employ of the  
farm, might address several issues.  First, the students would have  
to get intimate with that particular farm so that they can represent  
it properly, like any farm employee at a market.  Second, they would  
treat the sales, and the prices, as if they were making money for a  
farm, thus learning those economics.  Third, the farm itself would  
get to see how much revenue the market is generating for them, so  
maybe they will eventually attend directly.  Finally, it would keep  
that farm stall in line with the other farm stalls there -- the ones  
where the farm is actually showing up.

Also, remind farmers that they get more than $$ from the market.   
They get appreciation from the customers, socialization, and a sense  
of community, all intangibles yes, but all vital to the health of our  
farmers who often live isolated lives.

Zach Lyons
Seattle

On Apr 25, 2008, at 7:01 AM, Michael Hurwitz wrote:

> I've done that with a few youth markets where the youth are trained  
> in ag and marketing and then resell farmers products purchased at  
> wholesale or reduced pricing. If other farmers come to market have  
> them set the bottom price.
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: fmc-bounces at lists.farmersmarketcoalition.org <fmc- 
> bounces at lists.farmersmarketcoalition.org>
> To: fmc at lists.farmersmarketcoalition.org  
> <fmc at lists.farmersmarketcoalition.org>
> Sent: Fri Apr 25 09:55:24 2008
> Subject: [FMC] Alternative market structure?
>
> Hello,
>
> I am involved in helping to start a farmers’ market in the  
> coalfields of southern West Virginia.  There is high consumer  
> demand for a market, but producers here typically give away their  
> surplus produce.  I have talked to farmers who are interested in  
> having a farmers’ market, but who aren’t really interested in going  
> there and staffing their own booth.  It seems like they would  
> rather either donate their produce to a group (like 4-H) that could  
> sell it as a fundraiser at the market, or sell their produce at a  
> reduced price to a middle-person or organization that would then  
> resell it at the market.  Has anyone done anything like this in  
> their markets?  Any ideas on how having this scenario would affect  
> any future producers that might want to sell directly at the  
> farmers’ market?
>
> Thank you for your time,
>
> Ole Bye
>
> Rural Appalachian Improvement League
>
> Mullens, WV
>
> groundworkWC at railwv.org
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>         Ole Bye
>
> Program Coordinator
>
> Groundwork Wyoming County
>
> Rural Appalachian Improvement League
>
> P.O. Box 171, Mullens, WV, 25882
>
> 304-294-6188
>
> groundworkWC at railwv.org <mailto:groundworkWC at railwv.org>
>
> www.railwv.org <http://www.railwv.org>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Truth is mighty and will prevail. There is nothing the matter with  
> this, except that it ain't so.
>
> MARK TWAIN, Mark Twain's Notebooks
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> fmc mailing list
> fmc at lists.farmersmarketcoalition.org
> http://lists.easilyamusedinc.com/mailman/listinfo/fmc

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.easilyamusedinc.com/pipermail/fmc/attachments/20080425/d7297ae0/attachment.htm