Week One: Gail Feenstra and Christopher Lewis, "Farmers' markets offer new business opportunities for farmers"
What is the significance of a certified farmers' market? Is it always beneficial for farmers to sell at public markets? I think it is important to ask this question, because it is easy to overlook the labor and potential food waste created by public markets. Farmers' markets do provide one good alternative to commodity or wholesale channels, however. In the picture: figs and plums at the Davis farmers' market in August, a certified farmers market.
--Brent W.
Gail and Lewis write, "For farmers, the [farmers'] markets provide a direct-marketing outlet that avoids the additional costs of middlemen and allows growers to receive retail prices for their products. In addition to their primary function, farmers' markets foster an environment in which farmers and community members can interact in beneficial and satisfying ways around food." This study is particularly interesting to me because I grew up mainly shopping in farmers markets in San Diego. This article explains the importance of certified farmers markets to both the farmers and the communities. These benefits for the farmers include shared business strategies, the creation of "entrepreneurial environments" that allows small to medium sized farms compete in a local environment, and not having to hire a middle man.entrepreneurialFarmers' markets benefit the consumers by creating a sense of community in their communities, the comfort of knowing the people who grow or raise your food, and the ability to learn more about the food that is being sold. Food is not the only product sold at farmers markets either. I agree with the authors on the fact that farmers' markets are beneficial to both communities and small to medium sized farms who need to be discovered by the means of the farmers markets. From what I have read I base that it is almost always beneficial to sell at a farmers markets as well as advertise your products. As for the food waste, it can easily be donated to homeless shelters right before the food goes bad or it can be given to the school system, if there is a competent cooking staff of the notorious lunch ladies. I found this whole article to be thought provoking because I did not think about how much creativity and marketing opens up for the farmers, I've always have thought about it from the consumers side, but a farmers' market can really help a farmer grow a business.
ReplyDeleteRobbie B
"In addition to new marketing venues, farmers markets are providing an important environment for developing and test marketing new products".(Feenstra & Lewis pg 29)
ReplyDeleteI feel like this statement highlights the over all idea of the farmers market. Vendors have the oportunity to develop their products and give them exposure to the public. The full time/part time farmers can sell together and not have to yield to market prices. Entrepreneurs can start up thier business without direct competition from the big corperations and give it a realistic test run on the market. I agree with the article that the farmers markets are a good place for entreprenurial opportunities.
Michael B
What struck me most out of the reading was two things. The first was the Fact that farmers markets in California have grown in the last 3 years. The second being that people are now looking to know where their food comes from.Farmers markets are not a new concept, they have been around for years. Especially in European countries Farmers Markets for some the only way that they can buy most of their goods. However in America this concept was lost, I personally like knowing where my food comes from and how it was produced. The fact that our climate in the east doesn’t exactly permit the best growing conditions for most vegetables and fruits. But I would much rather my food come from across the US then from half way around the world. “primary function, farmers' markets foster an environment in which farmers and community members can interact in beneficial and satisfying ways around food. Consumers have the occasion to learn about and support local agriculture, and farmers become more aware of the needs and opportunities in the communities they serve” (California agriculture U of California 53:6 : (1999)When people start to understand what they are eating and where it is coming from they will tend to make slightly healthier decisions. Rather than spending their money on canned meats and veggies they are more likely to go and buy fresh if they can find what they want at the right price, Along with trusting the people that they are buying from. The more the growers come in touch with the consumers the more they will be able to produce what the consumers buy their for making a better profit.
ReplyDeleteMaria M.
So since farmers markets allow framers to sell their products whole sale it gives them a great deal of advantages. The first one is that they get to keep their profits in full. The farmers don’t have to deal with wholesale packaging or grading requirements. The markets give a great opportunity for growth within their businesses. Even if that growth is just adding another market to the one they are already at. Framers at their booths are also able to “add value” to the products that they are selling. Such as flavoring nuts, home made jams and jellies, even herb infused oils. The farmers markets have even brought in close ties within the community. By working with local business to increase each other’s sales and support each other’s profits. Some markets even work with local schools by selling them fresh local produce for a more reasonable price then corporations.
ReplyDeleteEmily U.
"Markets in rural areas offer some of the strongest community support to vendors and link them with the tourist industry" (Feenstra & Lewis).
ReplyDeleteThis article is basically about how farmers markets are bringing new foods and ideas to different types of people and members of society. The quote above says how vendors are having a link to the tourist industry which is perfect because tourist come from everywhere and can bring the foods and cooking concepts back to their home towns. Growing the food culture where ever they go. I feel the authors here have valid points and stresses the importance of farmers markets in todays industrialized world. While the world is overgrown with all these large food companies it is important to keep small farmers markets to small towns keeping their individuality, while spreading them into large cities to inform their citizens of local and sustainable foods available. Although everyone can agree that farmers markets offer higher quality food most of the time, it is an unfortunate fact that most of the time they are much more expensive. This makes it harder for the every day consumer to shop locally at farmers markets on the budget of todays economy.
-Josh R
"certified farmers markets provide consumers in urban and rural communities with fresh California-grown produce, specialty produce and ethnic foods, plants and flowers, meats, dairy, fish, baked goods, hand made crafts, and more" (Feenstra & Lewis pg 25)
ReplyDeletei feel that the significance of a certified farmers market is because they ensure consumers that everything that is being sold to them is directly from California, and not any other places. for some farmers it can be benificial to sell in public markets because it gives them the opportunity to sell directly to the consumer, with out a middle man involved.
-Tara B.