A debit-type CSA works well at farmers’ market I have attended farmers’ markets since 1983, yet the whole idea of a CSA has always fascinated me as a practical method to market my farm’s produce. Having customers get a box of food each week that they paid for at the beginning of the season seemed […]
June 2015
Why do we use computer scales?
June 22, 2015 Categoriesby Bob Bowen When we started in the farmers market, we sold chickens and meat with a small (and CHEAP!) set of table scales. They weren’t sealed for retail sales but no one caught us. And we kept checking them to assure us that we were being fair. And we tended to charge to the […]
Creating customer bonds with presence, abundance, and generosity
June 22, 2015 CategoriesTraditional retailing wisdom says it is of the utmost importance to give customers exactly what they pay for. Any less, and you are cheating the customer; any more and you are cheating yourself. Being rather non-traditionalist myself, allow me to offer an amended view. Many markets and farmers have a budget for what they refer […]
The Shō of Market
June 22, 2015 CategoriesIn many Japanese martial arts, there is a differentiation between the SHŌ (say ‘show’) of the art and the DŌ (say ‘dough’) of the art. Basically, the DŌ is the functional part of the art, how to make the movements and what they are useful for, both in terms of spiritual centering and self-defense. On […]
Food for thought about customers
June 22, 2015 Categoriesby Dick Keough, Brunswick Market How do you feel about your customers? How do your customers feel about your farmstand? Do you get cash tips from your customers? Do your customers give you gifts? Do you give needy people a gift of your product or a discount? Do you get asked to help local groups […]