2013 Maryland Farmers Market Conference

Market Mix: Finding the Right Farmers

Who is FRESHFARM Markets• Our mission is to educate the public about food and

environmental issues, and to provide vital economic opportunities for local farmers.

• We were established in 1997 with the opening of the Dupont Circle FRESHFARM Market

• In 2013 we will operate 10 producer only markets in MD/DC/VA

• We have grown from just over 10 farmers in 1997 to over 100 farmers and producers in 2013

• We operate 5 educational and/or charitable programs:

• Chef at Market• FoodPrints• Gleaning• Matching Dollars • Jean Wallace Douglas Farmer Fund

Market Structure • Sales fee structure

– Farmer/Producers – 6% of sales– Concessionaire – 10% of sales

• Farmers/Producers/Concessionaires must report sales to office weekly

• FRESHFARM Markets then invoices each farmer/producer/concessionaire monthly for their owed market fees

Why is this important?• Provides us with vital information on the

market’s performance

• Provides us knowledge on what consumers are purchasing

• Allows us to be better gauge the overall success of the market

Numbers Don’t Lie

Numbers Still Don’t Lie

More Numbers….

Know Your Customer Base• What do your customers

want?

– Quality or Quantity?

– Premium vs Abundant

• Suburban vs Urban

– Urbanites tend to shop in less quantity – Suburbanites tend to shop in greater

quantity • Low Income vs High Income

– Meet both ends

– Provide assistance programs• FRESHFARM Markets low income

shoppers spent over $40,000 of their SNAP at our farmers markets

Pick the Right Farmer •Visit the Farms you want in your market•Get references •Get detailed product lists •Ask about their experience

•Make sure their hard work continues at the market•Attractive display•Personable staff•Easy to work with / manageable

Recap

• Know your market– Determine a system that allows you to gauge the

weekly success of your market• Analyze your market – Determine what your market variety should be

• Know your customer base – Determine what type of farmers best suit your

customers• Find the right farmer– Put in the time to find quality people

Questions??