By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
Wegmans, Price Chopper, Aldi, Tops Friendly and lots of locally-owned grocery stores provide fresh produce for sale. But farmers selling directly to the public through farmers’ markets, farm stands, farm stores and other direct means fill key roles in the food system.
“One of the biggest lessons that we learned from the COVID-19 pandemic was the importance of having a strong, flexible and streamlined local food supply chain and one of the greatest tools we have for getting farm-fresh food directly into our communities are our farmers markets,” said Julia Mason, public information specialist with New York State Department of Agriculture.
Selling directly to the public offers many benefits to consumers.
Typically, direct sales means fresher produce, which offers a longer shelf life and better value. The appeal and flavor are also generally better than produce that has traveled great distances. Although supermarkets sometimes sell local produce and larger farm stores and farmers markets may import off-season or out-of-region goods like bananas, the farm-to-consumer model usually means lower prices.
“The department administers several programs that help low-income families, seniors and veterans access fresh, healthy food at participating markets, including the Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program and the FreshConnect Checks Program,” Mason said. “At the end of the day, farmers markets help our agricultural community reach more consumers in new, innovative ways, build greater bonds between farmers and their customers and get more local New York foods onto tables across the state.”
Farmers selling directly also provide a good marketing tool for farmers. Since few people farm or even garden, farmers can better relate to consumers if they sell to them without a middleman.
“As consumers become more interested in where their food comes from, farm markets help bridge that connection between a farmer and their customer,” said Steve Ammerman, director of communications for New York Farm Bureau. “Plus, it’s a value-added product, allowing farms to direct market to their customers.”
Farmers receive closer to retail prices, not the lower wholesale prices.
Beak & Skiff Apple Farms, Inc. in Lafayette opened its retail operation in 1975 and now operates numerous on-farm, consumer-oriented revenue streams that are open to the public.
“They’re able to see all aspects of everything we do, whether apple, alcohol, backed goods and Ayrloom, our new brand,” said Megan Corona, marketing manager at Beak & Skiff.
Opening a farm store, distillery and other agritourism attractions has helped a small, family-owned farm thrive while scores of others folded.
David von Holtz, owner of EMMI Farms in Baldwinsville, also operates the Baldwinsville Farmers’ Market. Growing 400 acres of produce means getting the goods to market quickly is essential. That’s why von Holtz sells at farmers markets in both Liverpool and Baldwinsville. He believes that customers like a shorter supply chain.
“I’ve seen times where we harvested produce at noon and the market starts at 3 p.m. and people were home eating it at 5:30 p.m.,” he said.
Only homegrown produce could be fresher.
He likes interacting with customers and encourages them to meal-plan instead of just buying enough produce for supper. Providing recipes also helps customers know how to use produce such as eggplant, which some have not tried before or old favorites like peppers.
“What I like is when they come back next week and say, ‘I really like it,’” von Holtz said. “It brings more people in the market. The more people who come in, the better.”
Direct to the Public
Farmers have a variety of ways of selling directly to the public:
• Farm store or farm market: a retail store typically operated on the farm’s site that sells the farm’s goods and possibly local farms’ goods. Some farm stores or markets also sell imported items, gifts, crafts, lawn and gardens supplies and home décor.
• Farmers market: a daily or weekly community market that may operate seasonally or year-round to provide area farmers a space to sell their goods from a table or booth. Some farmers markets include general vendors, entertainment and ready-to-eat food.
• Farm stand: a small structure on a farm or at a high-traffic area that sells a small selection in-season produce or even one type of produce. Sometimes farm stands include value-added products like cut flowers, jelly and baked goods as well.
• Community supported agriculture: a membership program in which customers pay for their farm goods in advance. The farm offers “shares” that last for a certain number of months and entitle members to a specified amount of farm goods, usually distributed each week. For example, a farm may offer a six-month share with an average of 15 pounds of produce each week. Some CSAs operate year-round, focusing on things like root crops, micro greens and herbs in the winter months. Some CSA farms require or invite members to share in the labor. Some provide delivery, convenient pick-up points or only farm pick-ups.
