AGRICULTURAL
MU Guide
PUBLISHED BY MU EXTENSION, UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA extension.missouri.edu
Marketing is as important to vegetable growers factors such as (1) the volume of produce you will be
as obtaining a high yield. Often it is relatively easy to growing; (2) the time you have available for marketing
produce many vegetable crops, but finding a market during the growing season; (3) your willingness, time
outlet or the optimal combination of markets is chal- and ability to deal with customers directly; (4) the per-
lenging. Lower transportation costs and the ability to ishability of the crop(s) you will be producing; (5) price
produce vine-ripe, fresh vegetables give Missouri veg- levels and price stability of the market; and (6) barriers
etable growers a competitive advantage in marketing to market entry and expansion.
many types of vegetables. Through the use of season-
extending technology such as high tunnels, the grow- Farmers’ markets
ing and marketing window of many Missouri-grown Farmers’ markets are an excellent outlet for direct
vegetables can be expanded. Missouri vegetable grow- marketing fresh, local produce to people in the com-
ers can grow varieties and types of vegetables that can- munity. Farmers’ markets support local farmers and
not be found on the average supermarket shelf. promote healthy eating habits while fostering commu-
There are many market outlets available for Mis- nity development. Farmers’ markets are an excellent
souri vegetable growers. These include community way for consumers to connect with their food source.
farmers’ markets, “u-pick” (pick-your-own) sales, on- By interacting with growers, consumers discover how
farm or roadside markets, wholesale produce auctions, the food is grown, experience new types of vegetables,
restaurants, institution sales, marketing cooperatives, and even learn how the vegetables can be prepared for
supermarket sales and community-supported agricul- maximum nutrition. Most consumers shop at farmers’
ture or subscription farming. markets for freshness, diversity and the opportunity to
When choosing suitable market outlets, consider support local farmers.
Farmers’ markets are well suited for small, indi-
About the authors vidual lots of mixed produce items. Strict grading and
Lewis Jett, State Extension Horticulturalist, Lincoln University, is packaging of produce is not required, and often sec-
a former State Vegetable Specialist, Department of Horticulture, onds or lower grade items can be sold readily. Farm-
University of Missouri. Mary Hendrickson, Division of Social
ers’ markets are relatively easy markets to access and
Sciences, University of Missouri, is director of the Food Circles
Networking Project and associate director of the Community do not require a significant amount of start-up capital.
Food Systems and Sustainable Agriculture Program. Most farmers’ markets require vendors to grow what
they sell from a specific radius around the market and
will often have rules and regulations concerning how ume. Advertising is essential to maintain a steady flow
the items are sold. A rental fee may be required to sell at of customers to the farm. Consideration must be paid
the market. Most farmers’ markets are centrally located, to parking and traffic flow on the farm. Pickers must be
open-air markets within the community, so advertising supervised and shown the proper way to harvest each
by grower-vendors is not essential. Farmers’ markets crop to maximize marketable yield without damaging
are compatible with off-farm employment because the plants.
most market days occur on evenings or weekends.
Since farmers’ markets are well suited for small On-farm or roadside markets
volumes of produce, they may not be the sole market Many Missouri vegetable growers sell their pro-
outlet for a larger-scale vegetable grower. Obtaining a duce through on-farm stores or roadside stands (Figures
premium price for produce at a farmers’ market may 2 and 3). This method of marketing works particularly
be difficult if there is a lot of competition for the same well in areas with high traffic volume. Generally this
item. Farmers’ markets are usually seasonal and tran- form of marketing is not capital intensive and is easy
sient, often opening in April and closing by November. to access. In addition, the on-farm store can be used to
However, year-round, covered farmers’ markets may sell a variety of products (vegetables, fruits, processed
be available. Farmers’ markets require a significant vegetables, and crafts) produced on the farm or from
amount of time for marketing the produce and may neighboring farms.
not be an efficient use of time for all growers. Missouri Many roadside markets are seasonal and benefit
has more than 100 community farmers’ markets. To from a steady supply of quality produce. Some road-
find a farmers’ market in your area, consult the Mis- side stands purchase produce from other growers in
souri Farmers’ Market Association (see page 8). the region to supplement or diversify their sales vol-
cooperative
Direct store
Restaurant
Institution
food trends, many chefs feel
Roadside
Farmers’
Produce
auction
Market outlet
market
market
market
Market
market pressure to source
U-pick
sales
sales
sales
CSA
locally produced, high-qual-
ity products.
Suitable for large
volumes of produce per No No Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Benefits of marketing
grower? to chefs include (1) a higher
Marketing time required Medium- Medium- wholesale price if the product
High Medium High Low Low Medium Low
by individual grower High High is delivered to the restaurant,
Degree of grower (2) a larger sales volume than
High High High Low Low Low High Low Low
contact with consumers retail sales, resulting in lower
Suitable for very marketing costs, (3) a market
Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
perishable vegetables? for unique and highly perish-
Low- Medium- able products, and (4) expo-
Price stability Medium Medium High High High High High
Medium High sure for the farm’s product to
a wider audience, particularly
planting and harvesting, in addition to extra labor. By if the chef uses the farm name and product in a market-
charging weekly or monthly fees based on the market ing strategy. An intangible benefit of selling to chefs
value of vegetables provided, subscription CSAs can is the invaluable feedback that growers can receive on
exert less pressure on growers to supply a good variety their product from food professionals who may recom-
every week than traditional CSA arrangements. Grow- mend earlier harvesting or different postharvest han-
ers considering developing a CSA should have sev- dling or packaging. To sell to chefs, growers need to
eral years of vegetable farming experience and good have good postharvest handling and sorting, grading
planning skills in order to manage the variety of crops, and packaging capacity. Growers will also need to be
planting and harvesting schedules required to produce able to provide a standard business invoice that can be
vegetables for 20 to 24 weeks. Growers considering a entered into the restaurant’s accounting system, and
traditional CSA arrangement should also be adept at in most cases, cannot expect payment upon delivery.
managing members’ labor to make the most produc- (The exception is if growers can receive credit card
tive use of the member work requirement. payments. Setting up such a system can have multiple
Some growers may consider a cooperative CSA advantages in working with larger volume customers.)
with other vegetable growers or producers of eggs, Growers should also consider that chefs have a sched-
meat and honey. Such formats allow producers to spe- ule almost opposite to their own (chefs finish cleanup
cialize in different crops that are better suited to their from the dinner service after midnight), which means
land assets and management skills. While cooperative that farmers need to be able to accept orders by e-mail,
partnerships can take a great deal of time to plan and fax, or as a last resort, an answering machine. Growers
manage, much of this can be done during the off-sea- should also be able to provide advance product price
son. CSAs in general have medium to high marketing lists and availability on a weekly basis.
costs, but can help to stabilize farm incomes, minimize A great way to break into restaurant sales is to
risk from specific crop failures, and provide outlets for offer chefs samples of product to see if it is of the qual-
extra produce. CSAs are almost always used in con- ity they can use. Chefs expect the products they order
junction with wholesale or farmers’ market outlets to to be delivered as promised, and need to know far
diversify funding sources. enough in advance about crop failures to order replace-
ment product from other distributors. Never deliver to
Restaurant and institutional sales a chef during lunch and dinner service (11 a.m. to 2
Selling to chefs and institutional food services can p.m. or 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.) or you are likely to lose the
help growers diversify their markets. The most likely sale because of the inconvenience to the chef.
market targets are independently owned and oper- Another potential marketing outlet is institutional
ated restaurants that change menus frequently. Many food services such as campus dining, K-12 school cafete-
are high-end, white tablecloth restaurants that depend rias, hospitals and nursing homes. Many of the benefits
upon high-quality ingredients to serve a sophisticated and rules about selling to chefs also apply here. Note
and discerning clientele. Such restaurants tend to use that most food services will require product liability
a limited amount of product and have little storage insurance, standard packaging and grading, and read-
space on-site, which means they need multiple deliv- able invoices. Many food services use a purchase order
eries during a week. Lower priced or high-volume res- system that can require growers to be approved as ven-
taurants can also be potential clients, particularly for dors before placing an order, unless they have a credit
highly perishable items that suffer from long shipping card system in place. Food services generally pay the
Missouri Farmers’ Market Missouri Vegetable Central Missouri Produce North Missouri Produce
Association Growers Association Auction, Inc. Auction, LLC
One South Main 39358 Pin Oak Church Rd. 37808 Highway E State Highway F
Webb City, MO 64870 Truxton, MO 63381 Fortuna, MO 65034 Jamesport, MO 64648
417-673-5866 573-378-2655 660-337-6227 660-684-6844
Missouri Farmers’ Union Clark Produce Auction, Southern Iowa Produce,
For the location of a
325 Jefferson St. LLC LLC
farmers market: http://
Jefferson City, MO 65101 1966 Highway Y Ice Ave
agebb.missouri.edu/fmktdir/
573-659-4787 Clark, MO 65243 Bloomfield, IA 52537
index.htm
660-264-4555 641-722-3623
Missouri Organic
Association Four County Produce
For more information
2832 Olde Chelsea Auction
about wholesale produce
St. Charles, MO 63301 1162 NE 1400 Rd.,
auctions: http://agebb.
636-940-0521 Windsor, MO 65360
missouri.edu/hort/auction/
660-684-6844
■ Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension Work Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the United States Department
of Agriculture. Michael D. Ourat, Director, Cooperative Extension, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211. ■ University of Missouri
Extension does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability or status as a
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