Mid-Atlantic Gardening: A TRUE BIOLOGIST SPEAKS, 1 by CountryGardens

CountryGardens wrote:
I have just wrapped up my 25th year of vending at the Farmers Market. We have strived to supply the customers with top quality produce. Every year the same thing happens, growers with tons of product show up. Customers practically run to them because they are selling at a lower price.
I raise tomatoes in a greenhouse, in the ground, not hydroponic. I start selling them in early June. Garden tomatoes don't show up until August here. Customers will buy the garden ones even when they are covered with black blight spots! The real topper was about 3 weeks ago when temperature was 24º at 6:30 in the morning. All the greedy vendors were setting their things out even though the market does not open until 8 AM. There were frozen tomatoes, corn, watermelons & other things. Even Butternut squash setting out showed signs of being froze.
We kept our stuff in the truck until temp reached 32º. That was about 10:30 AM.

So of course the last few weeks we heard all kinds of comments about customers taken produce home that day & not being able to use it. It didn't change their buying habits though!

Sad to say, but there is a long way to go on educating customers. It will never happen in my lifetime!
Bernie

This message was edited Nov 4, 2009 6:38 PM