Modern Farmer

The first year I worked at the Dupont Circle Farmers Market in Washington, DC, I was enthralled by the atmosphere and the dance between customer and farmer. I’d been to many markets before as a customer, but being on the other side of the table brought this experience into a new light.

Since then, I’ve worked at farmers’ markets in four different states. These experiences have taught me how to sell a large number of products and keep customers coming back for more, as well as what causes people to walk by your booth without giving it a second glance. I’ll share some farmers’ market tips you can utilize to drive sales and build relationships with customers.

Keep Everything Clean

Tidy tables and fresh produce always draw a crowd.

Whether you’re selling vegetables, cheese, meat, or anything in between, it’s essential that you keep your products and stand clean. Some farmers make the mistake of keeping dirt on their carrots or lettuce heads, thinking this only confirms that the products are straight from the farm. But most customers prefer to receive their produce clean and as ready to eat as possible.

Spending extra time at your wash station will make it easier to make sales at the market. If you notice your produce looking sad, spritz greens and roots with water to cool it down and help it shine.

You should also maintain a tidy market stand. That means keeping your bags on a hanger or in a neat stack rather than strewn across your tables. Consider using tablecloths or, at the bare minimum, washing your tables before each market.

Look Approachable

Customers pause longer when someone’s ready to chat.

Looking approachable is a key part of encouraging people to inspect your products and make a sale. Sitting at the back of your booth is a subtle way to tell people that you’re not too interested in their business.

If possible, stand the entire market. This isn’t a problem at busy markets since you’ll be spending the majority of the time ringing up customers and restocking your stand. Taking a break once in a while is fine, but don’t spend the entire market sitting in a chair and staring at your phone.

Pile It High

A full-looking table keeps the crowd coming back.

“Pile it high, and watch it fly” is a common farmers market tip. I’ve found it true that tall piles of radishes or cucumbers sell better than short stacks of the same products. Even if you only have a handful of a certain item, make a stack rather than a single layer.

It’s better to keep a single table filled with a tight cluster of products instead of spreading the same products across multiple tables. You can use crates and baskets to help add a vertical element to your stand. This works particularly well if you’re working with difficult-to-stack items like tomatoes and bouquets.

As items dwindle and sell out, rearrange your offerings so they’re neat and compact. Remember, you want your stand to look intentional and well cared for.

Don’t Forget Signage

Good signage turns browsers into buyers without saying a word.

Even if you’re familiar with every product you’re selling, remember that not everyone is! Having a sign for less common items, such as Thai basil and radicchio, introduces customers to products as they walk by your booth. Common items like carrots or eggs also deserve signs, even if they just let people know how much each product costs.

You can also create signs to highlight special sales and give ideas on how to use a specific item. If you’re trying to move lots of cherry tomatoes, you can offer a special deal if someone buys three more or highlight how you can use these tomatoes to make salsa, pasta salad, pizza, and more.

Know Your Product

Customers appreciate a vendor who knows their veggies well.

One of the great aspects of farmers’ markets is the direct connection between producers and customers. Shoppers can ask questions about how their melons were grown, cheese was produced, and beef was raised. They can also inquire about how to select, use, and store items.

It’s okay if you don’t know everything about what you’re selling, but you should at least be familiar with it. How do you like to store your basil at home? How peppery are the radishes at this time of the year? Knowing the answers to these questions makes you a valuable vendor and can give you a competitive edge.

Aim for Sincere Interactions

A little small talk goes a long way.

As I mentioned above, farmers’ markets are about more than just finding high-quality products. Many customers are looking to put a face and a name to their farmer while establishing relationships. Being genuine doesn’t mean treating everyone like they’re your best friend, but putting in a little effort to know people can go a long way.

If you’re attending the same market week after week, you’ll probably see some of the same faces. Make an effort to learn shoppers’ names, and take a moment to ask how they’ve been or what they’ve been cooking lately. Creating relationships is one of the top farmers market tips.

Keep Things Moving

Organized bags and change help things flow without stress.

While spending a minute chatting with a customer as you’re ringing them up is a great way to form a connection, avoid spending 15 minutes talking with a single individual. These extended interactions can lead to a long line and cause your stand to become crowded with impatient shoppers.

Aim to keep your checkout process quick. Have bags, payment collecting devices, and cash organized and ready, and politely encourage chatty customers to move along while focusing on who’s next in line.

full_link

The Rise of Virtual Farmers Markets

Why farmers are increasingly banding together to take their products online, targeting consumers directly without the fuss of a physical market.

The post Success at the Farmers Market: 7 Vendor Tips appeared first on Modern Farmer.

From Modern Farmer via this RSS feed

Weather events and latent environmental stressors are making it increasingly difficult to produce good yields of corn every year. With these added pressures, scientists are working hard to develop new varieties that continue to produce despite them. 

One such development has been the genetic modification of corn plants to produce shorter varieties. Although they’re still in development, these smaller plants have proven highly beneficial for improving crop yields in various conditions. 

As trials continue and more varieties are developed, it’s likely that shorter varieties will be the norm in certain regions. Since smaller farms can grow them on smaller plots and produce the same yields, it may be preferred across the board. 

Short Variety Origins

Shorter stalks stand strong when the heavy winds roll in.

When a huge windstorm knocked out 16% of the corn produced in Idaho in 2020, scientists from Bayer, along with university crop geneticists and Stine Seed began genetic breeding of standard types. 

With prior wind damage to tall stalks between 2001 and 2016 coming to 800,000 hectares, they decided to reduce corn stature to limit the damage done by winds. In trials that have been in play for a few years now, scientists removed genes that engender height in plants, while keeping those that promote higher production, leaf density, and kernel formation.

This resulted in the short varieties that are in trials among 300 farms today. These show promise, with high potential for similar and sometimes increased yields, as well as flexibility in different environments. 

Benefits of Shorter Corn

The lower height of these new varieties has benefits that funnel into higher yields. When these make it to the commercial realm, farmers who skipped this popular crop due to the space needed to grow it might have a change of heart. 

Better Growth and Pollination

Pollination rates increase when corn is planted densely.

Short corn has a dense stature, with decreased space between leaf internodes (where the leaves grow from the stems). This makes silks grow closer together, giving them an easier time taking on pollen from nearby plants. The distance needed to blow pollen from silk to silk is much less. 

Even though the genes for the height of more standard varieties isn’t present, the plant’s growth rate remains the same. With more supple leaves in shorter succession, there is an increased chance for them to take in sunlight, resulting in better growth. 

Stronger Stalks

Upright stalks mean healthier plants and less disease risk.

With better growth and less height, stalks are denser and stronger than standard corn. Anchoring into the soil increases with higher stalk density. The stem transports nutrients and water from the soil to other parts of the plant, producing vigorous cobs. 

When normal stalks are weighed down by cobs or rain, the stalks of shorter types stay upright and resist lodging. This circumvents a common problem in dense plantings of standard varieties. Upright stalks mean better disease resistance, as those that fall and lay in the field rot and harbor bacteria and fungi. 

Easier Access

Pest control gets simpler with shorter stalks.

For farmers who treat their crops with pesticides, a shorter stature eliminates the need for aerial applications. These types of treatments come with high risks to wildlife and to adjacent farms, including but not limited to overspray and danger to local insects, which are a farm’s initial defense against pests. 

Instead, farmers can walk among the stalks and apply by hand or via a tractor. Applying pesticides this way offers more control, and the ability to target pests more efficiently, limiting risks to human and non-human neighbors. 

Denser Plantings

Compact growth leads to stronger, healthier corn in fields.

Smaller farms may avoid growing corn altogether due to the amount of land it takes to grow it. However, with short corn, intensive planting is possible. That means farms with a mid-sized range can opt for corn in their upcoming season. Farms that already grow this crop can grow more.

In these densely planted areas, better growth and structure contribute to higher disease resistance. Sillage planters get a lot out of these increased densities, as there is much more material to feed to livestock. Spacing that would be applied to the usual sillage varieties can be increased. The quality of sillage is improved by more productive growth, too. 

Better Adaptability

Stronger stems lead to increased resilience to environmental pressures.

Shorter varieties adapt to environmental pressures, which is perhaps the most beneficial aspect of growing them. High winds, less fertile soils, and later seasons are all considerations for farmers. Having a short variety that can handle these pressures is incredibly important. 

While varieties are limited at this time, there are a few available on the market. Touch base with your local extension office to get started. 

full_link

Growing Corn in the Desert, No Irrigation Required

The surreal sight of squash, melons and corn sprouting from the sandy ground reflects an ancient farming technique that’s newly relevant.

The post 5 Benefits of Growing Shorter Corn appeared first on Modern Farmer.

From Modern Farmer via this RSS feed