Farmers markets expand business relationships in the community: Nancy Ginter-Miller
Nancy Ginter-Miller
Marketing and business consultant, Produce to Product, Inc. and former manager Keauhou Farmers Market
Nancy Ginter-Miller at Keauhou Farmers Market. The Kona County Farm Bureau created the Keauhou Farmers Market in 2006 to provide a venue for farmers to be able to sell their produce direct to consumers. All vendors are required to be farmers selling primarily their own products, although they may also resell goods from other local farmers, but not from imported sources or wholesalers. Vendors are also encouraged to sell their own value-added products such as jams and jellies, flavored macadamia nuts, 100% Kona coffee, chocolate, etc., as long as the main ingredients are grown and produced locally.
The purpose of the market is to help farmers increase their profit margin by enabling them to charge prices that are close to retail, instead of wholesaling their entire crop. Selling directly to consumers also allows farmers to cultivate one-to-one relationships and educate the community about their farm and products, while learning about consumer preferences. “The market provides a venue for farmers to meet a wider variety of customers,” leading to additional sales to chefs, retailers, and others in the service industry, notes Ginter-Miller, the market manager. The market hosts special events such as farmer-chef presentations, pairing a market vendor with a local chef to highlight a particular crop such as lilikoi, breadfruit, and dragon fruit or hosting the Master Gardeners selling seed and offering advice. These presentations demonstrate vendor’s expertise in growing crops and helps consumers, both residents and visitors use various products in new and interesting ways. In short, the market strengthens both economic and social ties within the community, helping to build a sustainable local food system.
There is an application for joining the Keauhou Farmers Market that includes farm description, products intended to be sold, number of farm employees, etc. Vendors are approved for specific products, and the market generally prefers vendors with a wide variety of products throughout the year, so Ginter-Miller recommends that prospective vendors apply for all the products they expect to be selling. The most desirable vendors have a year-round supply of a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables as well as some value-added products. Vendors must also follow basic business requirements such as having a Hawai‘i General Excise tax license, keeping inventory, writing customer receipts if requested, and following all Health Department regulations.
For long-term success at the market, Ginter-Miller recommends that vendors have a professional presentation, including displays and signs. Friendly communication with customers is very important for building a loyal following. “If the farmer is not inclined to communicate and share with customers, they should consider having someone else do this, such as a relative or helper,” advises Ginter-Miller. Consistency of products is also important for customers in terms of availability, appearance, and price. The most successful vendors track their sales so that they can anticipate demand from week to week and season to season. Ginter-Miller summarizes her advice to vendors, “Selling at the farmers market is not farming, it is retail sales and farmers have to be good at it to succeed here.”
This market profile was excerpted with kind permission of the authors from:
Elevitch, C., N. Milne, and J. Cain. 2012. Hawai‘i Island Farmer’s Guide to Accessing Local Markets. Hawai‘i Community College Office of Continuing Education and Training, Center for Agricultural Success, and Permanent Agriculture Resources. http://hawaiihomegrown.net/pdfs/Hawaii-Island-Guide-to-Accessing-Markets.pdf