A34-Lmctttw Farming, Saturday, FabniaV 1,1992
Listen To
(Continued from Pag* Al)
different apple varieties are readily
available for the customer at the
store. The -store also stocks free
apple cider and other items for
taste testing.
TYax stressed the importance of
keeping up the farm image and
making additions to the farm.
Also, the farm holds seasonal festi
vals and touts.
Developing market
Developing a successful farm
market involves many years of
hard work, according to Joe Suite,
Suite’s Orchards, Harrisburg. The
farm market operates about 275
acres with 13 different kinds of
fruit and 30-35 varieties of
vegetables.
The key is to “start the season
early,” said Suite. Customers like
to see the large displays and con
tainers filled full. He emphasized
the importance of giving the cus
tomers a good measure and to pick
fruit which is firm, not green or
soft, and ripens in a day or so.
Suite’s Orchards also grow
about 54 acre of flowers. However,
the business grows no speciality
crops, because those crops are hard
to sell. “Only a few people want
them, and the rest go to waste,’’
said Suite.
According to Suite, good cold
storage is necessary as well as the
importance of good daily records.
Mnpr.iil
At the vegetable program entitled “Making Big Bucks,” more tlpm 400 attended a
panel on successes and failures in retail markets. From left to right, Lynn Moore-
Arms, Laniland Farms, Md.; Bob Trax, Trax Farms; Bob Best, Best Farms, Inc., Hack
ettstown, N J.; Joe Strite, Strite’s Orchards, Harrisburg; and Jeff Patton, extension
marketing agent, moderator of the panel. Photo by Andy Andrew*.
Customer
100 percent retail
Bob Best, of Best Farms, Inc.,
Hackettstown, NJ. grows about 60
acresl of fruits and vegetables. The
farm market is 100 percent retail,
and they recently built a 9,400
square foot facility.
“We grow our own to ensure
our own quality,’’ he said. He
emphasized the importance of
developing trust with the custom
er. “Take time to talk to the cus
tomer,” Best said. “They will
come back if you !are willing to
give them honest answers.”
Best Farms offers more variety
than the supermarket at prices that
are at market levels. They also do
quite a bit of advertising, he said,
which provides an excellent
return.
“The greenhouse business has
been a tremendous asset to us,” he
said. “Every year we generate a
larger and huger dollar volume.”
The farm grows its own apples
and freezes cider to sell during the
off-season months. They also have
a bakery, “which smells great and
makes the store smell great it’s
a tremendous magnet to the cus
tomer.” They offer a special apple
cider donut with six different top
pings, a very popular item. For
special occasions, they also pro
vide apples in a basket with a bow
on them. The fruit basket market is
a very good deal, he said.
Best emphasized the importance
of providing a lot of room for the
.i Tuesday mot. igat Pennsylvania Vegetable Conference show, a
panel explored grower experiences with frost control techniques. Left to right, Allan
Baugher, who spoke about helicopter use; Milton Knouse, who spoke about wind
machines; Ed Burner, Rutgers University, who spoke about chemicals to delay
bloom; William Kleiner, Penn State, moderator; and Jim Erb, who spoke about over*
tree sprinkling.
customer in the store. Keep the
aisles wide and have a lot of dis
plays. “The more time the con
sumer spends looking around, the
more they’ll buy,” he said.
“You have to have specials. It's
a way to move out the excess,” he
said.
Although the recession has hit
several farm markets hard; cus
tomers continue to purchase qual
ity fruit, vegetables, and green
house items, according to Best.
Driving distance
Lynn Moore-Arms, Larriland
Farms. Maryland, operates a farm
market and off-farm retail market
They maintain about 250 acres and
Dale Frank, center, and Steve Hershey, light, Elizabeth
town, were awarded first place In Class 1 machine harvest
(60 or more acres) on Tuesday at the Pennsylvania 1991
Tomato Growing Contest award banquet at the Vegetable
Conference In Hershey. Furman Foods, represented by
James F. Kohl, vice president, left, sponsored the award.
are open six months out of the fields. “This makes the customer
year. Although they are south of comfortable and provides better
Baltimore, they are located within security for the business,” she
driving distance of the large popu- said.
ladon bases of Baltimore and The checkout counter and other
Washington. tables are on wheels, which makes
Moore-Arms stressed the them easier to move and position,
importance of locating the facility ‘ ‘They layout is also a big factor as
where people have access to it to whether it’s a success and
Also, setting up “branch markets” whether it draws repeat business,”
may help those who live and work she said,
too far away from the central Quality is paramount, according
facility. to Moore-Arms. “And the best
For those operating pick-your- thing to do is to spend time in the
own facilities, it is important to field listening to what the custom
make them easily accessible. The ers want They will tell you,” she
design should make it easy for the said.
customer to drive in, pick the fruit. The conference also included
pay for it, and leave. Also, the veg- the regular meetings of the Pen
etable and fruit crops should be nsylvania Vegetable Growers
close by. Association and the 133rd annual
Moore-Arms also said the busi- meeting of the State Horticultural
ness uses checkout counters in the (turn | D p« B , ms)