Vegetable Conference Offers Marketing Ideas Discussing the benefits of produce auctions, from left, are Dr. Timothy Elkner, Herbert Gebley, and Romaine Erb. Produce Auctions Satisfy Buyers And Sellers LOU ANN GOOD Lancaster Fanning Staff HERSHEY (Dauphin Co.) With new produce auctions pop ping up across the stale, who is benefitting from the surge? To answer that question, a panel composed of two buyers, a grower, and a customer offered their per spectives at the Vegetable Confer ence held this week at the Hcrshcy Lodge & Convention Center. The four panel participants shared what they consider personal benefits and pitfalls of produce markets. Wilmer Hoover, grower from Elizabethtown, told how he has farmed produce on his 50-acre farm since 1984. According to him, produce auctions are success ful when growers bring produce in every day and not just when prices are high. To provide a consistent market for com, Hoover said that on his acreage, he plants about two acres of com every week for 10 to 12 weeks. He does similar plantings for cantaloupe. Although growers prefer to sell when the price is at the peak. Hoover said that is not realistic. “If you provide a steady flow of one crop you end up with a better average price. It’s better for the buyer, better for the grower,” he said. Growers are expected to grade and neatly package produce. “A top quality price is given if produce is graded properly and picked the day of the auction,” Hoover said. Romaine Erb, who with her hus band operates Brook Lawn Farm in Lancaster, explained that she and her husband can’t grow a suffi cient supply of fresh produce for their customers. They supplement their own homegrown produce by frequenting a local produce auction. “The big advantage is that the auction is open six days a week during the peak season. I can count on fresh product and an adequate selection,” Erb said. The produce auction offers buy ers the opportunity to inspect lots and even taste for flavor before going over the auction block, Erb said. She has discovered that gen erally if she needs an item, others do also, and the prices are high. “But it averages out in the long run if I buy regularly,” Erb said. “There are no guarantees that you’ll get the price and amount but it’s exciting. The advantages of auctions far outweigh an inconveniences.” The disadvantageous are mini mal and can easily be worked through, Erb believes. For exam ple, occasionally the top layer may look like top grade, but the bottom layer may not be full or is poor quality. These concerns should be taken to the auction manager who can rectify the problem. Also, buy ers learn what growers can be trusted and become loyal to them. During the busy season, it is necessary to make sure purchases are not stolen before loading, although that is tare. Also, when the auction is crowded, it is diffi cult to see lots, and long lines may become frustrating while waiting for the needed items to be brought' before die auction block. Erb also sees the produce auc tion as a means of staying up to date on information with growers and buyers. Glen Gross operates Ashcombe Farms in Mechanicsburg. He attends three different auctions on a weekly basis throughout the growing season to supplement the produce he grows for his roadside market Each auction operates dif ferently. he said. The Leola auc tion allows only homegrown pro duce but the two Cumberland auc tions, have produce shipped in from the South. “The quality of produce auc tions far surpass wholesale mark ets,” Gross said. As a buyer, he insists on full boxes and evenly graded produce. Herb Gebley manages Kutz town Produce Auction and former ly operated produce auctions in other states. Although Gebley was representing the customer on the panel, the audience asked ques tions pertaining to his role as auc tion manager. “The auction manager is in the middle between the buyer and grower and sometimes we are their best friend and other times their worst enemy,” Gebly said of the need to respond to both buyer and grower. Gebley stressed the importance of maintaining communication with the auction’s owner to work out problems for both growers and buyers. The auction manager should trace back lots of question able quality when a buyer is unhappy. Sometimes boxes that started out full end up half full because some auction goers steal and eat from boxes. Likewise a grower’s complaint about require ments for selling through the auc tion should be voiced. Suggestions and comments should be written with a phone number attached so Participants attending the 138th annual meeting of the State Horticultural Associa tion find time to socialize and discuss business during the three-day event. From left are Gail McPherson of Maple Lawn Farms In New Park who buys fruit trees from Laura and Wally Heuser of Summit Sales of Lawrence, Mich. Creative Marketing For LOU ANN GOOD Lancaster Farming Staff HERSHEY (Dauphin Co.) As a third generation farmer, Robert Matarazzo is always look ing for new ways to market not only his produce but those of other fanners. In addition to fanning 100 acres in New Jersey, Matarazzo operates a marketing and consulting firm, RJM Marketing, to aid other far mers in promoting their products. Matarazzo taught two sessions problems can be resolved ‘Take advantage of meetings held in thewinter to address prob lems that you think should be addressed,” Gebley said. The audience asked what item of produce is most in demand Gebley said there is often a need for specialty items or for smaller packages of produce. Gebley encouraged users of pro duce auctions to be acquainted with trends. "Certain days, certain items sell better.” Weather also plays a large part in auction prices. Tomatoes tend to bring lower prices through long dry stretches, but higher prices after a rain. If you have tomatoes or peaches that can be held several days for a more favorable market, Gebley encouraged it as long as quality was maintained Most buyers want peaches and tomatoes firm, not ready-to-eat Buyers include homeowners, people who sell produce, restaur ants, food banks, groups of fami lies, farm markets, wholesalers, and chain food markets. Growers in the audience voiced several complaints about the auc tions requiring them to pay for bulk containers and Inns. Gebley recognizes their frustration and said that many auctions offer cou pons for returned bins and containers. Someone from the audience said, “I get the impression that pro duce auctions are better for the buyer than the seller.” But Hoover, who is a grower, maintained that the benefits work both ways. “Every one needs to make money to survive,” Gebley said. “Cooperation and communication will help us all to survive.” at the Vegetable Conference held this week at the annual meeting of the State Horticultural Association in Hershey. One session dealt with developing new wholesale mark ets and the other with new retail markets. To develop new markets. Matarazzo suggested growers take a look at the following sources: restaurants, specialty stores, chain stores, phamaceutical companies, food service, caterers, processors, roadside markets, brokers, auction Mocks, terminal markets, hotels, amusement parks, groceries, and deli’s. Draft a letter to send to all poten tial buyers. Explain about your farm and why they should consider you. Promote your quality and ser vice. Define your commitment. Provide a separate page for your product list Close with a thank you and a plan to follow up. Other possibilities include visit ing buyers, providing promotional material even if it is just a list of products and availability dates. Robert Matarazzo taught sessions on marketing by retailing and wholesaling. Here Matarazzo shows the book he wrote called “Market ing for Success, Creative Marketing Tools for the Agri cultural Industry.” Success offering samples when product is available, and inviting the buyer to your farm for a tour. As a grower, Matarazzo thinks & is important to differential your produce from other growers so that people look and ask for your pro duce. “Stickers are the wave of the future,” Matarazzo said of the little stickers attached to individual tomatoes and produce. He sug gests printing a logo with your farm name to be attached to produce. In addition, he encourages pro viding educational information to give to produce managers, who often are not up-to-date on the health benefits of items. Tips on care, preparation, and recipes also encourage sales. Fax machines are great tools fa growers according to Matarazzo. He suggests faxing out a list of the produce available every mominj to save phone calls. If necessary, phone calls can be used to follow up. Creativity in developing new markets encourages new sales. Prepare a dish using the produce a suggest recipes to restaurant own ers. Offer to promote the product in the store. Most Effective Ways To Be Sue costal In Fanning Business The most effective ways to be successful in the farming businea is to focus on developing retail markets, according to Matanzzo “Quality products are by far th moat effective tool that we have,' Matanzzo told conference gocn He also stresses the need fort educate a knowledgeble, friendly and enthusiastic staff to be hone# but not to divulge detriments information such as the hail hp ruined all the peaches. The Matarazzos host 14 festive events annually on their Ndr Jersey Farm. Because they do nd live along a main road, they ned to find a way to entice custom# from 40 miles away. Some suc cessful events are Family Harvest Pow Wow, and Peach and Blif grass Festival. >. Not only does this attract n# customers but newspapers often ? write ups about the events, whfc* (Turn to Page BIT)
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers