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*
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