A2O-L«nc«ter Farming, Saturday, January 29, 2000
(ConUniMd from Page A 1)
30-40 acre category (some grow
as little as 5-10 acres of pro
duce).
The cooperative chose Wash
ington, D.C. since it proved to be
the closest large metropolitan
market. Growers, said Fuller
ton, faced an unreliable whole
sale market for their produce.
In the first year the coopera
tive moved 1,500 cases of pro
duce with modest success. The
cooperative has experienced
steady growth in the years since,
at 30-50 percent per year. Last
season the cooperative moved
35,000-40,000 cases to 50 differ
ent customers in the Washing
ton, D.C. area, half restaurants
and the rest retailers.
Fullerton, who joined the co
operative in 1993, has seen the
main warehouse go through a
few expansions. The coopera
tive, though, has “always been
grower-driven, grower
directed,” he said.
The key for the cooperative and perhaps
any niche marketing enterprise is to grow
as much as possible throughout a longer
season, lengthening it to stay in touch and
work with the buyers as much as possible. Use
of seasonal extension technology comes in
handy for growers in the cooperative so they
can stay “engaged with the customers,”
Fullerton said.
To ensure continuous supply of vegetables
to the Washington markets, Fullerton said
the co-op has developed a working relation
ship with a Vermont-based co-op to sell Ver
mont carrots through the winter season.
The co-op remains “desperate for anything
that will provide fresh and green produce for
the winter,” he said.
- ‘ Tuscarora Co-op supplies 20 different vari
eties of tomatoes in the season, besides flo
wers, mushrooms, carrots, organically grown
tree fruit, garlic and storage onions, and
others. Tomatoes are the number-one seller,
but heirloom tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, and
plum or Roma tomatoes are also important.
The co-op also markets lettuces and other
salad greens, head lettuce, and speciality
salad greens. They also grow plenty of stand
ards such as zucchini and yellow squash,
green beans, eggplants, collards and kale, bell
peppers, cucumbers, bets, and melons.
“Our growth has not
come in finding more cus
tomers, but supplying ex
isting customers with what
they want over a long
period of time,” said Chris
Fullerton, Tuscarora Or
ganic Growers Coopera
tive, Hustontown. He spoke
Wednesday afternoon
during a special session on
farmers’ markets, auctions,
and cooperatives at the
2000 Mid-Atlantic Fruit and
Vegetable Convention at
Extended-Season Produce Key
To Keeping Customer Relations
Neil Courtney, left, and Moses Sensenig at the farm
ers produce auction session of the fruit and vegetable
convention in Hershey.
Successful
Produce Auctions
Each farmer creates their own
reputation with individual
buyers at a produce auction, ac
cording to Paul W. Leinbach of
Leinbach Produce Auction in
Shippensburg.
So it’s important that the
quality and packaging and over
all presentation is right, and let
the product “speak for itself,”
said Michael Snyder, manager
of the Leola Produce Auction.
“The quality of the containers
says something about the quality
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Paul Leinbach, left, and Mike Snyder spoke during a
special farmers’ market session of the fruit and vegeta
ble convention.
of what is in the container,” said
Neil Courtney, manager of the
Buffalo Valley Produce Auction,
Mifflinburg.
Leinbach said packaging is
“definitely the key to sales at the
produce auction.”
Several regional produce auc-
H 1
%
tion managers spoke about their
experiences during the season
Wednesday afternoon at the
farmers’ market portion of the
Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegeta
ble Convention.
(Turn to Pag* A2l)