A Colorful Market Table - Page 40

Cole_Robbie · June 17, 2018

Yeah, we pay. I like all of the vendors at my market as people, but the competition is brutal. Setting up shop two hours early and collecting your own early bird customers is also common. Those customers tend to buy only from whatever one vendor they frequent, which doesn't help the rest of us.

clkeiper · June 17, 2018

My oh my. We would never allow this at the market we participate in.

**coronabarb** · June 17, 2018

Our market wouldn't allow that either. Sounds like he is trying to drive the competition out of business?

Cole_Robbie · June 18, 2018

And just one more gripe, while I am complaining - you can put Sun Chocola, Esterina, and TomatoBerry in a box together, and they look like heirloom cherry tomatoes, but labelling them as such is a lie, and takes business away from vendors selling genuine heirloom/OP varieties.

BigVanVader · June 18, 2018

It is pretty common practice here to call hybrids heirlooms, although no vendors can make a sell before opening bell or they get fined and 2nd offense your banned.

clkeiper · June 18, 2018

BVV... really? you have an opening bell? there are people who can only be there 1/2 hour before the market opens ... on their way to work or just driving through. it does irritate me when the regulars come before we are officially open... to get the good stuff. can I confess I sometimes don't put all my stuff out when I see them coming... I hold it back until they leave the market... just so others get the little batches of small first fruits too.

BigVanVader · June 18, 2018

We do. Our market is a producer only market and every vendor is very adamant about following rules and regs. I love it b/c I'm the kind of person to confront others about bullsh*t practices, idh to do that much here. It's very much like a big family. We all know each other and talk about issues as a group. We also aren't allowed to leave until 12 noon. Regardless of weather we sell out or not. Sucks sometimes, but I understand the reasons behind it. If me or another vendor brings up an issue, it is immediately looked into and we are kept in the loop. Overall the best market I've ever sold at by a mile.

clkeiper · June 18, 2018

way cool. we also are a producers market but we still have a few who push the envelope every year.. I am always glad to see them go to a "bigger better market". other than them we seem to have a similar atmosphere... friends even outside the market and we aren't afraid to ask each other for help or offer it if we see someone needs something.

BigVanVader · June 18, 2018

Yeah the biggest market in my area I've not sold at but I hope to one day. Everything there is top notch, and customers pay top prices for it. The waiting list is kinda nuts, as well as both fees but it draws a huge crowd. No need trying to get in until I'm full time and gotten better at farming/growing.

Cole_Robbie · June 23, 2018

This morning's table:

bower · June 23, 2018

Gorgeous!! How did you do with the zinnias as cut flowers? Are you selling them with the little vase?

Cole_Robbie · June 23, 2018

Thanks, Bower. I sold most of the zinnias. There were still 3-4 bouquets left over. I did drop the price to $3 and $4 on the other arrangements, and they started selling faster. I think the other cut flower vendor's arrangements are $5, so mine sell a lot better at $4. Customers seem to like a mixed flower arrangement better than just a bouquet of zinnias. I need to get better at working the zinnias into arrangements. I planted a lot of filler plants for bouquets, but nothing grew very well.

bower · June 24, 2018

Interesting.
I believe the fillers we used are mostly perennials, which is great as you don't need to keep sowing them and just harvest to maintain them each year. Ribbon grass, yarrow... that sort of thing. Poppy pods. Small flowered herbs.
I was surprised how important filler is for a bouquet. You would only need a few zinnias in the mix with lots of filler in it to make them really pop! We were able to stretch it out pretty well when we were short of those bright focal blooms..
Maybe you could try the Johnson grass

.. (I have no idea, what does it look like?) we foraged native stuff = weeds as well, if our fillers were low.. Customers didn't object. They're city, they hardly have even weeds I suppose.

**coronabarb** · June 24, 2018

Very nice table! You would do well at our market.

clkeiper · June 24, 2018

Quote:

Originally Posted by bower

Interesting.
I believe the fillers we used are mostly perennials, which is great as you don't need to keep sowing them and just harvest to maintain them each year. Ribbon grass, yarrow... that sort of thing. Poppy pods. Small flowered herbs.
I was surprised how important filler is for a bouquet. You would only need a few zinnias in the mix with lots of filler in it to make them really pop! We were able to stretch it out pretty well when we were short of those bright focal blooms..
Maybe you could try the Johnson grass

.. (I have no idea, what does it look like?) we foraged native stuff = weeds as well, if our fillers were low.. Customers didn't object. They're city, they hardly have even weeds I suppose.

very very true. filler is a must ... even if it is weeds.

June 17, 2018	#587
clkeiper Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: ohio Posts: 4,350	My oh my. We would never allow this at the market we participate in. __________________ carolyn k

June 17, 2018	#588
coronabarb Tomatoville® Recipe Keeper Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Roseburg, Oregon - zone 7 Posts: 2,821	Our market wouldn't allow that either. Sounds like he is trying to drive the competition out of business? __________________ Corona~Barb Now an Oregon gal

June 18, 2018	#591
clkeiper Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: ohio Posts: 4,350	BVV... really? you have an opening bell? there are people who can only be there 1/2 hour before the market opens ... on their way to work or just driving through. it does irritate me when the regulars come before we are officially open... to get the good stuff. can I confess I sometimes don't put all my stuff out when I see them coming... I hold it back until they leave the market... just so others get the little batches of small first fruits too. __________________ carolyn k

June 18, 2018	#593
clkeiper Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: ohio Posts: 4,350	way cool. we also are a producers market but we still have a few who push the envelope every year.. I am always glad to see them go to a "bigger better market". other than them we seem to have a similar atmosphere... friends even outside the market and we aren't afraid to ask each other for help or offer it if we see someone needs something. __________________ carolyn k

June 24, 2018	#599
coronabarb Tomatoville® Recipe Keeper Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Roseburg, Oregon - zone 7 Posts: 2,821	Very nice table! You would do well at our market. __________________ Corona~Barb Now an Oregon gal

June 17, 2018	#586
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	Yeah, we pay. I like all of the vendors at my market as people, but the competition is brutal. Setting up shop two hours early and collecting your own early bird customers is also common. Those customers tend to buy only from whatever one vendor they frequent, which doesn't help the rest of us.

June 18, 2018	#589
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	And just one more gripe, while I am complaining - you can put Sun Chocola, Esterina, and TomatoBerry in a box together, and they look like heirloom cherry tomatoes, but labelling them as such is a lie, and takes business away from vendors selling genuine heirloom/OP varieties.

June 18, 2018	#590
BigVanVader Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Greenville, South Carolina Posts: 3,099	It is pretty common practice here to call hybrids heirlooms, although no vendors can make a sell before opening bell or they get fined and 2nd offense your banned.

June 18, 2018	#592
BigVanVader Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Greenville, South Carolina Posts: 3,099	We do. Our market is a producer only market and every vendor is very adamant about following rules and regs. I love it b/c I'm the kind of person to confront others about bullsh*t practices, idh to do that much here. It's very much like a big family. We all know each other and talk about issues as a group. We also aren't allowed to leave until 12 noon. Regardless of weather we sell out or not. Sucks sometimes, but I understand the reasons behind it. If me or another vendor brings up an issue, it is immediately looked into and we are kept in the loop. Overall the best market I've ever sold at by a mile.

June 18, 2018	#594
BigVanVader Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Greenville, South Carolina Posts: 3,099	Yeah the biggest market in my area I've not sold at but I hope to one day. Everything there is top notch, and customers pay top prices for it. The waiting list is kinda nuts, as well as both fees but it draws a huge crowd. No need trying to get in until I'm full time and gotten better at farming/growing.

June 23, 2018	#596
bower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 6,794	Gorgeous!! How did you do with the zinnias as cut flowers? Are you selling them with the little vase?

June 23, 2018	#597
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	Thanks, Bower. I sold most of the zinnias. There were still 3-4 bouquets left over. I did drop the price to $3 and $4 on the other arrangements, and they started selling faster. I think the other cut flower vendor's arrangements are $5, so mine sell a lot better at $4. Customers seem to like a mixed flower arrangement better than just a bouquet of zinnias. I need to get better at working the zinnias into arrangements. I planted a lot of filler plants for bouquets, but nothing grew very well.

June 24, 2018	#598
bower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 6,794	Interesting. I believe the fillers we used are mostly perennials, which is great as you don't need to keep sowing them and just harvest to maintain them each year. Ribbon grass, yarrow... that sort of thing. Poppy pods. Small flowered herbs. I was surprised how important filler is for a bouquet. You would only need a few zinnias in the mix with lots of filler in it to make them really pop! We were able to stretch it out pretty well when we were short of those bright focal blooms.. Maybe you could try the Johnson grass .. (I have no idea, what does it look like?) we foraged native stuff = weeds as well, if our fillers were low.. Customers didn't object. They're city, they hardly have even weeds I suppose.