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Originally Posted by coronabarb
<<I hope all our market sellers, crafters and small seed vendors have a profitable pre-holiday season!>>
Thank you and very well said. We do a lot of promoting of our local farmers' market - Umpqua Valley Farmers' Market. We are in a small rural area (small being relative - 22,000+ in the city of Roseburg, OR, more in surrounding county) but we are separated by low mountain passes from large cities 1 1/2 hrs away each direction. We see our market as a place that people who want to run their own businesses are provided with a location, existing customer base and advertising. They in turn must have liability insurance (everyone, no exceptions), be in place by a certain time and cannot break down before ending time. So in one location, there could be 30+ to 40+ small business owners who put in long hours and are no way reimbursed for the hours.
I sell my jams for $5/half pint. Under our farm direct law, I must grow all the principle ingredients like the fruit (not the spices), or garlic, onion, tomatoes, peppers if I wanted to sell salsa. New jars are around 60 cents when on sale and pectin is not cheap. Maybe I get $3 back per jar? That doesn't reimburse me for the time spent making the product, setting up/tear down and market time. But I get to work from home, so that's cool.
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I agree, there are a lot of costs in producing foods to be sold legally. And much depends on the laws in each state as to what may be sold produced under particular conditions. And, of course, end rice is also determined by what the market will bear for a product, which produces a valuation for the product at the time of sale or non sale.
I applaud anyone who can make their business profitable and agree, a lot of hard work; not just in the product its self, but the paperwork, the sourcing or growing, equipment, insurance regulations, health codes and permits.
There is a huge difference between me canning at home and some one canning for market.
Hoping all the market sellers, crafters and small seed vendors have a profitable holiday season and more.