Farmers Market Success

August 2, 1996

Greensboro, NC: Since its opening in May of 1995, the Piedmont Triad Farmer's Market has been popular with people seeking the best and freshest produce in the area. An estimated 800,000 visitors during the first year of business are proof that the Farmer's Market is becoming a large local attraction.

While the value to the consumer is evident, the Market is just as important to local small-scale growers.

"You have to be big to make it in the wholesale market," said Bobby Steele, a Stokes County farmer who sells an estimated 70 percent of his produce through the Piedmont Triad Farmer's Market. "The big producers have knocked the bottom out of the wholesale market, making it difficult for small-scale farmers to make much money."

Steele cites this year's tomato market as an example of the struggles small- scale producers face. "When tomato growers in South Carolina and other areas have earlier crops than we do and sell large amounts at low prices, they drive down the price for the rest of us. I could hardly make it at the prices my tomatoes were bringing."

Steele and many other small-scale producers in the area see the Farmer's Market as their best alternative to the wholesale market. By focusing their efforts at growing quality produce consistently, they are able to develop a reputation and maintain a loyal clientele willing to pay top price for top quality.

Steele and his partner, P.C. Bullins, split their time between tending Steele's 2.5. acre farm and selling their produce at the Farmer's Market. Now, during the busiest part of the season, at least one of them is there almost daily.

Through his success at the Farmer's Market and with the assistance of a special small-scale agricultural assistance grant from A&T, Steele has been able to expand his operation, adding a greenhouse and using double-cropping and drip irrigation techniques.

"Bobby uses Extension extensively, and he knows how to get the most out of his small farm," said Leonard Hicks, a Stokes County Cooperative Extension agricultural technician.

Steele uses his greenhouse to stagger his production and extend his growing season, allowing him to market many of his crops at times when prices are generally higher. He also practices double-cropping on most of his land, using the same land to grow late-season melons that he used to grow strawberries in the spring.

The popularity of the Farmer's Market and its ensuing demands make it possible for Steele to sell a yield that is nearly double what it once was and thus, boost his earnings.

"The Farmer's Market, because it is so big, offers a number of opportunities to farmers," said Roger Galloway, a Forsyth County Cooperative Extension agricultural agent. "For example, it gives farmers an additional market to supplement on-farm retail and wholesale markets, so if they have excess produce at any time, they are better able to sell it and realize a profit."

Galloway also points out that the Farmer's Market allows growers to direct their efforts at a specific market and thus, diversify their produce. "I'm seeing farmers grow crops they normally wouldn't grow and succeeding with them. The Farmer's Market gives them the chance to experiment with early- and late-season crops, and such specialty crops as green onions, dried flowers, and bedding and potted plants."

Galloway sees a link between the success of the Farmer's Market and the success of many small-scale farmers. "If the Farmer's Market continues to grow, the potential for small-scale agriculture will grow with it. It will open the door for these growers to explore the possibilities of partnership and expansion."

For more information, please contact Roger Galloway, NC A&T Cooperative Extension Program, (336) 767-8213; or Dexter Hill, marketing manager, Piedmont Triad Farmer's Market, (336) 605-6157.