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TrohnnyGum
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Registered: 12/05/14
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Last seen: 6 years, 10 months
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Selling blue oysters by weight at farmers markets
#23434227 - 07/12/16 07:25 AM (7 years, 6 months ago) |
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I was told by the manager at the farmers market that I am planning to make my first foray into selling at that I would not be required to have legal for trade measured scales at that farmers market, that I could use kitchen scales and that often times others there use kitchen scales. He had even called someone to verify this before answering my question about it. Have any of you heard of this being true at farmers markets? Any insights?
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Paresthesia
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Loc: Texas
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Re: Selling blue oysters by weight at farmers markets [Re: TrohnnyGum]
#23434255 - 07/12/16 07:42 AM (7 years, 6 months ago) |
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The main farmer's market here in Houston has a table set aside for small scale/home growers. The majority of people selling there will use things like nursery pots or those pressed cardboard berry containers, but some vendors will use a kitchen scale and the market looks the other way. Most states have laws regarding the use of trade measured/certified scales but the markets will look the other way if you're small scale. Good luck with your sales!
-------------------- "We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." - T. S. Eliot
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AnarchoV
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Registered: 09/01/13
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Loc: Missouri
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Re: Selling blue oysters by weight at farmers markets [Re: Paresthesia]
#23434487 - 07/12/16 09:42 AM (7 years, 6 months ago) |
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I think it is all a matter of how heavily policed your market is by the health department. I started out in some small markets in smaller communities and everyone (including myself) was using kitchen scales. Some were even selling canned goods produced out of home kitchens like salsa, green beans, pickles, etc. I never saw a health dept official show up, and no one seemed to raise a fuss. The bigger markets I attend now have health department officials show up randomly. You definitely couldn't get away with selling without a certified scale for long. To get around this, a lot of vendors will use fiber molded pulp berry tills. The pint ones hold about a 1/4 lb of mushrooms and quarts around a half pound. You don't have to have a certified scale if you sell by the pint or quart. I have a certified scale that I use for tomatoes, eggplant, etc., but still sell my mushrooms by the pint and quart.
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TrohnnyGum
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Registered: 12/05/14
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Re: Selling blue oysters by weight at farmers markets [Re: AnarchoV]
#23434701 - 07/12/16 11:35 AM (7 years, 6 months ago) |
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Selling oyster by quarter pound and half pound only? Do you think you lose or gain sales since I am assuming the 1/4 lb pint baskets only sell for $3 or $4? And the quart half pound boxes maybe $6 or $7? I would think going for the pound and half pound sales might be more profitable? At $12 and $6 or $7 respectively? But I see you don't list a basket size that holds measured roughly a pound? These will be my only product to market. Eventually I hope to branch out to other mushrooms though but small scale small steps.
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AnarchoV
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Loc: Missouri
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Re: Selling blue oysters by weight at farmers markets [Re: TrohnnyGum]
#23435112 - 07/12/16 02:35 PM (7 years, 6 months ago) |
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I think it really depends on your market and the demand. I honestly don't even sell quarts anymore. 90% of my customer base has been buying pints over the last two years so I switched everything to solely pints this year. I move 45-60 lbs weekly selling pints which is my max production at this stage. I do offer an unwritten deal when customers buy a pound or more, but like I said, most people just buy pints weekly. Even when I was selling pints for $4 and quarts for $6 everyone was still buying pints. I thought people were crazy to pass up the discount on volume, but most didn't seem to care. Oh, I usually give my regulars a discount if they purchase 3 or more pints.
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TrohnnyGum
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Registered: 12/05/14
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Re: Selling blue oysters by weight at farmers markets [Re: AnarchoV]
#23437880 - 07/13/16 01:43 PM (7 years, 6 months ago) |
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By any chance do you have any pictures of how stuffed you package the oysters in these baskets? Also do you tell the customers or can you even tell them that the baskets are approximately 1/4 lb? Do you weigh them before putting them in the basket and then just sell by the pint?
Edited by TrohnnyGum (07/13/16 02:52 PM)
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soil
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Re: Selling blue oysters by weight at farmers markets [Re: TrohnnyGum]
#23438660 - 07/13/16 06:23 PM (7 years, 6 months ago) |
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I sell most of my mushrooms in pints, we do 4 ounces for 5$. we use the wooden fruit boxes covered with plastic film( keeps them fresh longer in customers fridge). the mushrooms get weighed and trimmed before they go into the boxes. most people dont ask how much they weigh but the few that do we use our scale at the farm stand to show them. I only have a few people that want to buy more than that at one time and do bulk purchases for them. this is both at our on site farm stand and at our farmers market, which they need the scale to be certified by the AG department.
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AnarchoV
Revolutionary



Registered: 09/01/13
Posts: 225
Loc: Missouri
Last seen: 11 months, 2 days
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Re: Selling blue oysters by weight at farmers markets [Re: soil]
#23439083 - 07/13/16 08:59 PM (7 years, 6 months ago) |
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I weigh them out and tell the customers they are all slightly over 1/4 lb.

I have more pics in my profile.
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