Successful Marketing of Small Fruit Crops

     The very first question to consider when delving into the small fruit business is "How will I sell my product?" Contemporary fruit and vegetable growers have no government subsidies or assured markets for their products. Because sales almost always occur directly to the public, producers must cultivate interpersonal andmmarketing skills as well as crops.

     The marketing professors tell us that the most important rule for a successful business is to know your customer. Since our customers are not limited to any one age or socioeconomic class, we can expect the overall behavior of Americans to reflect customer trends. Let us examine some of the characteristics of today's food purchaser, and think of how we, as growers and marketers, can improve our ability to sell more fruit. The following list of characteristics is a bit exaggerated, but does serve to point out the changes that are occurring in our society, and our need to adapt to those changes.

     Customers are rich and lazy. Although it is not wise to tell this to a customer's face, you must assume that people want to perform as little physical labor as possible. The popularity of riding lawnmowers, electric can-openers, automatic garage door openers, and fast food restaurants attests to the average American's disdain for physical chores and boring routine. Try to recall the most physical, boring job you have ever done. Although several jobs may come to mind, picking strawberries probably ranks near the top. Convincing someone that picking berries is fun, and an experience worth paying for, is a challenge for the brightest minds. It is not surprising that prepicked sales of berries are skyrocketing, while pick-your-own sales are stable or in decline.

     The preferred use of fruit today is for snacking - 43% of all fruit is consumed in this capacity, and snacking is the primary reason for the increase in per capita consumption of fruit. The implications are that purchases will be smaller and more frequent, and if sales are to increase, the availability of product must be extended through the season.

     The other consumer characteristic that reinforces the trend towards small, frequent purchases of prepicked berries is the relatively high amount of disposable income available to families today. The top 4 states in per capita income are Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York - people to which we sell our high value crops. These people spend less than 14% of their income on food - a number smaller than at any time in history. Recent data indicate that 80% of single women work outside the home, and 68% of married women do. Traditionally, these have been the typical pick-your-own customers. With less free time and more disposable income, it is not surprising that consumers do not flock to pick-your-own places to save money, as they did in the early 1970's.

     How can the small fruit producer and marketer take advantage of these consumer characteristics? First, as long as the economy is sound, the percentage of pick-your-own sales will decrease while pre-picked sales will dramatically increase. The astute marketer will have plenty of pre-picked berries available for customers. Recipes for fresh desserts should accompany the fruit, as a new group of young adults must learn how to prepare meals every year. Also, few people own a freezer, and have come to depend on the supermarket for providing their frozen food needs. One can take advantage of this situation by freezing unsold berries, and selling
them in various quantities at a later date.

     Customers come from small families. The average family size
is now less than four, and over half of all children born today
will live in single parent households by the time they are 18.
Most families, quite simply, have fewer mouths to feed. Because
the average family shops for groceries two times a week, it appears
that the trend is toward smaller purchases, and not buying in
quantity.

     Marketers should provide smaller quantities of small fruits
for customers. Strawberries in pints, and blueberries and
raspberries in half-pints should be available. Although smaller
containers are more difficult to deal with in the field, these
units maintain fruit in better quality and bring higher prices than
larger containers.

     Customers are always in a big hurry. With so many of us
working outside the home or off the farm, family time becomes a
valuable commodity. People do not want to spend hours shopping
for food every week, and they will not travel far to pick or buy
berries unless given a good reason to do so.

     One possible reason that a family may choose to forego the supermarket and visit the local farmer is to share in the experience as a family. Imagine the feeling a young couple might have if, after traveling 20 miles to a farm, they are told that their children are not allowed in the field. Will they come back a second time without their kids, or will they buy those California berries in the store?

     Consumers like convenience and one-stop shopping. Over 80% of produce is now purchased at supermarkets, and the majority of shoppers buy fresh produce there, even when local produce is in season. Rough calculations for the northeastern United States indicate that 65% of the strawberries consumed come from out of the region. The numbers are even higher for raspberries and blueberries.

     The grower/marketer should do everything possible to accommodate the hurried lifestyle and conveniences desired by today's society. Diversify the offerings of the farm stand. Remember that everything you sell does not have to be grown on your farm. It's probably cheaper to buy those potatoes than grow them yourself. Milk, bread and carbonated beverages will offer incentive for the busy shopper to stop at your stand as opposed to somewhere else. If your marketing outlet is pick-your-own, be sure
to provide restrooms and a place to wash after picking. Poor parking facilities, weedy fields, no drinking water, and long check-out lines will not impress the convenience- oriented consumer.

     Be sure that directional signs to your farm are large, clear and consistent. Nothing can be more frustrating on a hot July day than to be lost on a dusty road looking for the raspberry field.

     Consumers just want to have fun. If you expect someone to spend an hour picking strawberries in your field, then convince them that the experience will be the most fun they will ever have. It takes about an hour before people realize this opinion is not universal, but by then they will have picked 10 pounds of berries. The average person spends 7% of income on recreation. Convincing customers that the berry harvest is recreational should result in greater sales. Do the fiddle players, hot dog stand, petting zoo, fishing pond, hay wagon and picnic area seem trite and silly? Well, there are those who are laughing all the way to the bank.

     Everybody likes a winner. Always maintain a positive attitude with customers. Complaining about all the problems in growing fruit does not encourage increased sales. Too many farmers complain to customers, or even to the newspapers about the lousy year. Try to look on the bright side. Did frost nip some of your blueberry blossoms? Then the crop will be bigger and sweeter than ever. Did it rain too much before harvest? Then the crop will be extra juicy this year. A grower wrote in the New York Small Fruit Growers Association Newsletter about the neighbor who complained on the 6:00 news about the frost that nearly wiped out his crop. Suddenly, grower's phones were ringing with customers wondering if they should bother coming out this year. The first grower did not irrigate for frost protection, while the others had a nice crop. How many customers were lost by this negative publicity?

     Consumers want to stay young, slim and beautiful for the rest of their lives. Far too few growers emphasize the nutritional value of their small fruit crops. Strawberries contain an average of 28% more vitamin C than an equal weight of oranges, yet have fewer calories than all other commercial temperate fruit crops. Raspberries have extremely high levels of calcium and magnesium; elderberries and currants are nearly as high in potassium as bananas; strawberries, raspberries and currants are the top three fruits for iron; and blueberries are high in natural sugars.

     A recent study out of the Medical College of Ohio found that ellagic acid, a naturally occurring substance in strawberry fruit, produced a significant decrease in esophageal, lung and skin cancer in lab rats. It is not yet known if this substance is active on human subjects, or if strawberries could provide enough ellagic acid, but it certainly wouldn't hurt to mention this study to a few customers now and then.

     Sixty three percent of the adult population is on a restrictive diet of some type, and most of these diets encourage fruit consumption. Forty four percent of consumers in a recent fresh produce survey said they rated cholesterol and fats as a serious hazard, and 40% were concerned about salt. Given that fruits essentially have none of these detriments, the small fruit marketer should be touting their finer points.

     The superior freshness and flavor of your berries compared to supermarket berries may be obvious to you, but it cannot hurt to reinforce this fact to the customer. In a 1987 consumer survey conducted by The Packer, supermarket strawberries and peaches were ranked as the least consistent of 21 different fruits. Drawing attention to the fact that your product is of consistently high quality should help you sell more berries.

     People are scared about pesticides. Customers will undoubtedly question you about the pesticides used on the produce you are selling. Let customers know if you practice integrated pest management; tell them you use pesticides only when necessary to control harmful pests (like "worms" or mold in the berries) and always in conjunction with other control methods. You can also ensure that all pesticides are sprayed according to EPA regulations and that residues are at safe levels.

Summary
     Growers and marketers in the Northeast must remember that Pacific Coast growers are doing a much better job of putting quality berries on the supermarket shelves. While we on the East Coast tend to go our separate ways, West Coast growers put millions of dollars each year into research, marketing and promotion. Therefore, a knowledge of consumer behavior is essential if we are to compete with these other producers for a consumer's time and money.


Farmstand Main Farm Stand Directory Publications Contact Us Markets	Bureau of Markets - Farmstands Successful Marketing of Small Fruit Crops The very first question to consider when delving into the small fruit business is "How will I sell my product?" Contemporary fruit and vegetable growers have no government subsidies or assured markets for their products. Because sales almost always occur directly to the public, producers must cultivate interpersonal andmmarketing skills as well as crops. The marketing professors tell us that the most important rule for a successful business is to know your customer. Since our customers are not limited to any one age or socioeconomic class, we can expect the overall behavior of Americans to reflect customer trends. Let us examine some of the characteristics of today's food purchaser, and think of how we, as growers and marketers, can improve our ability to sell more fruit. The following list of characteristics is a bit exaggerated, but does serve to point out the changes that are occurring in our society, and our need to adapt to those changes. Customers are rich and lazy. Although it is not wise to tell this to a customer's face, you must assume that people want to perform as little physical labor as possible. The popularity of riding lawnmowers, electric can-openers, automatic garage door openers, and fast food restaurants attests to the average American's disdain for physical chores and boring routine. Try to recall the most physical, boring job you have ever done. Although several jobs may come to mind, picking strawberries probably ranks near the top. Convincing someone that picking berries is fun, and an experience worth paying for, is a challenge for the brightest minds. It is not surprising that prepicked sales of berries are skyrocketing, while pick-your-own sales are stable or in decline. The preferred use of fruit today is for snacking - 43% of all fruit is consumed in this capacity, and snacking is the primary reason for the increase in per capita consumption of fruit. The implications are that purchases will be smaller and more frequent, and if sales are to increase, the availability of product must be extended through the season. The other consumer characteristic that reinforces the trend towards small, frequent purchases of prepicked berries is the relatively high amount of disposable income available to families today. The top 4 states in per capita income are Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York - people to which we sell our high value crops. These people spend less than 14% of their income on food - a number smaller than at any time in history. Recent data indicate that 80% of single women work outside the home, and 68% of married women do. Traditionally, these have been the typical pick-your-own customers. With less free time and more disposable income, it is not surprising that consumers do not flock to pick-your-own places to save money, as they did in the early 1970's. How can the small fruit producer and marketer take advantage of these consumer characteristics? First, as long as the economy is sound, the percentage of pick-your-own sales will decrease while pre-picked sales will dramatically increase. The astute marketer will have plenty of pre-picked berries available for customers. Recipes for fresh desserts should accompany the fruit, as a new group of young adults must learn how to prepare meals every year. Also, few people own a freezer, and have come to depend on the supermarket for providing their frozen food needs. One can take advantage of this situation by freezing unsold berries, and selling them in various quantities at a later date. Customers come from small families. The average family size is now less than four, and over half of all children born today will live in single parent households by the time they are 18. Most families, quite simply, have fewer mouths to feed. Because the average family shops for groceries two times a week, it appears that the trend is toward smaller purchases, and not buying in quantity. Marketers should provide smaller quantities of small fruits for customers. Strawberries in pints, and blueberries and raspberries in half-pints should be available. Although smaller containers are more difficult to deal with in the field, these units maintain fruit in better quality and bring higher prices than larger containers. Customers are always in a big hurry. With so many of us working outside the home or off the farm, family time becomes a valuable commodity. People do not want to spend hours shopping for food every week, and they will not travel far to pick or buy berries unless given a good reason to do so. One possible reason that a family may choose to forego the supermarket and visit the local farmer is to share in the experience as a family. Imagine the feeling a young couple might have if, after traveling 20 miles to a farm, they are told that their children are not allowed in the field. Will they come back a second time without their kids, or will they buy those California berries in the store? Consumers like convenience and one-stop shopping. Over 80% of produce is now purchased at supermarkets, and the majority of shoppers buy fresh produce there, even when local produce is in season. Rough calculations for the northeastern United States indicate that 65% of the strawberries consumed come from out of the region. The numbers are even higher for raspberries and blueberries. The grower/marketer should do everything possible to accommodate the hurried lifestyle and conveniences desired by today's society. Diversify the offerings of the farm stand. Remember that everything you sell does not have to be grown on your farm. It's probably cheaper to buy those potatoes than grow them yourself. Milk, bread and carbonated beverages will offer incentive for the busy shopper to stop at your stand as opposed to somewhere else. If your marketing outlet is pick-your-own, be sure to provide restrooms and a place to wash after picking. Poor parking facilities, weedy fields, no drinking water, and long check-out lines will not impress the convenience- oriented consumer. Be sure that directional signs to your farm are large, clear and consistent. Nothing can be more frustrating on a hot July day than to be lost on a dusty road looking for the raspberry field. Consumers just want to have fun. If you expect someone to spend an hour picking strawberries in your field, then convince them that the experience will be the most fun they will ever have. It takes about an hour before people realize this opinion is not universal, but by then they will have picked 10 pounds of berries. The average person spends 7% of income on recreation. Convincing customers that the berry harvest is recreational should result in greater sales. Do the fiddle players, hot dog stand, petting zoo, fishing pond, hay wagon and picnic area seem trite and silly? Well, there are those who are laughing all the way to the bank. Everybody likes a winner. Always maintain a positive attitude with customers. Complaining about all the problems in growing fruit does not encourage increased sales. Too many farmers complain to customers, or even to the newspapers about the lousy year. Try to look on the bright side. Did frost nip some of your blueberry blossoms? Then the crop will be bigger and sweeter than ever. Did it rain too much before harvest? Then the crop will be extra juicy this year. A grower wrote in the New York Small Fruit Growers Association Newsletter about the neighbor who complained on the 6:00 news about the frost that nearly wiped out his crop. Suddenly, grower's phones were ringing with customers wondering if they should bother coming out this year. The first grower did not irrigate for frost protection, while the others had a nice crop. How many customers were lost by this negative publicity? Consumers want to stay young, slim and beautiful for the rest of their lives. Far too few growers emphasize the nutritional value of their small fruit crops. Strawberries contain an average of 28% more vitamin C than an equal weight of oranges, yet have fewer calories than all other commercial temperate fruit crops. Raspberries have extremely high levels of calcium and magnesium; elderberries and currants are nearly as high in potassium as bananas; strawberries, raspberries and currants are the top three fruits for iron; and blueberries are high in natural sugars. A recent study out of the Medical College of Ohio found that ellagic acid, a naturally occurring substance in strawberry fruit, produced a significant decrease in esophageal, lung and skin cancer in lab rats. It is not yet known if this substance is active on human subjects, or if strawberries could provide enough ellagic acid, but it certainly wouldn't hurt to mention this study to a few customers now and then. Sixty three percent of the adult population is on a restrictive diet of some type, and most of these diets encourage fruit consumption. Forty four percent of consumers in a recent fresh produce survey said they rated cholesterol and fats as a serious hazard, and 40% were concerned about salt. Given that fruits essentially have none of these detriments, the small fruit marketer should be touting their finer points. The superior freshness and flavor of your berries compared to supermarket berries may be obvious to you, but it cannot hurt to reinforce this fact to the customer. In a 1987 consumer survey conducted by The Packer, supermarket strawberries and peaches were ranked as the least consistent of 21 different fruits. Drawing attention to the fact that your product is of consistently high quality should help you sell more berries. People are scared about pesticides. Customers will undoubtedly question you about the pesticides used on the produce you are selling. Let customers know if you practice integrated pest management; tell them you use pesticides only when necessary to control harmful pests (like "worms" or mold in the berries) and always in conjunction with other control methods. You can also ensure that all pesticides are sprayed according to EPA regulations and that residues are at safe levels. Summary Growers and marketers in the Northeast must remember that Pacific Coast growers are doing a much better job of putting quality berries on the supermarket shelves. While we on the East Coast tend to go our separate ways, West Coast growers put millions of dollars each year into research, marketing and promotion. Therefore, a knowledge of consumer behavior is essential if we are to compete with these other producers for a consumer's time and money.