Show ROADSIDE MARKETING by T J delohery WHY PEOPLE BUY AT ROADSIDE MARKETS wand HILM fruits vegetables poultry and dairy products are the main things sold over roadside markets con burners will also buy fruit juices janis jania jellies preserves canned goods nuts popcorn lioney honey and such unrelated things as baskets flowers blowers ll shrubbery rubbery ch pottery and craft products these facts fact are revealed by the experience peri per lence ence of thousands of producers but more specifically in a question dalre which the state department of agriculture sent out to 2000 people representing it a cross section of urban population A survey of 1700 markets along 2800 miles of first ae second cond and third thard class roads in ohio brought out the same baine facts the massachusetts questionnaire was the groundwork for assistance which the state planned to give farmers who wanted to sell products of the f farm arm home and garden direct t the consumer it was found in the replies plies that roadside marketing yearly has a promising future more alore than go CO per cent of the 2000 replies to the questionnaire declared that city and town folks regarded rou roadside side markets as satisfactory places to buy fruits vegetables eggs and poultry products pio ducts dairy products flowers ll jams jellies preserves fruit juices canned goods elder rod and honey freshness was given as the reason for buying direct from the producer with quality and price following in the order mentioned in keeping with this desire for fresh quality products 1400 1 too people pt ople declared themselves very much in favor of home grown stuff the reason la Is quite plain green melds fresh with dew and the memory of the tasty vegetables grown in the nonie dome garden to say nothing of tree ripened fruit tire are responsible surveys made in illinois and west virginia where local towns and cities were importing ninny many farm products which could be produced locally backs up the hie answers of the hay bay state consumers in illinois for instance retailers and consumers expressed themselves willan PA DIOR FARS RETAIL inviting display ing to pay 5 cents a dozen more for locally produced fresh egg i and not sufficient milk was produced in the vicinity to supply consumers reviewing the compilation of the answers to the various sections of the questionnaire it was evident that roadside markets offer the former farmer the opportunity to get a bigger share of the consumers food dollar if producers will only make mahe a little ill tie effort to grasp graap it not all of the consumers who answered the questionnaire are steady patrons of highway markets arlieta ro but more than 50 per cent declared a preference for buying their fruits vegetables and poultry products from tile the grower here again freshness was the reason assigned this feeling was also carried out in opposition to buying oranges lemons lemoni grapefruit bananas and such other tropical fruits at roadside markets true farmers do handle fruits which they do not produce this practice originating with their acquiring better knowledge of merchandising and knowing customers like to do as much shopping ns as possible in one place but few handle citrus fruits in every survey made freshness fresh stands out in ohio where consumers spend 25 per cent of their fruit irule vegetable and poultry dollar tit at roadside markets freshness was given as the big reason why they went into the country for these products while the mention of freshness was gen gr nerol ernt it Is rather sig significant grilli cant in view of conditions that less than in III per cent of the consumers in both states santes were e interested in price or the possibility of saving money by buying direct from the producer another indication that freshness nod quality are the dominating factors in products to be sold fit at the roadside market Is the time of day when moat snips miles are made convenience Is mentioned because consumers gave it as one f the reasons they patronized these markets it outranking out ranking the much stressed necessary business requirement service marketing Is still on the increase despite general conditions Ilu business siness li Is good even though there may be less cars on an the roid road andl individual purchases indicate investigations by college authorities and tile the records of individual farmers showing they range ranee in average from fin 50 to 75 cents expense of operating has haa shown a corresponding dot reuse labor one of the biggest items considerably lower where hired help heli Is 19 necessary tile the cost of other necessities such fitch as packages pac kaRes ond and advertising vary with the volume of busl ness isi till 1933 western newspaper valom union |