2pgs, A produce broker is a salesperson who has access to any seller in the food chain, including packing houses, processors, agribusinesses, and mid- to large-scale farms. Typically they work with large-scale farms. A broker will help arrange the logistics of getting your product from your farm to their buyer, often taking commissions based on a percentage of the sale. Their success depends on their reputation and they spend years building relationships.
2pgs, Produce distributors are businesses that aggregate product and resell it in small or large quantities to their customers. Distributors may be an individual with a van or a company with a fleet of eighteen-wheelers. A distributor’s primary relationship is purchasing directly from farmers, although distributors can also buy from brokers or packing houses.
2pgs, Wholesale buyers are typically located in permanent stalls at a terminal market. Terminal markets are central sites, often in a metropolitan area, that serve as an assembly and trading place for agricultural commodities. Wholesale buyers will purchase products from farmers, brokers, or packing houses in large quantities, and resell it.
28pgs, If you are farming to be profitable, you need to be more than a farmer. You need to be the executive director of your farm business. Moving product to a paying customer, a.k.a. marketing, is the core of that business. And we have learned that product moves based on the meanings that we associate with it. Consumers buy from farm stands, for example, because they want to support local businesses, eat fresher, or know their farmer. In other words, consumers are buying the story of your farm as much as they are buying your physical farm products. This publication helps you take control of your farm story and develop a farm brand that will connect with your customers.
