What country do you live in? I haven't quite understood that yet. As far as organic farming is concerned, transport and cutting into portions are actually contradictory. At least here people assume that the nutrients and the freshness suffer when you peel and portion the vegetables/obbs or when longer transport distances take place. Someone who values organic farming and permaculture buys his goods fresh from the weekly market, directly from the grower.
Are the farms so far out that they need suppliers, or are they so large that this is necessary? How can they then grow organically?
The zeitgeist, which is spreading among those who attach importance to organic products, does not see the time saving as an advantage. Cooking and dealing with the products leads to ecological awareness, much more than calling for time as a saving factor.
I personally know too little about it, but as far as I know, the classic way of the farmer who does not use pesticides, offers ecologically flawless products, is not a big farmer. He invites people to his farm and comes to the market several times a week to sell his goods. This is his business. Surely this model also exists in your country? Do you know the keyword "permaculture" and what it means?
Your concept doesn't seem to have much to do with environmental awareness, excuse me if I say so. I can also be wrong because I don't understand the whole idea except that you want to start a supplier company?
I myself would argue that normal homeowners who have land should not create their gardens as ornamental gardens, but as kitchen gardens. Seventy years ago this was still the norm and people grew fruit and vegetables in their gardens, which they harvested fresh and shared with the neighbourhood when there was a surplus. Since people can grow different crops, this can be seen as a kind of small cooperative that has no commercial purpose, but has self-sufficiency in mind.
Of course this is not possible in big cities or would require such a big rethink that a lot of time will pass before the people in the cities can and want to take over at least a small part of the supply themselves. Public squares and parks could be partially converted into communal kitchen gardens, just as it is already organized in small parts or proposed by small initiatives. However, this also includes political agreement and the support of elected representatives. I am not sure, for example, how much a city like Hamburg is using any thoughts at all.
Excuse me if I question critically, but I think whoever wants to start a business has nothing to gain from people giving superficial feedback.
Such a long reply, and I really loved it and Thanks a lot.
I will reply you in detail after a while in the evening or by late night as it requires some time to go through in detail.
Once again Thanks a lot
Too many questions, instead of giving point by point answer to your responsely l feel it is better to give a summary of what I mentioned through blog.
I am living in one of the tiny states of India, Kerala which you most probably heard about. The situation in my place and in fact many other places is such that there is no initiative to save the farmers, or to make small scale farmers'. who were mainly doing organic way of farming- life prosper by making some arrangements to buy their products. The negative side of this is that these pesticide free safe to eat vegetables never reaching the market from there people could buy. Instead they were only getting items that have all poisons in it.
so what we are doing- which we started as a start-up.buisines is to collect these vegetables from farmers and distribute these to people. It is only just one month old and so far response is satisfactory.
The cuting and other stuffs are other business ideas where we are planning to supply vegetables cutto shape for each dishes, so that those who buys it have easy to make the dishesprepare.
And no, this is nothing to do with any environmental issues...
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Thank you.
It is really difficult to imagine. Don't farmers have the means (means of transport and sufficient financial/human resources) to bring their yields to their customers? What distances are we talking about?
Otherwise, it's a good thing that instead of selling sprayed vegetables and fruit, the customer gets the one that is organic/immaculate.
Who buys his food from ecologically clean agriculture in Hamburg, always wants to talk to the producer himself and be sure that the one who grows it is the one who sells it on the market. It is an eye-to-eye business here. Now only the farmers are here several times a week, who can also afford the stall fees and transport costs. The products are correspondingly expensive. I can rarely afford to buy there, but when I do I know that it tastes good and is of fine quality.
Do you also make a market stand or how do you bring the goods and customers together? If it is well received, you have exactly the right idea, as it seems.
I wish you to be successful as well as the farmers!
That's a reality here Maam, may be in many places as some of my friends from other countries were saying it is almost same like situation in their places too.
So far the response is good but yet it is not even .01% ge of market our effort to popularize it could reached. Mass scale advertisement like in FM Radio, Newspapers, leading Magazines and Billboards were too costly that may not look affordable now.
We are getting through the vegetables from farmers of course with a premium but these are safe to eat, pesticide free vegetables, it is a guarantee and the customers are really happy as they are already gave a thumbs up through feedback. And also it is a fact that the price of the product which we are supplying is on higher side but they have no worries for paying more for this product.
So is there any small small tricks that can be adopted for its marketing as per you.?
Have a good day Maam.
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Some marketing methods:
build a strong brand name and logo. One which can be easily remembered.
work together with local governments if they are willing to cooperate or can decide to support you (guess this you have already tried?)
Do an unusual public relations event. For instance build a marketing stand with colorful fruits and vegetable stands on a public place where nobody ever would assume to see one. Like a bridge or a Ponton swimming on a lake. Put up a fine dinner table with glued on dishes and food and put it into the middle of a public square like in front of a museum or elsewhere.
Invite under ever circumstance the local press to cover it up. You might be doing it illegally (as a guerrilla action) but fear the punishment or you have to ask the authorities in advance to get permission but that might cost you something you cannot afford?
try to cooperate with a university like in my telephone book example.
What I try to say: collect unusual awareness either through eye catching installations or cooperations with artists who are willing to work for free. Engage a painter or sculpture to do something with the fruits and vegetables to raise public attention. Ask to get a stand at art festivals or other events.
Try to win a celebrity for a PR-event. But all this also needs at least some money.
In order to get the attention you like you must do not only one but a couple of events throughout a year. This you will need a budget for. Maybe you can find a sponsor for that.
... Oh, and 6: Hire a marketing specialist who is as well himself a fan of organic food and burns for the project. Don't hire someone who only wants a job :)))
.... aaaand.... maybe get in touch with expert perma culturists like Sepp Holzer from Austria. Maybe he will visit your country eventually or is anyway on a trip and ask him if he can be of help. I don't know, maybe he is busy but maybe he will have an open ear?
Thanks a ton: I was expecting few and you were up to that expectation especially on point #03. I will definitely take that seriously, may not up to the extent of what you suggested for the time being, but being in the capital city of the state have its own advantage too and there are few places herein the middle of the town like you mentioned..I would let you know for sure as and when it would happen
Rest of the point money is an issue at present but the ideas are relavant, practical and seems worthy of making an impact. In the due course I would definitely explore those too.
Thank you Maam. Good to have some nice friends like you here,
Have a nice weekend for you!
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You're welcome. :)
some more ideas:
create photographs with unusual motifs like:
a fridge in the middle of a desert
sculpture made out of fruits and vegetables in the snow
a pyramid of pumpkins (or a Buddha statue)
Interview your farmers and give a picture of them, what is special about them? What do they stand for, what is their vision of the future, do they have interesting family stories to tell? Mold all this into a story with excellent photographs and design and give it to the press. You should establish a contact to at least two or three chief editors of newspapers or magazines/TV, invite them to have a tasting at the farms, make a summer festival there.
I have many ideas but nothing really works without some budget.
Sorry, the replay was meant for other post.
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I don't understand?