It s an exaggeration to say that farmers and consumers are on opposite ends of the direct-marketing debate, with consumers wanting farmers to pull up their driveways and drop off the week s local food, and with farmers saying, Thanks, but that isn t what I do.
But as exaggerations go, it isn t that big.
In terms of numbers, more farms across the country really are getting involved in direct marketing. But the growth is patchy, it s often spasmodic, and it isn t coming anywhere close to filling market demand.
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Of all places, it is surprising to see empty stalls at farmers markets in agriculturally rich Manitoba and Saskatchewan, where there are increasing calls for more crowd-drawing farmers markets in even the remotest of communities.
There s a disconnect between what these consumers say they want, and what farmers say they can run a business doing.
We (need to) figure out a plan to recruit farmers market vendors, says Dianna Mae Hocaluk, director of the Farmers Market Association of Manitoba. There is a lack of affordable farmland for small-scale farms& (and) a lot of large, corporate farms have taken over most of the land.
Manitoba has over 13 million acres of improved farmland, with the bulk of it being operated by large farm operations. There s evidence that smaller farm operations are on the rise, but demand continues to outpace them.
That said, there s no denying that local food has made big strides in the province. Manitoba had only 13 farmers markets back in 2007. Today, there are 48.
Saskatchewan has a similar outlook. The province s farmers in the last two decades have undergone huge diversification into crops and livestock breeds that used to be dismissed as niche. Still, that isn t making it easier to introduce local-food marketing. I know there s good spice production, but they (the producers) are too big to consider doing some portion at a small scale and getting the product right into the hands of the people who live here, says Debra Claude, operations manager for Saskatchewan Farmers Markets.
Economic realities are at play, says Kim Shukla an agrologist and co-owner of Stoneland Orchard, a fruit and vegetable operation near Steinbach, Man. She and husband, Richard Whitehead, bought their farm 10 years ago and sell at two farmers markets a week.
We have to be selective about the markets we choose, said Shukla, who said she would need to turn $2,000 to $10,000 to make a market day worth her time, which is something far more feasibly achieved in more densely populated areas.
It turns out, however, that it isn t all about the numbers. At least, that s according to the following three farmers who reflect the trend in what might be called non-conventional marketing. They say they look beyond pure numbers when they are evaluating their farms. The question is, Am I doing what I want to do?
