Fact Sheets
2010 Guide to Selling at Farmers' Markets (PDF). Published by Growing for Market, this comprehensive guide covers all aspects of direct market sales at farmers' markets, including tips for pricing for farmers' markets.
Beef & Pork Whole Animal Buying Guide While promoted as a buying guide, this is a great reference for any farmer new to selling beef and pork by sides or retail cuts. Great pictures and definitions of terms related to cuts and quality. Available as a free download, but you can also buy a laminated copy for a small fee.
The Butcher Kept Your Meat? This fact sheet from Penn State Extension explains meat product return at the different stages of butchering and processing and provides some general rules of thumb for carcass to meat cut ratios for beef, lamb and pork.
From Cash Records to Cost of Production Fact Sheet (PDF). Knowing your production costs is key to setting prices that support farm profitability. This fact sheet explains how to calculate production costs. It also contains a handy "Enterprise Allocation Worksheet" which lists many possible categories of production expenses.
How Much Should I Charge? Pricing Your Meat Cuts (PDF). This fact sheet outlines a basic strategy for determining prices for direct-to-consumer sales of meat cuts. Courtesy of Brian Moyer amd Penn State Cooperative Extension. Use in conjunction with Penn State Extenion's The Butcher Kept Your Meat? fact sheet, which explains meat product return at different stages of butchering and for different animals.
Pricing Your Farm Products (PDF) Created by the Rutland Area Farm and Food Link, this fact sheet is a step-by-step guide to setting prices, with many resources and food for thought.
Vermont Direct Market Price Survey & Reports
In 2010, the University of Vermont Extension piloted the Vermont Direct Market Price Survey, an on-line price reporting system for vegetables, berries and bedding plants. Our goal is to help farmers around the state share information about what they charge at direct markets (farmstands, farmers markets, etc) for these products, in order to set prices that are fair to consumers while supporting farm profitability. Surveys were conducted and prices reported every two weeks from late June 2010 through the end of October 2010. It is anticipated that the survey will begin again in June 2011.
Direct Market Price Reports from 2010.
Price Your Product for Profit
Pricing your product(s) is one of the most critical decisions you will make on the road to profitability. This webinar explores the nuts and bolts of what goes into pricing your products, how to calculate your break-even point, and how to adjust your prices without losing your customers. Presented by Mary Peabody, UVM Extension. To view the recording, go to: Pricing Webinar.
Also available: Pricing for Profit Presentation (a pdf version of the webinar presentation).
Wholesale Prices
Boston Daily Market Reports: fruits and berries
Boston Daily Market Reports: onions and potatoes
Boston Daily Market Reports: vegetables