Honey price at farmers market?

[BDJ]

I have extra honey this year as well as honey comb. What is a fair price at our local farmers market? The honey was harvested in Aug and is a mix of wildflower honey so it is a darker variety.

I have pints that hold about 1.5 lbs of honey each? What should I charge?

The honey comb is the "Bee o Pac" squares about 3"x2" squares. It looks great! What should I charge?

Thnx

[ronnyclif]

6.50 a pint is what I am getting

[bee happy]

Start high and adjust according to volume of sales. If you are at a Yuppy market and have a cute label, sock it to them. When I was selling at a roadside stand, I did just the opposite, started low and moved up as the traffic would bear. Not to be a cynic of course---

[Budvar]

BDJ,

I am just north of you in Tri-cities. We're pretty small time, had 10 gallons honey this year. Kept 4 gallons for my own meade adventures.

Anyway, wife and I sell the surplus honey (wildflower) by the half pint and pint. Half pints go for $5, the pints sell for $9. If you look in the Bee Culture honey prices for this region, that is the going rate. Haven't really had a problem with the asking price except for a couple folks that buy by the gallon. I just can't compete with that. If someone does wonder about the price, I mention that we're definitely not into beekeeping for profit. Also, to compare what we are giving them (local, raw), to what you get at WalMart (from who knows where, possibly made with HFCS.

BTW, we have a club in the Tri-cities. MidColumbiaBeekeepersassociation.org

Hope this helps,
Chris

[brooksbeefarm]

I have sold alot of honey at home and farmers market for many years, the last two years prices are as follows.
46oz qts. with comb-$14.00
24oz pts. with comb-$8.00
46oz qts. plain- $12.00
24oz pts. plain-$7.00
24oz bears-$7.25
12oz bears-$4.00
16oz clamshell box of comb honey-$6.00
8oz clamshell box of comb honey-$3.00
Not had one complaint but had some people tell me i'm selling my honey to cheap? are they trying to help me or make me feel like i'm cheating myself. Jack

[kennedy]

what the market will bear is good.research that at a different market then you want to sell in .customers dont like price varience at all it hurts sells.if you come up thay think your ripping them off if you come down there something wrong with your product.if you do a regular market youll build regular customers try to make different kinds of color. shake swarm is good for that just before a flow. it makes the customer say ill take that one and ill take that one that increases sales NEVER make negative associations to your produce if you get people hooker on comb honey thyll be very good customers also try not to step on anyone feet.watch the customer traffic flow try to locate in a better spot, in the market a tent helps control your space good luck

[Grant]

I've also sold at various farmer's markets for several years and attended three markets a week this year. Markets vary as do the customers.

My quart price is $10, my pint price is $5.50 (sounds like I'm a little too cheap, but that's a fair market value given our area).

My plastic squeeze bottle prices are higher per ounce, however. I sell an 8-ounce squeeze bottle for $3.50, 12-ounces for $4, and 16-ounce for $5.00.

There are other sizes and prices, also comb honey, but that will give you an idea.

What I found is that there are two kinds of shoppers at my farmer's markets. There are those shopping for value. They want the glass canning jar they can reuse. They also remember the good old days when honey sold for a dollar a gallon (yeah, like about 1940). And no, I won't come down just because they want to buy four quarts. They are very price conscious.

Then there are those who shop for honey. They are more concerned about finding a bottle of honey (more convenient and easier to use with less mess than a jar), and they also want to find what they can buy with the last $5 they have after they spent $18 on green beans. They also prefer smaller containers for fear the honey will "go bad."

Farmer's markets are wonderful opportunities for educating the customer. Also, I buy small "ice cream tasting spoons" and give samples of honey I've collected from different areas around the county, or from farms that specialize in certain crops. People are amazed that there is a difference.

The biggest lesson I think I've learned is bring a large table, offer several sizes and choices, and know that you'll attract a variety of customers all looking for something different.

Grant
Jackson, MO

[brooksbeefarm]

I agree with Grants post and have heard the same things. Most of my customers want to know if it is local honey and if it is raw honey (not pasteurized). Many ask if it's clover honey or what, i tell them their is no such thing as pure clover honey around here, that my hives have between 60 to 80 thousand bees in them and i can't watch each one to see what they are working on and they give me that questioning eye when i tell them they even work poison ivy. They just laugh and say at least your honest and buy the honey. Farmers markets are fun and it's a good way to meet new people moving into the area. Jack

[smithwoods]

I sell 1lb plastic squeeze flip top bottles of my fall honey at the local farmers market for $5.50. and no one thinks the price is high, most times the comment is " that's cheap for raw, local honey". Now if the bees found a field of good old Maine pot flowering what would the honey be like? this fall's honey is dark and strong, lots of goldenrod I think.

[Maine_Beekeeper]

Farmers Market price in Portland ME

12 fl oz (1lb) glass jar $8.00
16 fl oz (1.3lb) 10.50
32 fl oz (3lb) $20.50

Raw, unfiltered, no heat.
I quickly sell out at these prices.

[John Smith]

Yes, it all depends on your own objectives. Do you want to just 'dump' your surplus and get on with your other jobs or maybe you enjoy the markets and want to save some back for the pre Christmas bonanza. Selling out is the Achilles Heel of local marketers. Buying in honey to keep your market swipes all the fun and profitability out of it.

So start HIGH, and see what happens. You will do less damage to your market by coming down that by going up. You will be creating your own market, and you'll be surprised at just how low a percentage of the population you need to win over. Some people like to pay a little extra to get the best service and that warm fuzzy feelings. Don't think they are all skinflints like we beekeepers tend to be.

But it's what you really want out of it that matters. Fine tune your price according to your own experience and ignore the dissenters. Some people only want it for free! You will probably have an empty honey tank come Christmas no matter what you charge. How thick is your hide? I love people who can get fifty dollars for a tub of honey! They are great marketers, and in fact are doing the industry a favour!

Remember, if we the producers don't push the price up, we will be waiting for very long periods between rises. Inflation is killing our society. Beekeepers are in a position to survive such a fate, as our product requires very little processing, capital expenditure, or licensing. It is in fact edible gold. How much do you value your own honey? Do some extra work, put in some extra effort that makes your really believe your honey is the best!

Happy Marketing.

JohnS

[Chef Isaac]

you have to do market research. Asking on a bee forum is useless as what I can get at a farmers market is different than what someone from texas can get. You need to price it accroding to some of thenatural health food stores or PCC markets in yoru area.

For example, I get $10 for a pound of honey, eight for a 12 ounce of creamed honey and $10 for a small piece of comb honey.

[Chef Isaac]

John is soooo right. To be frank, and please, no one take offense to this, but the majority of beekeepers sell there honey way toooooo cheap and it is a dumb foolish mistake on their part. No wonder people come to me asking why my honey is $50 for a 6 pounder when they can get it a lot cheaper.

I do not think people..... beekeepers that is, really understand what it takes to keep bees.... financially that is. feeding, requeening, gas, milage on a car, time, building frames, painting, go through hives, etc. ALL OF IT COSTS MONEY. and still, people dump there honey at soooooooo cheap of prices. it is foolish on our part. Shame on us for taking something that the consumer will pay for and basically giving it away.

WAKE UP!

[John Smith]

PS: Why wait for someone else to show us what the market will bear? Go On, be a leader, show the way! Become a ledgend, at least in your own mind!

Why appologise for the planet's best product?

The world is alight with the fire of desire for honey and bee talk!

Ignore all that stuff about our responsibility to feed the world without covering our own livlihood. That poisonous line is why the world is on the verge of starvation right now! Bankers, Accountants and Economist all are preaching JIT philisophy........ Just In Time Purchasing. They don't think having any stores set aside for the rainy day is a good idea.

Cheers again. There is more rain coming!

[Chef Isaac]

you will see, people will pay for it when the market is right. you have to EDUCATE the consumer.

[peletier]

We get $9.00 a pound in this area but it has to be LOCAL HONEY. Many people are counting on it to help their allergies. Wish I could buy a few drums from Ohio at $1.50 a pound and . Aw, forget it.

[oldenglish]

This is an old thread but its a topic near and dear to all of us.

I have been selling 1lb honey for $11 and a bee o pac comb section for $5.
Last week our club was invited to a local market to put on a bee exhibit and were invited to sell honey. I had no problem selling and the comb honey was my most popular item.

This week we had an older beekeeper present at the club on making cut comb, his method was extremely labor intensive including requeening, cutting comb and letting drain for 24 hrs before packaging etc, he gets five from a frame and sells for $6 ea. I use the bee o pac, all I do is add a lid and sell for $5 plus I get 16 from a frame.

I also will never understand why anyone would sell so cheaply. You want cheap go to safeway, its not nearly as good as what I sell.

[bigbearomaha]

but the majority of beekeepers sell there honey way toooooo cheap and it is a dumb foolish mistake on their part.

that depends. There would be some who might say your higher prices are just being greedy and taking unfair advantage of people.

If I sell honey at a price that happens to be lower than yours, I don't give a rats patoot about your price. I don't care how much you do or don't sell. and I don't care what price you sell it at.

I price what I found to be a "fair" price. one that compensates me for the effort and cost going in to collecting the honey, bottling it and marketing it. I set a profit margin I find I can live with, and on.

If someone else selling honey at a higher price than me thinks my price is "hurting" theirs or other honey sellers prices, I frankly don't care. I don't sell honey for them or you. I sell honey for me and for folks that want to buy and eat honey.

Using judgmental terms like "dumb" and "foolish" to berate other beekeepers into helping fix honey prices at a certain range is un-necessary and at the very least un-ethical if not illegal in certain cases.

personally, I have never chided or berated another beekeeper for the prices they sell honey at. I may not agree, but that's their business, it's their honey and I don't try to tell them how to handle their business to benefit me. That's why I have my own business.

Big Bear

[mmclean]

I do not keep bees, therefore I do not sell honey. Yet. I hope to start some hives in the spring.

With this being said, I agree with bigbearomaha wholehartedly.

Price fixing should be a shame to all who believe in and love a free market society. Is this not why we shun convention and go down the road of our own choice?

Live free and stop blaming others for your inefficiency.

Live life to the sound of your own drum and chose whats right for you.

-M-

[bigbearomaha]

A farmers market is a free market and it is free for both the buyers and the sellers. If they are feeling or being pressured by others to sell at a price or buy at a price with no alternative, the value of the free market has been tainted.

to everyone I say

enjoy the bees.

Big Bear