Weekly reports from Cornell give farmers price setting help for markets

CORNELL UNIVERSITY MEDIA RELATIONS OFFICE

FOR RELEASE: Sept. 16, 2024

Kaitlyn Serrao

607-882-1140

kms465@cornell.edu

Weekly reports from Cornell give farmers price-setting help for markets

ITHACA, N.Y. - New York farmers looking to sell at local farmers markets now have further help with price setting, thanks to weekly market price reports from a team at Cornell University. The reports are the first of their kind in New York state.

“Often farmers are not familiar with what prices look like out in the marketplace. And they often don’t feel confident about setting prices,” said Matt LeRoux, an extension associate. “Our weighted average price, based on actual sales volumes, should really give someone the confidence to see lots of customers are buying this stuff at these prices.”

The weekly reports include the low, high and weighted average prices for meat, vegetables and fruits sold at New York farmers markets. The reports are produced by aggregating sales data from farms from Buffalo to New York City. The grocery store reports show low, high and average prices for meat, vegetables, and dairy and eggs at grocery stores in Ithaca.

For example, a farmer who sells cherry tomatoes for $4 per pint can see the lowest weekly price at farmers markets was $3, the high was $8, and the weighted average – what most people paid – was $7.58 statewide.

However, farmers must still play close attention to prices in their local area, said Todd Schmit, faculty director of the Cornell Agricultural Marketing Research Program.

“You’re not going to sell products in Schuyler County for the same price that you would at the green markets in New York City,” Schmit said.

The reports are especially timely because local foods markets have evolved substantially in recent years. As traditional grocers have started selling more locally produced food, and upscale local farm stores have proliferated, there are more opportunities beyond traditional direct-to-consumer avenues, he said.

“With the evolution of markets, farmers need to be more savvy and making their pricing decisions not only in terms of what their costs of production are, including marketing, but also what is the price point, from the consumer perspective, that allows a farmer to reach their farm goals?” said Schmit.

The team is encouraging farmers from across the state to participate by sharing their sales data. Farmers can sign up at Cornell Farmers Market Research Project. All farm and market identities are kept anonymous.

For additional information, read this Cornell Chronicle story.

Cornell University has dedicated television and audio studios available for media interviews.

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