QUALITY IS PARAMOUNT
 Stress freshness and quality rather
than low price. You must, however, be
in line with other nearby pick-your-
own prices where quality, convenience
and customer service are comparable.
Sometimes a competing producer does
price produce below going pick-your-
own levels. It will cut into the volume
you move if quality and other factors
are comparable. Some growers price
their products low because they do not
include all labor costs. In a friendly
manner, talk over with any low-price
sellers production and marketing costs
that may justify a higher price. Each
party must be free to decide his own
pricing policy but should be aware of
all factors involved. Avoid a price war,
if at all possible. All parties will be
hurt if produce is sold at or below cost
of producing plus a reasonable market-
ing margin.
 Tradition or past practice is some-
times the basis for establishing prices.
Since costs and production practices
change continually, it is well to regu-
larly update the basis for your prices.
Think price changes through carefully,
before making them. Consumers tend
not to trust prices that vary widely up
and down. Most pick-your-own opera-
tors keep a given price for an entire
season regardless of whether wholesale
prices go up or down. Any price adjust-
ment should be made at the start of
the harvest season based on conditions
at that time.

LONG-TERM EFFECT
 The best pricing policy will maxi-
mize returns for the products produced
over an extended period of time. If you
are to accomplish this objective, your
customers must be satisfied that your
prices are fair. They should be a little
lower than non pick-your-own sources
of supply for comparable quality. You
need repeat sales; for most areas well
over half the pick-your-own customers
have been there previously. Cleanup
specials for a last picking of strawber-
ries, snap beans, pickles, etc., where
produce is scattered and quality may
not be the best, sometimes justifies a
reduced price. Such a case should tend
to be a promotional event and not alter
regular pricing policies. The area in
which your farm is located, the kind


and quality of your crops as well as
cost of production, tradition and pric-
ing policies of others in the area are all
factors to consider in making pricing
decisions.

SELLING BY WEIGHT
 The decision to sell produce by
weight or by measure merits serious
thought. Advantages of each method
can be readily seen. The problem
of customers overfilling containers is
solved when produce is sold by weight.
A weight basis of sale is fair for both
buyer and seller. Various size contain-
ers whose volume is difficult to esti-
mate can be used with assurance of a
fair deal when selling by weight. Most
producers who sell in this manner
weigh containers and mark the empty
weight on them with a marking pencil
or crayon as the customer checks in
for harvesting. At check-out time, the
weight of the container is deducted
from the total weight to give the
amount of produce to be paid for.
When sales are made by weight, scales
must be approved by the Weights and
Standards Division of your state gov-
ernment. In Michigan it is the Weights
and Standards Division of the Michi-
gan Department of Agriculture. An
inspector from the proper governmen-
tal agency should check the scales for
accuracy and affix his seal of approval
before they are used for selling.
 Sales by volume are simpler since no
scales are needed. Usually containers
for harvesting or measuring purposes


are bushel, half bushel, peck, quart,
etc. Some instructions are usually given
about how full containers should be.
These may be in a printed handout
sheet, or given orally when people
check in. An inspection of harvested
produce in containers to determine
how well containers are filled, varieties
harvested and amount of purchase is
ordinarily made at check-out time. Pro-
duce is then paid for at the rate per
bushel or other unit.

SAFETY
 A management concern of any busi-
ness, serving the general public is safe-
ty. Many objects on a farm can be haz-
ardous to people not accustomed to the
surroundings. Hoes, rakes and other
hand tools are not safe toys for
children. Adults can also trip over
tools, lumber, fencing materials and
other objects laying on the ground.
Store these tools away from public
areas. Have a well-defined area for
guests and their children to use. Defi-
nite routes along well-cared-for paths
and roads should be plainly marked to
prevent persons from straying into
areas where not needed.
 If guides take groups to a harvest
area, there is less risk of people going
to the wrong places. Instructions from
supervisors or guides on use of ladders
also promotes safety. Steep banks, deep
ponds, areas where poison ivy may be
growing and other hazards should be
pointed out to pick-your-own custom-
ers. The owner is liable for almost any
personal injury on his property. It is
better to avoid the problem than to
determine in court what damages, if
any, you pay. Fencing harvest fields,
or fencing off areas where possible
injuries could occur, will reduce this
risk. Fencing also helps guide people
to where they should be. Adequate
supervision answers many questions
and avoids uncertainties on the part of
those harvesting produce for the first
time at your farm.
 Sometimes the guide is also the
supervisor and makes frequent trips to
and from the check-in point to bring
new groups to the harvest area. If
separate supervisors stay in the harvest
area, the guide should point the super- I
visor out to each new group and tell
them to ask for any needed assistance.


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