Quote:
Originally Posted by
jcatblum 
Buster-- I talked to Ronnie for a while. He doesn't want to sell eggs at the farmers market anymore. Since they are forcing everyone to get a sales tax number he said he was out!
I chatted with him a bit, as well. When you consider the $50 a year egg license, the membership has gone up $30 a year, and they now charge $5 a week for a stall, it really cuts into your margins when all you are selling is eggs. You have to sell quite a few dozen just to pay for all of that, especially when you consider all of the other costs for egg production. Granted, we have to get the sales tax number ($35) and the license anyway, but still, it is tough when you add stuff on top of that. He likely has all the customers he needs, anyway. He was actually doing them a favor by participating. He said they are talking about trying to raise the "minimum" price per dozen to $5. I don't see that working, not in Lawton. Add on top of that all the rules, I can see how that can chase somebody off.
I'm going to start out selling eggs there just to have something to draw people to the table. I don't have enough hens yet to compete with the big guys. My focus is going to be my pastured meat birds and turkeys. I mainly want to give people humane alternatives to factory farmed meat, rather than make a lot of money, necessarily. So for me, this is a cause, not a way to make a living. I have a good regular job for that.
Although in a few years, when things get cranking and I'm ready to retire, it might be fun to make a dollar or two doing something I love. :)
