A question of ethics? ....conscience?

[Amos Keeto]

My neighbor has a big "truck garden" and makes a living with what he produces.
He has a fall crop every year.
He sells "below" market value.
I have often thought, "Pay his price, then resell at 30% mark up."
That price is STILL below market value!

Would you:
Tell him your intentions to resell at a higher price?
OR....
Just buy his stock and keep your mouth shut?

I feel like it would be appropriate to let him know what I'm doing and what my intentions are.

Your thoughts!

 

[WeiserBucks]

What is a truck garden?

 

[wapitibob]

glad you're not my neighbor

 

[JohnB]

I'd do neither. A neighbor with a killer garden is the last of my neighbors that I'd like to piss off. If I was in your neighbors shoes and got approached by someone looking to resell what I was growing I'd stop selling to them.

Your plan sounds like something that was cooked up by someone that moved to their town/neighborhood 2-4 years ago and thinks they have some great ideas about how to do things better.

 

[ArcherAnthony]

Since it's your neighbor it would be nice to have the conversation with him. He could just mark it up after you tell him and make the profits himself. You could try doing a partnership with him and share the profits.

 

[Amos Keeto]

What is a truck garden?

"Back in the day", a truck garden was one that was large enough so that you could load up a truck with produce to take to town and sell.
With greenhouses and large farms, the "truck garden" is a thing of the past.

My grampa grew one when he retired. It was so much work, he only did it one year. He made some pretty good money selling to restaurants and small grocery stores. Nearly every neighborhood had a little M&P grocery store when I was a kid back in the 50's.
Piggy Wiggly, Safeway et al killed the little M&P stores!

 

[GSPHUNTER]

You must think there is an ethical question or you wouldn't be asking. there is your answer.

 

[realunlucky]

I would just talk to him about it, it's very likely the way he does things that way for his convenience and doesn't have any care what you plan to do with the vegetables after you buy them.

If you buy in enough quality to make it worth your while he's going to know it's not for personal consumption anyways. It's an easier conversation to have before that point for sure.

Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk

 

[roadrunner]

Yes.

 

[fngTony]

Maybe I’m misunderstanding the details but it sounds like he’s just selling a small surplus? If that’s the case then he’s really just being courteous to the neighborhood and not in it for profit so I wouldn’t take advantage of that.

 

[Amos Keeto]

You must think there is an ethical question or you wouldn't be asking. there is your answer.

Is there?
Marketing means "buy low, sell high".
With that said, my neighbor is not a "wholesaler". He "retails" to the neighborhood.
My intention would be to sell the produce at a "farmers market" some thirty miles away.
That way, I won't be infringing on his "market".
I've spoken to him about the same market. He's not interested. He'd rather just stay around his home and sell to the locals.
The town where the market is, he avoids like the plague!

 

[BBob]

I have often thought, "Pay his price, then resell at 30% mark up."

That thought is ethically challenged. The only way in my mind to do this would be to have his consent. Sure you could do it without consent and go line your pockets but you’d just be that guy….

 

[Amos Keeto]

Maybe I’m misunderstanding the details but it sounds like he’s just selling a small surplus? If that’s the case then he’s really just being courteous to the neighborhood and not in it for profit so I wouldn’t take advantage of that.

No. He pretty much sells everything he produces. He has family, but no wife or kids. He's a horticulturist and loves gardening.
His nephew-"in-law" lives nearby. He laughs because he grows tomatoes galore, but seldom brings them into the house to eat!
He gave me about 30 pounds of "ugly" tomatoes one year. I water bath canned them and gave him back half of what I canned.
The "farm" has cattle. They have a calf slaughtered as needed, but normally eat chicken! (?) They eat venison when the n-i-l kills a deer.
Seldom do they eat what is produced.

 

[Amos Keeto]

That thought is ethically challenged. The only way in my mind to do this would be to have his consent. Sure you could do it without consent and go line your pockets but you’d just be that guy….

You go to a garage sale. You see an item you're familiar with and it's marked below market value.
You KNOW that at the marked price, you can sell it for a nice (not exorbitant) profit!
Are you obligated to inform the seller you intend to sell the item for a profit?

While I don't think I'm "legally" obligated to reveal my plans, am I morally/ethically "obligated" to inform him of my plans?

Also, even though his price is below market value, his profit is up in the 90% range.

 

[johnnycake]

Marketing means "buy low, sell high".

No. Marketing means, "the activity or business of promoting and selling products or services, including market research and advertising."

Buy low in one place and sell high elsewhere is called arbitrage.

And without talking to your neighbor first about doing this, completely ignoring whatever legal requirements there might be for produce sales in your jurisdiction, is ethically known as a "dick move."

 

[BBob]

You go to a garage sale. You see an item you're familiar with and it's marked below market value.
You KNOW that at the marked price, you can sell it for a nice (not exorbitant) profit!
Are you obligated to inform the seller you intend to sell the item for a profit?

If you cannot parse the difference in your two scenarios then there’s your trouble and obviously why you had to ask this question in the first place. Yes it’s a subtle difference but there is a difference.

 

[Yoder]

How bad do you need money? Seems like there's not a huge amount of profit in selling produce. I couldn't be bothered, buying it, transporting it then sitting all day a a farmers market to make $50. I would pay $50 to not have to do any of that.

 

[Amos Keeto]

No. Marketing means, "the activity or business of promoting and selling products or services, including market research and advertising."

Buy low in one place and sell high elsewhere is called arbitrage.

And without talking to your neighbor first about doing this, completely ignoring whatever legal requirements there might be for produce sales in your jurisdiction, is ethically known as a "dick move."

I'm aware of that. But you won't last long in marketing by "buy high, sell cheap"!

I'm not worried about doing anything illegal. I'm NOT going to do that!

My main concern is maintaining the relationship with him and his "nephew-in-law".

I'm already pretty sure I need to speak with the man before proceeding.

 

[Amos Keeto]

How bad do you need money? Seems like there's not a huge amount of profit in selling produce. I couldn't be bothered, buying it, transporting it then sitting all day a a farmers market to make $50. I would pay $50 to not have to do any of that.

Well, there isn't thousands to be made, but a couple of hundred is possible.

....and "No.", I don't think a couple hundred bucks is worth jeopardizing my friendship with the neighbor.

 

[arrowjunkie]

Based on your responses it sounds like you've already made up your mind and just want validation. With that said I don't know if the small amount of extra cash is worth potentially creating an angry neighbor.