Daily Rant

Why are people in our society willing to pay so much more for services than for products?  I make a living wage by working for a state agency, hunched over a computer all day, checking math and analyzing data and writing reports.  That work results in only intangible products.  But when I grow healthy, organic herbs and vegetables, raise happy angora goats, and produce beautiful, silky mohair, I can barely make enough to qualify for an agricultural exemption, which is $1,000 gross per year.  I realize that I am a terrible salesman and marketer, but I have hired marketing geniuses who really don't help me, but maybe design a logo for $400.  That's almost half of what I can make in a year!  How can I afford to have anyone else sell or market my goods?  I feel for the plight of the farmers, who must hire a broker to sell their products, and the broker makes even more profit than the hard-working farmer does!

For many years, I have worked hard at bringing my mohair products to a fiber fair to hand-spinners and fiber artists and have never paid the expenses of my trip except one year.  Most people who come by and look at my booth rave about the quality and beauty of the fiber, but very few buy anything, and those who do fret about spending one or two dollars.  At the same time, there are all sorts of spinning and weaving classes, where they charge a minimum of $35.00 per person, and people sign up for those like crazy!  Some of the classes are very unprofessional and disappointing, but they make a huge profit on teaching them.

Why would people pay more for a class than for the tangible product they can make something out of

It is still work I love, getting outside with the gardens and animals and keeping close to the earth and wind and sunshine; using my time productively and not just in entertainment.  I will keep on doing it, but I just wish there were an easy way to sell some goods to support my habit.