If you stop and think about it, you’ve seen them at the farmer’s market, the deli, even the grocery store. Digital Produce scales that allow vendors to easily weigh their fruits and vegetables and charge their customers by the pound. In the past, many of these produce scales were mechanical hanging scales. But lately, more and more farmer’s market vendors are choosing digital produce scales for the market. Why? Because they’re relatively inexpensive, are battery powered, and provide the cost per pound of the fruits and vegetables being sold. Also, the scales are NTEP legal for trade.
These digital produce scales are designed to offer all the functions your business needs, with great features like large, easy-to-use keys on a wipe-clean keypad, highly visible back-lit vendor and customer displays. The scales are easier to program as ever and many even include up to 100 Price Look-Up keys and 12 or so hot-shot keys for fast-moving items.
Actually, one of the biggest expenses you will have when you start selling at farmers’ markets is buying your legal for trade scale. Farmers’ markets are a commercial venue and are, therefore, governed by the same regulations as any commercial establishment that buys and sells based on weight. In other words, if you charge your customer by weight, you must have a “certifiable scale”.
In most states, your Department of Agriculture will inspect and certify your produce scale for farmers markets. Regulation requires the scale be NTEP legal for trade and made for commercial use. A legal-for-trade produce scale will be marked with:
• Class III designation on the identification plate or seal.
• All scales must have an NTEP Cert of Conformance (CoC#)
Scales suitable for farmers’ markets will generally have a 0.05 lb, 0.01 pound or 0.02 lb increments with max capacities of 15, 30 or 60 lbs. Many low cost scales such as “office” scales or baby scales marked “Not Legal for Trade” are not acceptable for selling at farmers markets. We would be happy to provide you with a list of certifiable scales so you do not spend hundreds of dollars only to find you have an uncertifiable scale.