Farmer's Market

[tentfire]

I have done a lot of craft shows in the past. I wet my feet with Flea Marketing last year and now doing that every weekend this year (moved a condensed version of my store to the flea market). But I had never done a Farmer's Market before. The Farmer's Market in the town nearest to me is a joke. There are several vendors there, but the rules/regulations are ridiculous. So I have never tried it. But the next town over (a tiny, little, one stoplight town) decided to start one. They started it the first of June, one day a week. It is in the parking lot of an old shopping center that is half or more dead, located on the OLD highway. The roads have changed and the main highway now goes around the town, quite a ways from this location. There are only a few vendors (3 this week counting me), but it was unbelievable how many people stopped! One woman (well established over the past 30 years) sold a wide assortment of produce. One couple sold assorted flowers (I had a wonderful vision of what their garden must have looked like!). And I took my soaps and a couple other little things. I only took one small table full until I saw & talked to them to see what was and wasn't allowed. Some Farmer's Markets are pretty picky. This one, fortunately, is very lenient. I didn't sell too much this time out. I sold ... one bag of my laundry soap, one lotion bar, and on bar of soap ..... but it was a good start. I had a lot of people stopping by and showing a lot of interest. So I am looking forward to trying it again next week with a little more variety. If I can figure out when to make them, I may even drag out my cookie recipes and take some cookies. I use to sell loads of them at craft shows. Someone else has the corner on that at the Flea Market, but only a pie lady at the Farmer's Market. They said I was free to bring my cookies.

Well, I am off now to get my critters fed so I can leave for the Flea Market. It could be the only day we open this weekend. 50% chance of rain forecast for tomorrow and 60% for Sunday. But we are really hoping to get in at least 2 good days. My plants are needing the rain again, already, so I am not going to complain (unless it floods, lol).

You all have a good day!

[mastercatter]

I wish you the best and know that you will do good .

[dsmith]

Wish you were closer by. I'd stop by. Good luck to you.

[tentfire]

Thanks! Hoping to go again tomorrow, but not sure until the last minute. We have an 80% chance of rain predicted. With a funeral to go to tomorrow before it, and needing the rain (yes, already), I won't complain if it gets rained out.
I have 'greens' ready to pick and take, but not going to pick until the last minute, in case it does get rained out. But, I have NO IDEA how to charge at the market for greens. Anyone ever buy greens and know what a good, fair price is? I've either grown them myself or bought them canned.

[bobberguy]

Usually a bag of greens for salads at Shop & Save is 2.99 but as they old the price comes down to 99 cents! I would put the greens in small bags and sell 1 $ bags. Hot days hard to sell so keep in a cooler! Early garden lettuce sales great! Plant salentro early or late. Never sale by the pound sale by the bag or like tomatoes by the piece. keep everything shaded or under a wet blanket that will keep things cool underneath! a PORTABLE FAN blowing over a wet blanket with keep things 15 degrees coller under it! Odd things sell no oe else has like nice radish or carrots , cut sunflowers!I would even buy things to sell when you see good deals anywhere. Like for instance some apple orchards will sell mixed bushells of apples for $10 if you sell them for 3 for $10 you will double your money or better. Go to a berry farm and get some nice basket of berries that you can double your money. Early farmer tarets tomato post will sell great. Start zucc plants in mid summer and sell them no will have them! There are money making products everywhere you shop just keep your eyes open! A item that brings in 25 cents profit is worth selling if it sells quick and you sell out every time! Go to pick your own fams and get some nice stuff! Freeze a dozen bottles of water that you paid 25 cents each and sell them at a flea or farmers market for 50 cens to a dollar. They will thaw out slow and at the right time when there is about 1/3 ice put them out. keep several in a cooler and the ice will elt slow and actually keep your cooler cold and give you a seleabe item later!

[tentfire]

Thanks for all the great tips, bobber!! You know, I was thinking of selling by the basket, because the only farmer's market I had been to had made it mandatory that everything was sold that way. But I like the bag idea. And I hadn't thought of pricing them at the grocery store because I never buy that stuff in the bags there .... too many recalls on them. I usually end up receiving a big bunch of fresh spinach from a friend of a friend each year and put it up in the freezer (first year in awhile I didn't get any). So I rarely look at it in the freezer section, either. I went to the grocery store today and priced it for our area. .... $3 for 6 ounces (fresh - well, it said it was) so I figured I will charge just a little less than that, and have a smaller bag for a $1 for singles & couples.

I like the wet blanket idea. I will probably use a large towel, have a cooler I am going to use (got rained out last week and I tried to go today but got way too hot just getting ready - high heat warnings - and had to give up and wait until the morning one tomorrow).
I use to sell pop & water at my little store, but can't at either place I am at now. At the Farmer's Market, the shopping center is letting us use a corner of the lot at no charge, and since they sell drinks in their little eatery, I don't think it would be wise. And at the flea market, the owners sell cold drinks in their store there. But it was a good idea. I take my own cold drinks to both.

There is already one booth there that sells cut flowers (and they are gorgeous!), Sunflowers and all - several kinds. I can only imagine what their garden must look like! I did grow some flowers this year, though, and kept my mom in bouquets. She was thoroughly enjoyed them. If I can get a little more energy back by next year, I may try some more flowers, could always put up a sign and sell them from here. I still have black-eyed Susans out doing themselves right now.

If it isn't too late I think I will start some squash. And I set out some new tomato plants last week and have a few more to set out (set out a bunch of cherry tomatoes). The woman that sets up next to me, she is long time established around here with produce (30 years) and people have gotten use to buying from her. On top of that, she kind of expects everyone to buy from her and gets a little irritable with anyone that tries to compete with her.... I learned real fast that she plans to monopolize the produce portion of this new farmer's market (and she is the one delegated to run it), but it is a FARMERS MARKET .... people are suppose to have choices (so I thought) so I am going to ignore her intimidation antics and plant/take what I want. And I will keep my eyes open for those sales and 'pick your own' stuff. Already lining up pecans and persimmons for fall.

Thanks again! This was really helpful.

[olhillbilly]

The main reason for Not selling by the pound is that when the State Weights and Measures inspector comes around and your Scales are not certified, He Will Shut you down. That happened here with one of the Amish. Now everyone sells by the box, sack, piece, or such.

Scales for selling a commodity are to be certified yearly.

[bobberguy]

Start some sun flowers like 4 in a containr also zuccs or cukes and sell them at the flea marke now and all through aug and you can get a $1 easy since no one else will have them. Buy a bal of string at the farm center for $18 that has 10,000 or more feet and sell it it 100 foot sectionsfor a $1 for tomatoes./ The string is nice and thick and will also sell at the farmers market. go to yard sells and buy things like 50 pounds of nails cheap and sale them in bags of a pound for half that the stores sale them! Get a 50 or 100 of my bobbers for $2 each from me and sell them for $5 each 3 for $10 at the flea marker and you will sell probably 20 each time you go! Our whole sale price is $2.50 but I can give deals for special people and as promotions. You will also get flyers to pass out with your name that you can attach!

[tentfire]

Gosh, HB, I never realized that, but makes sense. I didn't know there was such an inspector. What a job! So glad you pointed that out. Yep, I will stick to the bags with NO weights on them. Now I am thinking I will have to check into that as far as my skin creams and stuff goes. Thanks!

And thanks, again, bobber, for the suggestions. I will get with you on those bobbers. I've been thinking about that anyway.

[dsmith]

We have a farmers market here. But the health department is very strict about it. Watch out for them too.

[bobberguy]

I often wonder what the health department is doing with the road vendors that are selling corn that is a week old. They are also selling produce that they buy from the produce centers that have half rotten pepers and take the good ones out whih are half contaminated and sell they in the hot sun!

[dsmith]

Does make you wonder

[tentfire]

No more Farmer's Market.

Before I went, I told them SPECIFICALLY what types of items I would be bringing, namely my soaps, fish bait, skin creams and cook book. I went over each item individually, and they said, "Sure, no problem. Come on down and set up!" I said that I would have a few plants soon and later a few veggies (all burnt up now, of course). But the lady watching over it all made it clear that SHE was bringing plants and produce (the types I mentioned) and didn't want me too. (another story in itself) Anyway, I went out and purchased one of those 8' umbrella canopies, put my displays together, went once, then they tell me "sorry, we changed our minds .... we are only going to allow produce, plants and food." The produce lady can purchase produce from all over the US in bulk, have it shipped in, too, who knows how they were grown and with what chemicals, hire help, make a full business of it, intimidate anyone else that tries to bring produce, but someone coming with Oklahoma made products can't . Oh, yes, and a woman selling pies without a permit can, too. Definitely something unkosher, here

I don't figure this new market will expand much, or last long with the 3 vendors it currently has.

[dsmith]

That is such a shame. I hate to hear that. You were so excited about it. Sometimes things just are not fair and right.