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Old November 24, 2008   #10
Wi-sunflower
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 2,591
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If you have that many markets nearby, check out plenty before hand. I've been selling at farmers markets for over 25 years and have been at several types.

There are usually 2 or 3 "types" of markets.

1 is a flea type market that also has some produce area. For me not a good fit. Usually has 3 grades of produce, homegrown, wholesale, and stuff the wholesalers are ready to throw out. The customers usually don't realize the quality differences and just look at the price. Difficult place to sell at if you are the one with the good quality.

2 is just a "farmers market" but has no "homegrown" rule or doesn't enforce it. Another type to avoid if you want to get decerning customers.

I was at 1 of them for many years. They had a "homegrown" rule but never enforced it. It finally got so bad that on any given Saturday probably 1/2 the produce came from the "commission market" or a huge mega farmer about 30 miles away. It's hard to compete with people that buy the produce and don't have any labor costs. It also kills the quality image of the market since shipped in tomatoes or melons never taste as good as homegrown vine-ripe, but often the customers don't know why (because it's shipped in).

3 is a strictly "homegrown" rule market that is enforced, where you can't even bring in stuff grown by your neighbor. If you don't grow it yourself, you don't sell it.

That is where you will get the best prices and have the better informed customers. It will very likely be the hardest type of market to get into if it's been established for a while. The several in my area have been "full" for years and have a waiting list for new vendors.

Another thing is to try to find a mid-week market. A good 1 is hard to find, but it will help keep your produce "fresh" as anything leftover from a Saturday market will usually not make it til the next Saturday, but can be sold OK or as "seconds" at the mid-week. If you find 1 that gets you about 1/2 of the sales as your Saturday market consider yourself lucky.
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