What Are The Best Items To Sell At A Farmers’ Market?

You may think that everyone selling at the farmers’ market is actually a farmer, but you would be wrong. People at the market sell all kinds of products ranging from eggs, meat and produce to handmade crafts and baked goods and lots of things in between. In this article, we discuss the many things you can sell successfully at the farmers’ market and make some profit. Read on to learn more on the best things to sell at farmers market.

Fruits And Veggies

Of course, fresh produce is one of the top items sold at the farmers’ market. If you’re going to have a garden and sell the produce, remember that unusual types of produce will sell best.

For example, it doesn’t take any more time or effort to grow heirloom tomatoes in an interesting array of colors than to grow plain “garden variety” tomatoes. Heirloom tomatoes generate interest and excitement, and you can sell them for quite a bit more.

In addition to standard garden fruits and vegetables, you can also expand your offerings to include unusual things such as mushrooms. Fresh, tasty, healthy herbs are also excellent sellers, which you can offer fresh in the spring and summer and dried or frozen during the fall and winter.

Gardening Products

If you have a roomy garden and/or greenhouse, you can also sell seedlings, landscape and houseplants and cut flowers. Your resources and your imagination are your only limitations.

You can sell seedlings, seed potatoes and home harvested seed early in the springtime. Sell flower bulbs in the autumn and in the spring. Sell pretty cut flowers throughout the springtime in the summer.

You can also design pretty planter boxes with seasonal offerings for your customers to take home and use as porch, patio and indoor decorations.

Houseplants are also popular. Succulents are especially trendy, and kitchen windowsill herb gardens always make a nice gift.

Canned Goods

Another way your garden can make you money, even in the dead of winter, is through homemade canned goods sales.

You can use your excess produce to make homemade jams and jellies, relishes, salsa, tomato sauce, sauerkraut and other specialty items. Home canned produce such as green beans and tomatoes are far more tasty than the store-bought versions.

Butter And Egg Money

If you have a milk cow (or dairy goat) and some chickens, you can always offer fresh milk, home churned butter and farm fresh eggs.

These items are always popular, and you can charge a fairly high price for them because most consumers prefer fresh dairy and egg products from small, humane farms to the stale, cruel alternatives available at the supermarket.

If you raise meat cattle, bison, goats, pigs, sheep, chickens or rabbits, you will naturally want to offer some farm fresh, grass fed meat for sale. If you are a hunter, you may want to offer venison or wild hog. Remember that all of these meats can be dried to make jerky.

Bake Homemade Treats For People And Pets

Home-baked bread, rolls, cakes, muffins, cookies and more are always popular at the farmers’ market.

In addition to treats for people, you can also bake all sizes, shapes and flavors of dog biscuits. This is a good way to use up byproducts of butchering livestock. One of the most popular flavors is bacon.

Vegan pet owners may prefer to give their pets peanut butter, pumpkin or sweet potato flavored doggie biscuits.

You can use different types of cookie cutters and/or specialized pet treat cutters to make customized treats for different seasons and holidays.

Honey And Bees

If you keep bees, you can naturally sell the honey. Other bee related products include homemade personal care items such as lotions, facial masks, scrubs and the like. Bee pollen and beeswax are also greatly in demand.

Seasonal Specialties

In the wintertime, you can sell specialty baked goods for the holidays along with greenhouse grown produce and/or early greens. This is also a good time to sell any craft items you may make it home. People love to buy handmade goods to give us holiday presents. Some of the most popular include:

• Christmas Ornaments
• Hand-Painted T-Shirts
• Embroidered Items
• Crocheted Items
• Homemade Toys
• Woodcarvings
• Needlework
• Doll Clothes
• Potholders
• Candles
• Pottery
• Aprons
• Quilts
• Soaps

Good Marketing Keeps You Successful All Year Round

Offering a variety of products helps keep your farmers’ market business fresh, interesting and exciting. Mix it up seasonally to create a steady stream of return customers. Use these tips to enhance your business:

1. Business Cards

Have attractive business cards printed up and hand them out regularly. Even if a potential customer is not interested in what you have on offer now, he or she may be in the future. Make sure that person has your contact information.

2. Get Their Contact Information

Keep a sign-up sheet and/or run contests and raffles to gather your potential customers’ email addresses. Be sure to give them the opportunity to opt in so that you can send them information about your farmers’ market business and your latest offerings.

3. Social Media

Set up an attractive, inviting, friendly social media page to stay in touch with your customers and potential customers.

4. Attractive Display

Keep current by dressing up your display at the farmers’ market to reflect the season. Change your decorations and your set-up at least seasonally to keep it fresh and interesting.

Post pictures on your social media pages and send notices in your newsletter whenever you change your products and gear up for a new season.

5. Be Dependable

Once your customers are used to seeing you in the same place at the same time on a regular, ongoing basis, don’t disappoint them. Treat your farmers’ market gig as a regular job. Show up on time; stay for the appointed time and always offer a consistent and reliable collection of products.

6. Be Respectful

Be respectful of the rules and regulations of the market. Before you ever set up, make sure you understand all of the guidelines of the farmers’ market you’re dealing with. Be sure to stay in close adherence.

Doing so indicates that you hold the market and other dealers in appropriate regard. It also helps to protect the safety and well-being of your customers.

Does Farmers’ Marketing Have To Be Ongoing?

Of course, it is possible to work the farmers’ market as a one-off or on a seasonal basis; however if you want to be really successful, it’s good to approach it as a regular business.

A consistent, dependable and professional attitude helps build your personal and business reputation. In the long run, this will contribute greatly to as the success of your farm or homestead.

Advice For Selling At Farmers’ Markets