I wish you well! Perhaps if you posted on the Market Gardeners forum you would find help.

Since nobody replied - there are 2 regulars here who sold at farmers markets, but Valleyrimgirl as far as I know only sells assorted flowering plants; and Pudge used to sell cut flowers and crafts but I believe has decided not to this year.

Definitely check out the Market Gardening section, of course you're welcome here too. Growing vegetables for market has always been a dream of mine, no time or space right now though.

I do admire that people can do this...especially for our northerly location
and short growing season.
Although, I'm not hanging out much at farmers markets...sometimes I'm
wondering where they get fresh veggies from, [for a example carrots]
looked like grown on steroid's... when mine in the ground are just peaking out.

Konrad

Gillian is quite right about me, I have been selling bouquets of flowers & various other items at farmer's market for about 5 years now. Our market is in a lake area, popular with cottagers/city folk on the weekends. What I've observed over the past few years, as I'm sure many vendors have also noticed, is that farmer's market is very much a social thing, not just somewhere to go get baking and vegetables. People like to wander about, see different products, be entertained a bit, have lunch or a snack. Food vendors at our market are always busy.

Our market is governed by a board of directors and the membership votes on important changes. We have a list of many rules - one of which, and probably the most important, is that every vendor must grow or make their own products, which gets rid of the re-sellers. We must agree to the market manager inspecting our production to ensure that no one is re-selling someone else's product. If your market isn't governed by some rules and if the market manager isn't enforcing the rules, then there isn't much anyone can do about the resellers coming in and undercutting everyone else. Then it just cheapens the whole concept of going to market to buy quality locally grown produce or fresh home baking. We should not have to drop our prices to move product - we work hard for what we offer! So instead vendors quit coming, and the customers quit getting selection and eventually they quit coming - after all, the grocery store is basically a re-seller of produce, too.

The best idea is to get rid of the re-sellers, take the market back to basics of vendors offering what they produce themselves. Quality and honesty with a bit of folksy thrown in for fun :)

2fennelshirts where are you from? Around my place there are a couple of farmer markets, one has a sponsor and one is directed by a board so I guess all complaint would go to those people. Another on is basically who ever shows up with a table. That one does not get as much traffic. I personally have a few people I provide baskets for on a weekly basis and charge according to how big a basket they get. Last year was not a great year around here, hoping for better this year. Do you buy your spot for the year? If you do I would raise your issues with whoever you pay. It is in everyone interest to have a successful market. If people are selling junk nobody will come. C

These are good points about reselling. I have never been to our local farmer's market because it's only open on Saturdays when I work. So I don't know what their policies are, but I know some kids were selling fundraiser chocolate bars when I was in school so that's hardly local produce.

We have pickup trucks by the highways in summer advertising "local corn", when the local fields haven't even tasseled out yet. Not sure how they expect us to believe that...