Where I live people will buy anything that is nicely presented. The only thing I wasn't able to sell last year were my squash blossoms (well, 1 bunch got sold), and I had mostly brought them as a novelty eye-catcher so I wasn't fussed.

I am only starting on my second year but I think this year will be just as good. We will raise our prices since I think they were too low last year and we could have made more money.

Start at a manageable level so that you don't get overwhelmed and discourage. It is a ton of work.

I live and market in a town of 4400. I make as much as I do in a town of 45,000 that I also sell in. You will need to work hard on building your market. It won't just build itself. Our small market averaged 12 vendors each week for the whole year. We had a high of 29 vendors.

In order to make a small market work, you need to be able to go to market every week. You can not miss a market, especially during the busy season.

I have found over the last 8 years of doing this, that you need to have a constant supply main produce items and a sprinkling of specialty items.

I find that the main items for me are Potatoes, Onions, Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and Zucchini. In the fall I add sweet potatoes and some winter squash. Looking at my sales and the amount of things I plant this would probably account for 75 to 85% of my sales and planting space. I don't grow sweet corn, but that would be an important crop too.

I do smaller plantings of Okra, Melons, Lettuce, Greens, Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower, radishes, Turnips, and beets.

I also am know for Carrots and Cherry tomatoes. These two crops are really close to main important crops.

I don't worry about cost and competing with others on price. I am the highest cost producer at my market and I sell out of most things every week. I feel that I can do this because I am reliable and I have the customer base.

Go for it, take your time. Know that you will make mistakes and learn from them. It won't happen over night, but over time you can be successful.

Jay

Be at every market, every week, even if you only have a little of 1 thing. Your face will become known and that is VERY important. Make your quality superior to anyone else's and keep your prices a bit higher than theirs. Know your stuff and how to fix it, how it tastes and how to preserve it if possible.

This is the year to learn EVERYTHING that you can about ANYTHING you plan on growing.

It will take years to do it well, and you're just starting out. Listen to the old-timers and sort out what is relevant to you.

Most of all, enjoy yourself.

Marla

Grow what you can grow well and what there is a demand for, probably things not available already at market but not necessarily. You don't have to grow everything, like we do for CSAs. Also expect to have to work really hard at selling. That is a bitter pill at first.

Another Illinois guy - that's fantastic. For a state that prides itself in it's agricultural heritage there are amazingly few true vegetable growers. Guess corn and beans are easier.

You've got the time between now and next year to plan and prep. You are doing the research phase now. Got to and study the market. I would worry less about what others are selling than on the quality of their wares. Quality sells. Also take a look at how the sellers are set up. Tents, tables, display boxes - all those things you can start thinking about (you never know when you might find a good price on things like that and knowing what you need before you are faced with pulling the trigger is an advantage). You have time to get your ground worked and amended (get you soil tested first) and prepare any special beds you want.

There are a lot of resources for small farmers in Illinois, especially through the University of Illinois. They put on a lot of meeting through out the year and have a commercial grower newsletter that is very informative and has a schedual of schools. The Land Connection is another group that assists small and sustainable growers with schools and info.

Don't be afraid to ask questions here - this is a pretty friendly board and there are some really good marketers willing to share what they know. Glad to have you aboard.

Tom

Here is a link that might be useful: Illinois Fruit and Vegetable News Homepage

Welcome aboard. This is a great place to learn a lot. If you're really serious about doing this, be prepared to be in it for the long haul--especially if you invest in perennials. Success in this business doesn't come overnight or easily. You are getting in at the right time though because there is a great awareness of locally grown food, and I don't see it diminishing any time soon. And that is an awesome thing!! By the way, I live in Effingham County and farm in Clay County if you're familiar w/the region.

Thank you all for the kind welcome! I have been stalking my market for the past two years trying to get the courage up to start this thing.

Magz and Little Minnie...absolutely on the presentation and marketing! I work retail now and even the cheapest items don't move if they look like crap on the shelf. Neat, clean and organized! I've worked retail most of my adult life actually, so I know how hard it can be to draw in customers and how much harder it is to keep them.

Jay...it is encouraging that you're making it in a small town. Small town folk can be a hard sell and a distrusting lot. Thank you for spelling out your ratio of products too!

Marla...you are so right on how it tastes and what to do with it. I spent last summer and fall teaching myself basic canning techniques. My poor husband was sure I was going to blow the house up. But we have feasted on our garden bounty for the past 6 months...no one even died, yet ;)

HenHouse...I grew up on my grandparents corn-n-beans farm. They had cattle when I was really little that they prided on being dry-lot, cornfed. Crazy how things change huh? I've been poking around on the U of I extension site, but man is that thing poorly designed! I will have to check out Land Connection...thank you! And, I've got a set up in my mind that would work perfectly at my market. Yard sales and thrifts hopefully will provide a good bit of what I need. But, you're right...having a plan always works better than cobbling together last minute.

BrookW...I'm not only familiar, I'm living smack dab in the middle of that region ;) Do you sell at markets in either of those counties? I don't see a lot of the locavore movement in my town, but I'm sure Effingham is way ahead of us on that. Those city folk always are LOL!

Again, thank you all for your time and advice! If I missed anyone, I apologize, it wasn't intentional!

Your right about the U of I website being a nightmare to navigate - you would think that at one of the premier schools for Computer Science they could find someone to work on it.

We're in the same neighborhood, too, as Brook. I live in Coles, my folks are up in Piatt and we market in Piatt and Macon. There have been a lot of smaller communities that have started FM's in the last couple of years but they almost always struggle to find good vendors. I have no doubt that you will find the customers receptive.

Garage sales and auctions are great place to get items for the market - I almost always strain my neck driving by one looking for ice chests.

Tom

Since you're in the area, you should have attended the So. Il Conference in Mt Vernon in feb. Next year, we look for you and maybe Tom (henhouse) and us can meet you. I live east of Danville, IL in Indiana.

Another cooler tip, those cooler bags work well for some things. also 2-liter bottles frozen work for a long time.

Marla