This might help you?I used to live 57 miles north of Nashville,Tn.;in Scotsville,Ky..Now I was in the middle of Amish who almost all had a veggie stand in front of their homes.They also had a sign, that had hooks hanging that they would hang small wood signs that had what was available such as Radishes and that radish sign had hooks so they could hang a sign with peas,etc..
This way passerby would know if they wanted to stop and what you had for sell.And one neighbor said even with a sign in English, the occasional dumb English (that is what they call the non-Amish there) , would ask for something not on the sign and was not in season yet and did not understand that tomatoes were not ready when snap peas were. You have to educate your customer that you do not import so you have things from different climates, and everything in home grown local based on climate and sometimes climate does not always work for us.
Later you can invest in green houses and such to try to control the climate.

I do have large chalkboard to use to advertize what I have, just thought to have a *Grand Opening* it would be nice to have more available. I do have one of my hoophouses up (32ft x 50ft.) , it is full of tomatoes,eggplant & peppers. I also figured I could just let people know that because I grow everything myself, *Mother Nature* has more control than I do. Appreciate the imput. Thanks.

I know how you feel. It seems like no matter how hard you try everything is not going to go perfectly every year. We have always had trouble with controling flea beetles, though this year I think we have finally got some control over them, but they did really do a number on our arugula, broccoli raab, radishes, some of our greens, and our pak choi. Then there was the leaf minors, which we never really had a huge problem with before, they were there but did not completly destroy anything. We lost our first crop of beets to them, they really did some damage to our spinach and our swiss chard. We also had slug problems this year. We also lost almost all of our peas.

It seems to be for us the year of the bugs.

One good thing though is when everthing seems to have failed, and I just feel like giving up (do not plan on it, but feel like it), somehow things turn around and we have lots of things to sell. As if they came from nowhere. Things grow quickly, so things can make a change for the better very quick. Just don't give up.

This will be our second year selling for market, and every time something goes wrong it just makes me realize how much there really is for us to learn.

One thing is for sure is it completly different growing vegetables for yourself as it is for market. Things need to be timed just right,which a lot of the time is very hard to control, due to weather and other various things. Also it is so much more important to get the most out of what you grow and for it to be the best possible quality.

Well anyhow I need to get some rest since we are going to have our first market of this season on Saturday and I am going to have to pick all our lettuce tomorrow. I also have to get together most of out signs, labels etc. I really do not have much ready. Wow, I have a lot to do. You would think that since I have been waiting for this day for how long now I would be more prepared, but of coarse not, why would I. I am so very excited, I can hardly stand it! I can not believe the first market of this year is finally here!

Since this is my first year we have been so crazy busy just getting up hoophouses, tilling land, ordering supplies, trying to driil an ag. well , starting seeds, transplanting, fertilizzing and you name it and then comes the weather and the pest. Yes it can make you want to give up before you even start, but I won't,I've been waiting too long for this. Although I wanted to sell things that I grew myself, my husband thinks that I should buy some strawberries and asparagus from local farmers to sell along with my herbs and lettuces for now. I might do that. Thanks for the encouragement and good luck with your market.

I post a sign announcing one week in advance that I will be open. I start when my corn season starts since that is my number one crop... Bob.