Wow, I can't believe how well you did for your first time open! That is great to hear. How did people find out about you to come from 15-20 miles away? What is your stand setup like?

We had our first market of the year on Saturday. We sold a lot of lettuce and considering it was much slower than a normal Saturday, we did pretty well. The only problem is that it is a smaller market and we still have tons of lettuce that needs to be picked and no place to sell it. Most of the other markets around here do not start for at least a month.

I wish we could set up a roadside stand, but we are actually not allowed to do so in the city we live in. We tried once though and did not do very well at all. I would like to try it again this year but am not sure what I can do to make it more successful. We live on a busy street so traffic isn't a problem. It is just getting people to stop. If I knew we could be successful, I think I could fight the city to let us have the roadside stand.

I've been doing market since the 1st week of May. Things have been very slow. I've basically been selling beautiful veggie starts. I've only made an average of $50 - $60 a day. It's a small town (4500) and we were not allowed to put our 5 signs up with out permits. So very few shoppers.
Now, thats taken care of there still is not much traffic. I did make $80 today. Just perennials. I am hoping to have cut flowers later. and some produce. that is if the striped cumumber beetle doesnt entirely destroy my plants!! I also sell from my home on the weekends and have averaged about $300 a week between the both.

My stand is a 10 x10 ft. gazebo. My husband built stands to hold baskets and flats. I ordered signs and and pennant flags. I have about 5 acres so I put a large sign at each end of the property so people had time to slow down and stop. It looks quaint & clean with pots of flowers. A one woman farmers market kinda. On Sat. it rained so I had my girls meet people at the car with an umbrellla. We also live in a relatively small town so people who know us stopped. The people from out of town were just out and about and stopped. I'm in a kinda a holding pattern now waiting for other crops to came in. Lettuce in not a huge draw on its own. Wish everyone success.

I have about 2000 sq feet. This was my first year growing. I went out to like 10 different local nursuries and picked the one I had the best feeling about. Was able to sell 100 organic vegetable plants there @ 12.99 each and am waiting now for my produce which I will also be selling there. Hopefully I can make another 5,000 before the summer is over. Good luck to everyone.

How big were your plants that you could get $12.99 each for them. Thats great. Your selling produce at a nursery?

Hi Gardener1908. The plants I sold were about 2 months old started in feb indoors under 7 6 bulb t5 high output flourescent lights. (It cost me about 1300 for the lights and 200 for the electricity bill a month).

The plants were about 18 inches tall sold in a 2 gallon bucket between May 7-June 15

The nursery also has a produce stand in it. I really lucked out because the place has been around for 20 years and the owner loves when local people bring fresh stuff to his place to sell.

I think I did get luckier than the average person looking to do what we all want to do but my advice to you or anyone else who is looking to turn growing things into a career is to work really hard. I must of gone to like 15 nurseries before I found one that I was comfortable with that wanted what I was selling.

Some of the nurseries tried to convince me to grow non-organic produce and plants and tried telling me there was no market for organic but my gut told me to ignore them and not even deal with them and then I found the guy I am working for now and not only providing vegetable plants but the vegetables as well.

This is a great question. We started our market on May 9th, Mother's Day. This is over a month earlier than we started last year. Last year we started on June 19th. Over the winter and during the spring I built two 18 by 45 high tunnels. I have one that is filled with tomatoes and the other has zucchini, cucumbers, Cherry tomatoes, and peppers. I also housed my hanging tomato baskets and 300 tomato and pepper plants I sold.

It has been a rough spring for us. Wind, Snow,and cold. I have battled back. I am fighting a fungus disease on some of my tomatoes, I feel that I am holding it back or winning a little.

I started out the year on the first day making more money than I have on any day in the last three years. This was because of selling plants and hanging baskets of tomatoes. I can say that it has dropped off since then. I knew that was coming!

I have been selling produce out of my buildings since and from outside since May 23rd. I have been selling things faster than ever. I can barely keep up. I have pulled all my onions for small green onions, people really liked them. I have harvested more broccoli than I ever thought I would and sold every cauliflower head that I didn't eat! They were yummy! My jelly sales have been good. My zucchini sales have been really good. I planted equal numbers of a light green and a dark green zucchini. It has been hard to convince them to try the light green one. I should have known this. The harder fact is I pick about 3 light green ones to 1 of the dark green ones! In my fridge I have 5 dark green ones and about 50 light green ones!

I have sold out of all my radishes, lettuces, spinach and mixed greens.

This year has been a learning experience, even for a 4 year hardened seller. PLANT MORE IN SUCCESSION! I did what I did last year and it didn't work for me this year. Why, we started a month sooner, duh! Such a simple idea! I could have sold 3 times as many radishes, and 3 times more lettuce and spinach. If I would have planned better!

Now I know. I am going for broke for the rest of the year. I am digging and picking things and replanting with something new. I am trying new things, like growing Summer Crisp lettuce in June and July. I hope it works! I have planted more beets, wish I would have planted more, sooner! Replanting onions this weekend and probably green beans. I will be replanting squash ASAP, I have to find the space first! I have planted 3 planting of cucumbers. I haven't picked too many off the first planting, yet. I am trying to make plans for this fall, like starting broccoli and cauliflower now from seed. I am also planting lettuce for transplanting this summer. I have seed bought for radishes for this fall and more lettuce.

I have been thinking about trying to grow more spinach, chard, beets and carrots in my hoop buildings until they die. I hope my wife doesn't kill me this year! I have paid for both of my buildings this year and I have almost made enough to pay off all my seed starting expenses. I haven't even sold a single tomato, they are my money maker!

I am just starting to pick tomatoes out of my hoop building. I hope they keep producing, like I hope they will.

I am keeping really busy with weeding and planting. Sales have slipped off a bit, but it is really hard to sell the exactly the same thing that everyone else has. I sell out of what everyone else doesn't have. I wish I would have planted more of it though. Another two weeks and the sales will start back up, I hope. Time will tell what the future holds. I think I can grow more, but I hope I will be able to sell it too!

BTW, I am growing on between a 1/3 and 1/2 acre. I have about 1800 square feet under plastic. This is my summer job. I am also a full time teacher and father of 4 girls under the age of 7. Yes, I don't sleep and if I do something I do it all the way 100%. I am having the time of my life and I don't think any of this is work. When your work is something you enjoy, everyday is a joy!

jrslick - glad you have been doing so well. I am also growing on about the same amount of space. I only have one hoophouse up 32x50ft (2 more going up in the fall). We got a late start but the tomatoes and eggplants in there are leaps ahead of those outside. I too am going for round two on plantings and getting ready for fall crops. It's funny I have been gardening for years but this is the first time for market and growing some things for the first time and I find myself doubting myself and thinking things too hard. LOL My husband is a laid off auto exec. and I have wanted to do this for years so we took some savings and started this up so I would like to at least like to cover our cost and make a little money - the savings only last so long. It will be interesting as the season goes by to see how others are doing. Glad your having so much fun - me too , just tired!!

Our market sales are better than the average over the last 10 years. I'm not getting much out of our garden, but selling alot of veggie plants.

Our produce is just starting. Lots of yellow squash, some zucchinis and start now starting to get some 'field' tomatoes. 'Field' tomatoes to me, is ones grown in ground and not covered by plastic or row covers. Our beans did not do well this year, so they got mowed off and replanted.

The number of vendors at each market is growing, the number of customers is growing and every week is a new personal best at each market. I have been getting so many tomatoes, to ensure I don't have to can these beauties, I send my sister to a fourth market this week. She did really good too!

My farm is up about $150 a week over last year. We also are doing a CSA for the first time in 4 years. Dropped a weekday market in order to do the CSA and that is making double what the week day market ever made us and it we get another 15 members will make more than the Sat farmers market.

We have been selling since March (we do a lot of season extension and have created early markets for ourselves).

Our market added an additional 14 spaces early in the year, and now just added another 10 spaces. Now we have a total of about 70 spaces. It seems EVERYBODY wants to sell at the farmers market. Maybe they think it's easy and they'll get rich. Good luck.

hanselmanfarms, it is the same at our market. There are so many new vendors and not enough space for everyone. Now we are having streetside arguments about how much space people are using and who goes where. I think the new vendors DO think they will get rich quick! But we all know the joke about the farmer who won the lotto...he kept farming until it was all gone!

My first 2 markets (we are in the north) have been great though. Sold out. Customers are putting up with the price increases (minimum wage went up a lot here) with only a few angry folks. On my way to market again this morning. Cheers

Our spaces are assigned. In March, we have to fill out our contracts and pay 1/2 of booth rental by then, with the other 1/2 paid before market starts in May. Every spot was reserved, plus several of the first expansion. With a 'waiting list' for spaces, our organization that runs the market asked the city for permission to expand the market spaces.

I don't try to sell out. I read a few years ago that it ideal amount will still bring 10% back at the end of the market. Their thoughts were that if you ended up at the end of the day with only 10% then your prices were right and you estimated the amount that was needed. I assume the 10% would be the unsaleable, poorer quality stuff.

I am seeing alot more people buying the fresher produce that we all have versus the grocery stores.

My pet peeve this year is, the national news telling people to wait til the end of the market and for them to expect lower prices at the end of the market day. That way they save money. HEY I have to eat too. I can/preserve alot of the left-over produce. I try to price my produce at reasonable prices, you know prices that I would pay IF I had to buy. Give me a break!

I have been to 4 markets so far. We are behind this year due to the poor weather. Our sales are down slightly from last year at this time, but I think it has more to do with the lack of things to sell and not a lower demand. I am sure once we have a few more things ready to harvest we will see our sales level out.

I agree about the bartering thing. We are lucky to be able to take anything that doesn't sell at market back to the farm to sell at our farm shop. The "farmers market tips" that are given on the news are telling people that farmers are going to throw away things they don't sell, and I think for most of us that is not true. I just tell those customers that we have other options to sell the produce and that we are not willing to reduce the price. What I really have an issue with is the people who come at the end of market and ask for things for free and then say "well you are going to throw it in the garbage".

All in all I am optimistic about this season.

We have had a slower season, but thanks to friends that have greenhouse produce, we have had enough produce. Sales are DOWN on produce, normally we should be at the $15-$20K market, but we are only at $11. And that with higher prices.

Our community gardens have a waiting list and filled up within 1 week of announcing the sign-up time.

I know our families will be putting up more veggies than we usually do this year. I don't put anything in 'the garbage', we have chickens and our friends have pigs. If we have unusable produce, we feed the animals and save on animal feed.

hanselman, would you mind clarifying what you meant by "we should be at the $15-20k market, but we are only at $11.00 Thank you.

total sales. Over the last 10 yrs, I have kept records. With what I'm seeing at the farmers market, number of customers, amount of $$ customers are spending, and past sales records, our market stand should have been in the $15-$20k (k=$1,000) range, but actual sales totals are just over $11k.

I am finding that customers are buying, but really watching the prices. If they normally, in the past, bought 4-5 big tomatoes, this year they are getting by with 2-3 instead.

My prices are higher, along with the other vendors at the market, but the customers are not buying as much. Also LOTS of customers are bringing the eco-friendly bags instead of taking plastic bags from us. This helps us by not having to buy as many bags. We do not use used bags, board of health really 'frowns' on reusing bags from one customer to another.

Hope this explains better.

It does and thank you. Due to weather and mistakes made by me in timing, I have not opened my stand since strawberry season, not enough to be out there just to make $30-$40.00. I am still waiting for tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and potatoes. I am hoping to earn enough to put up another hoop in September. Gave up on the idea that I would earn enough to cover this year's investment. But I am putting up a lot of food for the family and I figure, I could sell my beans, or put them up and thats money I won't be spending this winter. This was my learning year, we didn't even get the hoop up & field plowed til mid- May, and I am hoping to be much better prepared next year.

Gardener1908 - I hear you. This was my learning year too. So was last year and the year before that. :-)

At my local market this morning I sold out in an hour and a half, which is good, but I could have sold a lot more if I had only had it. Like you, I am still waiting for a lot of things to mature. I'm wishing I had put up a hoop house to speed some things along, but that wasn't in the financial cards for this year. Maybe next year if this one improves a little.

ThinMan

The first few years you learn ALOT. I have friends that live south of me and have more experience and labor than I have, so I have been supplementing what I have with some of their stuff. I am also in Z5, but about 120 miles south of MI/IN state line.

thinman - LOL.

Like I said I knew this was going to be a learning year. And, all things considered, I have had decent crops, just not enough of variety, ex; tons of lettuce but nothing else, beans are in, nothing else. I"m sure it would be easier to do a farmers market with only one item to sell vs. opening a roadside stand with just lettuce, but I wonder if the $15-20 fee would've been worth it. If I had some tomatoes, a few peppers,potatoes, eggplants, then you can put out a couple of baskets of beans and it looks like you have something to sell, not just a home gardens left overs. I haven't had rain in 5 weeks now and watering a been tough to keep up with. My home pump is running 6 + hours a day. When I drive around and see some of the corn fields and see that the first 2-3 feet of the corn is brown and dead looking I see the lack of rain is hurting everyone. But I know that is farming and gardening. It seems it's one thing or another. Stiil holding out for a decent August. I continue to learn.

Just stopped to check in and see how things were going for everyone this season. Sounds like mixed reviews.

My markets here, in Up-State NY have taken a huge nose dive.
(We are down by 50 to 75%.)
I sell rare perennials and fruit N veggies, but all products are selling at a pathetic pace.I know, perennials are a luxury, not a neccessity. Still, I thought food crops would remain a good seller.
Even the bigger veggie guys are way down from previous years.
My guess is that so many of our regular customers are now growing their own produce, so they can save themselves a little $$.
Even driving around the city, (Troy & Albany), you see these postage stamp sized lawns turned veggie garden.Kinda cool to look at, beautiful, even,... but definitely taking away sales. Community gardens are popping up everywhere, too.

The only vendor at my markets actually UP in sales is the wine lady!

Here's hoping for a recovery in the economy REAL quick. (OK, well, at least by next market season.)Or I, for one, will be back to working a dreaded "Real Job".

I have noticed that my sales are down versus previous years, also down between 50% and 75%. but our prices were up, volume way down.

This week just sucked. Sales about 1/2 of last week. School starts week after next. Sure hope sales pick up some after it gets started. Our tomatoes are just starting to come in at a decent rate.

Today, sold 9 bushel of green beans at $1-$1.50 per pound. If I had not have had so many, the price would have been $2/lb. At least I didn't have to come home and can them all.

Hi All...

I have been asked to take a space at a new farmer's market in town that starts in the afternoon and goes until 7pm. I am wondering if you all think it would be worth it this late in the season. (Up here it runs through the middle of October.) I would be doing fresh cut herbs and potted ones because I didn't plan on doing this, so don't have enough ingrown to sell all fresh. They said the other girl moved but she was practically giving her herbs away....50 cent to a 1.00 but they were very small amounts.
I was thinking more like $2 or $2.50 a bunch for herbs, and potted ones for $3.00, except the ones in decorative containers, which I am planning on doing to fill up my space and create some eye appeal.

Personally, I think it is too late for pottted herbs, esp. in your zone. I had (and still do)quite a few potted herbs to sell, but dut to the fact that I got my stand started late I only sold a few. You might be able to sell a few perrenials. Next year I will be better prepared and I will have them out in May when people are starting their gardens. I was asking between $2.50 & $3.00 for 3-4 inch pots. I checked out what the local nurseries & big boxes had and mine were hands down bigger & better. Fresh herb, yeah, basil with fresh tomatoes,dill with pickles,etc. Depending how much the stall rental is, and how long you are going to be there(is it a big market?)you may find you have to sale a lot of herbs to make it worth it. However, if you plan on doing it again next year, it would be a way to get your name out there. Others here w/ more experience will weigh in I'm sure. Good Luck.

If you pot them with instructions for over-wintering, you might make out ok. Fresh herbs still sell well at my market. I always hear someone looking for fresh herbs at the way til end of my market (oct 31).

gardener1908 & hanselmanfarms:

Thank you both for your responses. I guess it just goes to show you how different markets can be. I think I am going to give it a shot, fresh herbs and the potted ones too. Good idea about the handout, I could put it on the other side from the little half sheet I did about storing and drying fresh herbs. And, like you said...if nothing else I will get my name out there for next year, and be assured a spot in the market next year.

thanks for your help!!
SeeksRoots

Hey tink Im from rockford ! (live in pecatonica) What market will you be at? I would like to stop by and get some herbs. Right now I just have/grow rosemary and would like to get a few others. I need cilantro for salsa.

Joe

Down here my markets appear to be 25-35% off from last year. I'm having a lot more walking and looking. We've had a rash of new vendors, people planting extra garden figuring they'll make a few dollars at the market. And that's not a problem for me until they come in and undercut all the folks that are there to make a living. One fellow came in and asked me what I was going to sell a quart of blackberries for this year. I told him and he went to his booth and undercut me by $2.00. Same with the veggies. If the regulars are selling tomatoes for $1.75 they'll sell for $1.00. It's not cultivated pleasant relations at our market this year.

We have had alot of "part-timers" start up this year. And yes they like to under-cut alot. We have to mention the quality to the customers more this year.