Any ideas you guys have before I head to the meeting?

How is your economy doing, alot of people in my area have been out of work for so long, they are not spending at all.

Marla

The only good news is that the thinking amongst us is that this is probably cyclic. Being farmers we have to beleive that the weather will always be better next year, that the economy will turn around and the people return. We have seen this before and that's always happened. It will weed out some of the vendors (especially the new and the small ones) but in the end the markets will survive and thrive. I know this is small comfort but it's the nature of the beast.

Tom

Over the past 13 years, I have noticed that there is definitely a cycle with farmers markets, just like any other business. The more people that get into the business, the money is divided into more pockets and everyone (except newbies) make less per season. This cycle started about 2008 for our area. Each year, more and more people started their own market business, thinking us 'old-timers' were making LOTS of money for little work. I hope they realized that the amount of money that we made, didn't average out to much per hour.

Marla

Also one of the vendors on our committee brought the state ag regulations to the meeting and wants us to completely conform. She is a master gardener (nice older lady) so i think she likes that kind of state rules crap. Our market has previously been super loose on what we allow. We have a salsa contest every year where entrants' salsas are tasted and voted on by giving money to the food shelf jars. We all sample everything. One vendor makes fresh salsa type stuff so I started going back to selling certain freshly made items too since she was.

Now I had recently decided not to sell anything questionable anymore except pumpkin pie, but as for samples, well none of us would sell much without samples. Especially for canned stuff like different kinds of jams or pickles. I cannot sell granola unless I sample it. So now we are looking into what needs to be done to allow samples.
My 2c is what the guy next to me has done for years. He sells only produce but likes to let people taste the orange watermelon or whatever. He will not use the word sample but if a customer is looking at the item he will ask ' do you want to try it?' Then he will cut off a piece. See, he found a loophole. The rest of us put out pieces of baked goods or chips and a small salsa bowl or whatever. So if that is going to be nixed now I say we still let someone try something but have it behind us and only give a 'taste' if they are looking. It is extremely hard to sell food items (not produce) without letting people try it. Especially since people around here are so tight fisted anyway.

As for our vendors, we had only one approved new vendor so far. Our products include tons of canned food, tons of baked stuff, two bread vendors, produce with a good diversity, BBQ sauce, maple syrup, some textile type crafts, flower bouquets, plants including shrubs and perennials, soaps, chair massage, honey, meat, eggs, small amount of crafts and jewelry and one community table.
I would like to see cheese, cooked food vendor like corn dogs or something that smells enticing, lots more arts and crafts.
Twice a year we have a craft day and let others set up all around with crafts. That way they can taste what the market is like and people love it. You tend to make less that day but it makes the market more exciting which I think is important. I might make more one day with bad weather where other vendors stay home but that isn't good in the long run I think. Well maybe the market will do ok this year! I am hopeful.

I had to change my smartphone from Sprint service to Net10 (AT&T) to be able to get service near my markets.

Over the years, I've had several customers ask if I took credit cards. During that time, I didn't, so they had to run to the ATM and then come back. Some did and I'm sure some never returned that day.

Another option is to allow the craft people in once per month, on a certain week, like 1st or 3 rd week.

1. Marketing/Advertising (I'm assuming your market advertises heavily in the local paper)
2. The 'Experience Factor', people not only go to the market for fresh food, but also for the experience, and a chance to socialize. For example, if you don't have hot food vendors, get some. If you don't have tables and chairs near the hot food vendors, get some (all of our food vendors are in the same section near the band). If you don't have a band or at least music playing, look into getting it. I've seen it with my very own eyes, once the band starts playing (not too loud, or obnoxious, but more of background music), sales instantly increase. People like to shop in a good mood, and music puts people into a good mood. Go to a clothing store or grocery store...stop and listen...I bet you never noticed it before...did you? Yep, advertising at its finest.
3. Weather-basically is connected to the experience factor.
4. Number of customers growing their own food (solution: ask them what they grow, and then try to offer a unique variety of what they are growing that they can't start themselves. For example if everyone grows basil, grow purple basil or lime basil, and then teach them how and why to use it in addition to what they are currently growing. Another example, is that everyone who shops at my market grows cilantro in their pots at home, and thus my cilantro sales are pitiful, but I keep growing it because when it goes to flower, I sell cilantro flowers to garnish salads and soups.

We have got to stay creative. It is not enough to grow it. If you are in the business of growing and selling food (which we all are)-don't forget the second equally critical part...growing & SELLING food.

I do agree that not everyone can grow, just like not everyone that grows can SELL what they grow. You can just have people show up, set up, and then SIT DOWN. People will walk away. If you have more vendors NOT paying attention to possible customers than ones that do, something needs to change.

At our major local market (going on for over 160 years), they don't have a distance limit. We have vendors from over 50 miles away. This has worked for the market. This market had less than 20 vendors in 1999 and last year had to turn away vendors due to space. Only enough space for 75-80 vendors.

@myfamily farm, maybe music doesn't work well at your market since every market is different, but it does double our sales at our market & could be worth trying for other markets who need to increase customer numbers and sales.

As I said, I think 35- 40 miles is no big deal if someone has what you want but I didn't get to vote on the vendors last year. I am ready to do some fishing for vendors.