Welcome Brian!! glad to hear from another area market gardener. I am small 'taters, what you would call a micro-business. I garden inner city on the south side of Raleigh and sell mostly ornamentals, patio tropicals, and herbs. I'm a one man operation with no desire to do it full time - I like my real job.

I buy my supplies at Coors Farm Supply in Smithfield (great supplies but limited hours of operation) or AgriSupply in Garner. I've heard that most of the local nurserymen buy from these two also.

I buy a lot of plants at a retail nursery in Sanford (I cannot name them, they are banned from Garden Web and any posting mentioning them by name is punished). They have cheap prices so I buy small amounts of a lot of rooted cuttings rather than entire flats of any one thing. I buy from them every month throughout the summer. But I grow and sell small amounts of plants, you may want to buy from any of the larger providers. There are a few that are within two hours of the Triangle (google NC Nursery or Bedding Plants).

The current state of the industry here is kinda "iffy" due to the extreme drought. Plant sales plummeted once watering restrictions went into place - many small and large nurseries have recently gone out of business. Some have also lost there homes and land due to this crisis. It is mighty sad, but things will eventually turn around and I believe the smaller nimble plant businesses will adapt when it does.

I've sold at the large flea market in Raleigh. It was $18 per space. Drop in vendors have to be set up by 9am and are pretty much pushed to the outer edge - which isn't a bad thing for people often want to drive up to load up large plants. Crowds can reach up to 10,000 shoppers on a good weekend but few of them are there to buy plants or produce so it is not a good place for long term. It is an easy place to start out because it is easy to get into and learn how to sell (an important lesson). I still sell there if I have a large supply of something showy and I see a few vendors selling produce and plants there all year round, I think they are employees of some larger operation just trying to move some surplus product. I don't think they make a ton of money but they come back each weekend. It is a Saturday-Sunday market, 9am til 5pm, all year round except for October (state fair).

There is the state farmers market system - there's one in Raleigh and one in Greensboro. They are large well-built market buildings with nice parking and facilities (unlike the fairgrounds) but they get very full early in the season. They can be difficult to get into as a vendor. The one in Raleigh seems to be overrun by large nurseries dumping product at very low prices. Most small or backyard operations fail at it. I won't sell there because you have to be in line at 5am just to see if there is a space available. There is a rumor that they will restrict plant vendors this next spring due to the drought - they don't want to encourage water wasting with newly planted plants. I've also heard that some of their regular vendors have gone out of business. I believe they are $15 per spot. Customers show up as early as 6am and everything winds down by 2pm. It is a year round operation but spring and summer is the busy season. I've never seen a small produce vendor there - all the produce seems to come from large farms.

Currently I sell at the Wake Forest Farmers Market - though I had to stop when the drought got worse. I plan on selling there next year. It is small, charming, downtown open air market. The group that organizes it is a fun and lively bunch and very easy to work with but it is a new market and needs more customers. The town is behind it and supports it in many ways that other cities don't, but being a new market in a developing corner of the Triangle - it may take a while before it has the customer base it needs. There are a few produce vendors, a few cut flower operations, and a few plant vendors and a bunch of crafts people. It is only on Saturdays from 8am til noon.

I have friends that sell at the Carrboro Market. It is the dream market for any vendor. Tons of customers, who after years of training, gladly pay top dollar for just about anything. I don't know how easy it is to get in there as a vendor but if you could that would be the market to set up at.

I've heard good things about Durhams market also but I don't know anyone that sells there.

Cary has small farmers market but I have never seen many customers at it.

From what I've heard, the general basics of farm stands are what sell the best: tomato, potato, greens, greenbeans, strawberries, blueberries, watermellons... Some markets have better luck moving heirlooms and hot peppers. From my experience you have to grow two types of crop - one for people to buy (like bell peppers) and one to catch their eye (like an array of colorful peppers). I find when selling plants that the blooming things bring people to my booth, but they buy basic normal plants. It is as if the flashy tropicals draw them in but they mostly buy to old garden standby's.

Hope this helps.

The Triangle is a great place to garden!