abreakfromlife Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 I'm thinking about having my 8 and 10 yo grow something in the garden to sell at our local farmer's market this summer, but wasn't sure how complicated it is to sell. I looked up our local one and their form and stuff, and it seemed simple - just pay for your space and show up to sell. I'm not sure how much they'd need to grow, or if there's anything else that I can't think of that would make it more complicated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m0mmaBuck Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 Ha! My mind read this as "Have you ever sold your child at a farmers' market?" Oops. Sorry. No. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughing lioness Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 Sunshine on this forum sells at the farmers market regularly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cani e porci Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 Ha! My mind read this as "Have you ever sold your child at a farmers' market?"Same here! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacie Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 Ha! My mind read this as "Have you ever sold your child at a farmers' market?" Oops. Sorry. No. Same here! No, but the temptation has surfaced on occasion... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrystal Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 We sold eggs last year. The way the local farmer's markets are set up here we only have to pay the organizer for space. The state exempts us from collecting sales tax on anything that we grow or produce. It was a producer's only market and if there was something there for resale, like drinks for example, you had to have a business license from the city. That was our experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 I'm thinking about having my 8 and 10 yo grow something in the garden to sell at our local farmer's market this summer, but wasn't sure how complicated it is to sell. I looked up our local one and their form and stuff, and it seemed simple - just pay for your space and show up to sell. I'm not sure how much they'd need to grow, or if there's anything else that I can't think of that would make it more complicated. Yes, and yes. Definitely look up the requirements for the market where you want to sell. Contact them first. Some may or may not have space for you. Most are very friendly and will answer any questions you have. At markets where I sell, children under 16 must have an adult supervising them, but other than that, they are usually very family/kid friendly. At least, that has been my experience. As to how much you need to bring -- ask the market organizer what the average attendance is like for both vendors (like you) and for customers. If you are selling pumpkins, for example, ask how many vendors usually sell pumpkins. This will give you a gauge on how much to bring. You don't want to bring way too much your first time, but it is perfectly fine to sell out of goods. You will probably have to sell a couple of times before you get your loads right for that market. Even then, there are always the really good days and the really slow days, so there are no guarantees. I think it's wonderful when kids sell at markets. They generally get excellent traffic and people will sometimes buy just because it's kids. The only downside is that sometimes, it gets overwhelming for kids if they have high traffic. Keeping track of the product, and counting back correct change when there are 5 people in front of you trying to pay can be daunting. This is why I think having an adult with them really helps. When my ds is selling I let him do everything, but I will step in to bag up a purchase or help keep his cash box neat when he's got a fistful of bills and change and 5 people all clamouring to get at him. Good luck to you! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueridge Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 Ha! My mind read this as "Have you ever sold your child at a farmers' market?" Oops. Sorry. No. Oh my gosh, I thought that, too! I am obviously overly tired and need a long vacation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 Ha! My mind read this as "Have you ever sold your child at a farmers' market?" Oops. Sorry. No. I'm so glad I'm not the only one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brilliant Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 Wow, I am surprised that some of you have found it easy to sell. I read in one of Joel Salatin's books that his brief foray into farmer's markets was a disaster - very hard to get & keep space because of the politics involved. I guess all of them aren't that way! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 Wow, I am surprised that some of you have found it easy to sell. I read in one of Joel Salatin's books that his brief foray into farmer's markets was a disaster - very hard to get & keep space because of the politics involved. I guess all of them aren't that way! While I have great respect for Joel Salatin and his work, his experience is not representative of most small farmers, nor of most small farms in general. He happens to be situated in an area where commercial profits and large customer bases are not difficult to access. This is not true for the vast majority of small farmers. The kinds of farmer's market he ventured into are very large and very much business operations of their own. They represent a very small number of markets, but a very large influence in the farmer's market industry. Most farmer's markets that I've ever attended as a customer or sold at as a vendor have been community based organizations who operate solely for the promotion of the vendors, not as a for-profit business of its own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeachGirl Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 Ha! My mind read this as "Have you ever sold your child at a farmers' market?" Oops. Sorry. No. I must need sleep because I read this sentence this way also. I have felt like doing that but noone would buy my child. She is sometimes priceless and sometimes not so much.:glare::lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.