How To Start Selling At A Farmers Market

Make sure what you plan on selling is allowed at the market you are looking to join. Also, keep in mind when you apply that some markets will limit the types of booths they have if they already have an established vendor in that category. There are many great products to sell at a farmers market, so the sky’s the limit.

Remember: quality product is the most important part of starting a booth at a farmers market.

Check with your state or county authorities to make sure you are following all applicable regulations and applying for a permit to sell. This is especially important to research if you are selling prepared foods or produce/raw food materials.

While some states may not require farmers market vendors to have any kind of licensing or complete any kind of registration, individual counties may. Make sure you check with the county you plan to sell in to see if there are any licenses/registrations you need to apply for and maintain to sell at a farmers’ market.

At the very least, you should think about acquiring a General Liability Coverage insurance plan; some markets may even require it. Other kinds of insurance you may wish to consider as a vendor are:

• Product Liability Coverage: Covers product defects that cause sickness or injury.
• Business Personal Property/Inland Marine Coverage: Covers moveable items (appliances and other gadgets) over land and does not cover a building/structure.
• Damage to Premises Rented Coverage: Covers property damage caused by vendors such as fire or other accidents.

Some farmers’ markets may provide basic supplies to their vendors (like a table and two folding chairs) but others may not. If the market you are applying to sell at does not provide anything, you should consider bringing the following:

• One or more tables for displaying your products and holding other equipment/informational materials.
• Specialty containers or shelves to display your products in/on.
• A sign or banner with the name of your business.
• A sign (or several) with product names, descriptions, and prices.
• A cash box or register for collecting money, and/or a mobile POS system.
• Small bills and coins to make change for customers.
• Bags or containers for purchases. We recommend purchasing cheap reusable bags so your customers can continue using them! Some states and even specific markets no longer allow single-use plastic bags to be used, so make sure to double-check before making a decision.
• A scale for weighing products if you plan to sell by weight.
• A canopy or other kind of tent to cover your booth and protect your products and customers from the weather, be it rain or sun.
• A place for people to sign up for more information about your business or your newsletter/email marketing! (How can you continue to market to the people you meet?)

Many larger farmers’ markets will have a formal application process for their potential vendors. Make sure you contact the market directly or visit their website/social media platforms to find the application and figure out when applications are accepted. You may only have a small window to apply, so make sure to set a reminder for yourself so you don’t miss out!

Your first step is to figure out where to sell your product. And just like the vendors you meet, not all markets are the same. Get a good idea of the culture, people, and products at each farmers market by visiting them yourself. Keep your eyes open for markets that need what you’re offering, but don’t forget to find a market that’s a good fit for you.

For example, if there are no other artists at a market and you don’t feel uncomfortable selling your art there, keep searching. If you’d like to bring your four-legged friend with you, look for a dog-friendly market. You can also turn to the internet to learn more about the farmers market in your city and surrounding areas.

Get an idea of the registration process. While this process varies across markets, you need to be aware that vendor registration windows aren’t always open, and you may have to sign up weeks, months, or even longer in advance to secure a spot. You can find this information online or talk to a market manager in person to learn more about signing up as a vendor.

Nothing can bring your business to a halt faster than getting shut down by the health department or local authorities. Do your research to learn about local ordinances and health regulations, such as how produce and prepared food must be stored/displayed or how baked goods have to be prepared.

You will need a food handler’s permit and facilities inspections of your commercial or home kitchen if you are planning to sell prepared foods. Plan accordingly for this, and make sure you have enough time before you plan to begin selling to accomplish these tasks. Laws and regulations vary, so contact your local health department to learn more.

Even if selling at a farmers market feels more like a hobby than a business for you, it never hurts to create a business plan before you get started. Use this business plan to outline your goals, how you will finance your business, and your marketing strategies. If you’re panicked at the thought of a business plan that’s an inch thick, don’t be! A one-page business plan is sufficient for keeping you on track.

While selling at a farmers market can certainly be one of the more inexpensive ways to make money from the sale of your homemade goods, there are still some expenses to consider. One of the most common expenses is a booth rental fee. Some markets may even have an application fee, depending on their popularity.

You need to consider other expenses, too. Think about the equipment the market is unlikely to provide for their vendors, things like signage for your booth, tablecloths, and other items to spruce up your display, price stickers, and the cost of materials and packaging for samples.

These small expenses add up quickly, especially if you have yet to make a sale of your product. Determine whether you need to get financing before you start selling, set a budget, and stick to it.

Want more tips? Check out our guide on how to start a side hustle to learn more.

Depending on local regulations, you may be required to register your business before you take part in a farmers market. Some markets require you to provide an Employer Identification Number (EIN) or Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) when you register as a vendor. If an EIN is required, it’s easy to obtain one for free from the Internal Revenue Service.

Along with or instead of registration, some counties or states may require permits to sell products at farmers’ markets. There are many different kinds of these sorts of permits, and the one you may need depends on the products you plan on selling. For example, the permit for selling frozen meat or eggs is going to be different than the permit required for selling nursery plants.

Contact the farmers market you’re interested in to learn more about the registration, licensing, and/or permit requirements for vendors.

Some farmers’ markets require their vendors to have their own business insurance. Even if this isn’t a requirement, as a small business owner, you should research your options to protect yourself from liability. Start with general liability insurance and contact your chosen farmers market to determine if insurance is a requirement. They may even be able to recommend local insurance companies that other vendors use.

Even if farmers markets are just going to be your side hustle, you still need accounting software. Though it may seem like a pain now, you’ll thank us later. No matter how much you’re bringing in from your sales at a farmers market, it’s important to keep track of your finances. The best way to do that? Accounting software.

The good news is that there are many options available that are low-cost and easy to use, even if you have no prior accounting experience. Tracking your finances will help you see how much money you’re making, as well as where you’re spending it. This will allow you to determine where you can make changes to increase your profits. You’ll also be glad that you kept track of your finances when it’s time to pay your taxes.

If you don’t know where to get started, take a look at the best accounting software for small businesses.

Mobile point-of-sale (POS) apps make it easier than ever to accept credit cards. The best mobile POS systems (typically plugged into the headphone jack or charging port) allow you to accept cards with ease without heavy registers or complicated systems. You could even score extras like stickers that advertise that your booth accepts debit and credit cards.

Another consideration to keep in mind is whether or not you’ll be taking larger or custom orders during the time you spend selling at a farmers market. If you decide to fulfill these more complicated orders, you’ll need to have the ability to create invoices for tracking these orders and getting paid.

Let’s say that the holidays are coming up, and you’ve been commissioned to cater a Christmas party. Before you invest your time and money into fulfilling the order, you can make sure you get paid by sending your customer an invoice that can be paid online. If the mobile POS system you choose doesn’t allow you to create and send invoices, you can use separate invoicing software.

If you don’t want to go through the trouble of finding a POS system, getting invoicing software, or having to use your personal technology to accept payments, you could simply choose not to accept card payments. Cash-only businesses are not unheard of, and many customers know that smaller businesses or farms that sell at the markets they frequent don’t accept cards. The quaint environment at farmers’ markets is often a big draw for customers, and paying for products in cash can be part of that experience.

Despite the cash culture that may be present, many farmers’ markets are also prepared for customers who only have cards on them, allowing them to purchase tokens that can be used to buy products from vendors. At the end of the day, these tokens can be redeemed with the market so the vendor gets their earnings. It’s a nifty way to ensure that you won’t be excluding any potential customers by choosing what forms of payment you will or won’t accept.

You can also, of course, handle cash yourself outright. You’ll just want to make sure you have a cash box with a lock or other security measure of some kind, small bills and coins to make change for customers, and some sort of paper to write down a receipt if a customer requests one. If you have no brick-and-mortar storefront, receipts with your social media or website information are crucial to make sure repeat customers can find you again to repurchase their favorite products!

If you’re thinking of going the cash-only route, check out our article on the logistics of running a cash-only business.

USDA data on SNAP from June 2023 shows that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is used by roughly 89 million Americans. These benefits, formerly known as food stamps, assist low-income households with the cost of groceries.

SNAP participants are provided with an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card, which is used like a debit card at participating retailers. This includes grocery stores, convenience stores, farmers markets, and roadside stands! If your products qualify for purchase with SNAP benefits, this system makes it easy for you to accept EBT. If you want to accept these benefits, you need to make sure you apply for an EBT license from the USDA.

Even if you decide to be a cash-only vendor, there’s still a way for customers using SNAP to purchase products. Most farmers’ markets have a system in place that allows SNAP participants to purchase the same tokens as other card-only customers with their EBT cards. Many states even reward SNAP participants for shopping at farmers’ markets with “double-up” programs. These programs match each dollar spent (up to a certain amount), allowing these households to receive more healthy and nutritious food using their benefits.

Farmers market vendors can also accept coupons from WIC (a supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children) via the WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP). Eligible WIC participants are issued FMNP coupons, which are separate from their regular WIC benefits. To accept WIC FMNP coupons at your farmers market or roadside stand, your market must be approved by the appropriate WIC FMNP agency in your state. Ask your future market coordinator if they are approved so you can be prepared to accept this form of payment when you begin selling.

A customer who can’t purchase from you today, someone who needs to share your products with a friend, or a repeat customer who wants to find you later; all of these people could benefit from your easy-to-read, engaging, and informational business card!

You can easily create business cards online through free design programs and have them shipped to your door for a low price. Make sure to include critical contact information, including your name, the name of your business, your email address, social media or website links, and any other relevant information.

An easy way to make sure customers can find all of this information even if they lose the card is to include a QR code that links to all of your links. You can use a service to make a page full of links or add a page to your already existing website to drive more traffic to your pages.

Offer an email list for your customers, including new product announcements, upcoming sales, or your schedule if you attend multiple farmers’ markets and events. Consider making a newsletter if you find yourself with reoccurring announcements every month or season.

Some mobile POS systems like Square will allow you to automatically add customers who have purchased from you to this list.

Social media isn’t just for large corporations or viral influencers. Social media is a great outlet for advertising your business! Create a social media profile for your business and provide contact information, photos of your products, customer reviews, and important updates. This is an easy way to share where you’ll be selling your products and allow your customers to share with their friends and followers.

You can also join groups in your area that allow you to interact with customers, take pre-orders, answer questions about your products, and more. Use your account to interact with the farmers market accounts and the accounts of other vendors, and curate a news feed of local small businesses to support who will often return the favor!

Unfortunately, you can’t just throw your products on a table and expect them to sell. Sure, you may make a little bit of money, but to maximize profits, it’s time to dress up your display. For this technique, you’ll have to invest a little bit of money, so make sure you budget and plan before implementation.

Use signs, tablecloths, and decorations to make your space stand out. Arrange your products neatly and make sure that everything is labeled and priced correctly.

This is your chance to really show off your personality, so take advantage of the opportunity to attract customers. Instead of purchasing displays from a department store, think about exploring a local thrift or secondhand store for some unique shelves or small tables to feature your products.

Nothing in life is free unless you’re at a farmers market and vendors are offering free samples! While providing samples of your products does come with some expenses, allowing your customers to try before they buy is a good way to get them interested…and have them reach for their wallets. This is an expense you can easily factor into your budget plan.

Provide small bites of your baked goods or testers of your lotion or candles to smell. Before distributing your samples, make sure that you’re aware of all health regulations to keep your business in operation and provide a sanitary shopping experience for your customers.

Depending on the rates of COVID and other illnesses in your area, it may be wise to keep the samples under glass or in individual containers.

Since 2020, there’s a large chance you’ve taken advantage of a business’s curbside pick-up option. Why not adjust that concept for your customers? Pre-orders are not only a convenient way for customers to make sure what they want to purchase is available, but they’re also a great way to gauge how much of your product you need to make or plan on bringing to the market.

Allow customers to contact you via social media or a form on your website to place pre-orders. Use your POS system or invoicing software to send an invoice to them and receive payment before you begin fulfilling their order. If you have another set of hands at your booth, set aside a separate line/space for pre-order pick-up so they won’t have to wait in the long line of eager customers you are sure to have!

Prepare to sell at a farmers market by deciding what to sell, researching markets, acquiring permits, registrations, and licenses, gathering booth equipment, and filling out an application!

You can stand out at a farmers market by dressing up your booth! Make your displays and tables as uniquely “you” as your products. Use eclectic shelves as displays, create eye-catching signage, offer free samples, and interact with passing customers.

Prepare for your first farmers market by packing your supplies, double-checking the market information, sharing on your social media, and getting ready to have a great day!