Discussions

Hello everyone,  
 
I am setting up a table at a Farmer's Market in the next few weeks but I have no idea what to price things at.  
Any help would be appreciated. I don't want to price too high or too low.  
 
Things I will have (as they are ready but not in huge quantities):  
lettuce  
radishes  
cucumbers  
tomatoes  
green peppers  
kale  
beets  
pumpkins  
corn  
potatoes  
parsley  
dill  
carrots  
onions  
 
I was thinking I would bag things in ziplock bags and sell that way. Is that what most do?  
 
 
Edited by lovemygirl, 2015-07-04 13:34:48

I don't know much about pricing but I am interested in shopping at your table. Where is the market you will be set up at?  

I came accross an article telling the best way to store, refridgerate and keep vegtables and fruit. Some do not like zip locks they like to breath apparently. I would suggest you research a bit before putting them all in zip locks. I am not sure but I think for the most part the veggies are in open baskets etc and only bagged (in paper respect the enviourment) after purchase. Best of luck and enjoy!

If you are wanting to sell at a farmer's market in a few weeks...and don't know how to package them or price them, why are you not visiting the farmer's markets around the area and checking local prices? Watch how vendors package the produce. Observe cleanliness of the veggies. Observe set up of the tables. Observe and copy.

Unfortunately I am not available this weekend or next to go check any out to see what others are doing. My table is booked at Oak Lake for the summer. It starts next weekend but I wont be there until the 18th. I will only be bringing what is ready in the garden at the time, it will be picked fresh the day/night before and brought with me.  
 
Anyone know where to buy baskets to put produce in?  
 
Also like I said it won't be in huge quantities as I have other things that I will be putting on my table besides from the produce.

I've done a few markets. I wouldn't use plastic, except for a few things. Some vegetables don't handle the heat well, and they won't stay fresh. Things like beets and carrots work well washed and tied in bundles. I would use small plastic bags for tomatoes, but never closed them, and kept them out of the sun. Beans can be in bags, but again, keep them out of the heat as much as you can. If you don't have a legal scale, you can't sell by the pound, so need to do it by the bundle or bag.  
 
Use coolers to transport if you can, and bring them out as you need them. Cucumbers can just sit in a big container and be sold individually. Same with things like onions and zicchinis. Dill and herbs can be sold by the bunch, tied into bouquets sitting in water just like flowers.  
 
The main idea is to present your produce in such a way that the first thing people think when they see it is that it looks fresh and just picked. It has to look delicious. This usually means a late night getting ready, and an early morning, but the effort pays off.  
 
You can get plastic bags like the grocery stores use at Sobeys Cash and Carry. I made good use of the dollar store for plastic containers to display produce too. Don't forget a float for change, and a whiteboard to write your prices on. Often people will walk by, rather than ask a price. Pricing varies by market, and the organizers will be able to help you with that.  
 
Have fun! I always did. Market day is the best part of it.

Michaels has wonderful colorful baskets of all kinds and sizes. The Dollar Store will have small baskets.  
 
Fresh looking and cleanliness is key to having people coming back to get your produce.  
 
I have done the farmer's market for years and always the best produce goes to the market. Damaged or disformed produce is eaten at home.  
 
You must buy new bags to put produce into. A float with lots of change is good as people often walk in with $20 bills. Your name and phone number must be displayed somewhere on your table.  
 
Are you baking at all? Crafts? Or just produce?  
 
Did you know that no cut up lettuce, mixed lettuce bags are allowed by the Food Safety Guidelines?  
 
Purchase a little weigh scale (often on sale at Canadian Tire for $10) and have each bag of beans, tomatoes, etc weigh the same. Weigh and bag at home rather than at the market. This will save you time at your booth when people come to purchase.  
 
Tomatoes in bags...yes. Definitely close the bags, but put some holes in the bags so they can breathe. When selling them you don't want the tomatoes to roll around in the customer's bag.  
 
Ziploc bags are expensive. The 3 lb bags, 4 lb bags, etc can be purchased in Winnipeg at the Canadian Wholesale Club (no membership required) and they also have lots of varieties of individual clear as well as styrofoam containers for selling items like strawberries or raspberries in.  
 

Can you give me an idea for prices?  
 
If I bundle the carrots, beets, kale, onions, parsley, dill, romaine lettuce? Elastics work well? Or twist ties?  
 
What about young leaf lettuce? Ziplock bag work ok ?  
 
Beans, potatoes, and peas bagged in small bags.  
 
Tomatoes, corn, peppers, cucumbers, pumpkins sold by each?  
 
I will definitely head to dollarama for some bins.  
 
Everything will be washed and only good stuff will go. Gotta save something to feed the pigs and chickens. Lol. I just planted new strawberry plants, apple trees, blueberry and raspberry bushes. Unfortunately last years flooding killed all mine. They won't be producing this year.  
 
Any other tips are greatly appreciated!!  
 

Sorry about that

I used twist ties for dill and flowers. Not too tight though. For bigger bundles like carrots, I used twine. Some customers appreciated it when I offered to cut the carrot tops off. My chickens appreciated the tops. Lol  
 
As for pricing, that can be the most confusing part of the whole thing. You want to be fair to yourself, your customers, and also to the other vendors. I have seen cutthroat competition do a lot of damage to a market. For example, if a vendor shows up with a huge stock of things to sell, then proceeds to sell it for way less than anyone else at the market, several things happen. True.. Customers will get a deal that day, but you will generally find that it doesn't take long for the market to start losing it's other vendors. Before long, the whole market starts to shrink, and everyone loses. Variety and choice is gone.  
 
I saw one market that was trying to get started, but the organizer himself was of the opinion that he was going to undercut his competitors, and it collapsed after two weeks. I was at that market, and was not happy sitting there with a full table at the end of the night, only to find out he was selling for half price. I did not go back. It's a balancing act, and the best advice I can give you is to talk to the organizers and walk around when things are being set up to see what average prices are. Also see what everyone else is selling. I always tried to sell something just a little different, and found niches like that. Different varieties, heirloom tomatoes, herbs and flowers. Things like that.

Thanks everyone. Keep the advice coming.  
 
We don't have a huge garden and our household and my MIL gets first dibs on stuff (we grow it together). This is just a way to make some extra cash off all the extras that I am usually giving away left right and centre! Lol. We are at the lake anyways, I have other stuff I sell at my table so though this would be a great addition.  
 
I remember sitting at the end of my grandparents driveway as a kid during the summers selling produce but all the prep work was already done for me.  
 
I just didn't want to undercut the completion. As Fort cost well that would be the same whether I was at the market or not. I will say I am happy for the rain last night. I hate to see my water bill so far.  
 
Thanks everyone. Keep the tips coming