How to Succeed Your First Time at a Farmers Market

For years, you were the one walking around your local farmers market looking for the best deal and the ripest fruits. But now, you’re on the other side of the table! Your first time selling at a farmers market can be a little intimidating. But with a little advice from us, the biggest problem you’ll have is figuring out how to grow more fruit to sell!

1. Know Your Audience

Will you be serving tourists or people who have lived in the town their entire life? Are people primarily looking to buy food or are they more interested in crafts? These are all questions you should ask yourself before even signing up for a market. If you’re not sure where to look for this information, start at the market’s website, ask vendors who have sold there before, and read visitors’ reviews from past years.

2. Know the Market’s Rules

Some farmers markets have very strict rules about where food can come from (most stipulate that food has to be grown within a 125-mile radius of the market) and how it can be grown. Some markets even forbid certain food from being sold entirely. Before you show up with 10 crates of unauthorized strawberries, make sure everything you’re looking to sell is permitted by the market.

3. Presentation Matters

Everyone is going to be selling fruit, so what is going to attract people to your booth? Maybe you want to have large banners beside your stand or hand out free samples. You can even have small games and offer prizes (so long as that’s within the market’s rules). Before you head out for the first time, set up your tent at home and ask yourself: “If I were a customer, would I be intrigued by this stand?”

4. Start off Small

Like the expression goes, small and steady wins the race. Before you invest in large tents and lots of gear, use your first time as more of a learning experience. Once you get a better understanding of what you can sell and what your audience is looking for, then you can expand to a larger tent with more options.

5. Be Personally Prepared

Now that your stand looks good enough to eat, it’s time to focus on yourself. Do you have plenty of water? Do you have business cards to hand out? Do you have a space heater or fan? Did you bring snacks? It’s important that you’re just as enthusiastic and energized as your stand is so that you can sell, sell, sell all day!

6. Don’t be Afraid to go Niche

Nearly everyone at the market is going to be selling fresh fruits and vegetables, so it’s important to distinguish yourself from other vendors. Maybe your fruit is grown entirely pesticide-free, or perhaps you’re selling genetically crossed fruits. Whatever it is that sets you apart from the crowd, don’t be afraid to advertise it!

7. Accept Credit and Debit Cards

You can double (maybe even triple) your sales if you accept credit cards in addition to cash. Not only are people more inclined to buy things with credit cards, but it also legitimizes your business if you’re able to accept cards. Plus, card readers are easier than ever to attach to your smartphone, meaning you won’t have to spend much money to make money.

8. Focus on Building Relationships

Of course, the goal of the day is to sell all of your produce, but it should also be to build relationships with other vendors and customers. Talk to interested customers about how you grow your fruit and what techniques you use. Even if they don’t buy from you today, they may be back another day! You should also talk to other seasoned vendors and ask for any words of advice they may have.

What’s another way to get fresh fruit into your home? By ordering from Fruit Bouquets, of course! Whether for your next big party or small gathering, we’ve got the shareable fruit centerpieces that are sure to drive your guests wild!