Re: OT?: Farmers' markets...
I don't know what RG is, but I have sold plants at the City Market in Kansas
City. The spots are $30 per week. The first year we sold produce all summer
and about killed ourselves. It was too much work while working full time.
This is the closest place of any size and its 90 miles away. We leave at 4
am in order to get there at 6 am and set up.
The last two years we have sold herb, salad and flower plants for six to
eight weeks in the spring starting in the middle of April. This is enough
time for it to be enjoyable, visit with return buyers and make enough money
to make it worth while.
We sold ten kinds of basil, three kinds of thyme and 40 other types of
herbs, celery, salad type stuff like arugula, and coleus. We never have sold
value-added products, but from watching others at the market, that is where
the money is. We thought about selling catnip mice, herbal creams, etc.
Keeping the plants well-watered and out of the wind until putting them on
the table to be sold is important. The same goes for produce. No one wants
to buy sad looking plants or produce. Keeping the table full makes people
buy more and people like to see things marked. We made up sheets with
planting, growing and use tips since we don't have fancy labels like
commercial sellers.
I really enjoy doing this, but it is a great deal of work. It helps to know
what the area will buy. We sell more ordinary basil, parsley and oregano
than we do fancier types of herbs. Last year I thought people would enjoy
shorter basil plants that could be put in a pot on the patio or their
apartment deck, but we sold very few of them. See if you can find out ahead
of time what people will want.
Two years ago, we tried colored peppers that sell for big bucks in the
grocery store. We sold them for the same price as green peppers because no
one was willing to pay extra for the colors. Orange, yellow and cherry
tomatoes are also not big sellers here while asparagus sells out in a few
hours. I hope this helps.
Cate Slater in mid-Missouri
>From: "Jason Quick" <jsquick@cox.net>
>Reply-To: sqft-l@xena.pkiclue.com
>To: <sqft-l@xena.pkiclue.com>
>Subject: [Sqft-l] OT?: Farmers' markets...
>Date: Sun, 3 Feb 2002 23:42:19 -0600
>
>Hi guys -
>
>So I'm contemplating raising enough veggie and herb seedlings (especially
>'maters and peppers) to sell them at our local farmers' market this
>spring. Has anyone on R.G. done this? Any tips, hints, and so forth?
>Assuming I can make it work, how many plants could I reasonably expect
>to sell?
>
>I'm a bit concerned about being able to recoup the cash outlay involved - a
>booth for the season costs $485, while weekly spots cost $25. I'm of the
>understanding this is fairly reasonable as urban farmers markets go.
>
>But I'd hate to spend a buncha time and money and not be able to move the
>stuff.
>I figure that if I go weekly, I'll have to work at least 7 weeks in spring
>(May/June), and maybe a few more in the fall to make it worthwhile.
>
>My mom suggested trying to sell the plants by doing the ad-in-the-local-
>paper method. She said she had bought plants that way any number of times.
>Has anyone sold plants *this* way?
>
>Thanks in advance for any help.
>
>Jason
>
>
>
>
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