Visiting the farmers market on the weekend has become quite trendy for many people over the last few years, as more and more people are caring about the food they eat and where it comes from. More people today are wanting a relationship with their local farmers and have questions about how their food is grown and how their farm operates. This is good news for farmers, and if you’ve tried your hand at selling at your local farmers market, you’ve likely seen a good amount of interest. At larger farmers markets, though, the customer base may be larger, but so is the competition. It’s important to stand out and make a good name for yourself if you intend to make bringing your crops to a market regularly, so we at Woofter Construction have a few tips for you to make the most of your experience and increase customer interest and, ultimately, your profits.
Get Better Success at Your Farmers Market
- Keep an eye on the message your stand is giving off. Presentation is important. Look your stand over closely and keep it tidy and aesthetically inviting. Check it out before and during sale time to see how it looks from your customers’ perspective. Does it look clean? Does your supply look vibrant and varied? You don’t want it to look picked over and dull. Keep the energy up. Collapse tables and combine crops when you need to so areas of the stand don’t look sparse. The sparseness will actually make it look like you didn’t come with much rather than showing you had great success.
- Keep up with the data. You’re going to the farmers market to make a profit, right? Track how much you’re making as you go so you can make decisions about that day and future visits based on real numbers.
- Build a connection with customers. Stand out by having pictures of your farm or family, or make a custom sign with your farm name. Touches like this show your personality and make you memorable to customers. It’s inviting and warm, which makes them want to come talk to you. It’s also a good way to show what kind of farming you’re about, which also will draw people over.
- Create a brand. That brand shouldn’t be poster board signs or attendants that look sleepy. Think about how you’re representing yourself.
- Collect a contact list. This may seem tedious or obnoxious, but it’s an important business move. That’s what you’re there for, right? Business? So have a mailing list sign-up sheet at your stand and encourage passersby to allow you to stay in touch with them about what’s going on at your farm and what you’ll be offering at the stand. This way, you stay on their mind and they’ll look for you the next time they’re there.
How’s that to get you started? It’s also a good idea to get to know other vendors and who is in charge of the farmers market. Get a good relationship going so you can all help one another succeed rather than trying to go it alone. Ask vendors who aren’t your direct competition to recommend you when customers are looking for what they don’t have that’s on your table, and ask what’s worked for them in the past. With a little effort, farmers can see great success at the market and make steady profit. We hope these tips help!