Table of Contents: The New Farmers’ Market, 2nd Edition
Introduction
PART I: Selling at the Market
1 Getting Ready for Market
Do Farmers’ Markets Fit Into Your Marketing Plan? 8
Advantages of Selling at a Farmers’ Market 9
Disadvantages of Selling at a Farmers’ Market 12
Checking Out the Markets 14
Choosing Crops & Products for Farmers’ Markets 20
Business Incubator 28
The Quality Harvest 31
Preparing for Market 37
2 Running Your Farmers’ Market Business
Keeping Records 40
Staffing the Booth 42
Setting Prices 44
Pricing Techniques 49
3 Your Farmers’ Market Retail Storefront
Building the Store 52
Sales Floor 54
Logistics 58
4 Display
Vertical Displays 64
Display Fixtures 66
Themes 70
5 Merchandising
Appealing to the Senses 73
Abundance 79
Packaging 82
Say It With Signs 85
6 Sales and Promotion
It’s a People Business 94
Improving Your Service 96
Promotion 108
Websites & Social Media 110
Part II: Managing a Market
7 Starting a Market
Why Start a Farmers’ Market? 115
Attracting Farmers 119
Location 123
Timing 130
Management Structure 135
Organizer & Market Manager 138
Budget 143
8 Managing the Market
Day-To-Day Concerns 148
Management Issues 158
9 Promoting the Market
Market Demographics 179
Advertising 181
Publicity 190
Newsletters 200
Websites 202
Social Media 207
Special Events 213
Tastings 214
Educational Events 222
Children’s Events 224
Special Promotions 224
Holidays 225
Promotion Evaluation 227
Fundraisers 228
Community Involvement 231
Part III: The New Farmers’ Market
10 Embracing the Community
Educating the Public About Local Agriculture
& Farmers’ Markets 238
Community Connections 247
Community Outreach 258
Surveys 261
11 Adding to the Product Mix
12 Expanding the Vision
Friends of the Market 291
Farmers’ Market Coalition (FMC) 292
The Farmers’ Market Forum: Issues for Internal Discussion 296
The Farmers’ Market Forum: Issues for Public Discussion 298
New Relationships With Hope 309