Thursday, July 26, 2007

To market we go

I have now officially started selling produce at the market! I have gone twice now, and have had a great time and learned a lot already. I decided to attend the market closest to our farm, just 4.5 miles away, because of a sense of responsibility towards my community. Unfortunately, this market does not seem to be the most profitable for us as farmers. Part of the problem is that it is located in a semi-rural community, where many people already have their own gardens. Another is the site for the market. It is an exposed parking lot which is very hot and makes for an uncomfortable shopping trip for the customers. There are markets in the city that are much more heavily visited and located in parks with plenty of shade, and we will probably switch to one of those markets next season.

But for now, our little local market is the perfect place for me to learn the ropes, especially since I don't have much to sell just yet. Here is my market stand from last weekend:


2 comments:

Erin said...

What a pretty market stand. I was hoping to get some produce to my little local farmers market this year, but it just didn't happen. Next year! I would like to try marketing fresh herbs. Are those herbs in the blue container? If so, how do you store and package them before bringing them to the market? Looks like you're using sandwich bags?

Chris said...

Yes, they are herbs. I bag them in either 1 qt zip bags or small sandwich bags and stick them in the bucket over ice. Then I put a sprig of each one in a basket for people to pick up and smell. That way the ones for sale stay fresh and crisp and don't get handled a bunch by lots of people. I'm selling thyme, sage, parsley, three kinds of basil, chives, marjoram, and rosemary this way.