Best Sellers at Farmers Markets 

If you’re thinking of getting a booth at your local farmers market, there are a lot of things you need to consider before you begin. Selling your homemade or homegrown products at a farmers market can be a fun, rewarding, and even lucrative experience, but if you want your booth to be successful, you should put time and effort into your plan. 

The very first question you should ask yourself when planning your farmers market booth is: “what am I planning on selling?” This might seem obvious, but it’s good to put significant thought into this question, because you can’t sell just anything at a farmers market successfully. Some farmers markets also have regulations that only allow you to sell certain kinds of products. 

Before you start the process of getting a spot at the farmers market, make sure you understand the kinds of products you’re allowed to sell. If you already have a product in mind, make sure the farmers market you’re considering is one where you can sell that kind of product successfully. 

Here are some tips to help you figure out the best things to sell at the farmers market:

What Is Sold at a Farmers Market?

People sell all kinds of things at farmers markets. Of course, the first kind of product that probably comes to mind when you hear “farmers market” is fresh produce. Indeed, people often sell things like fruits and vegetables at farmers markets, but that doesn't mean you have to grow produce to get involved. 

The best things to sell at markets really depend on your location and what kind of farmers market you’re going to be selling at. Some common non-produce items you’ll see at farmers markets include baked goods like pies or muffins, flowers (or other kinds of decorative plants), arts and crafts, and homemade skincare products.

Most Profitable Farmers Market Items

If you are, in fact, going to sell produce, you might want to consider which kinds are the top selling vegetables at farmers markets. There’s always demand for the basics, but you should also be aware that you can find a lot of success selling less common kinds of produce like mushrooms or herbs. You can try visiting your local farmers market ahead of time to have a look around and get an idea of what kinds of produce might sell well in your area.

Unique Things to Sell at Farmers Markets

There may be some restrictions on what you can sell at farmers markets depending on where you’re selling. For instance, some farmers markets prohibit reselling or value-added selling. But, you will likely still have quite a bit of freedom when it comes to the kinds of products you can sell. This means that you can get creative if you want to and try to sell something that no one else is offering. 

For example, maybe you have a special recipe no one else has or a unique type of handmade art you like to create. Farmers markets are a great place to sell items like these. You may even have some desserts to sell at farmers markets. Some shoppers will be looking for practical items, but many others come to farmers markets in search of local products that are interesting and unique.

Farmers Market Income Potential

It’s possible to make a good profit selling your products at your local farmers market. However, the amount of money you’re able to make has a lot to do with how well you run your stall. While a booth at the farmers market doesn’t require the same business know-how as running an actual company or small business does, there are still some business and marketing decisions to consider. 

Choosing the right product to sell according to what’s in demand in your area can make a big difference. You can also consider investing in some simple marketing materials to attract attention to your stall. Using tactics like these can help you increase your booth’s profitability. Just be careful you don’t put so much money into your stall that your farmers market stall cost is more than you can realistically earn back from sales.

Farmers Market Vendor Checklist

If you want to know how to have a successful farmers market experience, try going through this quick checklist of considerations. This can help you determine whether or not you’re ready to reserve a spot at your local farmers market.

• Know what you’re selling - visiting farmers markets in your area can help you decide what items are selling well that you could provide. If you already know what you’re selling, you can skip right to step two.
• Find the right farmers market for you - do some research to figure out which farmers market in your area is the best fit for the kind of products you want to sell.
• Know the regulations - find out what kind of rental cost is involved in reserving a spot for your booth, and be aware of any health and safety regulations that apply.
• Know your budget - understand that you’ll need to spend some money to set up and maybe market your booth. Plan a budget for this ahead of time
• Plan your setup - consider how you’ll get your products and supplies for setting up your stall to the location. Decide in advance if it's a task you can complete on your own or if you’ll need to enlist help. You should also take weather into account if your booth will be outdoors.