How to Sell at a Farmers Market

Farmers markets are just about universally popular in towns and counties across the nation, and for good reason. Farmers markets are one of America's proudest and most truly grass roots traditions. It is a great place to find fresh food, fresh air, and meet lots of interesting people. Many if not all of the produce available at the farmers market is going to be organic, locally sourced, fresh, and it is not difficult to find something new that will spice up your cooking for sure. Today, farmers markets are more popular than ever, and the amount and variety of items you can find have grown exponentially.

Better still, farmers markets are almost always held during the nicest parts of the year. So you get sunshine, you get to meet friendly folks, and you get tons of fresh food buying options. So, if you are interested in getting in on the action and are wondering how to sell at a farmers market, you have come to the right place. Here, we are going to discuss some of the most important questions people are asking who think selling at farmers markets seems like a fun way to make extra money. 

Probably the most important thing to understand is that selling at the farmers market alone is not really a viable business plan. The idea is to get a business started, showcase a special food product, represent a farm, a restaurant, bistro, or other food business, and to make connections. 

Some common questions people ask are "Do I need a tax ID to sell at a farmers market?" and "What are some best selling items at farmers markets?" People also want to know how to sell baked goods at a farmers market. Here we will cover some of the basics on how to put together your farmers market stand, tips from farmers market vendors, and help get you on your way to selling food at a farmers market.

But before we do, we will need to cover some of the important things you will need to get started.

What Permits Do I Need to Sell at a Farmers Market?

If you have thought to wonder what permits do I need to sell at a farmers market, you are on the right track. Naturally, there will be laws, rules, regulations, and best practices you will need to follow to sell food anywhere, and this certainly includes permits, licenses, and so on. While the laws do vary from one state to the next, there are some constants you can count on needing to adhere to. For example, the same types of permits will be needed to sell under the primary food categories. These categories are Meat, Eggs, Non-Edible Plants, and Ready to Eat Food, and Drink. The requisite permits are as follows:

• Meat & Eggs: Class A Permit
• Non-Edible Plants: Nursery Floral License 
• Ready to Eat Food and Drink: Class A or B Permit
  

Unfortunately, there is a great deal of variation in the rules as you travel from one state to the next. The permitting rules mentioned above will be more or less universal. The fees and hoops you will have to jump through will vary, but something in the realm of the permits mentioned above is almost certainly going to be necessary.

To learn more about the rules, laws, regulations, and best practices in your state, try a Google search for farmers market permits in your state, something like the search term examples below;

"farmers market permit California"

or

"farmers market permit Florida"

or

"farmers market permit Texas"

or

"Florida farmers market laws"

Naturally, certain areas are known to be far more heavily regulated than others. Recently we got a slew of people asking, "What permits do I need to sell at a farmers market Los Angeles?" and "What permits do I need to sell at a farmers' market San Diego?"

Los Angeles & San Diego require:

• A Farmers market California Business License
• State Sellers Permit
• Food Service Certifications
• Booth Rental Fees
  

Is Selling at a Farmers Market Worth It?

A lot of people who seem eager about selling at farmers markets remain reserved as they have doubts about whether or not selling at a farmers market is worth the time, effort, and investment. Perhaps this comes from a universal first impression that farmers markets are unregulated and totally free places to meet, trade, buy, sell, etc. While that would be nice, our various governments still want their cut. 

Some people ask us, "Do I need an LLC to sell at farmers market?" LLC business licenses are increasingly popular as more people find it easier to get started that way. An LLC may be acceptable in some areas and in others it may not. Again, you will have to consult your local regulations. However, you should assume that you do need some kind of business license. Just don't assume an LLC will be accepted and run out to get one before you know what the accepted norm is in your location. 

People also want to know what farmers market income potential there is to be had. As mentioned above, selling at farmers markets is not going to be enough to make a living on all by itself. These events are once a week at most and are even more infrequent in most areas. It is especially susceptible to the limitations of seasonal weather conditions. 

Whether you are selling crafts at a farmers market, food, produce, or what have you, your best bet is to make your presence at the market about something bigger. It could be to promote an existing farm, restaurant, cottage food business, or what have you. 

The average farmers market stall cost and vendor fees are about $20 for a weekly spot or $500 for a six-month season. Again, the best business reason is to promote a related business interest. Conversely, if you run a significant agricultural operation and you have enough surplus each week, surplus that cannot go to a regular sales venue because it is too much or other reasons, selling regularly at the farmers market could bring in enough to be worth your while.

How Much Does It Cost to Sell at a Farmers Market?

To find out whether or not your farmers market income potential will be enough to cover your costs, you will need to know things like the precise farmers market booth rental cost. Of course, these numbers will have little bearing on how much the marketing potential of your presence at the market will be worth to you. 

It is possible to lose money at the farmers market and still come out ahead if your booth drives sales to your farm or restaurant or what have you. The best place to start is to search for terms like "farmers market booth rental near me." There, you are likely to learn that your costs per season will be somewhere between $100 and $600 a season. 

Whether you end up at the low or high end of that spectrum will determine if your farmers market profit margin will make it worth your time. Any food business will live or die on the heft of their word-of-mouth advertising, and the farmers market is possibly the best place to get people talking.

Unique Things to Sell at Farmers Markets

If we have done our job, you will have started thinking about exciting food or craft ideas you might make and sell, unique things to sell at farmers markets that will stick in people's minds, get them coming back weekend after weekend, and talk about your wares.

The best baked goods to sell at farmers markets are things like specialty breads, cookies, dinner rolls, specialty sandwiches, pizza dough, sourdough, raisin bread, cupcakes, fudge, muffins, and the like. The best selling items at markets are not necessarily desserts, but more often savory and specialty baked goods.

The most profitable farmers market items across the country are home baked breads, cakes, and muffins. Even some people make high profit farmers market items out of dog biscuits. Of course, fruit stands with bright, sweet tasting berries, grapes, peaches and anything slightly beyond the ordinary will do well. If you sell apples, for example, they need to be very good apples, and it helps if your booth hails from a well known local apple tree farm.

Finally, if crafts are more your things, straw hats are a good bet. Floral arrangements are always a good idea. Homemade soaps do well, as does beeswax, and homemade sauces of all kinds.

How to Sell at a Farmers Market in Texas

If you have gotten this far and are just in it to learn how to sell at a farmers market in Texas, you have arrived. Texas has a few special rules and conditions we will cover here.

• Application Fee: $25 for Ag producers & $75 for all other seller types
• Farmers market booth rental cost: $30 for "equipment rental"
  

Selling food at farmers' market Texas requires you to verify your vendor type, which are six in total, but all of which fall into Ag Producers or "other" vendor types.

Other than that, learning how to sell at a farmers market in Texas is fairly straightforward. The one big tip you might want to take on board is to seriously consider selling refreshing fruit and beverages, and big-brimmed straw hats because Texas summers get hot.