What it is not, however, is an accident. The resources are there—local farmers, artisans and bakers are in or around every community. Why are they so popular? For one thing, local markets are a way to find very fresh products in a convenient location. Local markets are also a way for neighbors to connect and are a very family-friendly activity.
Perhaps most importantly, New Hampshire communities are concerned about the future of their farms. The following tips and information can help start the planning process for a new market or improve the operation of one that is already established. With an understanding of the planning process, some of the legal considerations and where to go for more information, local markets can run smoothly for years to come.
Who Will Participate? The market should be fun! The quintessential attraction, of course, is fresh local produce. A wide variety of fruits, vegetables, herbs, flowers and plants will often be enough to make residents return week after week. Local farmers and bakers also produce a wonderful array of syrup and honey, jams, jellies, sauces, salsas, baked goods, mustards and vinegars to complement the fruits and vegetables.
Local artisans might sell hand-crafted items such as pottery, wood products, jewelry, glass crafts and sculpture. Activities such as face painting, puppet shows, musical entertainment and craft demonstrations can keep families entertained and contribute to the celebratory feel of the market. Not only does variety make the market more successful today, it helps introduce the next generation of gardening and produce enthusiasts to the concept.
Whose Event Is It? This is one of the most important decisions to make before starting a market, because it will affect the way the town or city approaches the entire event. The correct choice will depend upon the resources and concerns of each municipality. Market organizers recruit, screen and manage the individual vendors, and coordinate insurance coverage, publicity, safety, permitting, traffic and all of the other details.
While all of these aspects are manageable, they are probably too much for any one person to handle effectively. It is usually best to have a committee or other organized group plan and run the market. Some municipalities are fortunate to have enough staff or dedicated volunteers to serve on a market committee. This can be a simple way to ensure that the market complies with all local ordinances and permitting requirements.
These associations generally are organized as nonprofit charitable organizations. Their membership usually includes farmers and vendors as voting members and may also include other contributing patrons as non-voting members. The associations are run by boards of directors elected by the members. Have hours ALL Year. Re-establishing a customer base each spring can be time consuming and expensive.
If this is not possible, the group keeps up social media, including the happenings of farmer vendors or other sources of local food during the winter. Maple syrup producers are not located in every county. Fresh flowers are not grown year round. But, there could be a farm vendor who would be willing to grow that product and sell at your market.
Be sure to have a complete array of products by tracking products offered. Make it fun for vendors and customers. Do everything you can to keep things fun — and your market will have a good, long life! Some markets collect one item from each vendor to pay the band. Some bands do not need a lot of money; they put out a tip hat and get to sell their CDs.
New restaurants or food trucks build a following as market venders. Many markets are moving away from volunteer managers to paid professional leadership. Volunteers still help with market tables, greeting venders and shoppers and parking. Market volunteers might these raise funds through grants, business sponsorships or selling lemonade. Markets that offer eggs, cider, greens, produce, cheeses, meats, fish and breads will save customers other stops.
Customers love diversity. If your market also offers chocolates, granola, soaps, knitted items, herbs, flowers, potted annuals, even more customers will spend money.
Consider 4-H, scouts, land trusts, food pantries, farm advocacy groups or other relevant non-profits. Challenges The more challenges a farmers market faces, the more limited its success or growth potential. Having a vision and following it makes a difference! Sometimes you must do what you believe when you know the results will be positive!!! Farmer Gaetano. Farmer Jim, Too many Farmers are frauds. Even those with the most authentic looking outfits and monikers can sometimes be selling anything they can reasonably label as locally grown.
Around here we have a term "Getting Amished. A local producer-only market in our area NC got a grant for a dollar-dollar match buyers use their SNAP card to buy tokens worth twice the dollars they purchase.
Laura Frisch. Some here were asking about getting the public to come out. If you are starting a market or trying to grow your market, you need to get out to the public, attend village or city meetings, pass out flyers, invite local school bands to play at your market, invite the local scouts or school clubs to come out.
Stop by the local churches and offer them an information table or better yet a bake sale table each week for a different community group. They make money and get their word out and all of their members attend the market. It may take a little away from the bakeries at your market, but not that much and will really increase the number of customers for your market.
Offer freebies for checking in on Facebook and Foursquare Go to all the local private and public schools inviting the families to the market. Maybe have a school day where you give out free seeds in mini pots, even a cup with dirt and a seed is magical to someone who has never planted before. Beans can grow just about anywhere! Good luck and keep trying! I am a grower and a vendor at farmers markets, and I will attest to the fact that fraud can be a problem - although mainly at markets that are not well-managed.
I am always happy to be 'grilled' about how I do stuff, and always invite people out to the farm when they ask questions. If a vendor doesn't want to 'talk shop' with you, be wary of that vendor!
Most of us will talk your ear off all day long about what we do if given the opportunity. So yes, please ask questions folks, and don't feel bad about it cos we do enjoy it when people are interested in how we do things. Read more about.
0コメント