Finding Your Markets Webinar Series “Selling at Farmer’s Markets”

Sponsored by Bright Agrotech www.brightagrotech.com

Webinar Overview 1. Farmer’s Markets Pros and Cons

2. Selling at Farmer’s Markets

3. At The Market

4. Making Sales

5. Taking Payment

6. Get growing now!

Dr. Nate Storey

Bright Agrotech

The Pros and Cons of Selling at Farmer’s Markets 1Pros Cons

The Pros

Can be high margin, high volume opportunities

Very targeted market/consumer

Proximity is a competitive advantage

Lots of exposure

Can be convenient and even fun

Selling to Farmer’s Markets…

The Cons

Often high margin, low volume opportunities

Can be expensive to enter/sell at

Some are being co-opted by regional distributors

Selling to Farmer’s Markets…

Can be labor and cost-intensive Not always consistent, subject to the whims of the manager or committee Sometimes difficult to get into

2 Selling at Farmer’s Markets

Farmer’s Markets are typically governed by a Manager or Committee That…

Approve Vendors Collect Fees and Commissions Manage Vendors, Arrangement, Layout, etc. Ensure Compliance Organize Season and Markets

! !

Typically Farmer’s Markets require that you sign up many

months in advance

!

Farmers Markets are becoming more and more popular and more vendors are applying to participate.

!

If you’re thinking about the summer season, you might already be too late

!

If you miss signing up, speak with the manager about filling empty slots on a market to market basis

!

Remember, if you get the manager excited about what you’re doing, they will advocate for you!

Typically you are charged a fee with your reservations

Once you’re signed up, you may or may not be assigned an area (depending on how organized the market is)

Some markets have special rules regarding selling , appearance, marketing materials, etc. !

So educate yourself.

!As the season winds down, engage the manager…

Tell them what you’re doing, explain how live sales work, and try to get them on your side.

3 At The Market

What will you need on market day?

At The Market!!To Bring… !!

Tent

Table

Spring basins

*** Don’t bring chairs- chairs encourage you

to sit, which makes you less approachable !

Actively Engage Your Customers! Transportation equipment for towers (truck)

Market Tips

*

4 Making Sales “This is the best opportunity you have to pitch your product” !! Take every opportunity to engage your customers

All markets to follow CSAs and other programs Customer Feedback Interns and free help Community Outreach

*** Don’t underestimate the value of Community Outreach!

Treat this as an opportunity not just for this market, but for:

You may pay a percentage to the Manager on all sales at the farmers market- Not sales outside of the farmers market.

!Treat the Farmer’s market as a gateway to outside sales.

Remember…

Price it higher than you would at the grocery store Ask your customers to pay more for quality and context Ask them to taste and smell the produce Sell them on Value Don’t devalue your product

Value your product appropriately

Tell your customers what you’re doing

Make it look nice, rustic or old-fashioned

Hand out business cards, fliers, etc.

Develop Marketing Material

Know the health codes and use common sense

At the end of the market, trade with other vendors !

Get to know the other vendors !They’ll give you intelligence on other Farmer’s markets !They’ll cue you in to other market opportunities

!Show other vendors that you value their products as much as yours !Get to Know the Manager

Most Farmer’s Markets charge a percentage or a flat fee if a certain revenue number isn’t hit. !Even if you break even, Farmer’s Markets can be a successful venue Our entire CSA subscription initially came from our CSA customers !Some markets can be very expensive. This gives the advantage to larger producers/distributors Know which markets you can afford to do, and which ones you can’t

4 Taking Payment

Farmer’s Markets

CSA

5 Get Growing TodayStart applying now!

!Farmers Markets are the epitome of customer-focused sales, one-on-one sales, and personable sales techniques- this is the training ground for larger sales, larger accounts and scaling !They can be too expensive, so have a budget and know what is reasonable and what is not. !Make Friends of Everyone.

Start growing now!

ZipGrow Tower 4-packStart growing with the

The Bright Agrotech Team

Chris

Paul

Noah

Questions?