# Farmers Market Setup



## nicklatech (May 19, 2017)

Do you have to pay to sell at a farmers market?


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## Charlestonbee (Mar 26, 2015)

Yes


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## nicklatech (May 19, 2017)

Normally, how much is the cost? Is it per season or per day selling?


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## tnmtn (May 27, 2016)

The cost depends on the individual farmer's market. Some charge more than others.

To answer your question, most vendors here just use whatever they have handy, like card tables with a tablecloth and camp chairs. Something to protect you from the sun and heat is also useful, like some kind of canopy. Our town is pretty small and the kind of place where your good overalls are suitable for funerals and church as long as they are clean. So you can get as fancy as you want depending on your location. We pretty much keep it simple. Table, chair, shade.


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## Eikel (Mar 12, 2014)

+1 with tnmtn 

For a visual attraction, a new clean hive (no bees) or nuc on the end of the table tends to draw the curious.


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## johnsof (Oct 14, 2014)

I sell at a very small local farmer's market a couple of times per month. It is a very interesting experience (I should add I sell quite a lot of honey, it is well worth the time for me). I meet a lot of people I would otherwise never interact with and I can explain some things about bees and I spend a lot of time talking about the problems with native bees, not so much about honeybees.

I have as wide a variety as I can manage - small 12 oz plastic bears, 16 oz plastic squeeze bottles, pint jars, 2 lb jar, comb honey, cut chunk honey, creamed honey, rendered wax....the interesting thing is that each time what sells the most is different. One time I sell 80% 16 oz squeeze bottles, the next time I sell a bunch of comb and pint jars, the next time it is bears and wax...it is never the same!

I also have honey sticks for children as a giveaway, I have some brochures explaining how my honey is produced and what might make it different from what they would buy in the store, I have some business cards, I have a full-color nice label, not just a paper label, in other words I am trying to market what I am doing. As Eikel mentions, I have also set up an empty hive, that does work.

Whatever you do, charge a premium price, you are selling a luxury item and it is extremely rare that someone doesn't buy because it is too expensive. They aren't coming looking to buy honey, they are looking to buy flowers or vegetables, the honey is a "oh, as long as I am here and there is honey I should get some" item. There is a commercial beekeeper in town who also sells at the local grocery store and I have no trouble selling a couple of cases each time even though I am more expensive.


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## Charlestonbee (Mar 26, 2015)

Johnsof how many people would you say visit your market on an average day?


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## johnsof (Oct 14, 2014)

From 20 to 30. If I have an average sale of $8.00 you can do the math - between $160 and $240 per day. Not bad for a dinky market with 10-12 booths total. It's not a lot but it sure helps with what is otherwise a pretty darn expensive hobby. 

I covered my expenses for the year with what I sold the first two times I was there this year and like I mentioned, I enjoy meeting people I would otherwise not meet.


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## Charlestonbee (Mar 26, 2015)

Yeah I meant how many people total. I sell for $8/lb and the market usually gets ab 500 visitors per day. It's open Saturday from 9-1. Curious how much I should bring since this is my first week. I'll prob bring 150lbs displayed out. I only have ab 1900lbs total to sell this year just trying to figure some numbers. If it's a good outlet I want to keep up with demand.


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## mmiller (Jun 17, 2010)

We sell at 5 farmers markets each week. The largest markets have about 80 vendors and the smaller 3 have about 30 vendors. Label your booth well with signs like "Local Raw Honey", your business name, etc so the folks can see it from down the isle. Make it very clear that you are the beekeeper selling product from your own bees. It makes a huge difference. Have an observation hive. Honey sticks for the kids. I don't give them away, but I give away plenty. Give samples, give samples, give samples. My two biggest markets have 2 honey vendors and I give samples while the other doesn't. I outsell them almost 2 to 1. 
I sell 12oz bears, 12oz jars, 1.5 lb jars and 3lb jars. I also sell beeswax, cut comb, creamed. My small markets will bring $3-400 and the larger $7-900.
I use a 6 foot table with a plastic cloth to wipe up stickiness and a 10x10 awning with business banner.


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## Charlestonbee (Mar 26, 2015)

Thanks for it all the help. I'm on the right track I believe. I will wait a couple weeks and see how it goes before I incorporate the honey sticks and observation hive. I have an 8month old daughter. She has a bee costume deal she will be wearing and the dog will be there too lol. I'm excited should be fun


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## johnsof (Oct 14, 2014)

Well, how did it go?
I sold again this past Saturday and although attendance was down, at most 100 shoppers total, I personally did quite well as everybody bought big stuff - sold all my comb honey, some chunk honey, a number of 2# jars, only a couple of the silly 12 oz bears. 
As I mentioned before, every week is different....


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## Charlestonbee (Mar 26, 2015)

Johnsof I enjoyed it. I sold ab 30lb honey. I also got a guy to make me some chocolate covered honey. That sold pretty well to. I'll continue to go a couple times a month


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## Hive Onthehill (Jun 11, 2011)

🤔 chocolate covered honey.. please elaborate.. taffy or hard candy? Sounds very good. You could also make up some lollipops or drop sized hard candies..


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## Bobcatcharlie (Nov 1, 2015)

Do you need any insurance or health certificates to sell at a market


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## Charlestonbee (Mar 26, 2015)

Hiveonthehill they are called crunchies in England. It's kind of like a Butterfinger. Bobcarcharlie I do not personally have insurance but you can get insurance. I am certified to sell but I'm sure the law varies state to state. I would carry insurance but my experience w any insurance in general is it's a PITA and they try every way not to pay.


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## Tenpin (Apr 27, 2016)

Pretty Simple set up. Multiple sizes. We use an unused nuc as a stand along with some crates.


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## aunt betty (May 4, 2015)

The Farmer's Market in Urbana, Illinois is fairly large. Has three "honey and jelly people". One is obviously selling honey he gets in drums from who knows where. He has an old school bus/van where he made shelves on the side with cute doors. Honey straw display sits out in the hot sun. Bought 16 straws for my grandson and I. Four were fermented.

The other two are local beekeepers that really aren't trying to compete with the school bus guy. 
Show up with lower pricing, an observation hive, free samples, and it'd probably would not go too well. 
Maybe I'm wrong. 50/50


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