Richmond Farmers Market

Outreach by education is a powerful marketing strategy that will help you build relationships and keep clients coming back for your products. Determine the types of vegetables you're planting and the month each will be ready to harvest.

Make a Website It has never been easier to build and maintain an attractive website for your business as a marketing tool, with web-based templates readily available. Also take a few extra steps toward marketing your market stand to new and existing customers.

When I came back, the county health inspector was waiting for me. Know Everything There Is To Know About Hand-Washing If you have your own hand-washing station, be sure it's stocked and in working order.

Mints : Take whole stems. An herb that has consumer appeal starts with best growing practices . Whatever doesn't sell, we hang to dry, then bag them in small bags, which are also sold.” Once at the market , keep cut herbs out of direct sunlight and...

Start Small Don't go overboard—test the farmers'-market waters before investing in expensive tents and gear. Connect with other farmers at the market, too, particularly at the end of the day when there's the “second market” going on: A lot of informal...

However, because it is slow growing and disease prone as a microgreen, it is perhaps not a crop for micro beginners. It can be cooked or eaten in salads. This is a great restaurant, retail or market item and should be sold by the pound.

There is perhaps no bigger marketing mistake than letting your produce wilt in the wind or sun on the farmers market table. Of course, make sure to do this in a way that does not crush or ruin any produce on the bottom of the pile, but the display should...

Poster boards and large chalkboards can work for a few things, but place pricing as close to the product as possible. Packaging No matter what you sell, be sure the price is obvious.

Market Management One of the first things a new market will do is establish a manager. If the new market is convenient and located nearby other businesses and busy roads, it's worth considering.

4 to 10, 2013, is designated National Farmers Market Week by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsak, and tomorrow, the USDA will release their 2013 farmers' market numbers. Do you write a blog about your favorite delicious recipes or things happening in your...

It's a cliche at this point, but it's undeniable: People love convenience. The farmers market is special, there's no doubt about that. Not every customer wants to or even can—because of work or what have you—give up their Saturday mornings.

No, it's not your typical summer market full of fresh abundance. Winter markets now account for roughly 25 percent of the markets listed in the USDA national directory. Farmers are happy to share recipes and cooking tips.

It's a good idea to have one recipe you enjoy in mind for each item you sell and a basic understanding of how it's typically prepared. Your ability to answer these myriad inqueries can translate directly to market sales, encouraging the customers to come...

“I'm always sharing techniques for how we love to cook our pork, such as how easy it is to overcook a pork chop and just cook it for seven minutes on both sides,” Prusia says. “ Farmers markets go beyond just a financial transaction,” says Jen...

Market Favorites Much like selling produce, your best-selling seedlings are going to be the basics: tomatoes, peppers, leafy greens and so on. Once you get someone to grow fresh herbs, they'll be more likely to come back and try other produce.

Lesson: The more, the merrier. To educate market-goers about wild-food identification and foraging, the market hosts workshops and cooking demonstrations. The size of the market means shoppers can choose from a variety of foods, turning the market into...

Wherever you choose to store the squash, keep an eye on the temperature and don't let them freeze. Firm flesh apples generally keep better. Stock Up On Hard Squashes Pick up some hard-skinned winter squash for long-term storage.

Specifically, there are methods to increase the number of sales as well as the amount per sale that any farmer should incorporate and adapt to his or her own strategy. This year, however, we had it early and sold out two weeks in a row until, by the third...

Having a mix of options can provide a nice incentive to either type of customer. Though perhaps a large waste of plastic, it can help preserve shelf life, keeping your cucumbers making money long after they are gone.

Here's my advice. Also, you need to consider how much room the plants take up in the garden. Bags can work but they tend to crush the leaves a bit. The flavor is slightly spicy and bright with a nice crunch—foodies as well as chefs love it.

In the fall, any extra effort stands out, so any products you bring should look fresh, vibrant and healthy. Keep Quality High One thing I notice a lot in the fall is that sure, lots of people bring greens such as kale and collards, but lots of farmers...

So today we consider the many ways in which one can market, price and ultimately move more butternut squash to make the most out of this excellent storage crop. Sell at Farmers Markets There is a lot of flexibility when it comes to selling squash at the...

Tender and lean with low cholesterol and sodium, rabbit meat is an excellent protein source for an expanding population—but that doesn't mean it's an easy sell in the U.S. Foodie trends across the country have put braised rabbit, rabbit stew and rabbit...

As we head back into the greens portion of the season, there is always one piece of farmers market advice that must be heeded: produce needs to look fresh all day long. Leaving space will help with air circulation and getting that field heat off.

This is, perhaps, a more important point than some farmers realize. That sort of mentality doesn't apply so much to farming. But that other half still needs curb appeal, and the table needs to have curb appeal to draw customers in.

Tell them you can see why they would think that. Regardless of what you say, be kind. Then I emphasize that the difference is that ours are locally grown without chemicals, picked that day.

With the amount of time you put into growing versus how little you spend selling, that time suddenly has a lot of value—you need to make the most of it. Sure, we are all guilty of doing these things from time to time, but the more aware we are, the...