Starting a Farmer’s Market Business

Summary: Farmers' markets advocates believe the markets help farmers stay in business as well as preserve natural resources. Wholesale prices that farmers get for their produce are very low, often near the cost of production but farmers who sell direct to the public without going through a middle man get a better price.

Hence a farmers’ market business is a very attractive proposition.

It can be shown that the preservation of farmland is important for the health of the environment and water supply. Sustainable and managed farms conserve soil and clean water and provide a habitat for wildlife. Moreover, modern farmers' markets help maintain important social ties, linking rural and urban populations and even close neighbors in mutually rewarding exchange.

Farmers' markets are a traditional way of selling agricultural and home manufactured products. A weekly market day is a part of normal life in villages and town squares throughout the world. A good way for a traveler to sample local foods and learn about local culture is to attend market day, especially when it coincides with a festival. In several European countries, there exist street markets, as well as covered marketplaces, where farmers and purveyors sell.

In modern times, farmers’ markets are even starting to appear online, such as with the new farmer's market portal yourlocalfarmers.com!

Some markets are carefully managed, with strict rules for pricing, quality and vendor selection. Others are much more relaxed in their vendor criteria. While the usual emphasis is on locally-grown/produced food and crafts, some farmers markets allow co-ops and purveyors, or allow farmers to purchase some products to resell.

Some farmers' markets have wholesale operations, sometimes limited to specific days or hours. Farmers' markets also may supply buyers from produce stands, restaurants, and garden stores with fresh fruits and vegetables, plants, seedlings and nursery stock, honey, and other agricultural products. However, this is on the decline, in part due to the growth of chain stores.

Farmers markets are an integral part of the urban/farm linkage and have continued to rise in popularity, mostly due to the growing consumer interest in obtaining fresh products directly from the farm. Farmers markets allow consumers to have access to locally grown, farm fresh produce, enables farmers the opportunity to develop a personal relationship with their customers, and cultivate consumer loyalty with the farmers who grows the produce. Direct marketing of farm products through farmers markets continues to be an important sales outlet for agricultural producers nationwide.

Normally Farmers’ Markets facilitate the marketing of the following commodities:

• COTTON
• DAIRY - marketing of milk and dairy products.
• FRUIT AND VEGETABLE - the strategic marketing of fruit, vegetable, nuts and specialty items in domestic and international markets.
• LIVESTOCK AND SEED - timely, high-quality, unbiased service that facilitates the orderly marketing and distribution of livestock products, while simultaneously fostering goodwill in the global marketplace.
• POULTRY AND EGGS - the strategic marketing of poultry, shell eggs, and egg products in domestic and international markets through standardization, grading and certification services.
• TOBACCO