Being an Artisan Vendor at a Farmers' Market:

A Series of Five Short Essays 

 

So your table is set. You have spent the last month getting ready—creating inventory, designing labels, and figuring out your display—and the last fifteen minutes agonizing over getting it just right. It’s a coolish but beautifully sunny day at the beginning of June: the first Farmers’ market of the year. You’re excited: anticipating the people that you’ll meet, all the creations that you may sell. Fast forward to the end of market day.  You talked to lots of people, your friends dropped by as promised, your mum bought a token item in support, but you barely sold a thing. The excitement has gone, you feel let down. As you take down your displays and carefully pack away your goods, you wonder what did I do wrong?

The above scenario is hypothetical but realistic. Most artisan vendors will experience something similar at least once, if not several times over. People often frequent their local Farmers’ Market to buy fresh local produce: the idea of purchasing beautiful, one of a kind hand-crafted goods not uppermost in their mind, if there at all. Aah, the challenge of being an artisan vendor at a Farmers’ Market!

It’s hard not to, but don’t let the type of situation just described put you off vending at your Farmers’ Market. There are many positives to vending at your local market; making sales is just one aspect of it and the others are worth exploring.

In this first short essay (blog post) I am going to focus on being a regular at the market.

Essay One: 

Committing to Be There; Why You Should Become a Seasonal Vendor

For a vendor to get the most out of a Farmers’ Market, people need to get acquainted with their offerings. This means that you need to be a regular, and a great way to do that is to become a seasonal vendor. To be considered a seasonal vendor at your local Farmers’ Market you need to buy a season’s pass. These may offer a small discount on the per-market fee that you would normally pay but they come with some perks such as the same spot every week and free features in the Market’s advertising.

The commitment of a seasonal pass to your Farmers’ Market is a commitment to your community as well as to your business, and can result in paybacks in different ways.

To get down to the nitty-gritty of Farmers’ Market vending and why it’s all worth it, I spoke to a couple of seasoned vendors from my local Farmers’ Market (The Rossland Mountain Market). Susan from RiverstoneYarns and Tricia Rasku from TR by Hand were both very willing to share what they have learned from being artisan vendors: the drawbacks and the amazing positives.

Susan, of Riverstone Yarns, focuses on hand dyed yarn in stunning colourways to sell at the market. She explained that she likes being a vendor at her local Farmers’ Market because it is a connection to the community. When she visits other towns, she likes to visit the Farmers’ Market there to see what other artisans are doing and to support the local economy. Susan likes to be realistic about her sales, often she does not aim for high sales, rather she aims to cover her vendor costs. Susan views being at the Farmers’ Market on a regular basis as a marketing tool, her seasonal vendor fee comes out of her business’s marketing budget. Being at the Market allows her to meet her fellow vendors, create connections, and let people know what she has to offer. Her main piece of advice to other artisan vendors is, ‘decide to commit and pay the seasonal fee.’

When I spoke to Tricia Rasku of TR by Hand (purveyor of luscious hand soaps, mouthwatering vinegars, gorgeous yarns, woven blankets, and felted accessories) and asked her why she is committed to vending regularly at the local Farmers’ Market she commented that she goes to the market to interact with the people. She enjoys the atmosphere and the live music. Tricia has been a vendor since the beginnings of the Rossland Mountain Market and although she may not be at every market, she certainly is a regular vendor. Her presence at the market is consistent enough it’s easy to stop by and purchase her hand made soap before you run out, or to pick up a gift of flavoured vinegar or hand felted accessory for an upcoming occasion. Tricia, like, Susan  does not expect to sell much every time and considers anything over $50 in sales to be a successful market. As a seasoned vendor, she says that you develop a tough skin when it comes to lack of sales and other market challenges. You have to roll with it and be back again.

Making a commitment to your Farmers’ Market won’t, by itself, ensure success, but being there week after week will help solidify you as a market presence. This in turn will help to encourage new and repeat business. When a vendor makes a seasonal commitment they become a stable and reliable presence, one that customers of the Farmers’ Market can count on. The following scenario is worth some consideration if you are still feeling skeptical: Maybe last week someone came by your booth, they oohed and aahed over your gorgeous work, but they did not purchase anything. What if they return next week, cash in hand for that item they just loved and what if you are not there? What if they have thought of the perfect gift and want to give you a custom order to make it for them, but didn’t pick up your business card last time? If you are not at the next market, they may wait until the following one, but without knowing that they can find you again they’ll look elsewhere. Bottom line, as an artisan vendor, a committed and continued presence at the Market will bring in more sales then a sporadic presence.