I’m an organic farmer in Florida who managed a farmers market until recently. Here are some things I learned as a market manager that will be valuable to anyone who’s thinking about starting a farmers market.
As a market manager, you’ll create a community centered around local food, so your favorite folks should be the growers themselves—first-rate local growers whose fruits and vegetables vastly exceed the quality of store-bought produce. These growers shouldn’t have to pay to sell their wares at your market. From the midsized farmer to the neighborhood amateur grower, they should be allowed to vend for free, because the market won’t survive without them. In return for their free vending, convince the growers to donate some of their produce to the musicians, yoga teachers, and others who organize the free activities that attract traffic to the market.
The second tier of vendors is made up of the food truck vendors and bakers who make good food but don’t grow it. Require them to pay a modest rental fee, as well as spare a few free tacos or croissants for the activities people you’ve scheduled that week.
The third tier pays a still-higher price. It’s composed of the plentiful handicrafts and art vendors whose fees help subsidize the first two tiers.
The fourth and final tier is made up of the almost-infinite supply of souls who sell items they neither grow, cook, nor make. They should be made to pay an outrageous fee, in advance, without exception. This will provide the bulk of the money needed
