Farmers' Markets

As the South of England Agricultural Show gets closer, I aim to add a post a day, please find below a post on how to gain a foothold in the Farmers' Markets. Once again, please feel free to comment.

One of our Eurolink members wrote an article for the Kent Farmers' Markets for potential stallholders. The article warns that the farmers' markets are a competitive environment and that it is worth a visit to a couple of markets to see what is being sold and how you can make your product different from the other products for sale. 

The author, Benjamin Dent, continues to state that customers want value for money,  but they are also interested in the producer and what added value they can provide - be it recipes or contributions to the local community. 

There are, of course, a variety of farmer's markets in Kent (43 at the last count) and are listed here; there are other farmer's markets in Sussex - East and West as well as the whole of England.

The author continues to give advice on how to draw up a business plan with costs, income and cash flow with suggested start-up costs, running costs, income, product price, the commitments as well as what regulations you need to study and pass. As he concludes, Benjamin asks, "Can you remain enthusiastic about telling a shopper about your product for the thirtieth time that morning? Can you encourage people to buy without making them feel uncomfortably pressured? Can you be cheerful at 9am on a cold and wet January morning?"