Farmers markets.

[tonka]

Is there anything you have to have (besides product) to be able to sell, in this situation, maple syrup at a farmers market? What can a person expect when selling maple syrup at a farmers market? Thanks!!

[Tweegs]

Some markets require product liability insurance. Good idea to have it, regardless.

As a professional courtesy, producers in our area try not to step on each other’s toes. There are enough weekly markets in this area to support the number of producers interested in selling at them. Therefore, if a producer is already established in a particular market it’s better to find a market that doesn’t have syrup represented, if possible. All bets are off during large annual State or County events, however.

Our market occupies two streets of a city block, there is no room to park at your site unless you pay for 2 or 3 lots. We are allowed to drive right up to our spot to load or unload. If your market is similar, remember this:
Folks get highly irritated if you lolly-gag about loading or unloading. Everyone is trying to get in or out at the same time. Drive up, quickly unload, park your vehicle, then set up. At the end of the day have everything broken down and boxed up before bringing your vehicle in to load…load quickly and get out of the way. People know you’ll need to block the path, but the less time you spend doing so, the more friends you’ll have. The opposite is also true.

For us, sales are usually better at the first of the month and can get really slow at the end of the month. We sell other maple related products (candy, cotton candy, soda, pickles (yes, maple pickles) jams and other items) to help even things out. Substituting syrup for some of the sugar in a jam recipe is a big hit for us. Using in-season fruits and berries make it all the more attractive.

There is no pattern to market shopper’s buying habits. We cannot predict the number quarts or pints or anything else we’ll sell. Always have a good selection on hand.

Samples, you’ve gotta have samples.

Dress clean, be polite, know your product.

Try not to laugh when asked how many bees it takes to make syrup (At least once a week I get asked, not kidding :lol:).

[slybird353]

Correct labeling! Are you going to be selling under the cottage farm laws? As long as you label accordingly/correctly you should be good in the event an inspector comes by.

[maple flats]

The markets around here require both product and site liability insurance. We must give the market promoter a "certificate of insurance" vthat shows them as also insured. As long as you have the insurance, the certificate including them as also insured costs nothing extra.

[maple flats]

You can expect to explain the process to make syrup as well as the grades. I like to have sample cups and I give out free sample for people to taste the syrup. Have a neat and uncluttered display. If you have any pictures or posters they are nice.

[tonka]

Thanks for the info!! Where dose one go to get liability insurance? and how much is it monthly/yearly?

[maple flats]

I'm insured thru Farm Family and my liability ins. covers a whole lot more than just the syrup and related exposure. I don't know what that portion would be. I suggest you contact Farm Family if the are in Mn. If not try any other insurer. Liability is not real expensive as insurances go. I carry $2,000,000 liability, but it covers my U-pick blueberries, my sugarhouse, my apartments I rent, my product liability, people falling at my residence and even liability for when I spray pesticides, including if I have a chemical spill when transporting or spraying. My guess is that you don't need all of that. I pay $1226 a year which also covers fire on the sugarhouse and fire or theft on all of my farm equipment.

[tonka]

That is not bad of a yearly payment for everything you have covered. Right now if I get enough syrup cooked up next year I will be looking to get to some local farmers markets to really get my product out there and realizing that it's better to be safe then sorry!! Right now I would be just looking to cover liability insurance for my product but once I get better established and build a facility for cooking and start having open houses and more expensive equipment I will be looking to improve my coverage.

[Ed R]

Be creative with your display, don't just set your products out on a flat table. I set my syrup and products out on different size cut blocks of maple and sassafrass. This draws in the customers eye. I have syrup for sale in glass but I sell 10x more syrup in plastic. People just don't want to be carrying syrup around in glass at a farmers maket, even if your giving away heavy fabric shopping bags.

[slybird353]

Be creative with your display, don't just set your products out on a flat table. I set my syrup and products out on different size cut blocks of maple and sassafrass. This draws in the customers eye. I have syrup for sale in glass but I sell 10x more syrup in plastic. People just don't want to be carrying syrup around in glass at a farmers maket, even if your giving away heavy fabric shopping bags.
Interesting! We sell 10X more glass. I find the healty conscience customer does not even entertain plastic. The one thing I have learned about markets is that you can not count on anything to be the same one day to the next, or one market to the next. One of our best days was a local market on a drizzly Sat with only 7 or 8 vendors. There just is no telling.

[Ed R]

I thought we'd sell more glass as well. At first I took equal amounts of glass and plastic But after several weeks I cut way back on glass. Its still important to take some glass because it is an eye catcher, but at our market customers pick up the glass an look at, it set it down ,then pick up plastic for purchase {unless they have a health concern with plastic}, I've asked several customers an its always fear of breakage. Always have gallons and halfs available because if you don't someone will want two. If you sign up for a season make every effort to be there. If you can sign up dailey or for half a season, group your dates early in the year and late in the season and the first date each month in the middle of the season.