We've been out researching farmers markets today for a possible new exciting venture in the New Year....for all of you who attend markets is there any advice or things we should look for apart from the obvious permits, license, insurance.
Farmers Markets
- Thread starter FeistyParrot
- Start date
I have not, but I don't use a cash box either. I know vendors who've had grab-and-runs with cash boxes so I recommend against using one.Kalitarios said:
For theft of product, I work only high end FMs. When I work festivals I'm 2' from where my sauce is - if someone tried to steal a bottle I'd be in pummeling distance. Two years in no one has.
salsalady
Business Member
I've never had a problem with FM theft or whatever.
I also did not use a cash box, I wore a waitress's 2-pocket apron and had the product priced in even amounts of .50 cent increments to make for fast transactions. I had 1's in one side of the apron and 5's 10's in the other. The salsa was in coolers, so it never had a chance for a grab off the table. I accepted checks (this was before the advent of Square, PayPal and the internet....back in the day when we had to walk to school... barefoot...up hill...both ways...
)
Never had a check bounce. At the time, salsa was $4 so I figured it was more worth my customer service and happy attitude to accept checks and not worry if they would bounce.
There might have been an occasion for theft off of my table at a convention, but I'm not sure. The only thing I was selling was Pure Evil so iIm trusting to karma that if they did steal it and it burnt the s#!t out of 'em....
I choose to believe most customers are honest people and if something happens (I've had people write a check and not tear it out of the checkbook...) they will do their best to make it right. 99.99999% of the time this has been true.
But I live in a microcosm valley where......
it's all good, no one every screws anyone on purpose, everyone recycles, everyone conserves energy and water.....and... curses on ye if you don't compost all your yard and kitchen waste!
Bottom line- believe that most people are good, but don't put out temptation by having a cash box on the table!!! Keep an eye out with bottles, and be able to monitor your table. Don't put a cash box behind you where you have to turn around and loose site of the table to make change.
At conventions/festivals when dressed up and not wanting to wear the waitress apron, I use a cash tray (from a defunct cash register) on a box UNDER the table. It's not accessible, and I don't have to turn away from the table.
I also did not use a cash box, I wore a waitress's 2-pocket apron and had the product priced in even amounts of .50 cent increments to make for fast transactions. I had 1's in one side of the apron and 5's 10's in the other. The salsa was in coolers, so it never had a chance for a grab off the table. I accepted checks (this was before the advent of Square, PayPal and the internet....back in the day when we had to walk to school... barefoot...up hill...both ways...
)Never had a check bounce. At the time, salsa was $4 so I figured it was more worth my customer service and happy attitude to accept checks and not worry if they would bounce.
There might have been an occasion for theft off of my table at a convention, but I'm not sure. The only thing I was selling was Pure Evil so iIm trusting to karma that if they did steal it and it burnt the s#!t out of 'em....
I choose to believe most customers are honest people and if something happens (I've had people write a check and not tear it out of the checkbook...) they will do their best to make it right. 99.99999% of the time this has been true.
But I live in a microcosm valley where......
it's all good, no one every screws anyone on purpose, everyone recycles, everyone conserves energy and water.....and... curses on ye if you don't compost all your yard and kitchen waste!
Bottom line- believe that most people are good, but don't put out temptation by having a cash box on the table!!! Keep an eye out with bottles, and be able to monitor your table. Don't put a cash box behind you where you have to turn around and loose site of the table to make change.
At conventions/festivals when dressed up and not wanting to wear the waitress apron, I use a cash tray (from a defunct cash register) on a box UNDER the table. It's not accessible, and I don't have to turn away from the table.
You didn't mention any kind of insurance. Although it may not be required, and you might never need it, it is always best to have it.ikeepfish said:This is all good info as far as setting up a tent, I'm going to be hitting the Farmers Market hard in September and October---only thing is I'm selling produce--not sauces other than perhaps a few labeled as "salsa" in Mason jars to exempt me from any hardcore labeling. I'm not sure how well my fresh pods will sell here but it's a very busy FM and it gets a lot of traffic from well off "boaters" on a very large recreational lake that's nearby. I don't need any kind of business license, health inspection etc. to sell there (until my profits reach over $3k, which they *never will*) I just pay a $25 tent space fee. for 5 Saturdays and hope for the best. I'm not really sure why it seems like it's such a mess in the other parts of the country to sell some fresh vegetables and fruits but it's really easy in Virginia. I can set up a tent at the end of my driveway if I want and sell. Other types of localities like urban areas may want city or town business licensing but not in most rural counties because it's not required by the Commonwealth. My canned stuff just has to have a pH of 4.6 or lower and it's good to go, labeled with processed date, location of farm, and "NOT FOR RESALE--PROCESSED WITHOUT STATE INSPECTION" on the label. I'm also going to give out free vinyl gloves with pod purchases and make sure I have a "warning--capsaicin may cause skin and eye irritation etc." somewhere on my setup.
I don't like the cash box option either and have just ordered a couple of those waitress aprons in the brightest parrot like colour available 
. Should go well with our new t-shirts due to arrive any day now 
I also just heard that we have been accepted into a new market on Sunday mornings in Aventura, North Miami
. Should go well with our new t-shirts due to arrive any day now I also just heard that we have been accepted into a new market on Sunday mornings in Aventura, North Miami
I may have to ask, I believe our farm is already covered in the land and homeowner's insurance since it's registered with our county and the VIrginia Cooperative Extension. My parents don't use the land for anything except selling holly and mistletoe during the winter and I'm trying to change that. Our blackberry patches alone would fill the back of my truck a couple times over.Snarg said:
this is all great info everybody, just thought id let you know! very informative
also a local farmers market here by me in ontario had a bunch of thefts and they use cash boxes. so what they started doing was screwing the cash box to the table right where they were sitting, and had a latch on it that took two hands to open. just thought id share that in-case you ever wanted to try to use a cash box or for anyone who is using one
also a local farmers market here by me in ontario had a bunch of thefts and they use cash boxes. so what they started doing was screwing the cash box to the table right where they were sitting, and had a latch on it that took two hands to open. just thought id share that in-case you ever wanted to try to use a cash box or for anyone who is using one
Bank of Levi Strauss works really well. Big bills in one pocket, small in the other. If someone tries to get those they'll meet the business end of the knife I use to open boxes.
Most vendors I know use this method. Festivals have copious amounts of police presence, so I never really worry about it there, and as mentioned, most of my markets are very reputable with a high caliber of customers so generally this is not a concern - but like anything you do in public, always be aware of your surroundings.
Most vendors I know use this method. Festivals have copious amounts of police presence, so I never really worry about it there, and as mentioned, most of my markets are very reputable with a high caliber of customers so generally this is not a concern - but like anything you do in public, always be aware of your surroundings.
Bank of Levi Strauss does not work so well for girls, pockets too small and tight...Just sayin ;-)
salsalady
Business Member
yea, stuffing a wad of 30 $1 bills in the back pocket kills the "profile". Just sayin~
Also, when making change out of the Bank of Levi, you have to take the wad of bills out of the pocket and shuffle through to find the $5's and $10's needed. I don't like showing customers how much cash I have when making change. Using the apron, drawer under the table or cashbox, you can discretely sort through the bills to make change and customers can't see how much $$ you have or have made that day.
Whether Server Apron, cash box, or back-pocket, when you pull out and flash $$$$ it after just trying to work a deal as the "poor sauce company just trying to make a buck...." doesn't look too good. just another dos centavos~
Just sayin~Also, when making change out of the Bank of Levi, you have to take the wad of bills out of the pocket and shuffle through to find the $5's and $10's needed. I don't like showing customers how much cash I have when making change. Using the apron, drawer under the table or cashbox, you can discretely sort through the bills to make change and customers can't see how much $$ you have or have made that day.
Whether Server Apron, cash box, or back-pocket, when you pull out and flash $$$$ it after just trying to work a deal as the "poor sauce company just trying to make a buck...." doesn't look too good.
just another dos centavos~FeistyParrot said:
That sounds a lot like someone else's problem to me.
chicks can wear jeans...duh
salsalady
Business Member
:huh: ????
Chicks in jeans with a big wad of cash stuffed in the back pocket....don't look so "sweet". When ya worry about "panty lines", imagine how bad a lumpy bum from the cash wads would look.
Or am I not getting something? Feisty Parrot, are we on the same page?
Chicks in jeans with a big wad of cash stuffed in the back pocket....don't look so "sweet". When ya worry about "panty lines", imagine how bad a lumpy bum from the cash wads would look.
Or am I not getting something? Feisty Parrot, are we on the same page?
FRONT pocket. Sheesh - who carries money in their back pockets? 
salsalady
Business Member
DUDE, have you seen how small those front pockets are? Sheesh, there's more risk of loosing money from falling out of the half-moon shaped front pocket and a large wad would prolly stick out the top of the pocket....
Front or Back, Pockets on women's jeans are not the same as pockets on men's jeans!!!
A wad of 30 $1 bills would have to be folded in half, and stuffed in the front pocket...it would still ruin the "profile". and then there's a wad of 1's on one side and a wad of larger bills on the other......
yea, not a good look....
Feisty~.....need a little help here!
OMG!!!! I just got it!!!! Sorry....little slow here..... ..
Edit-delete_ never mind!
Front or Back, Pockets on women's jeans are not the same as pockets on men's jeans!!!
A wad of 30 $1 bills would have to be folded in half, and stuffed in the front pocket...it would still ruin the "profile". and then there's a wad of 1's on one side and a wad of larger bills on the other......
yea, not a good look....
Feisty~.....need a little help here!
OMG!!!! I just got it!!!! Sorry....little slow here..... ..
Edit-delete_ never mind!
wimmens problems. 99 of them?
I have no idea what that means - heard it in a song once or something.
