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market-farming - Re: farm and market set-up

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  • From: "Del Williams" <delannw AT dlogue.net>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: farm and market set-up
  • Date: Mon, 12 Feb 2001 08:11:21 -0600


I have a fiberglass inverted U stand. Very lightweight.
A guy who builts greenhouse benches and plant displays built them for me
last year.

There are two 5' tables (the sides) and the bottom of the U is an 8' table.
The tables are 30" wide. Thus, the display is 13' wide. There are 45 sq
feet of display space in a stand that fits within two 10' wide parking
spaces at the market. Customers can walk around the sides of the stand but
cannot get behind it. (Each side table rests on 2 fiberglass sawhorses that
fit into grooves under the table. The center table has a lip that rests on
the two side tables. The lip is security with two slip in bolts on each
side. This is a design flaw. The center table needs the sawhorse supports
when the produce display starts getting a little heavy). It took it last
year though. These tables are pretty strong. Easy to clean, setup, and
move.

I display the herbs in the center of the 8' table and arrange produce around
this central display. I started out as an herb grower/vendor and want to
maintain that image association at the market with my customers. So the
herbs always are the focal point of the display.

The E-Z up tent fits perfectly over the middle table and covers part of the
area where I stand when selling. I can work all three sides of the table,
refill baskets, etc... from one place.

I am a little uncomfortable allowing customers behind the stand. I like
having a table between us for security reasons. We had a couple of lady
pickpockets working the market a couple of summers ago. Relieved one vendor
(with money in a front apron) of $300.

Actually, my money is in a cashbox. The inverted U protects the box but I'm
never too far from the cash. For me, it just gets a little to hot in the
summer to walk around with one of those cash aprons on. When it's 90
degrees and 95% humidity I don't want to wear anything more than I have to.

When I just had a 5' table, people would walk behind it between me and the
truck. I caught people looking in the back of the truck and trying to pick
through produce that hadn't been set out on the stand yet. The inverted U
table has stopped that completely.

The other thing is the liability issue. I don't want customers walking
around boxes and baskets they can trip over.

So for saftety and security, I like my design which generally looks like
this from overhead.

TRUCK
______ ______
| | | |
| | | |
| |____________ | |
| | | |
| | | |
|_____|_____________|_____|

|<---------------------------------------->|
13'
|<================================>|
20'


Hope this comes out in the email. Oh, it cost about $150. to have this
custom built including the 3 tables and 4 sawhorses.

Del Williams
Farmer in the Del
Clifton IL





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