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  • From: Road's End Farm <organic87 AT frontiernet.net>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Winter Markets
  • Date: Mon, 11 Oct 2010 19:45:54 -0400


On Oct 11, 2010, at 2:13 PM, Jay Sleichter wrote:

Last week several vendors were kicking around the idea of having a "Winter" market the weekend before Thanksgiving and then again maybe before Christmas.  Does anyone have a market at these times.  Our market season ends on October 30th,  the November one would be 3 weeks later.  We would have produce out of high tunnels, jams and jellies, baked goods, cheeses, pork, eggs, Buffalo, hand made rugs and much more.  I know we could open it up to local craft people and get more vendors, but would that be a good idea?

If we do it, we are wanting to promote it for the next 5 weeks with hopes that it will be successful. Does anyone have any tips about a winter market. We will have it inside as the weather is too crazy in Kansas.

One of the markets I go to has been doing one indoor market in November for the past several years. We don't get the sales we do at the summer markets, but we do get enough to make it worth going, and the sales have been increasing gradually as, I think, more customers get used to the idea.

Our regular market is outside, and the season for that market ends in mid-October, the 16th this year. We do have craft vendors as part of the market ordinarily, as well as at the November market -- everything must be made (or grown, for farm vendors) in this or immediately adjacent counties, and most of it by the vendor, so this doesn't risk our turning into a flea market. The November market is made up of those regular vendors who have enough and want to come in November.

I think the main trick is getting your customers to remember that there is a market that day -- publicity, posters handed out at the last couple of regular markets "to hang on your refrigerator", etc.

Make sure your indoor location allows for easy loading and unloading of bulky items -- the first year we had ours in a basement location; it was actually quite a nice room, but the only access was by stairs or an elevator, and the elevator turned out to be very small and limited in the weight it could handle. A number of vendors trying to set up at once, some of us with mulitple cases of heavy winter squash, created quite a hassle. The next year we found a place where we could set up at ground level, though a hand truck is still really useful to get things in and out. At both places we could use the tables already there, which helped a good deal.


-- Rivka; Finger Lakes NY, Zone 5 mostly
Fresh-market organic produce, small scale






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