Getting ready for the next winter market...

9 years ago

It is our second market of this month on Saturday the 20th. I am hopeful that it will be good. Don't know how much to pick. Do I go with the same amount as I did last market (that I almost sold out of everything) or do I aim higher and pick a little more of the stuff that sold the best? I know I am not going to pick as much as I did for the pre-thanksgiving market. That was nothing but disappointment.

Who knows?

Our next market is on January 3rd. This is the morning after the Kansas State Wildcats plays UCLA in the Alamo Bowl game. Since my market is in Manhattan, home of K-State, I am sure that one is going to be a poorly attended market, vendors and customers.

Anyone getting ready for a market?

Jay

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Comments (9)

Mark
9 years ago
I go every Wednesday, rain or shine, but because this year both Christmas eve and New Years fall on Wednesday we're gonna cancel.
This is really unfortunate because i'm still loaded with produce that needs to go away. The potatoes are starting to sprout and the winter squash can only hold so long. I still have a lot in the field (carrots, leeks, brussels, beets, cabbage, fennel, celeriac, kohlrabi, etc) that could take a big hit if the temps drop again.
This sure is a tricky time of year to be growing and marketing.

I'll try to remember to take a pic.

-Mark
boulderbelt
9 years ago
No winter FM's for me but I do a CSA pick up every other week and also do a delivery to a local natural food grocery/Co-op on the weeks I don't do the CSA and monthly a group of 5 to 8 people do a big order and come and pick it up when they also do an Organic feed order with another nearby farm.

But in all these cases I know what to harvest as it is all pre-ordered.

I am thinking right before Christmas you can be marketing that people can serve a lot of great local food to their family and guests. Same with New Years celebrations. Oh and xmas gifts too.
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TOM A Z5a-IL.
9 years ago
I have 2 markets this Saturday. I am not sure how many will come with it so close to Christmas. For market #1- I will bring about what has been selling there the past 2 weeks. Market #2- Is a once a month market and last month I tripled the average of market #1- so I plan to bring 3x again and hope for another near sellout. Market #1 has been a good addition this year because there were 4 markets in November and 3 in December. Starting in January I have market #1 the first week of the month and market 2 the third week of each month.
I am hoping for good turn outs and luckily I am right next to the turkey vendors at both markets. I am definately going heavy with everything that can be stored even if it doesn't sell. The greens are slim pickings for me now so I will be more conservative with them.
jnjfarm_gw
9 years ago
? for tom. I am also in Il. west central, What winter markets are you going to. I think for the future I need to get geared up for winter production. Right now, I am busy planning out production and marketing for spring summer and fall of 2015.
TOM A Z5a-IL.
9 years ago
jnj- I have winter markets in Woodstock and Palatine. Sales and conditions are tough in winter but I enjoy staying engaged. It is a good place to show current and potential customers what you have to offer. This year I had many new regular customers due to my efforts at the winter market last year.
little_minnie
9 years ago
The last market was slow and annoying, but I enjoy having something to do too.
little_minnie
9 years ago
Next market is this Saturday. I am making jams and stuff and packaging home saved seeds this week.
jrslick (North Central Kansas, Zone 5B)
Original Author
9 years ago
We had a market on January 3rd. It was a decent market. I picked about half the normal amount and sold out of most. The problem is Kansas State played in the Alamo Bowl the night before and the university is not in session, so many were gone or out of town.
little_minnie
9 years ago
It was a surprisingly good market today especially compared to usual January and how little people purchased in December. There was maybe 1/4 the people in the facility as in December but a lot more buying. I advertised on the local facebook pages to the uninformed market crowd but I am not sure which of the new faces today were due to that. I sold a lot of seeds. Without those I would have made a lot less. I had a funny thing happen though. A customer ordered seeds from me again this year but we decided that instead of mailing them she would come to market since she wanted bulbs too. Her last name is Johnson. A customer came up to me and said she was there to pick up the stuff she ordered and her last name was Johnson but I had the wrong first name. I sold her the stuff I had set aside. Later the correct Johnson came to pick up her order! I told her someone else named Johnson already got it and then I scrambled to find the majority of it for her. I am glad she brought a list. So then I messaged the other gal who assured me except for the dahlias, all the seeds she bought were what she ordered. Now I am not so busy as to forget an order so I am dumbfounded as to how she thinks she ordered!

Getting ready for the next winter market...

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Mark

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Getting ready for the next winter market...

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