Consumers are embracing farmers’ markets for their fresh, locally grown products, but for some markets, it is getting harder to recruit farmers. Other markets are wondering where new customers might come from. At the same time Market Managers and community organizations are developing new markets to increase consumer access to healthy foods and help revitalize neighborhoods.
With this in mind, the Wallace Center led a collaborative effort to develop resources for farmers and farmer’s market managers. The yearlong consensus effort included 12 diverse national partners. The result is a pair of handbooks that use plain language and abundant photography to help farmers and market managers to be more successful. The handbooks are part of a nationwide outreach campaign that begins this winter. This outreach campaign also includes two regional workshops—hosted by the Wallace Center—on creating and sustaining successful farmers’ markets. The Wallace Center is developing new resources to address other issues for farmers’ markets, including risk management, insurance, food safety and business incubation.
FOR MARKET MANAGERS
We’ve created this brief guide to assist you in developing a successful farmers’ market. It includes useful information about planning, as well as working with farmers and community partners. The guide also shows how other market managers diversify their vendors and their customer bases to build successful markets for the future.
FOR FARMERS
Selling at a farmers’ market can help farmers increase profitability, but farmers’ markets do have other challenges. This guide will introduce you to selling at a farmers’ market so you can decide whether it’s right for you.
To request a copy of either handbook, call the Wallace Center at 703.525.9430
or visit wallacecenter.org.