How to Sell Produce

Leaning how to sell produce may give you a viable secondary income or prove to be a fun hobby. You can keep it small, if you simply want to share the excess from your own garden, or grow large and form your own community supported agriculture (CSA) group. While you can always resell produce bought in bulk from other growers, most small scale produce sellers grow their own. Here is how to sell produce.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. 
   Grow fruits and vegetables.

   Source your produce. Grow a large vegetable garden, remembering that variety is key. Plant several varieties of tomatoes and peppers and other popular produce (squash, melons, onions, eggplant). Or, find produce suppliers and farmers from whom you can buy fruits and vegetables.

2. 

   Choose selling venues. A farm stand on your property may receive plenty of exposure. This is often one of the best options for small scale produce selling because you can simply assist customers as they come and not have to sit at the stand all day. Consider putting up a produce stand at a busier intersection if you're very rural. Choose the busiest two hours of the day (4-6 pm) to sell produce.

3. Bring your produce to the farmer's market or local flea market on Fridays and Saturdays. Take advantage of the weekend foot traffic to boost sales,a and be sure to bring business cards or pamphlets with your contact information to give customers.

4. 
   Advertise your produce.

   Market your produce. Signs are some of your best advertising. Be sure to start signs a mile or more from your produce stand to give drivers a heads up before they get there. List your farm on Local Harvest and EatWild sites for free, and include an ad in your local penny pincher ads.

5. 

   Take stock of what worked and what didn't. Keep notes throughout the spring and summer. At the end of the produce selling season, evaluate your success and what you should continue doing for the best results, or what could be modified for better results.

Tips & Warnings

• Once you learn how to sell produce and establish a solid customer base and good reputation, word of mouth may be your biggest marketing asset.

Resources

• Gardening When It Counts: Growing Food in Hard Times
• Frugal Homesteading Blog
• Sharing the Harvest: A Citizens Guide to Community Supported Agriculture

[GreenGardenChic]

on 6/13/2008 I would love to do this.