The difference between struggling and success can be good market practices. What makes for a good farmers’ market? Certainly a strong and supportive base of shoppers is an essential ingredient. Yet demand for products is simply the fuel. How well the market is organized is the engine. Some engines waste fuel whereas others are efficient […]
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Belfast Market Guidelines 2003
June 7, 2012 CategoriesI. PARTICIPATION A. The Farmers’ Market consists of local small growers of vegetables and other related agricultural products; local producers of “added value” items such as baked goods, pickles, preserves, etc.; local people involved in catching, processing and distributing Maine seafood products; local crafts people; and any other category deemedacceptable to the voting membership. B. […]
The spectrum from peddler’s market to producer’s market
November 9, 2011 CategoriesThinking about Farmers’ Markets There are lots of ways to direct-market foods at a farmers’ market, some of which perhaps not everyone is familiar with. To better visualize the distinctions among them, it is often helpful to such arrange variations on a theme along a spectrum. This article is presented as a description of what […]
Do farmers’ markets need managers?
February 9, 2009 CategoriesStarting a farmers’ market is a form of community organizing. It happens on two levels, organizing the market members and organizing the shoppers. Working with these two audiences takes very different forms, and I will concentrate here primarily on how the market members are organized. Community organizing can take many forms depending on where the […]
Product Liability Insurance Q & A
April 20, 2004 CategoriesHi Tom, I got your name off the internet at the MFFM website. I am a farmer and I currently sell at a local market. The question on “product liability insurance” has come up and it looks grim for the small farmer (once again!). The market master has come to the conclusion that we will […]