Hey friends! It’s been a while hasn’t it?!?! All I can say is that I’ve been busy flitting from one market to the next trying to figure out what’s going to work for my little business. I think I’ve finally figured it out but I want to share some of the fabulous makers that I’ve met along the way!
My first market of the season was at The Cutler Flea in Binghamton. I met the fabulous ladies from De Colores Cookies Y Mas and Upstate Grain. They were a hoot! We were all even interviewed for a news segment! But, sadly, the market wasn’t as profitable as I’d hoped. Binghamton has seen a resurgence in COVID cases and I’m sure that is giving people pause for going out.
Next I was off to the Downtown Courtyard Market. It’s fun. It’s hip. And it serves an underserved community. There are so many fun makers and farmers at this market:
1. De Colores Cookies Y Mas
2. Upstate Grain
3. Triple J Farm
4. Babushka Eats and check out the artist that did that logo!!
5. Kokedama Flora
6. Hunny Suite
7. Honey Love Soaps
8. Anna Mason
9. Sue Garing Honey
My mainstay market though, is the Walton Farmers’ Market. This is my first full year of vending there. I did attend last September and am excited to be back this year. It’s been fun! I love adding new items to my Friday markets. I’ve been adding soaps and hand knitted washcloths. This week I’ll feature a new flavor of soap, a new lip balm flavor, and some more washcloths. I’m also offering gift packaging for those who are looking for a gift.
Check out all the amazing vendors at the Walton Farmers’ Market:
1. Elsewhere Farm
2. Bakers Grimm
3. East Brook Community Farm
4. Rock Royal Farm
5. Green Sun Orchard and Cidery
6. Brookside Farm
7. Sunny Heart Farm
Do you see how much fun this market is!??! I love it.
And I have such good helpers who help out when taking product photos! I think they help make the products sell faster too. HEHE. And don’t forget, you can always find my products in my webshop as well. In fact, I’m updating it as we speak. There will be new pincushions, lip balms, and one-off products very shortly.
And finally, let’s chat about where I’ll be and what’s been going on these last few weeks, market-wise. These past few months have been hard, haven’t they? That’s not to say that there hasn’t been some good thrown in there but owning a small, fledgling business in 2020 has been tough. I have tried a lot of different things to help my business stay afloat but I also wore myself out. I was doing 3 markets per week these past few weeks and running in between markets trying to get products made. I had people asking me for certain things–soap, bug spray, air freshener, etc. etc.–and it was getting to the point to where I didn’t have enough time in between markets to figure it all out. I want to work hard and make my business thrive! BUT! When a market isn’t producing for me what I need it to, I have to take a step back and reevaluate. So I did just that thing this week. It’s been nice to have some time to reflect and look at things objectively. I’ve had other opportunities that were presented to me that I had to look at objectively as well. And don’t get me wrong. I think all these markets are successful and I have enjoyed each and every one. but they haven’t been what I would call ‘successful’ for me. They have been for the other vendors, I am sure of that! And I don’t know if it’s my products. Or my prices. Or what, but I will be reevaluating all that in the coming weeks as well. I want to make sure that I am a good fit for the markets and other opportunities as well. It’s a two-way street, right? In the meantime, won’t you visit the markets and vendors, even if it’s virtually? Show them some love. They are all such lovely people and places!
So I’ll keep the Walton Farmers’ Market and I’m starting to look at classes. I need to figure out the virtual classes and how to offer them and that’s what I’ll do now. I’m taking a break from Facebook Live for the time being. And probably the craft along as well. I’ll consider adding them back in this fall/winter when things slow down. Do things ever slow down? But I feel at peace with the decisions I’ve made this week. I think that having time to reflect, to slow down, to rest up, to be in the garden and chasing chickens around the yard, make for a much better Chicken Librarian–both the person and the company. HEHE. But I’ll leave you with this picture. I love it. Morgan from Upstate Grain snapped it at our first market together way back at the beginning of July.
’til next time
-k
xoxo
Daenel T.
Such great pictures. I feel like I’m there. I’ve only been to one farmers market and I really enjoyed it. I didn’t realize how much work goes into the process until I started following your blog. I don’t know how I thought it worked but I was clueless. I have so much respect for the work you do.
chickenlibrarian
Aw! Thanks Dani! Farm Markets can be a LOT of work. I guess it depends on what you’re selling and how much work it is. Don’t get me wrong. It’s a lot of work regardless of what you’re selling but there’s a difference between picking what’s in season and making products. I found it was just too much for me to sustain. And there’s no guarantees that you’ll make money. So I’ve been refocusing my efforts to teaching. But yeah. It’s a lot of work. I’m exhausted just thinking about it. LOL.
xoxo
Leslie Susan Clingan
Like Daenel said, your photographs are gorgeous. I would like to venture out to our markets but I am a little scared. Not terribly sure they are even open this year. Everything just seems fresher and prettier and more wholesome at the farmers market. And YOU look adorable!!
chickenlibrarian
AWW! thank you Leslie! We have lots of safety measures put into place at the markets here but you can’t be too careful!
Tracy
What a fantastic photo post, Kristin! Not only are your photos gorgeous (but of course!), the way you laid them out and rendered them down the page was a nice touch. Well done! (applause here)
I think you are smart to continue your evaluation, picking the right places for your business. That’s was savvy biz owners do: they know where to be and where not to be. In a former professional life, I oversaw programs and outreach for multiple counties in Upstate NY. My E.D. wanted me to “be everywhere.” That’s bad advice. If you are spending money and your time (and time is money) with little to no return, then you need to rethink where you are! So good on you!
I’m missing the farmers marketing… A few have opened back up here, but we’re not-so-much going. We’re just not comfortable doing that yet. We did find a tiny one setting up several stands a couple of miles from here. We went a couple of weeks ago and I bet there wasn’t even 15-20 people there, including the vendors! We bought some produce (since our garden is way behind this year – except for zucchini – yay!) and maybe we’ll pop over again today. Anyhow, if I was in your neck of the woods and covid was no more, I’d so come by your market stand!
Oh, and CONGRATS on the news segment! Woot! That’s so cool. 😀
The last little photo of you is so cute, too! Your outfit is adorable!
chickenlibrarian
I guess that’s part of the issue with markets: you aren’t guaranteed to sell anything. Like…it’s very customer driven and they might show up and they might not. And they might buy something from you. And they might not. And it’s a LOT of work. So I’m definitely refocusing and trying to figure this whole thing out. It is extremely bad advice to ‘be everywhere’. You can’t sustain that. And it’s impossible. I wouldn’t have made it through meat chicken season (or at least made it thus far) and canning season if I’d tried to keep that pace up. I’m feeling much more balanced and focused but still have a long way to go to making CL successful, especially in these new times.
xoxo