Anyone sell some of their produce?

[AZGardener]

Hello Just curious if anyone sells their produce? I had two ladies ask me for my produce and I thought how awesome is that?! But how much do I charge and now of course I want to make sure I have enough... This will be my little backyard farm in the middle of the city that is Pointers and tips would be appreciated THANKS as always!!

I cross posted in the " for market " section too...

[paulgrow]

I donate any extra to local food pantries

[carolyn137]

Yes, I delivered fruits to several restaurants and a large farm stand for many years, as well as plants to the farm stand.

But I do think your best bet is that Market Garden Forum where folks do so and will always help with pricing, packaging, PR, etc.

Actually I think I was one of the first to post there all these many years ago.

Carolyn, who doesn't think you really want two identical threads running in two different Forums.

[GnomeGrown]

Kale
Chard
Radishes
Squash
Cukes
Tomatoes
Peppers
Oyster Mushrooms
Shiitake Mushrooms
Lion's Mane Mushrooms

[Cole_Robbie]

One of the reasons to sell through an organized farmer's market is that typically your dues come with insurance coverage. We live in a highly litigious society and whenever you deal with the public, you have to plan ahead to protect yourself. A lot of small business ventures can make a profit if they don't buy insurance, but it's not worth the risk of losing everything you own.

[biscgolf]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

One of the reasons to sell through an organized farmer's market is that typically your dues come with insurance coverage. We live in a highly litigious society and whenever you deal with the public, you have to plan ahead to protect yourself. A lot of small business ventures can make a profit if they don't buy insurance, but it's not worth the risk of losing everything you own.

i sell at farmer's markets for a living and have never encountered one that insures you with your dues. all of them i have dealt with in virginia, maryland, or DC require you to hold liability insurance and to list them as co-insured on your insurance in addition to paying dues, etc.

[Cole_Robbie]

The market I sell at holds a group liability policy. I did not realize that was not common.

Who pays when a customer slips and falls at your market? What about when someone gets sick and sues the market as an entity? They have to have liability insurance. It sounds like they are making the vendors buy it for them, which is absurd. Who is liable for a slip and fall in a common area of the market? Do they just blame the nearest vendor?

[PA_Julia]

I sold some of my tomatoes to people who want more this upcoming season. I'm very pleased to oblige them.

[Doug9345]

Originally Posted by biscgolf

i sell at farmer's markets for a living and have never encountered one that insures you with your dues. all of them i have dealt with in virginia, maryland, or DC require you to hold liability insurance and to list them as co-insured on your insurance in addition to paying dues, etc.

As far as I know that is the norm. The regional Market in Syracuse definitely requires it. I haven't investigated the one closest to me because I've never had more than I could sell occasionally from my front yard. I suspect that it isn't really a formal market.
It's more the city allowing you to set up on a particular street.

For the ones who have insurance, what are your premiums if you don't mined saying.

[biscgolf]

Originally Posted by Doug9345

As far as I know that is the norm. The regional Market in Syracuse definitely requires it. I haven't investigated the one closest to me because I've never had more than I could sell occasionally from my front yard. I suspect that it isn't really a formal market.
It's more the city allowing you to set up on a particular street.

For the ones who have insurance, what are your premiums if you don't mined saying.

we pay just over $500 a year for a million in coverage through farm bureau.

[biscgolf]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

The market I sell at holds a group liability policy. I did not realize that was not common.

Who pays when a customer slips and falls at your market? What about when someone gets sick and sues the market as an entity? They have to have liability insurance. It sounds like they are making the vendors buy it for them, which is absurd. Who is liable for a slip and fall in a common area of the market? Do they just blame the nearest vendor?

if privately run the market has a business policy, if run by a municipality the municipality holds a policy. i don't know the legal vagaries of insurance but it is common practice for municipalities to require insurance of those using their facilities for any number of reasons... use of athletic fields for instance requires insurance and listing of the county as a co-insured here.

I've never sold my produce. I just give it away. Most of the farmers markets in my area are sponsored and promoted by local governments. In most cases, local governments fall under different types of potential limited liability than private or commercial entities. I think the purchase of insurance to cover liability by municipalities is sometimes illegal. There used to be lots of problems with small governments buying insurance for different purposes and one of the commissioners or a council member would be the agent of record. Lots of corruption occurred over insurance policies. I've seen some small town farmers markets which do not charge for a space and have no insurance requirements. They simply want to attract folks to the town for shopping. No contracts exist. Only an invitation to park is offered. No official farmers market existed so no official farmers market is exposed to liability.

Over the years, I've seen many people drive their vehicle onto the roadside and sell their produce out of their vehicle. They are almost always parked on state or county right of way and they may even be breaking a few laws. Where it is legal to sell on the side of a road, I've never heard of anyone needing to purchase insurance.

It may also be cheaper to filll out the paper work to form a corporation with all liability accrued by the corporation. Property owned by the corporation like your vehicle could be seized to settle a suit, but the individual members like you and your wife could be immune from liability. Not many lawyers will take a case where the only potential reward is an old pickup truck.

Ted

[dustyrivergarden]

I sell produce during the summer at a farmers market and local restaurants. if your looking at a fair price go to a local farmers market and see what there getting. lots of farmers markets in phoenix and a lot of fun seeing what people are growing stop by one and check it out they can be fun.