Section
How markets work from both sides of the table: becoming a vendor, booth design, payments, weather, applications, and the people who run them.
A shopper who cannot find a price often walks instead of asking. What the three signs every booth needs should say, how big the letters have to be, what survives weather, and the point-of-sale placards some states require by law.
· 7 min read
How markets are organized and why it changes what they ask of you, how to read a rulebook before you apply, what fees, insurance, and sales tax involve, what to bring, how the first morning runs, and how to judge the numbers after a month.
· 14 min read
Retail display rules were written for stores with shelves and overhead lights. Here is how they translate to a 10-by-10 canopy: height and tiers, the front edge, color, abundance, sightlines from across the aisle, coverings, and a clear place to pay, plus an exercise for seeing your booth the way a stranger does.
· 10 min read
The USDA directory alone lists more than 7,000 farmers markets. Here is where to look, what a listing cannot tell you, and how two visits as a shopper and one conversation with the manager reveal whether a market actually needs what you make.
· 8 min read
Cash, card readers, payment apps, sales tax, and SNAP tokens each move money into your business by a different route. Here is how each one works, what it cost when we checked in September 2026, and what to set up before opening day.
· 10 min read
A pop-up canopy is a sail with a price tag. What markets require for weights and how to attach them, when to drop the tent, how to keep product dry and cold food cold, and how you hear when a market calls it off.
· 8 min read
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