# Farmers market woes!!!!



## ahutchins9 (May 29, 2014)

So after doing a few festivals last year I decided to try a weekly market. I am currently doing one on Fridays mornings but obviously on a weekday morning it's not all that busy. Our big one in town on Saturday mornings already has a soaper and with a $500 booth fee for the season, she can have it! However this year we have a new one in town so I decided to go for that one. This is where my aggravation begins..... So I can not participate because I do not "grow" or produce anything used in my soap. When they asked of course I said no I mean what else am I supposed to say I grow my own olives and press the olive oil myself? Anyways I guess I could have lied about it but there was really no point and wasn't really thinking of it at the time. I tried explaining that my products are locally produced by me from scratch and nothing i make is ever created from a base. Then I pointed out that my products are no different than people selling baked goods at the market since they did not "grow" the wheat themselves. We both take raw materials and turn them into a finished good. Yeah that didn't work. Well the last time I was there of course there is a lady selling goat products along with goat milk soap. She can sell it because she makes her soap from the milk from her goats. Upon closer inspection of her soap It's MELT and POUR! Has anyone else come across this and how did you get around your growing it yourself stuff?


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## neeners (May 29, 2014)

can you grow herbs and add them in your soap??


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## pamielynn (May 29, 2014)

You've got managers who don't know a lick about soap


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## Aline (May 29, 2014)

Unfortunately there are some stupid rules around. It _is_ frustrating when you have been honest and you see someone who has bent the rules :thumbdown: Yes, try and grow something that you can add and beat the system


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## Obsidian (May 29, 2014)

Grow some calendula and infuse a bunch of oil. Heck, for that matter, make some dandelion soap. Those things are everywhere this year. If you have a yard or a flower bed, you should be able to find something to add.

If you aren't squeamish about bugs, you could buy some adult silkworms and let them spin cocoons, then you would have home grown silk. It may even be a good selling point.


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## cmzaha (May 30, 2014)

Obsidian said:


> Grow some calendula and infuse a bunch of oil. Heck, for that matter, make some dandelion soap. Those things are everywhere this year. If you have a yard or a flower bed, you should be able to find something to add.
> 
> If you aren't squeamish about bugs, you could buy some adult silkworms and let them spin cocoons, then you would have home grown silk. It may even be a good selling point.


 
LOL, about the silk worms. They are not the easiest to get to cocoon, and they eat a lot of food. You either have to buy food powder and prepare it or hopefully you have a very large mulberry tree to feed silks. Yep, I raised them for my chameleons. I was thinking make avocado soap if you could plant a small tree so you have one and get the avocados from market until the tree actually produces. Of course that is if you live somewhere that avocado trees grow. As Obsidian stated grow herbs, plant some carrots in tubs and make carrot soap, grow cucumbers and make cucumber soap, lots of choices


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## cmzaha (May 30, 2014)

neeners said:


> can you grow herbs and add them in your soap??


 
Grow them and dehydrate or dry them is the best. I infuse rosemary which I have a huge plant in oil and water in a pressure cooker, then I end up with rosemary water and infused oil. Do not ask where I learned the method... 
I also use lettuce blended with aloe for a pretty light green color


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## Susie (May 30, 2014)

cmzaha said:


> LOL, about the silk worms. They are not the easiest to get to cocoon, and they eat a lot of food. You either have to buy food powder and prepare it or hopefully you have a very large mulberry tree to feed silks. Yep, I raised them for my chameleons. I was thinking make avocado soap if you could plant a small tree so you have one and get the avocados from market until the tree actually produces. Of course that is if you live somewhere that avocado trees grow. As Obsidian stated grow herbs, plant some carrots in tubs and make carrot soap, grow cucumbers and make cucumber soap, lots of choices



You can actually grow an avacado tree that produces avacadoes in a container from a seed from a grocery store avacado.  I have done it.  But herbs take up much less room.


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## grayceworks (May 30, 2014)

cmzaha said:


> Grow them and dehydrate or dry them is the best. I infuse rosemary which I have a huge plant in oil and water in a pressure cooker, then I end up with rosemary water and infused oil. *Do not ask where I learned the method...*


But... but... Now I'm CURIOUS!


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## cmzaha (May 30, 2014)

Susie said:


> You can actually grow an avacado tree that produces avacadoes in a container from a seed from a grocery store avacado.  I have done it.  But herbs take up much less room.



You can but they will not always produce. Avocado trees are grafted


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## neeners (May 30, 2014)

cmzaha said:


> You can but they will not always produce. Avocado trees are grafted



commercial avocado trees are grafted.  we have ones that grow and reproduce wild that bear fruit just fine.  they're a different strain to the haas avocado though.


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## Obsidian (May 30, 2014)

cmzaha said:


> LOL, about the silk worms. They are not the easiest to get to cocoon, and they eat a lot of food.



Really? I never had any trouble getting silks to cocoon. I also raised them for my reptiles. There were times I had 50+ spinning cocoons, I still have a bag full from hatching the moths for more eggs. I fed the chow.


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## lsg (May 30, 2014)

If you grow roses or lavender, make your own hydrosol and use it in some of your soap.


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## navigator9 (May 30, 2014)

You got some great suggestions above. But I would also ask for a hard copy of the rules and regs for this market. It sounds like they are playing pretty loose with their interpretation of what's allowed, and this problem may rear it's head again in the future in some form or another if the people who run the market feel that they can interpret things the way they see fit. It may help you to have a copy of the rules that you can point to and say, "But right here in black and white it says......." but then again, if those who run the market are low on scruples, it may not help to point out that they're flaunting the rules. Unfortunately, this sort of thing seems to happen pretty often at markets. Good luck to you!


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## Seawolfe (May 30, 2014)

Instead of Tussah silk Ive added the soft underbelly fluff from my cat to lye water - just sayin' 

It sounds like the people who run the market are kind of dumb, you'll need to work around that.


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## ahutchins9 (May 30, 2014)

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I do have the rules and it say nothing about soaps just produce and baked goods etc.... Which is why I emailed the market manager first to find out. As far as growing anything I could however this will not help me with the products I have at this moment. I have ordered 2 beautiful Jacques Cartier damask rose bushes and am saving up for my own little copper still to make rose water next year. I guess I can try again then. I am a little hesitant on growing any kind of herb/botanical and putting it into all my soaps for allergy purposes however I wonder if I do one soap like a cucumber and aloe soap that I grow myself and juice the cuke if that would qualify everything haha


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## ahutchins9 (May 30, 2014)

By the way here is my set up


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## gunsmithgirl (May 30, 2014)

I probably won't be very liked after this one but... I like farmers markets that have those rules about them.  I sell my soap as a side with other farm products, veggies,fruit,jams, jellies, eggs ect. Since selling raw milk is illegal in most places it is a way most dairy goat producers around here can help pay the feed and hay bills by making goat milk soaps and body products. I do raw milk herdshares as well but that has only recently became legal here (and selling fresh cheeses from raw milk is still illegal). Many states still won't allow herdshares for dairy producers.

 Bottom line I believe farmers markets should be just that... for farmers. As someone selling farm produce attendance at many markets will go down if too many purely crafters show up with a lot of non-produce/food stuffs. Thats why they have craft shows.... The same thing iirks me at gun shows when they allow a bunch of craft type booths, I paid to go to a gun show to see tables full of guns and ammo, not crafts and quilts........


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## ahutchins9 (May 30, 2014)

Total booth set up


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## ahutchins9 (May 30, 2014)

gunsmithgirl said:


> I probably won't be very liked after this one but... I like farmers markets that have those rules about them.  I sell my soap as a side with other farm products, veggies,fruit,jams, jellies, eggs ect. Since selling raw milk is illegal in most places it is a way most dairy goat producers around here can help pay the feed and hay bills by making goat milk soaps and body products. I do raw milk herdshares as well but that has only recently became legal here (and selling fresh cheeses from raw milk is still illegal). Many states still won't allow herdshares for dairy producers.
> 
> Bottom line I believe farmers markets should be just that... for farmers. As someone selling farm produce attendance at many markets will go down if too many purely crafters show up with a lot of non-produce/food stuffs. Thats why they have craft shows.... The same thing iirks me at gun shows when they allow a bunch of craft type booths, I paid to go to a gun show to see tables full of guns and ammo, not crafts and quilts........



I can see your point if there were quilters and jewelry vendor etc.... However at least in my region farmers markets are marketed at people who are trying to find healthier chemical free products etc..... Whereas soaps to me would qualify. A lot of people who do not want to eat the pesticides and chemicals in their food also do not want to bathe with it either!


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## ocean_soul (May 30, 2014)

How annoying!  I do think you made a great argument when you said you products are no different from baked goods.  It was a good point, too bad it didn't work. :\

Also, your set up is really nice!  I like that the bottom soaps are clearly labeled with an extra big sign stating the type of soap they are.  I had a couple of craft fairs earlier this year and for the second one I did something similar, it made a big difference!


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## seven (May 30, 2014)

lovely set up! simple, easy to manage for the seller, nice big tags for the soaps that are easy to read.


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## Spicey477 (May 31, 2014)

I love your set up! Similar situation in my neck of the woods, almost all markets are producer -only. It was actually a baker who had told me about a market that I then contacted who said no you have to be a producer (I really wanted to gvie them the baking analogy...). Really, because of that I am sort of giving up on the farmers markets and focusing my efforts for fall and all of the fall festivals.


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## cmzaha (May 31, 2014)

Your setup is very nice :smile: I would certainly go to your booth


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## Carty812 (May 31, 2014)

What about adding aloe to your soap. Great selling point in summer for sun burnt skin and easy plant to grow, maintain, and harvest. Good luck and hope you find out a way in that works best for you.


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## navigator9 (May 31, 2014)

I LOVE your set up! I love the crates, the labels, and your soaps look wonderful. I also love the green of your table coverings, mine are the same color green. If I were you, I'd omit the brown overlays, since your crates are brown, I think your products would show better against the green. But then again, I just love that color, so lively. Oh, and you've got a great banner, too. In addition to being attractive, you can see it from a distance. With a set up like this, I'm sure you're going to do well, wherever you end up selling. Nice job!


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