Strategic Planning in the Real World: how to Put No Staff, No Money, and Big Dreams to Work for Your Organization

Presenters: Nicole de Beaufort, Fourth Sector Consulting and Karen Wagner, Oregon Farmers’ Market Association.

• Download the powerpoint (PDF)

Planning and Developing a Farmers Market: Marketing, Organizational and Regulatory Issues to Consider (Agribusiness Marketing Report)

This fact sheet outlines a number of planning issues, including the development of market rules and management approaches that should be considered during the establishment (or redevelopment) phase of a market.

Local Harvest Farmers Market/Farm Directory

A website where farmers markets can add their listing to and consumers can search for farmers markets as well as farms, CSA, Coops, and other direct marketing channels in their area.

Show Me the Money: Business Planning for Farmers Markets

A PowerPoint presentation by Lynda Brushett of the Cooperative Development Institute on the importance and purpose of business planning for farmers markets, which includes the basic components of a business plan and tips for getting started.

Farmers Market Manager Training Manual

Manual describing the role of market managers; provides checklists, sample policies, worksheets, and other tools to help managers start markets, build market communities, and harness the power of these communities to sustain the markets and their local food systems

Market Preparation: Checklist for Starting a New Market

Checklist detailing the basic items and decisions one would have to make before starting a farmers market.

Internet Buying Clubs Combine Emerging Technologies and Community Values

This article discusses ways that farmers can reach consumers directly through internet buying clubs and how farmers markets can be extended into the off-season through this method.

Recruiting Producers

This two page tip sheet from FMC covers the steps you can take to recruit vendors and expand the product selection at a farmers market

marketshare

Market Umbrella’s marketshare is a program that works to build and share tools and resources with public markets worldwide, including the best of “lessons learned” from market practitioners.

New City Market Business Feasibility Study

This resource offers the Canadian New City Market’s detailed financial model for establishing costs and benefits for individual business units. The report offers research and community engagement suggestions for future services and infrastructure. This source is a helpful model for analyzing and planning the economic future of any farmers market.