7 tips for growing a successful local farmers market

It’s an early spring morning on a Saturday in Madison, Wis., and the sunshine is still sipping up the dew. The capital square is already buzzing with people, and the long line for a local delicacy called “cheese bread” has begun to form. There are fresh-cut flowers and vegetables within arm’s reach, and, for a moment, all feels right with the world. Welcome to the Dane County Farmers’ Market (DCFM), billed as the country’s largest producer-only farmers market and a staple in downtown Madison for more than 53 years.

“People talk about how the farmers market is one of the reasons that brought them to Madison,” says Meghan Blake-Horst, street vending coordinator for the city.

The DCFM itself is an independent organization that manages the market on state property, while Blake-Horst manages licensing and permitting for the food carts, arts and crafts vendors and sidewalk cafes that complement the main market. “We are doing our job if we’re working seamlessly together and that the public believes they’re at one big event,” Blake-Horst says. “We additionally might have four to five other permitted events happening concurrently with all of those other activities in the same space.”

Madison certainly isn’t alone in discovering the economic and community benefits of facilitating a local farmers market. Between 1994 and 2019, farmers markets in the U.S. surged 400%, increasing an average of 7% each year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

AC&C spoke with Blake-Horst about how to run a successful farmers market and what local government can do to support them.

1) Location, location, location
The location is one of the biggest factors for developing a successful farmers market. Blake-Horst, who also managed several farmers markets prior to working for the city, says to make sure to consider the convenience of the space. “If it’s more rural, is there parking? If it’s more urban, is there other transportation? How many people live in the area? All of those things will make a difference,” she says.

Blake-Horst also suggests considering the concept of the “Power of 10” when creating a farmers’ market. “It’s the idea of giving the public at least 10 things to do in a space to really make it a ‘place,’” she says. “So, it’s not just about the selling of goods.” For example, the DCFM will also frequently have non-profit, political or public information booths, as well as street musicians positioned around the square.

2) Curate the market cohesively
One of the things that makes the DCFM unique is that it is producer-only—vendors must have grown the produce they sell there. The city places the same requirement on the arts and crafts and food cart vendors they approve for the weekly event.

“You’re going to meet the farmer who is growing your food or making your cheese on-site,” Blake-Horst says. “The city mimics that commitment, so all our food carts and all our craft vendors are required to have hand-crafted, hand-made products. We really want to find a space for our local entrepreneurs and micro-businesses to have a very heavily trafficked area to do their business.”

The Dane County Farmers’ Market is the largest producer-only farmers market in the country. Photo courtesy of the city of Madison

3) Assign vendor spots through seniority
At a high-traffic event like the DCFM, there is naturally a lot of competition when it comes to prime spot assignments around the capital square. A big piece of the puzzle when it comes to organizing the spot assignments is solved through seniority. “The longer vendors purchase a license, they get to choose their spot first,” Blake-Horst explains. “Or you get higher up on the list to choose your location.”

4) Offer avenues for new vendors to grow
Assigning areas based on seniority inspires consistency and loyalty among established vendors at the market, but it doesn’t mean newcomers don’t have a shot at getting a primo location on a busy Saturday morning. The city also has several vendors that pay an extra fee to reserve a particular space at the market, but if the vendors who reserved don’t show up to the market by 7:30 a.m., the spot is awarded to one of several “floaters” on standby for a prominent spot assignment.

“It allows new vendors an opportunity to be in a highly sought after site and try different things,” Blake-Horst says. “But it also, in some cases, saves them $150, which, when you’re paying for all your licensing fees, is a huge amount in that moment. It’s cheaper than any special event that they would do, and they would get as much if not more traffic than those special events.”

5) Expect the unexpected
Blake-Horst juggles around 30–50 arts and crafts vendors at the Saturday market each week, along with 15 food carts. Blake-Horst or one of her staff is on site each Saturday morning at around 7:15 a.m. to give out the spot assignments and handle any number of hiccups that might occur. “There are so many things that could happen on a Saturday,” she says. “We have traffic management concerns; we close some of our streets—so we have to make sure people aren’t driving through the barricades.”

The city also needs to deal with people without a license who set up and attempt to sell products that aren’t approved. “We will be asking them to move on and educating them about the process based on what they’re trying to do,” Blake-Horst says.

Another common issue is people with amplification permits who might be playing too loud.

“We have upwards of three to five other permitted events happening in the area simultaneously, so we try to integrate those together and making sure those event organizers understand their requirements,” says Blake-Horst, who also makes a weekly report with observations from the most recent market and notes any new issues or changes that might need to be addressed for the next event. “We try to be proactive, but there’s always something to react to on Saturday,” she says.

6) Build relationships
“The more relationships and more direct communication you can have with people, whether it’s the actual vendors or the city staff you’re getting permits from, the better the market is going to be,” Blake-Horst says.

That the DCFM has flourished for more than 53 years is a testament to the relationships it has built between vendors, customers, the city, state and county, Blake-Horst, who suggests viewing each party as a partner in the effort to support the market.

“Most cities want to embrace markets like this, so utilizing the city as a resource and as a partner versus an adversary really builds those relationships,” she says.

7) Bring the community together
The DCFM has been a huge economic driver for the rural, agricultural community, as well as micro-businesses in Madison, Blake-Horst says. It has also been a way for the farmers market’s weekly attendees to connect with where their food comes from and cultivate a newfound respect for the land.

“It is a huge win for the local economy, both the economy itself and also the economy of community,” Blake-Horst says. “It’s how people are spending time together, and if they are in a shared space with a shared experience, it brings more mutual understanding and respect for one another and builds a community up literally from the roots to the tips.”

Spring has officially sprung at the time of this article’s publishing, and farmers markets across the country are starting to bud. Back in Madison, the sun is higher, it’s getting warmer, and the line for cheese bread is moving. The wait, according to Blake-Horst, is worth it: “The volume of cheese bread they sell is unbelievable.”