100 Things: Farmers' Market (#2)
So last year I decided to bite the bullet and start my own side business. I'd always loved cooking and baking, and people were always telling me I should sell my food. My typical response -- why would people buy this when they could make it themselves? But you know, baking is becoming something of a lost art. People don't take the time for it anymore, I suppose. For me, it's always been one of my favorite things to do. I love creating new flavors, the magical moment when all the ingredients you picked come together in a taste explosion in your mouth. Or something less dramatic. I had made vegan cupcakes for some co-workers for the holidays, and they had bought me a cookbook ("Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World"). Some of my favorites from there are the chocolate peanut butter, pistachio rosewater, pumpkin chocolate chip, and a few others that I've modified. It's also served as the basis for all my gluten-free recipes.
On to the market! My farmers' market has three groups selling produce, one selling plants, and all the rest are selling homemade goods: cupcakes, jewelry, knit stuff, cards, soaps, photographs, handbags, etc. Not your typical farmers' market, so light on the farmers. It's been a rewarding, though extremely frustrating experience. And I decided to do it again this year b/c apparently I like pain.
At any rate, my first farmers' market, I showed up w/ a card table, one foldable chair, and a shit-ton of cupcakes. Way too many cupcakes. I had no idea what to expect, so I went overboard. I had also been told I needed to label and package everything. I started baking two weeks before the first one and filled my freezer to the brim. kel_reiley and alba17 both helped me package everything up. For those first two weeks, I used wax paper and sandwich baggies. Now I cringe at that. It took forever, and was so messy. I buy plastic containers from plasticcontainercity.com now so people can actually see them. What can I say, it was a learning experience! Here's my awesome display from the second week:
Those are lemon raspberry cream cheese, chocolate mint, red velvet and almond joy.
Yeah, I don't do it like that anymore. I also have a sign, a very professional one. And this week, I expanded into vegan dog treats. Boo-yah!
Here are some things I learned:
* Make a pretty display. People go for style over substance on the initial go-round.
* Don't be afraid to use the word 'vegan.' I labeled them dairy-free the first year, but I think it was just confusing. This year I went whole-hog and just said what they were.
* Gluten-free are big sellers.
* Some people will give out free samples even though it's in violation of the health code. I would love to give out free samples. But I cannot bring myself to deliberately break a rule.
* I am a huge grump and lack that certain something that makes people want to stop at my booth. Although when they do, I have had many awesome conversations about food and baking and vegan & gluten-free cooking.
* Returning customers are a delight. I love them.
* Stock up on business cards.
* If someone asks for sugar-free one week, there's no guarantee they'll be there the next week to actually buy any.
* Nobody wants to buy cookies.
I actually get a fair amount of business through pre-orders at my work, and that supplements crappy farmers' market days. This cupcaking lark is a total time-suck, and I rarely have time to do my other, fannish hobbies while the market is going. I'm going to try to keep a better work-life balance this year. It's hard b/c the baking isn't job-work and I still have to prioritize job stuff b/c well, don't want to get fired! But for now, I'm still really enjoying baking. I would love to one day open my own bakery. I could sell vegan everything, and lots of gluten-free. I love it when I perfect a gluten-free recipe and I can't tell by the taste or texture, just the label, that's it's gluten-free. That's how it should be, yo!
A farmers' market post would not be complete w/out pics of cupcakes. W/out further ado, cupcakes:
My newest creation -- Peaches & Cream!
The ever-popular S'more, in one of my awesome plastic containers.
The pic I modified to make my super snazzy sign -- those are gluten-free strawberry shortcakes. Yummers!
Red velvet, chocolate strawberry, and carrot cake! All awaiting plastic container-ification. :) (I do reuse the containers after washing, if they're returned to me.)
Gluten-free coconut almonds, awaiting frosting.
And I shall leave you w/ a shot of my favorites, chocolate peanut butter. :)
On to the market! My farmers' market has three groups selling produce, one selling plants, and all the rest are selling homemade goods: cupcakes, jewelry, knit stuff, cards, soaps, photographs, handbags, etc. Not your typical farmers' market, so light on the farmers. It's been a rewarding, though extremely frustrating experience. And I decided to do it again this year b/c apparently I like pain.
At any rate, my first farmers' market, I showed up w/ a card table, one foldable chair, and a shit-ton of cupcakes. Way too many cupcakes. I had no idea what to expect, so I went overboard. I had also been told I needed to label and package everything. I started baking two weeks before the first one and filled my freezer to the brim. kel_reiley and alba17 both helped me package everything up. For those first two weeks, I used wax paper and sandwich baggies. Now I cringe at that. It took forever, and was so messy. I buy plastic containers from plasticcontainercity.com now so people can actually see them. What can I say, it was a learning experience! Here's my awesome display from the second week:
Those are lemon raspberry cream cheese, chocolate mint, red velvet and almond joy.
Yeah, I don't do it like that anymore. I also have a sign, a very professional one. And this week, I expanded into vegan dog treats. Boo-yah!
Here are some things I learned:
* Make a pretty display. People go for style over substance on the initial go-round.
* Don't be afraid to use the word 'vegan.' I labeled them dairy-free the first year, but I think it was just confusing. This year I went whole-hog and just said what they were.
* Gluten-free are big sellers.
* Some people will give out free samples even though it's in violation of the health code. I would love to give out free samples. But I cannot bring myself to deliberately break a rule.
* I am a huge grump and lack that certain something that makes people want to stop at my booth. Although when they do, I have had many awesome conversations about food and baking and vegan & gluten-free cooking.
* Returning customers are a delight. I love them.
* Stock up on business cards.
* If someone asks for sugar-free one week, there's no guarantee they'll be there the next week to actually buy any.
* Nobody wants to buy cookies.
I actually get a fair amount of business through pre-orders at my work, and that supplements crappy farmers' market days. This cupcaking lark is a total time-suck, and I rarely have time to do my other, fannish hobbies while the market is going. I'm going to try to keep a better work-life balance this year. It's hard b/c the baking isn't job-work and I still have to prioritize job stuff b/c well, don't want to get fired! But for now, I'm still really enjoying baking. I would love to one day open my own bakery. I could sell vegan everything, and lots of gluten-free. I love it when I perfect a gluten-free recipe and I can't tell by the taste or texture, just the label, that's it's gluten-free. That's how it should be, yo!
A farmers' market post would not be complete w/out pics of cupcakes. W/out further ado, cupcakes:
My newest creation -- Peaches & Cream!
The ever-popular S'more, in one of my awesome plastic containers.
The pic I modified to make my super snazzy sign -- those are gluten-free strawberry shortcakes. Yummers!
Red velvet, chocolate strawberry, and carrot cake! All awaiting plastic container-ification. :) (I do reuse the containers after washing, if they're returned to me.)
Gluten-free coconut almonds, awaiting frosting.
And I shall leave you w/ a shot of my favorites, chocolate peanut butter. :)