The document provides 12 essential lessons learned from selling honey products at farmers markets. It discusses doing the math to determine costs and profits, aiming for a monopoly by being the only honey vendor, following all rules and regulations, giving it time for customers to establish familiarity, offering a variety of products, ensuring enough supply, having the proper equipment, using free samples to drive sales, accepting credit cards for payments, having an attractive and bountiful display, providing clear pricing and payment information, and educating visitors to build credibility and loyalty. The author operates a family beekeeping business in Michigan and sells their honey crops at various venues.

1. Selling Honey at
Farmers Markets, Expos,
etc.
Mieke Engelsma

2. Today’s Agenda
About Us
Twelve Essential Lessons We Have Learned
About Selling Hive Products @ Farmers Markets

3. Quick Facts
We are a family of nine from Nunica, MI
Jonathan and I grew up on farms.
I market our honey crops at farmers markets, expos, home sales, etc
Jonathan works as a prof in GVSU’s School of Computing and starting keeping
bees in 1984.
Family runs a sideline bee operation
run 40-60 colonies mainly for honey production
retail the annual honey crop
sell nucs when able.
Our Website: http://hudsonvillehoney.com

5. #1 - Do the math first
Selling your honey at a farmer’s market will cost
you time and money!
Most reputable market’s require you to have
insurance coverage.
Stall fees
Equipment / props: tent, tables, signs, banners,
brochures, business cards, etc.
Cost of gas driving to / from.
YOUR TIME!!

6. #1 - Do the math first
Advice:
Figure out how much time / money it will
cost you to have a farmer’s market presence.
Project how much you will need to earn on an
average market day to make it worthwhile.
Give it a trial run (if possible).

7. #2 - Aim for a monopoly!
People eat less honey than they do veggies…
Unless the farmer’s market is a VERY large one,
multiple honey vendors is going to make it hard
to make your numbers work out favorably!
Some veggie sellers buy honey by the bucket
from larger commercial beekeepers and bottle
and resell.

8. #2 - Aim for a monopoly!
Advice:
be the first honey vendor at a newly
established market.
get a commitment from market manager /
organizers that you will be the only honey
vendor.
in a situation where you have competing honey
vendors, be nice… and sell a superior product!

9. #3 - Play by the rules
Understand and follow the rules
Rules of a market (e.g. product must have been
produced within certain distance of the market).
Food Laws - do you need a license, or can you
sell under a cottage food law?
Labeling requirements - understand and meet
any labeling standards required by law.

10. #4 - Give it time
Don’t be impatient, it will take time to establish
regular customers in a given market venue (an
entire season or more!)
With regard to sales expects some amazingly
good days and some depressing bad days.

11. #4 - Give it time
Advice:
Make a commitment to stick it out for an
entire season before deciding to quit a market.
(many markets will require this).
Promote your market presence locally via
social media, your website, etc.

12. #5 - Variety is the spice
of life!
Offer a variety of hive products:
honey, balms, lotions, candles
Offer honey in a variety of forms /
packages:
comb honey, extract honey, creamed
honey

17. #6 - Don’t run out of
product!
Make sure you have sufficient product to sell on
a daily and seasonal basis!
You don’t want to spend time/money to get
people to come to the market for honey only to
disappoint them when they discover you aren’t
there!

18. #6 - Don’t run out of
product
Advice:
Make sure you have enough of your OWN
honey to last throughout the market’s season.
Plan for each market day and make sure you
take enough of each product you sell to the
market
Avoid selling purchased honey as your own.

19. #7 - Make sure you have
all the essential gear
Essential gear checklist:
Tent / awning and a chair to sit on.
Weights to keep tent from flying away on a windy day
Table and table coverings
Signage / big custom banner
Wipes for an occasional sticky honey jar!
Cash box with change.
Business cards so people can contact you for honey after the market
season is over!

20. #8 - Free samples sell
honey!
Learn from your local Sam’s
Club!
People will stop for a free
honey sample, and frequently
buy as a consequence.

21. #8 - Free samples sell
honey!
Practical advice:
Use disposable spoons or wooden ice cream
sticks.
Have napkins / or wipes on hand in case
things get sticky.
Have a waste basket available
Be sure to put it away if bees / yellow jackets
start coming by for samples!

22. #9 - embrace the plastic
You absolutely will lose
substantial sales if you do not
accept credit cards.
People are accustomed to
paying with their credit cards!
Both PayPal and Square offer
free reader accessories for
your smartphone and
reasonable rates.

23. #10 - Have a bountiful
and beautiful presence
Use every square foot of your allotted stall space
creatively.
Avoid a skimpy display with lots of empty table
space.
People respond to a bountiful table covered with
beautiful product.

25. #11 - Have an
informative display
Make everything obvious to potential customers who
visit your stall.
clearly marked prices
advertise very loudly that you accept credit card
payments (Square will offer you free signage!).
Make it easy for the customer to buy and be on their way!
Rationale: you might be too busy to answer everybody’s
questions in a timely fashion.

28. #12 - increase loyalty by
educating visitors
Establish you and your product’s credibility by
engaging your visitors on the topics of the
honeybee, local honey, beekeeping etc.
Bring an observation hive, offer pamphlets of
your own or from beekeeping organizations you
belong to.
Use beekeeping tools as props (veil, smoker, hive
tool) to start conversations.

31. Any Questions?
Mieke Engelsma’s Contact Info:
email: mieke.engelsma@gmail.com
web: http://hudsonvillehoney.com
twitter.com/honeyandcandles
Like us! /hudsonvillehoney