I want Advice on Starting a Small Herb Garden for Market Sales

Hi folks,

I am getting started with a small herb garden on my property & I am thinking about selling at the local market in a couple of months. I am growing basil mint cilantro parsley & a bit of rosemary. The garden is doing okay so far but I have a few questions & would love any advice from folks who have been down this road.

What are some practical things I should keep in mind when selling herbs directly to customers Should I bunch them or bag them What keeps them freshest during transport & display Also how do you usually price them per bunch per ounce or something else.

Also i have check this Want Tips for Starting a Small Backyard Garden? rpa Course If Any tips on labeling presentation or even talking to customers would be super helpful. I really want to make the most out of my small harvest without overcomplicating things.

Thank you.:slight_smile:

selling such a small selection of herbs at the farmers market is going to be a bummer. Every farm that offers veg at the market will also have the basic culinary herbs and because of their larger more diversified selection of other veg and established customer bases I think that your stall will see little traffic. By the time you’re done paying market fees and accounting for the supplies you need for a stand and the time involved in setting up and sitting there all day you’re going to be losing money. And your product is highly perishable, so whatever you harvest and bring and don’t sell either has to be immediately wholesaled, donated, or composted.

you should present your produce to customers the way ppl are used to seeing it in the grocery store and your prices should likely be somewhere in the neighborhood of what your local and neighboring vendors sell a comparable product for.

Some markets care and others don’t, but you may need a sealed and certified scale to sell by weight, so bunches is often easier and less complicated, esp. if it’s just herbs.

Frankly, your better bet if you’re looking to get established selling herbs like that is to grow the basics, maybe a couple specialty, and try to get in w/ some local restaurants and chefs (or local country/general stores, which don’t have the same purchasing logistics as chain groceries). If you go that avenue though you have to have a steady volume of product to always meet those accounts or you’ll quickly lose customers. Best way to network into that community is to show up with some product samples, ask for chef or purchasing managers and make your pitch. Have your prices ready and know what your capacity is in terms of what you can promise to deliver. A bunch of small accounts is better than a couple big ones

Good luck