Selling baked goods

rkintn · #1 01/09/14, 11:45 AM

Anyone sell baked goods at a local farmer's market? If so, how do you manage your inventory? Do you bake all during the week and freeze and thaw the night before the market? Do you stay up all night the night before baking into the wee hours? Our town is working on constructing a really nice farmer's market venue and I'm seriously considering selling jams, jellies, baked goods etc.

Tommyice · #2 01/09/14, 12:02 PM

Rhonda I've never sold at markets but when I worked at the bakery, we froze our raw product and baked as needed. For instance, one day every two weeks I made the cookie doughs, rolled into logs and froze them. When the cookie case was low, I'd take out our predetermined amount, slice and bake. Stored them in air-tight containers until the display tray needed replacing. So you could do your cookies a few days ahead of time and then just do your packaging the evening before so they are fresh. If you're doing cakes/cupcakes/breads--you're going to be waking up the rooster. LOL

Now when I sold chocolates at craft fairs, I produced all week long and packaged right away. There wasn't the "freshness" issue that baked goods have. Then the night before I could load my totes.

Hope that helps you.

rkintn · #3 01/09/14, 12:20 PM

That helps a lot! I was actually thinking of sticking mainly to muffins and cookies since I haven't really perfected bread making

simi-steading · #4 01/09/14, 12:55 PM

Check your local laws. In this area if you want to sell baked or cooked goods at a any of the farmers markets you have to have health certificates and your kitchen has to be inspected. I'm thinking you might even have to have a food handlers license. Very few people sell cooked canned and baked goods around here now because of it..

rkintn · #5 01/09/14, 01:12 PM

That was the first thing I did

TN has loosened the home based kitchen codes recently.
http://cottagefoods.org/laws/usa/tennessee/

Bret · #6 01/09/14, 01:21 PM

I can't tell you about selling at the farmer's market but I try to patronize the local producers. A bake sale in the country on any county road is like a deadfall trap to me. I am powerless. That is where my body will be found with the white flour and sugar bait.

simi-steading · #7 01/09/14, 01:21 PM

Wow.. that's cool.. a step back...

I wish you the best!

rkintn · #8 01/09/14, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bret

I can't tell you about selling at the farmer's market but I try to patronize the local producers. A bake sale in the country on any county road is like a deadfall trap to me. I am powerless. That is where my body will be found with the white flour and sugar bait.

That's what I like to hear! I hope there are more like you around here

Bret · #9 01/09/14, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rkintn

That's what I like to hear! I hope there are more like you around here

I just noticed that you buy your sugar and white flour in 45 lb. sacks.

Wendy · #10 01/09/14, 01:37 PM

I just started selling at our local market last summer. I did pretty well. I baked on Thursdays & Fridays. I did not sell anything that had been frozen. Once people knew I was there & tried my products, they came back. I sold out almost every week. I had a sign up telling how I make everything from scratch with no preservatives.

My motto was/is: If you can't pronounce it, or don't know what the ingredients are, should you really be eating it??

I had that on a sign hanging at my booth. People loved the fact that they could read my ingredient list & knew what the ingredients were. I made different things each week. I also handed out a list with the things I made & told people if there was something they wanted to let me know & I would have it at the next market.

rkintn · #11 01/09/14, 02:00 PM

I'm pretty excited about it! It could definitely help bring in some much needed extra income without having to take on a second job away from home. I can get started on the jam/jellies and possibly, salsa and be a little bit ahead

If it doesn't sell I can use it as gifts next Christmas or we can eat it lol

Wendy · #12 01/09/14, 04:01 PM

That was my thoughts. I also sold eggs which sold out every week. People do not bake much anymore & they loved baked form scratch things.

hiddensprings · #13 01/10/14, 03:30 PM

I sell breads and other baked goods at our market. I bake thursday and Friday and sell out early at the market. I could sell more if I didn't want to sleep thursday or friday night and just kept baking. Do check with your local/state laws though.
I'm trying my hand at gluten-free stuff this winter because I had so many folks asking for it. I bake it and right now take it a local health food store so they and their customers can try it. I don't get the whole gluten free thing so I want folks that know what they want it to taste like to taste it.