Farmers markets in the Seattle, WA area

[Haitian_mom]

[The title of this post has been updated by a moderator to include more detail]

Blessings,

I am a small black owned vegan business owner. My products are freshly organic and vegan made. I have been in the industry for a year, but with the pandemic, it has been very slow financially. Anyone know of markets( local or out of Seattle) that aren’t required a lot to vend. 
Thank you for reading my post

[BernadetteA]

I'm not familiar with the area, @Haitian_mom but hopefully another seller will chime in for you. 😊

[ElisabethB]

Hi @Haitian_mom! I'm new to the community team and just saw this post while browsing the Food & Beverage group. This is a great question that I unfortunately can't answer myself, but you might want to ask in the Square Local Pacific group. I'll send you an invitation to join the group in case you're interested. 😊

[Lupine1]

Washington State and Seattle (North) area. Decades at this. What are you selling? Makes a difference abut Markets. 

[Haitian_mom]

I am selling authentic homemade  Haitian sauces, beverages, jam, jelly, etc. All vegan. 

[Lupine1 · Accepted solution]

OK. Farmers markets try to limit the number of similar products so each market has it's own selection of vendors. 20 vendors selling cherries. or pickles or jams --  is  not a great experience for anyone. Contact Washington State Farmers Market association for a list of vendors (.https://wafarmersmarkets.org/) Markets have a fee that varies from a flat rate to a percentage of your sales. It is often a tight community, with common sense rules- weights for canopies, notice of unable to make it, arrival times, parking, etc. Fill out your applications beginning as soon as they appear - often as early as February -- don't dawdle - there is only so much room.

There are etiquettes- Unload all your gear and move your darn car -then set up! Reverse. - Break everything down, then move and load your car. Be on time!!

---Each are different. Prime locations include Edmonds Museum Summer Market, Everett has been good for us, Fremont, University District, even tiny Lake Forest Park if you can stomach King County Health Department's Idiocy.

There is a lot of noise about home canning and commercial kitchens -- special; permits - 

You may have to get a short term Business License in many venues- as a food handler you (and each of the crew in the booth) may need to take a test and pay a fee for the privilège of handling food.

Hope this helps 

This is a rain or shine deal. You have to show up. 

[JK_Fiber_Art]

Hey Haitian_mom,

Hang in there - sorry cannot offer info for locations but, the pandemic has affected all of us.  Seems everything is different now but, from our experience, it's looking better.

[Lupine1]

Haitian Mom. You probably know about Craigslist and Next Door- These seem to be worth trying. Both are free and can reach  lots of people locally. FaceBook has a seller post feature where you can showcase your wares - a photo or three make a difference. On FB, you can boost your exposure by selecting a category  and paying a fee -as little as $5, to have their sinister algorithms select better potential customers. Lake Forest Park has had - in the past - a Holiday market- often indoors at Third Place Books. Worth a call to TPB. Consider getting on the Farmers Markets (Joe will not show up this week list) and if you are agile enough, they  may call you. Are you preparing these pies in a commercial kitchen? There are a few out there- one, Chef Dane in Lynnwood is operated by very nice and supportive people. 

Keep plugging away at this. 

[YR2]

Have you thought about doing pop-up events with business interesting in your product. You can evaluate business markets to see if you find a match. Good luck!

[GourmetOnWheels]

The first thing you should do is call the WA state health department and find out what you need to start your business, what permits, commercial kitchen, business license, etc. You need.

Once you have that in place it becomes easier to be allowed in farmers' markets.

René

[Tamyra_Paunchy]

Go to https://www.managemymarket.com/. Register. The site will ask you where you're located. Once you enter your physical address, it'll show you which farmers markets in the area you're eligible to apply for. You can use the site to apply to various markets. Each market will have its requirements and fees listed, booth sizes, and market dates where you can pick/choose based on your availability. Once you submit an app and pay the fee, that gets sent off to the individual markets, they assess, and respond to you with an approval or denial and let you know next steps. Good luck! Perhaps we'll see you around. 🙂 Cheers.