Did you know I manage my local community farmers' market? I answered a coffee-shop ad for a part-time market manager years ago, thinking I’d eat well, get some fresh air, and help the community. Twenty-three seasons later, the market and I are still here! As it grew, so did my responsibilities. Without planning it, the market became a laboratory for my small-business coaching practice—and for my clients too.
Besides the growing, harvesting, baking, and flower-arranging our farmers and vendors do, the Montgomery Friends of OpenSpace (MFOS) Farmers Market is itself a business. Even the off-season takes planning and hustle: promoting the market, staying in touch with our team, finding new farmers and sponsors, keeping food-handling certifications current, and learning at conferences.
During the weekly season, we’re putting out flags, posting on social media, writing emails, setting up tents, picking up bread, and managing the generator so we can have music and tacos! The market manager and crew are on site well beyond our posted hours. And every week brings surprises—a new vendor searching for a stall, a nearby festival pulling customers away, a sudden staff illness, hens on strike, or tomatoes ripening late. I’m not making this up.
The market is a business, and so is every vendor’s booth. Behind the colorful tents, glorious produce, and smiling customers lies the essential question: what is a business for? To sell something.
Success at that takes what I call The 4 C’s: Consistency, Communication, Consideration, and Collaboration.
These cornerstones build a profitable market—and a thriving small business.
I’ll share each C from the customer’s, seller’s, and market’s perspective. Since you’ll see your own first, be sure to step into the others.
Consistency builds trust, trust drives sales, and sales keep us in business. Customers return because they know they can count on us. They expect their favorite stands to be there, rain or shine. Nothing sinks a vendor’s heart like hearing, “Oh, I already bought that at the store.”
Farmers and vendors earn confidence by:
• Being reliable. Avoid skipping weeks or leaving early, which confuses customers and hurts the market’s reputation. Chasing greener pastures at another event often costs more than it gains.
• Keeping offerings steady. Experiment with new products, but make sure shoppers can find their favorites every week.
• Showing up with spirit. A tidy, well-stocked booth—and a tidy person behind the table—signals professionalism and pride. Logos, name tags, and market “spirit wear” broadcast enthusiasm and investment.
Consistency isn’t glamorous, but it’s the quiet force behind repeat business—for each seller and for the market as a whole.
A great market depends on clear, respectful communication in every direction: vendors with management, vendors with customers, and vendors with each other.
• Stay in touch. Read emails, respond to texts, and share updates promptly. Weather changes, special events, and promotions all require quick responses.
• Tell your story. Customers love to hear about your farm, your baking process, or the inspiration for a recipe. Good storytelling creates loyal fans. Bring photos. Bring the kids. We’ve “raised” quite a few farm-market kids who still come back—or even work with us.
• Participate and give feedback. Share concerns or new ideas early. Vendors who attend multiple markets have a wealth of best (and worst) practices to pass along. Honest dialogue helps everyone improve.
Open lines of communication prevent small problems from becoming big ones and keep the market humming week after week.
Markets thrive when everyone treats each other—and the shared space—with care.
• Respect your neighbors. Keep music and generators at reasonable levels, stay within your allotted footprint, clean up after yourself, lend a hand with setup or breakdown, and don’t forget your weights!
• Be mindful of customers. Arrive on time, be ready when shoppers arrive, and provide clear signage with your farm name and location. Friendly service, clear pricing, and safe food handling build trust and sales. • Think big. A welcoming atmosphere reflects well on all of us. The market represents our community, the mission of Montgomery Friends of Open Space, and the larger New Jersey farming community. Support our local sponsors, too, by shopping with them.
Consideration builds goodwill, and goodwill draws both customers and community support.
No market manager, single vendor, or lone customer can create the vibrant experience that keeps shoppers coming back. This is a relationship business.
• Invite friends. Catch up, listen to music, and taste foods from different cultures. We often feature produce that’s new to some shoppers but beloved by their neighbors—ask for preparation tips.
• Cross-promote. Share each other’s social posts, mention neighboring stands to customers, create bundle deals with complementary products, and let your customer list know when you’ll be at the market and what’s happening.
• Join events. Cooking demos, kids’ activities, and themed market days succeed when vendors participate. We now celebrate not only Halloween and Thanksgiving but also the Autumn Moon Festival, Diwali, and Chinese New Year. Know a food-related festival? Help us add it!
• Support the mission. The market was founded to support local agriculture. Participate in fundraisers or outreach events. MFOS also manages parks and trails—volunteer there too.
When we collaborate—sharing ideas, marketing together, and helping with logistics—the market becomes more than a shopping stop. It becomes a community destination.
Think of the Montgomery Farmers Market as an incubator for your own small business. The habits that make the market successful are the same habits that grow your farm or food enterprise:
• Reliable quality and presence build brand loyalty.
• Clear messaging and storytelling attract customers.
• Respectful relationships create lasting partnerships.
• Cooperative projects open new opportunities and revenue streams.
By practicing the 4 C’s, you’re not only strengthening the market and building a community resource—you’re strengthening your bottom line.
The MFOS Farmers Market isn’t just a place to sell—it’s a business ecosystem. Every vendor, farmer, artisan, sponsor, and community group contributes to the health of that ecosystem.
When we show up consistently, communicate openly, act with consideration, and collaborate with one another, we create something bigger than any single stand:
a thriving marketplace that supports local agriculture, protects open space, and delights our neighbors.
Here’s to many more seasons of good food, great company, and steady growth from practicing the 4 C’s.
Together, we make Saturday mornings in Montgomery something special.
This story is about more than running a farmers' market. It’s about building relationships, learning about our neighbors, and strengthening local communities. Wherever you live, shop local—and help your own marketplace thrive.
Lorette Pruden has helped hundreds of small business owners, sales professionals, entrepreneurs, and community leaders grow their businesses and manage that growth since 2000. She specializes in the Formerly Corporate—so many small business owners who’ve worked with her come from a corporate background that she finally wrote the book on it.
