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8 Comments

  1. I have been selling at the farmers market for 3 years now, the first year just occasionally and the past two every Sat. May through Oct. I find my farmers market ledger invaluable – even though it is still evolving.
    I use a mini legal pad – 1 pg per mkt. day – with the first section containing columns for item, quantity, price, how many took, how many sold and totals. I arrange this section alphabetically with vegetables first, then herbs, then fruits, then potted plants then bouquets. New this year, I am listing the flowers and foliage in each bouquet – so in the future I will know ahead of time what flowers and foliage I can expect to be available each week. I always have something in bloom, just not sure exactly what/when yet. Today I had my first request for wedding flowers for July 8…so am going to have to look through the pix from last year on my phone to see what I might have available that day. Luckily, I got crazy earlier this spring and planted 25′ of highly fragrant sweet peas, so will at least have those. Just getting into purposeful flower farming (formerly just a serious addiction), so early in the learning curve.
    The second section shows losses (to offset profits) – things that didn’t sell and I can’t use that I give away to family, friends and neighbors…like salad mix or bouquets. Most other “leftovers” are preserved, so no loss.
    The third section is Notes – things I want to remember…like I took 15 bags of salad this holiday weekend but could have sold at least 31 (sigh). Or that this weekend is the big Sail Regatta each year, or Birding Festival, or Bikers Rally…so bring more of everything next year on those weekends for the tourist influx. Or that I have tons of white flowers for this week, but no blue or pink…or need spike shaped flowers or more/different foliage filler.
    The fourth section is Special Requests – subdivided into Definite and Sometime categories. Sometimes folks want to reserve certain amounts of specific things for a specific date – those are Definite items. Sometime items are usually requests for divisions or starts of perennials, shrubs or fruiting plants, or items or varieties I don’t currently grow but might consider when time and space allow.
    I refer to this ledger constantly, especially when planning the garden and before market each week so I know how much of everything I should take. Last year in the Note section, pretty much every week noted “Need more fruit!” So started propagating and dividing existing berry plants and preparing some ground for a big berry garden – 100’x41′, with five 100′ long raised beds. Now we are moving and planting those plants – have one 100′ row planted in yellow Anne raspberries, one in black Jewel raspberries and a partial row so far of red Caroline raspberries…and hope to finish that, another row of yellow and a row of two kinds of blackberries next week. Figured out it would have cost $220 to plant each row (so $1,100 for all 5 rows) if I had had to buy all the plants, rather than propagating what I already had! So that couple minutes each week to write the “Notes” section has already paid off big time…even before I sell a single berry!
    I keep a separate file with receipts for costs incurred – seeds, plants, fruit trees, livestock & feed (need their manure production), tools and equipment, etc.

  2. With reference to free buckets, we have had good success with getting free ones from the bakery department of our local Sams club. The are all from cake icing and other food items.

  3. These are some of the Best articles you have ever printed! Why do you think George Washington, Jefferson, Franklin were prosperous? They kept good records of EVERYTHING! Every prepper should do this. It’s one thing to SURVIVE a disaster, this will help you flourish. Before, During, and After!!!

    1. It is a shame that parents think nothing of providing a 9 year old with a $500.00 smart phone with internet access, unlimited sports and dance lessons and no chores.

      Parents today need to read the Little House on the Prairie Series again.

  4. I am terrible at this sort of thing and need to get better.

    When my Grandfather passed many years ago, my Uncle went through his records. He had recorded every penny he spent and exactly what it was spent for for decades. Probably had to do with being a Depression Era farmer although he continued to do this after he went to work for Boeing and into retirement.

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