Originally published in the Napa Valley Register on June 13, 2022.
By the time most shoppers arrive at the farmers market, they are greeted by perfectly organized stands of fruit and vegetables. Pint baskets set out straight in attractive contrasting colors of tomatoes or peppers, mountains of melons, fuzzy peaches in their trays, and all the price labels and shopping bags readily at hand. In the shadowy depths of the EZ-Up canopies behind the tables is the unseen market truck and extra market supplies. And all around the market are signs and seating areas offered by the Napa Farmers Market association.
Because it is what shoppers are used to seeing, they may not think about all the effort and thought that goes into setting up and breaking down a farmers market. I know many of my friends think we toss all our market supplies and produce in the van willy-nilly, throw it up for the customers to buy, and throw it back in the van again at the end of the day. But when a market stand is part of your routine, you create a workflow that is precise down to the way you pack your extra paper bags. Today I am bringing you behind the table and into the average day of preparing and closing-down a farmer’s market stand.
The day before the market along with harvesting for market we pack, weigh, and count every piece of produce we bring to market. Everything is ready to go in crates so all we to do is transfer produce from the cooler to the van. During the summer we wake up as early as 4:30am to transfer 50 lbs crates of potatoes, melons, watermelons, etc.
When Robert and I first started farming we used a truck to transport our produce and market supplies. To be space efficient we needed to pack all our market supplies (tables, baskets, EZ Up tents, etc) before packing and after unloading produce. As a result we were moving the same objects four times per market day. Since then we purchased a tall market van and build storage shelves in the van so we could store all our market supplies between markets. Thus reducing the number of times we moved market supplies to two times per market day. It may seem like nothing, but when you do this daily/weekly any way to spare your time and energy is essential!
When we get to market our valiant assistant market manager Mimi Adams and her crew precisely directs each vendor to their market space, making sure we park in the exact position so all vendors fit. Imagine the fun when someone leaves their car in the parking lot overnight and blocks a vendor’s space!
After parking we pull out our market gear in a very precise order that ensures we only move or grab each piece of equipment once. Tent first, then signs, tables, tablecloths, baskets, produce, price tags, paper bags, scales, money, and on. To make sure that all these market supplies can be set up in this precise order we have an exact arrangement in how we unpack and pack the market supplies in the van. This is why if you ever try to “help” a vendor pack-up at the end of the day you will most likely be politely shooed away. The best advice I can give is to ask a vendor what they need help with but never try to do anything on your own.
After setting up our stand we have four long hours of selling produce, chatting with customers, constantly restocking the table, and finally comes time to break down the stand. Once again, we have a precise order to packing the market van and follow our rule of thumb “Move objects once and put them away”. Finally it is the drive home and a final unpack of our produce crates and any extra produce.
So if you ever see a slightly grumpy or frazzled farmer, vendor, or market staff person during the early hours of the morning setting up the market, or late in the afternoon when they are breaking down, you know why we may be tired and focused on the job at hand. The kindest thing you can do is wait until the market starts before buying produce, do not ask to buy from us after the market ends, and appreciate all the work that goes into setting up our beautiful Napa Farmers Market!