Guide
Selling baked goods at a farmers market, and making it pay
Selling baked goods at a farmers market works when you have four things in place: the right permission (your state's cottage food rules or a licensed kitchen, plus the market's own application), labeled products, prices that cover ingredients, packaging, the booth fee and your time, and a bake list sized to what you can actually sell in one morning. Get those right and a market stall is one of the best ways to find regular customers. This guide covers each step, with a worked example of a market day's numbers so you can see where the money goes.
Before your first market: permits, labels, and the market's rules
Two sets of rules apply. The first is the law: in most US states, cottage food laws let you bake shelf-stable foods at home and sell them directly to customers, and farmers markets are one of the most common places they allow. Some states require registration, a permit, a fee, or a food handler course first, and some cap your yearly sales. Foods that need refrigeration, such as cream pies, cheesecakes, or custard fillings, usually fall outside cottage food rules and need a licensed kitchen.
The second is the market itself. Most markets ask for an application, proof that you are allowed to sell food, and often liability insurance that names the market. Some limit how many bakers they accept, and some require that you make everything you sell. Read the vendor rules before you apply.
This is general information, not legal advice. Check your state's cottage food page and your county health department before you sell.
- Confirm the foods you plan to sell are allowed in your state, and register or get a permit if required.
- Print labels with the product name, ingredients, allergens, your name and address, and any statement your state requires.
- Ask the market for its vendor application, fees, insurance requirement, and setup rules.
Read next: Cottage food laws by state, Food label template for cottage food bakers, Home bakery insurance: a plain guide for home bakers
What sells at a farmers market
Market shoppers buy with their eyes and their hands. Products that are easy to eat on the spot, easy to carry home, and clearly made by hand do best. A short menu done well beats a long one: it is easier to bake, easier to price, and easier for a shopper to decide.
Think about the weather and the clock: frostings soften in summer heat, and a morning market sells more breakfast items than whole cakes. Keep one or two higher-priced items, such as a large loaf or a whole pie.
- Cookies and bars, sold singly and in bags of four or six.
- Bread loaves and rolls, especially sourdough and seeded breads.
- Breakfast items such as scones, muffins, and cinnamon rolls.
- Hand pies and small tarts that travel well.
How to price baked goods for a farmers market
Start from the real cost of each item: ingredients, packaging, and a share of oven energy. Then check that the whole day covers the costs that only exist because you are at the market: the booth fee, card fees, travel, and your hours at the stall.
Here is an example market day. The numbers are illustrative, not a benchmark. The baker bakes 48 cookies, 20 loaves, and 12 cinnamon rolls, pays a 35 dollar booth fee, and takes most payments by card at about 3 percent.
The stall brings in 304 dollars. Subtract the cost of everything baked, including the unsold items (90.96 dollars), the booth fee (35 dollars), and card fees (about 9.12 dollars), and 168.92 dollars is left. The baker spent about 6 hours baking and 6 hours on setup, selling, and travel, so the day paid about 14 dollars an hour. Raising the loaf to 9 dollars, or selling the last 8 cookies in a bundle, would change that number more than baking more.
Farinu works out the cost of each recipe for you, including packaging, sub-recipes like a glaze or a dough you reuse, labour, machines, and overhead, and suggests a price from the markup you set. You can keep a separate price list for the market and another for wholesale or custom orders.
| Item | Baked | Sold | Cost each | Price | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chocolate chip cookie | 48 | 40 | $0.62 | $3.00 | $120.00 |
| Sourdough loaf | 20 | 17 | $2.40 | $8.00 | $136.00 |
| Cinnamon roll | 12 | 12 | $1.10 | $4.00 | $48.00 |
| Total | 80 | 69 | $90.96 baked | - | $304.00 |
Read next: How to price baked goods for profit, Bakery price list software, one list per place you sell
How much to bake for a market day
Your first few markets are guesses. Bake a modest amount and write down what sold out, when, and what came home. After three or four markets a pattern appears. Items that sell out by mid-morning are underpriced or under-baked; items that come home every week should shrink or leave the menu.
Leftovers cost real money: in the example, the 8 cookies and 3 loaves that did not sell still cost their ingredients. Plan a small surplus on your best sellers and very little on the rest.
Farinu lets you log each baking session with what you actually baked, and on Team log what you sold afterwards, so the next bake list starts from real numbers instead of memory.
Read next: Bakery production software that plans your week from your orders
Setting up a stall that sells
A clean, full-looking table sells more than a sparse one. Keep most of your stock in boxes under the table and refill the display as it empties, so it always looks generous. Put prices on everything; many shoppers will not ask.
Take cards and cash, and hand out a card with how to order from you during the week.
- A table, a tent if the market does not provide one, and weights for the tent legs.
- Clear price signs and an allergen sign or ingredient list for each item.
- A card reader, a cash float, and bags or boxes.
- A sign or card with your contact details for custom orders.
After the market: track sales and turn shoppers into regulars
Afterwards, write down what you sold, what came home, and what people asked for that you did not have. That record decides next week's bake and whether the market is worth the fee.
Many bakers find that the stall's biggest value is the customers it brings: a shopper who loved your sourdough asks for a birthday cake, or a cafe owner wants a weekly order. Keep their names and numbers, and take custom orders with a deposit so a no-show does not leave you with a cake nobody pays for.
Farinu keeps customers with their WhatsApp number and custom orders with deposits and balance payments, and on Team a sales log and a monthly profit and loss, so the market, the custom orders, and any wholesale customers add up in one place. If an ingredient price rises, a margin alert tells you which products no longer hit your target before the next market.
Read next: Order management for bakeries, Bakery social media and marketing ideas for home bakers
Questions
- Do I need a license to sell baked goods at a farmers market?
- It depends on your state. Many cottage food laws allow farmers market sales with no license, while others require registration, a permit, or a fee. The market will also ask for proof that you are allowed to sell food. Check your state's cottage food page and the market's vendor rules.
- What baked goods sell best at farmers markets?
- Items that are easy to eat on the spot or carry home: cookies, bars, bread, scones, muffins, cinnamon rolls, and hand pies. Keep the menu short and add one or two higher-priced items, such as a large loaf or a whole pie.
- How do I price baked goods for a market stall?
- Cost each item first (ingredients, packaging, energy), then check that the whole day covers the booth fee, card fees, unsold items, and your hours. The worked example above shows how a day can look profitable per item and still pay less than you expect per hour.
Related pages
Know what each market day really earns
Cost your recipes, set market prices, and log each bake in Farinu, free for up to 10 recipes. Team adds the sales log and unlimited orders.