So You Want to Open a Farmstand?

Farmstand discussions are near and dear to my heart. Opening a farmstand is revolutionary.  When you open a farmstand, you create an opportunity for your community to find a healthy food source in their own neighborhood. I have dreams of farmstands opening in every neighborhood across the country – can you imagine how that could shift the “food” landscape?  A farmstand is not exclusive to food; the product options are endless.  Farmstands create a gathering place. A gathering place opens a space for conversation, ideas, and ultimately an opportunity to create change in the world.

What do you need to consider when opening a farmstand? Here’s a brief list.

What is your goal?

My goal: I wanted to create a space for the community to gather. Of course, I also hoped to make some money.  I wanted to sell items that were healthy with no processed ingredients, and gluten-free. I wanted to share our abundance from our garden, hens and alpacas. Finally, I wanted an outlet for my creative spirit!

First thing to consider – what do you have to sell and what does your community want or need?

I assumed that my community would need veggies. However, I live in farm country, so, there are lots of veggies everywhere 😊 Veggies are not #1 on the list of items my community needs. I, of course, have tons of them and still sell some every week. This summer my goal is to try to diversify a bit with some new veggie items that I did not sell last year.

The big sell at my farmstand is baked goods. It makes perfect sense really, as we live about 30 minutes from the main town and our little community loves to grab a morning pastry on their way to their Saturday activities.

So, think about what you have to offer and what your community needs or wants. Also – many times, you may have a special product that is a bit of a novelty and unexpected! For example, we have a homemade cleaning product AND we also sell alpaca poop 😊

Second, consider licensing requirements for the space you use.

There might be rules regarding: signs, parking, structures for your farmstand, hours of operation, retail sales occurring on your property, and so on.  These questions can get a quick answer from your city or county.

Third, you will need to consider licensing for the items you sell. 

For example, typically fresh veggies picked straight off the vine require no licensing. However, if you want to sell cookies, you will need a state cottage food license. I was required to take a short class (I think it was about 3 hours) to receive my cottage food license. There is a quick test after the class, and they give you plenty of resources and time to complete the test.  They want you to succeed, so do not worry about this – you’ve got this!

The Cottage Food License experience will be SO helpful in getting knowledgeable about what you can sell, how you should prepare it, and it also connects you with knowledgeable people you can reach out to later if you have questions. I honestly can’t fathom doing this without the Cottage Food License because it got me up to speed quickly on proper procedures for selling food items. Simply Google your specific state and the words “cottage food” and you will get directed to the proper resources!

One additional item to research: I would ask the cottage food folks to direct you to any potential tax licensing requirements. I have found this area to be a bit gray, so reach out and ask questions to be certain you have your tax licensing – if indeed it is necessary (which is not always the case).

Fourth – what structure will you use to display your items at your farmstand?

Okay, so this can be sooooo simple if you don’t want to invest time or money in this process. You can easily put up a card table and go from there. However, you might also have a picture of your dream farmstand. That was me. I dreamed about having a farmstand for about eight years before finally doing it. This is a picture of my dream farmstand. I ripped it out of a magazine and held onto it for eight years.

However, as we did our research, we ended up choosing a stand that was better suited for our needs and our budget. We purchased this farmstand blueprint from Meadow Green Farm, which was straightforward for my husband to construct. The price of lumber these days can be high, so I can’t advise on the cost at this point. However, the best way to determine what structure you want is to start researching, see what supplies you currently have, and get creative! I believe the farmstand supplies cost us around $800 dollars in 2025.

We have a ton of cut tree stumps this year that I will also be using to display and sell cut flowers at my farmstand. Think out of the box as you begin to dream about your farmstand structure!

One thing to keep in mind as you plan your farmstand structure is the weather.  Be sure to have a game plan for potential wind, hot sun, and rain. I use cooler packs for the heat by placing them in the basket, which I then cover with pretty kitchen towels. Our farmstand has an overhang to keep it shaded.

Regarding wind and rain – simply have a plan to move your items quickly and/or create a structure that allows for your products to be sheltered from the weather. Our overhang has some potential spots for rain to get in, but we don’t get a lot of rain here, so I haven’t had a problem with this.

Fifth – how will you display your products?

I simply bought some cheap baskets on sale at Hobby Lobby, and used additional baskets I currently had in the house. I purchased the ice packs and some pretty (but cheap) kitchen towels and used the towels to cover the inside of the baskets before placing my products inside. After researching packaging, I settled on these (see links plus pic below) bags and boxes.

Sixth – How will you price your products and label your products?

I have two resources that I use for this process. The CakeCost app, and I purchased a Phomemo label maker.  Be sure you purchase labels for your thermal printer that are BPA and BPS free. I would recommend setting aside a couple of hours to determine the cost of your items you will be selling. There’s actually a lot to consider when pricing an item. Pricing needs to consider more than just the cost of the ingredients. Labor, your electricity, water and other utilities can all factor into price. I’ll have to re-evaluate my prices this year due to an increase in ingredient costs.

Second, you must determine how to share the pricing. You could simply list the prices on a piece of paper, you could individually label your items, or you could use a chalkboard for your weekly product list. There are lots of options here, and none of these options need to break the bank.

Seventh – How will you advertise and what will your hours be?

I have not spent any money on advertising. I use local Facebook groups and my personal Facebook page to advertise. When you consider your hours, you will need to decide if you plan to be present at your farmstand or not. I like to be available to talk to my neighbors, so my farmstand is only open one day a week for a four-hour period when I am typically around. If you are local to the western slope of Colorado be sure to get your farmstand on the map at Western Slope Farmstands (created by Western Slope Digital).

My “four-hour window” may seem like a small window, but it has worked out beautifully for my community (and I can always change it should demand increase!). Our stand opens on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and it has become a routine that community members have added to their day. If you decide to use the honor system and you have a way to keep your products safe from weather concerns, you could easily just leave your farmstand open every day! So, think through your goals and plan your hours accordingly.

Eighth – How will you handle money exchanges?

If you are using the honor system, I recommend installing a camera. I use the honor system, but I’m typically out working in the yard, so I head over to the farmstand to chat! I use Venmo and cash exclusively. Don’t complicate it, is my main advice. I have a metal cashbox bolted to the farmstand which I simply empty out when I close the farmstand at the end of the day.

Ninth – How will you remember everyone’s names and what they want to purchase?

If you’ve ever become a regular at a store, restaurant, or coffee shop, you probably have had an experience in which the employees at the establishment know your name and they also know your favorite order! This feels good, doesn’t it? So, come up with a strategy to help you remember what your regulars like to purchase. Write down their names if necessary. Knowing your customers is key to making sure you provide them with what they want or need, and you are naturally building community through this process 😊

Tenth – Do Other Community Members Want to Open a Farmstand?

Your knowledge can empower others as you move forward with your farmstand dream. Can you imagine if your community had multiple farmstands? There is so much to be gained by organizing with community. This is a prime opportunity to take an idea and grow it exponentially!

As Dr. Brown states in her article “Why So Many Good Ideas Struggle to Gain Momentum“:

The communities and organizations that build sustainable momentum are rarely the ones with the loudest messaging or biggest budgets.

They are often the ones that:

communicate value clearly,
build trust intentionally,
recognize shared opportunity,
and help people see how their contributions connect to something larger.

So, what are you working on right now as you begin to make your farmstand dream a reality? What other questions do you have? I’d love to hear about it – the planning process is so exciting, but can also be overwhelming. Breathe and take your time 😊 It will happen!!! Enjoy the process and I’d love to hear all about your farmstand dreams or reality!!!