May 11, 2004
Just thought I'd send you a quick message to let you know that I now sell at 3 local farmers' markets, in Costa Mesa (Thurs), Laguna Hills (Fri) & in Irvine (Sat). I have a few regular customers now & I'm always working on winning new converts to the movement.
I'm pleased to report that I met another local contact that you suggested at the market in Irvine a little while ago, & I thoroughly enjoyed talking with him. So thanks for putting us in touch!
I'm willing to help anyone, or any group of people who are interested in selling FT at their local farmers' markets. It cost me about $550 to buy the canopy, table, health dept. permits, etc., which isn't really a huge investment, especially if several people are involved. I would be happy to share all of the info I have regarding suppliers, etc., so that should save a considerable amount of time in research. In all honesty, it hasn't been an onerous task getting started at all, & for people who are interested, having a 'mentor' may be all the additional incentive they need to get started. The cost for the space at the markets is just over 7.5% of sales, so there are no real risks of loss, especially on those days when sales may be particularly low. You wouldn't be able to pay your mortgage with the earnings, but I am making a small amount of money (I'm trying to keep prices at the lower end, in order to make it more affordable for more people).
I've also started to contact local religious groups to see if they're interested in converting to FT, but I haven't had any responses yet.
