Farmer's Market—Week 16, September 24, 2012

This week's market was pretty awesome. I arrived at my usual time, about 2:15 pm, set up my tables and tent, and again had a small line formed right before the bell rang at 3:00. I sold a few things, and was just settling in at about 3:15. This is about the time, after the initial rush, that I text my husband to see how his afternoon is going, and to update him on any news from sales. However, before I had a chance to do that, he showed up and surprised me. I was so very happy to see him on my last day at the market for the season. It was wonderful to have his company and help as the day progressed. 

It was a chilly day, too. The sun was shining, but it was cool in the shade under my tent, and when the wind would blow, I would get too cold for comfort. I ended up giving in to the weather and put on my new winter parka. Well, it's not quite a winter parka—it's more of a fall jacket with a fuzzy lining. But it helped a lot.

Then, to my surprise, my mom and dad stopped by at about 5:15 pm. They ended up staying for the rest of the night, which was very helpful, as they helped me tear down my tent, drove home with me, and helped me unload. Jack actually left shortly after they arrived because he had a volleyball game to get to—he's a coach. Then at 5:45 pm, Lila arrived with the babysitter, and the babysitter hung out for a little while for a visit, too. 

So it was great! I had a lot of company to pass the time, and I had all of my great customers stop by for one last hurrah! Several folks stocked up on treats that they were planning to freeze. I had pre-sold a batch of pumpkin gobs, and also pre-sold a batch of Grandma's Peanut Butter Cookies. I also had a few pre-orders for some cookie packs, so overall, it was a very good day for sales, and I only ended up with one blueberry HappyJack left at the end of the night (we call our mini pies "HappyJacks"). I gave it to my mom. I love her.

But now it's over.

How about some stats? Over the course of the 16-week farmer's market, I made 5769 cookies, 13 apple pies, 173 mini pies (apple and blueberry), 93 gobs, and 16 pound cakes. No wonder my shoulders are sore. And how do my sales this year compare to the past two year's that I've been selling at the market? Well, they've been pretty steady. There's maybe been about a $200 fluctuation among the three years, but also in the first year, there were 15 weeks, last year I participated in 17 weeks, and this year I participated in 15 weeks. So that fluctuation is to be expected because of that. Now, granted, ideally in any business, you grow from year to year. But I haven't raised my prices in these three years, and I can't force people to buy my products. I'm happy to just have a following that loves what I do for them, while I make a small amount of money on the side. It's fun, and I truly enjoy every minute of it (well, except maybe those times at the end of a day of baking when I just want to sit down and rest, but have to clean a mound full of dirty dishes, pots, pans, and baking utensils).

So what's next? Well, I'll be selling Squish Monsters and Chocolate Chip Snowballs to The Dancing Bean coffee shop in Caste Village, so in the off season, if you need a fix, you can always stop there. I'll also be happy to fulfill orders for you at any time. My website lists the variety of goodies that I make, in addition to the ones I sell at the market. And if there's something you'd like that you don't see there, send me an email and ask. I may still be able to get you a price and whip it up for you. I'll also be taking orders for Thanksgiving (apple pies and pumpkin tortes are my specialities), as well as for the Christmas holiday season. So please keep in touch, and let me know if you need anything.

Until next time, have a yummy day!