Anyone sell eggs at farmers markets?

[Cookie1276]

We are going to start selling eggs on Saturday mornings at a local farmers market. Just wondering if anyone else does this and if so, how do you attract people do your booth? Do you chill your eggs or just keep them at room temp so they can be out on the table?

Any information you can give would be great. This is our first time ever trying a farmers market setting so I'm brand new to it.

[debbiefl]

Yeah and congratulations! But first, call your local health department, and make sure that you don't have to be inspected, or approved. I would hate for you to get there and possibly end up fined, because you didn't know what you may need to know. The eggs really do need to be refrigerated. Good luck and let us know!

[skycladfaerielady]

Debbie gave you some good advice. I think Sharon sells at a market, if she does, she will have good advice, too. I just put a sign in my front yard & sell out every day. If there are permits & inspections & you do not decide to go that way, a sign might just work for you, too.

[genuck]

Sharon last I remember doesn't sell eggs at the market, too much paper work. But if you are going to be selling veggies etc anyways. There is a quail farm here that gets around it by just putting up signs and having business cards so they can sell them from home. Might not be money right there, but it's advertising! If you don't have anything to make cards you can get free ones online. I wanna say it's vista.com?

[ksrinlv]

It's vistaprint.com, they have some amazing deals on really nice quality cards.

[wildcat6]

It's vistaprint.com, they have some amazing deals on really nice quality cards.

The bad thing about vista is that they will kill you on shipping most of the time and they will bombard with you with a dozen e-mails a day. The shipping you pay on these cards will typically exceed the cost somewhere else.

[hour3suns]

I kinda sorta sell mine at the market. I have to get a mobile vendor's license to sell them there, which is $175 + tax this year, so I haven't taken the plunge. Instead the guy that sells pork sells my eggs after he's sold his out if I bring any with me. It works. I may still get the license, but before I do I'm trying to make up my mind about continuing selling eggs at the grocery.

Before you start selling there, have you checked with the NC Dept of Ag to make sure you are legal with them? For example, here in OH for me to sell my eggs anywhere but from our home they must first do an inspection and I have to pay their state fees. It wasn't a hard inspeciton by any means. Then there's the county Health Dept. If I am going to sell eggs from anywhere but our home I must pay for a mobile vendor's license. If I am going to sell eggs at the market our Market Manager needs a copy of our inspection & license on file so if someone comes by from the Dept of Ag or Health Dept he can show them I'm up on what I need to have.

As for leaving them out...NO! Don't do it! Eggs must be kept cool. Like the cartons say, 45 degrees or below. This is not something that varries from state to state. If you are going to sell your eggs in public you must keep them cool. Get yourself a large cooler that will hold cold packs and/or ice. Also, you may want to get yourself a thermometer so you know what temp they are at.

You know, Chickenplucker is there in NC. I know he has sold eggs to folks, but I think from his home. I also know he has sold plenty of chickens through auction. Not sure where you're at, but he's over on the coast. Give him a PM and see if he's up on the regulations for NC. Also, check out the NC Dept of Ag website. All their regulations should be listed...and don't forget the Health Dept. Trust me, it's better to be prepared than to be fined. Especially when you're at the market and you're surrounded by people.

As for my market table, I put up one of those portable canopies since it's hot (and hotter down where you're at). I put up a folding table with a nice tablecloth. If you want to display some eggs, why not blow some out and display those in a carton so folks can see them. Then they won't ruin and you can use that as a display all season. You can place your cooler on the table like the pork guy does when he sells his eggs or you can put it down below. Are you selling anything else? Just thought I'd ask. I just love participating in our market.

Smiling & Waving,
Sharon

[Cookie1276]

Now you guys have made me nervous. This is a little farmers market put on by our local growers association. I have talked to them and was told all we had to do to sell was pay their yearly fee of $25 to join their organization and then pay $5.00 weekly. I know there is one other that sells eggs up there but they said that farmer usually only has a few dozen so they sell out quickly. They didn't mention about needing any type of license or anything like that. Now I guess I have to go hunt up all this other junk. Definitely not worth selling them if I have to pay $175 for a license or something.

Thanks for all the advice, I'll call the local health dept now and start there to find out what info I can get. And, I'll deifnitely try to find Chickenplucker to pick his brain.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!

[Cookie1276]

Ok, I just called the local health dept. They have not heard of me needing any type of inspection or license to sell at a farmers market setting. They said if I join the farmers market group that should be all I need. They did have me leave a message for the restaurant division to make sure they didn't know of anything else but said unless I am cooking them on site and selling them for people to eat they shouldn't have any regulations for me to follow either. I also contacted the NC Ag Dept and it appears they do not have regulation for selling eggs either unless you are selling fertilized eggs for the purpose of people raising chicks. Then I need to purchase a license for $10 and if I'm going to sell baby chicks more than 100 at a time I need another $10 license. I'll wait to hear back tomorrow from the restaurant division but as of right now it appears I don't need anything at all to sell at the farmers market. Whew, I hope they are right. You guys scared me (but I'm thankful I asked to have any knowledge at all)

[Cookie1276]

Now I have called health dept, nc ag dept and the cooperative extension office. None of them know of anything at all I need to legally sell the eggs at the farmers market. There is one other guy who is supposed to call me back to go over any refridgeration requirements but other than that appears we are good. Whew.