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Books from Amazon
The
New Farmers' Market: Farm-Fresh Ideas for Producers, Managers & Communities
Dynamic Farmers' Marketing: A Guide to Successfully Selling Your Farmers' Market Products |
The
Combination
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| A combination of
produce and handcrafted products sold out in the country . . . in a real barn. People love it! |
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A report from Joan
Bleakly, a member of the
Tucson Arts & Crafts Association
In addition to marketing my products in the Saguro Artisans Gallery in the historic district in downtown Tucson, I also have a permanent shop in an old historic horse barn in a small rural community named Vail about 7 miles south of Tucson. The Rincon Valley Farmers Market is a combination produce/craft market that has now turned into a real attraction in the Tucson area rather than just a weekend event. I'm on the advisory board of this operation and have met the most interesting people!
There are 22 16' x 16' stalls in the barn and they are occupied by a variety of artisans selling their work. There are 21 crafters occupying stall shops inside the barn, about 14 crafters set up along the sides of the long corridor that runs down the center of the barn, plus about 25 crafters under outside canopies at one end of the barn. The produce is sold under a big white tent adjacent to the barn. I have had a permanent shop in one of the 16' x 16' horse stalls there for 2-and-a-half years now and feature both country and southwest items. I love it! There are considerably more craft items for sale now than when I first began setting up there, and the combination of produce, fruits and handcrafted items has been a very good one.
I put an 8" x 10" sign at the door of my shop saying that I finish quilts and also repair antique quilts, and that little sign has brought me almost more business than I can handle. Many people inherit quilt tops, or have one they've made that they want finished into a hand-quilted quilt, and that's what I do. I've assembled and hand-quilted six king size quilts this past year and turned them back to their owners and have seven more coming in this next month which will be finished between now and the Spring. This is something I truly enjoy doing and it is a FABULOUS moneymaker! It takes an average of two months to finish a quilt.
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The barn is only open on Saturdays and we draw very large crowds for being way out in the country. Produce growers bring wonderful vegetables in each weekend and others sell fresh flowers and plants, gourds, jams, jellies and breads. The winter visitors, as well as the locals, seem to love coming to the barn. I think all are really surprised, especially the Midwesterners, to find a genuine BARN in Arizona. There are cows roaming along the fences surrounding the barn, and several vendors who live in the immediate vicinity of the barn brought their pet goats, sheep, a pig, and a bunch of rabbits last week. Nice "color" for the day . . . kids and parents seem to get a kick out of the animals. |
We have a very promotion-minded director at the barn, Molly Eglin. ( She is the one who had
the vision for this entire project and was responsible for getting the whole project underway.
She's still very involved in the operation, but she concentrates on the promotion end now
and recently appointed a barn manager to handle the day-to-day activities.) All of our
slogans and advertising refer simply to "shopping at the barn," and we have had
several live remote TV telecasts originating there -- even for the very early morning
5 a.m.- 8 a.m. shows (we get there at 4 a.m. to get ready). We filmed a
30-second and 60-second TV commercial at the barn that ran all summer on two
local channels. (Since we operate as a nonprofit organization, we did the commercial
for a fraction of full cost.) We also do a lot of print advertising around town, and have
done quite a bit of radio.
This concept of the Farmers Market/Craft Market has become so popular all over the west,
but the markets that happen to have a REAL BARN to draw people, are the ones that
are enjoying the greatest success. We have five other urban markets in the city,
but they don't come close to enjoying the same response we get . . .
out in the country . . . in a barn. People love it! Personally, I think this is the direction of the "new craft show," at least in our area.
Fortunately for us, we happen to have one of the most unique locations for this type of event.
Based on my experience, I know that people still like to go to places where local
handcrafted work is being sold. Today's show promoters doing shows in
the Tucson area seem to shy away from advertising their events saying it "costs
too much to advertise today." As a result, attendance is very sketchy and the overall show
sales are poor. Promotion is vital . . . and those who don't recognize this will not draw business. Craft shows may be cycling out for awhile, but the creative crafter will seek other avenues
to market their wares. The opportunities are there . . . you just have to find the ones that are right for you.
[For More Crafts Marketing Articles]
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by Barbara Brabec
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