Implementation

The first day of the garden market will be a learning experience for all involved. Document lessons learned the first day and apply solutions to future sales days. The following suggestions will help you get the most from the opening day.

Work with the vendor in these ways:

Design and provide the vendor with signs for displaying produce prices.
Encourage the vendor to arrive early and help you anticipate potential delays or other issues.
Help the vendor develop procedures for the most efficient flow of shoppers between the shopping and payment areas.

Work with your garden market support staff in these ways:

Have an alternate date in mind in case of unexpected problems, such as bad weather.
Plan for the weather. For example, do you need sunscreen, umbrellas, or drinking water?
Have one or more of your support staff arrive early to help the vendor with setup.
Have extra supplies, especially tape, markers, and paper.
Plan for lunch and bathroom breaks for the staff and vendor.
Count how many employees attend and how many are buying produce. Are most buying produce? If not, find out why.

Next Steps

After the first day, identify and implement changes that resolve "opening day" issues and begin planning for the ongoing operation and promotion of the market. Then, implement your ongoing promotion strategy that was developed in your communication plan. Finally, begin to think about formally evaluating the success of your garden market and implementing further improvements.