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Farmers market vendor checklist

What to bring and what to have on file before market day: permits, payments, the booth, samples and a way to count what sold.

Get a plan and a priceSee the picks

Updated

The short answer

Bring your permits and insurance certificate, a card reader with offline mode, a weighted tent, a cooler with ice and a thermometer for anything perishable, and an inventory count out and back in.

The checklist

  1. Paperwork

    Market permit, state sales tax certificate, cottage food or processor license, and a liability insurance certificate (many markets require $1M).

  2. Payments and signs

    Card reader with offline mode, a charged battery, signage with prices, and a QR code to your email list or store.

  3. The booth

    Tent with weights (most markets require 25 lb per leg), tablecloth, risers, and a cooler with ice and a thermometer for anything perishable.

  4. Samples and cleanup

    Samples (check market rules), a handwash setup if required, a trash bag, and cash with change.

  5. Inventory

    Count inventory out and back in, so you know what sold at which market.

Where to go next

  • Best farmers market POS

    Square, Shopify POS, Clover and SumUp compared for a market stand.

    Read the comparison

  • Have the register set up for you

    Offline mode, quick keys, stock by market and sales that feed the books.

    See the solution

Want one of these set up for you?

Tell us what you make. We send back a short plan and a price.

Get a plan and a price

How it works

  1. Tell us what you make

    What you make and what you use now. A spreadsheet and a Square account is a fine answer.

  2. Get a short plan

    Keep this, replace that, connect these, and the cost.

  3. We set it up

    Setup and migration done for you. You approve before anything goes live.

  4. Run it or hand it off

    Take it from there yourself or keep us on for the upkeep.

Questions

What do I need to sell at a farmers market?

A market permit, a state sales tax certificate, a cottage food or processor license, a liability insurance certificate, a card reader, a weighted tent, signage with prices, and a cooler with a thermometer for anything perishable.

How much liability insurance do farmers market vendors need?

Many markets require a $1M liability insurance certificate. Check your market's rules.

How much weight does a market tent need?

Most markets require 25 lb per leg.

What card reader should I bring?

One with offline mode, plus a charged battery.

Get a plan and a price

Tell us what you make and what you use today. A spreadsheet and a Square account is a fine answer. We reply by email with what we would keep, what we would change and what it costs.

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