How to Build a Cottage Food Gift Box That Actually Sells (Fall and Holiday Guide)
A cottage food gift box turns products you already make into a higher-margin offer. Here is how to build one that sells…
Read moreArticles
Food Business Tips
Back-to-School Lunches from the Farmers Market (A Real Parent’s Guide)
A single Saturday at the farmers market solves more of the school lunch problem than a whole cart at the grocery store.…
Read more
How to Start Selling Apple Butter and Fall Preserves at the Farmers Market
Apple butter costs almost nothing to make and sells at a premium every fall. Here is how to price it, label it,…
Read more
The Farmers Market Apple Guide: Which Variety to Buy for Eating, Baking, and Sauce
Farmers market apples come in dozens of varieties you will never see in a grocery store. Here is how to tell which…
Read more
CSA Box or Farmers Market? How to Choose What Actually Fits Your Household
CSA box or farmers market? A practical comparison of cost, flexibility, variety, and time — plus how to tell which one actually…
Read more
How to Pick the Best Tomatoes at the Farmers Market (An Heirloom Decoder for Peak Season)
Learn how to pick the best tomatoes at the farmers market — what heirloom varieties actually taste like, how to judge ripeness…
Read more
How to Sell at Fall Festivals and Craft Fairs: A Cottage Food Vendor’s Late-Summer Playbook
Fall festival applications close in July and August. Here's how to pick the right events, price for a craft fair crowd, and…
Read more
How to Start Selling Sourdough at the Farmers Market in 2026
Sourdough is the hottest thing at the market right now. Here's how to price it, set up your table, and turn crusty…
Read more
How to Choose Packaging for Your Cottage Food Products (Without Wrecking Your Margins)
Cottage food packaging that protects your product, sells from six feet away, and doesn't eat your margin. A practical guide to materials,…
Read more
Do You Charge Sales Tax at the Farmers Market? A Cottage Food Vendor’s Guide
Sales tax is the question every new market vendor gets stuck on. Here's a plain-language guide to figuring out whether you collect…
Read more
What’s at the Farmers Market in August? Your Peak-Summer Shopping Guide
August is the market at its most generous — tomatoes, corn, melons, peppers, and stone fruit all at once. Here's what to…
Read more
How to Pick a Perfectly Ripe Melon at the Farmers Market
A ripe local melon is one of summer's great pleasures — and a mealy one is a letdown. Here's how to choose…
Read more