Since discovering that Indiana allowed Hoosiers to sell certain homemade baked goods at farmers’ markets, I was determined to make a go of it. In the beginning though, I suffered some serious analysis paralysis. How could I see my amazing cinnamon rolls while still following the rules? Would people pay what I’d have to charge for my homemade goods? And the most important question — would it be worth my time and money?
For at least three years now, I’ve tossed around the idea of selling at farmers’ markets and a roadside stand, but because I’m blind, there were a myriad of logistical issues that I had to address. There were obstacles that I had trouble navigating, so I just kept saying, “I’ll do it eventually.” When my mom started talking to me about starting a farmers’ market in my home town though, I gave the matter serious thought, and after talking with my family, I decided to go for it!
I am both excited and terrified, but I’ve reasoned things out like this. If I participate in the Middletown farmers’ market, I’ll have the benefit of being able to network with friends and family who have lots of market experience. Also, by committing to figure it out for the market, I’m opening myself to other opportunities like selling from a roadside stand and later participating in other local markets.
At first, I hadn’t realized how much I’d have to pull together in such a short period of time. It isn’t as simple as baking some stuff and showing up hoping that people will buy your wares. There are business and marketing aspects, there are planning and logistics issues that have to be managed, and of course, there’s the production.
This has been a family affair. My husband calls this endeavor “mine”, but I wouldn’t be able to do this without all of my family members. Everyone has contributed in valuable ways, and I couldn’t be more proud and grateful.
On Friday afternoon, I’ll be starting slow. I’ll be offering my “famous” caramel cinnamon rolls, and expect that those’ll go really well once people actually try them. And since my diabetes is a thing of the past thanks to a ketogenic diet, I’ll also be selling some dark chocolate chip brownies. I’ve never seen any keto baked goods at a farmers’ market, so I’m hoping to fill a niche that has room to grow. I just can’t wait for the opportunity to learn, thrive, and succeed!