The Tomato Varieties I’m Growing for Our Farm Stand This Year (And Why These Are My Favorites)
Every year when tomato seed-starting season arrives, I get genuinely excited because tomatoes are one of the crops that customers ask for again and again at our farm stand.
After several years of growing for both our farm stand and farmers market table, I’ve learned that not all tomato varieties perform the same when it comes to customer interest. Some sell quickly because of flavor, some because of color, and some simply because people recognize the variety and already know they love it.
What It’s Really Like Running a Self-Serve Farm Stand: The Questions I Get Asked Most Often
One thing I’ve learned since opening our little white farm stand is that people are endlessly curious about how it actually works.
As soon as it comes up in conversation that I run a farm stand, the questions start almost immediately: What do you sell? Do you sit out there all day? How do people pay? Has anyone ever stolen anything? And of course, the question everyone really wants to know — does it actually make money?
Everything I’m Doing to Prepare Our Virginia Farm Stand for a New Season
Getting ready to reopen a self-serve farm stand for a new season involves dozens of small improvements, careful planning, merchandising decisions, garden preparation, signage upgrades, and lessons learned from the previous year.
As we prepare for our second season at our little white farm stand in Virginia, I’m making a number of changes based on everything we learned during year one — all with the goal of creating a better shopping experience for customers while improving how the stand functions behind the scenes.
Why Handmade Soap Is One of Our Top-Selling Farm Stand Products in Virginia
If you’ve ever wondered whether handmade soap actually sells well at a farm stand, the answer from our experience is yes — very well.
At our farm stand and farmers market here in Afton, handmade soap has become one of those products people come back for again and again. It’s one of our most consistent sellers, and over time I’ve learned that customers really do appreciate a simple, beautiful bar made with quality ingredients and a real story behind it.
Recently I cut three fresh logs of soap for the upcoming season, and while doing that, I found myself reflecting on why soap has become such an important part of what we offer.
Top 10 Best-Selling Items at Our Virginia Farm Stand (What Actually Sold the Most Last Year)
If you're planning a farm stand, already running one, or simply curious what people actually buy at a self-serve roadside farm stand in Virginia, I thought it would be helpful to share what truly sold best for us during our first full season.
The Skin Benefits of Lard Soap
My lard soap is nourishing, simple, sustainable, and time-tested- everything a real bar of soap should be
