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.
Running our farm stand this first year was one of the most intense and rewarding things I’ve ever done. It was exciting, exhausting, and full of lessons I honestly could only learn by doing it day after day.
At our farm stand, we sold a wide variety of products — produce, baked goods, plant starts, handmade candles, soap, pantry items, and products from about ten other local farms. Because of that, these top sellers really stood out from a very large mix of products.
One thing I learned quickly: what sells best at a farm stand is not always the same as what sells best at a farmers market. The customer base is different, the buying habits are different, and in a self-serve farm stand especially, presentation matters more than you might think.
Here are the top ten items that sold best at our Virginia farm stand this year.
10. Handmade Candles
Candles came in at number ten, which surprised some people because they are actually my number one seller at the farmers market.
At the farm stand, they still sold well, just not at the same volume. I think part of that is because our farmers market draws more tourists, while the farm stand tends to serve more local repeat customers.
What made candles valuable, though, was their price point.
I sell candles at:
$14
$24
$36
Even if only a few sold in a day, they noticeably increased total sales revenue.
Farm stand tip: It helps to have at least one higher-priced product in your stand. Even if it doesn’t sell as often as eggs or cookies, it can raise your average customer purchase.
9. Handmade Lard Soap
Soap was another strong seller, especially because it has a story behind it.
I make my soap using lard from a friend’s farm where they raise heritage breed forest pigs. It’s a partnership I really love because it uses something that might otherwise go to waste and turns it into a beautiful product.
Lard soap performs incredibly well:
Hardens faster
Lasts longer
Has a rich lather
Cures more quickly than many plant-based soaps
Our bars sold for $8 each.
One thing I learned with soap in a self-serve farm stand is that customers really need the story if you’re not there in person.
Next season I’m adding more framed signs and story cards because customers absolutely stop and read them.
8. Local Art Note Cards
This was one of the surprises of the season.
We sold beautiful watercolor note cards by a local artist, and they moved quickly all season long.
Pricing was:
$5 each
6-pack for $20
People loved that they were beautiful, giftable, and locally made.
This reminded me that small gift items do extremely well at farm stands in Virginia, especially in areas with tourism traffic.
7. Fresh Farm Eggs
Eggs remain one of the strongest staples.
We keep about 35 laying hens, and nearly every carton we put out sells.
Our pricing:
$6/dozen at the farm stand
$7/dozen at the farmers market
That said, eggs are honestly a loss leader for us.
If you feed high-quality feed, especially non-GMO and soy-free feed, profit margins get tight very quickly.
Eggs help bring people in, but they usually aren’t where the money is made.
Important lesson: eggs build trust and repeat visits, even if margins are small.
6. Jams and Jellies
Jams and jellies sold almost as fast as we could stock them.
I would put out 8–10 jars and they would often disappear within one or two days.
Typical pricing:
$8 for an 8 oz jar
People rarely hesitate at that price.
There’s something about jam that feels like a treat people are happy to spend on.
Next season I’m expanding this category through partnerships with a local fruit farm because demand was higher than I could keep up with myself.
And honestly — if you sell jams, think seriously about pickles too.
Pickles often perform just as well.
5. Local Honey
Honey sold incredibly fast.
We partnered with another local farm and stocked their honey in the stand.
Pricing:
$10 for 8 oz
Even at that price, customers bought it steadily.
Honey is one of those products people naturally understand as premium.
They know what goes into producing it, and they value it.
4, 3, and 2: Baked Goods (Cookies, Brownies, and Bread)
I’m grouping these together because baked goods were absolutely dominant.
Bread
Bread is having a major moment right now, and that absolutely showed at the farm stand.
I make yeasted bread with a 72-hour cold fermentation, which gives it wonderful flavor.
People consistently bought fresh bread without hesitation.
Cookies
Chocolate chip cookies were the strongest seller.
Other strong performers:
Oatmeal craisin
Sugar cookies
Chocolate chip remained king.
Brownies
Brownies sold exceptionally well too.
I cut sheet pans into individual squares and sold them for:
$3 each
They cost more to make than many people realize, but customers happily paid for a really good brownie.
Farm stand lesson: baked goods create repeat customers fast.
1. Tomatoes (The Clear Winner)
Tomatoes were the strongest seller of everything.
And not just any tomatoes — large slicing tomatoes.
The biggest lesson:
People want slicers.
Much more than cherry tomatoes.
The varieties that performed especially well:
German Johnson
Brandywine
Large heirloom slicers sold far faster than smaller varieties.
People love that classic summer tomato for sandwiches and slicing.
Honorable Mention: Cucumbers
Cucumbers were almost tied with tomatoes.
Especially:
large slicing cucumbers
English-style cucumbers
Pickling cucumbers sold too, but in smaller numbers.
The slicers moved fastest by far.
What I Learned Running a Self-Serve Farm Stand in Virginia
The biggest lesson from year one:
Story sells.
Because our stand is self-serve, customers often decide entirely based on:
signage
packaging
display
product story
When I explained products in person at farmers markets, certain items sold faster.
At the stand, products needed to explain themselves.
That’s something I’m improving heavily next season.
Best Farm Stand Tips for Virginia Growers
If you’re starting a farm stand in Virginia, here’s what I would prioritize:
Have staple food items people come for regularly
Add premium handmade items to raise ticket value
Include local partnerships
Use signage generously
Grow more slicer tomatoes than you think you need
Never underestimate baked goods
