National Farmers Market Week: Keppler turns produce into small business
Through her business, Busy Bee’s, LLC, Amanda Keppler is a vendor at three local farmers markets. She sells everything from seasonal garden produce and canned jams and jellies to baked goods, syrups and crafts. (Photo by Audrey Posten)
By Audrey Posten, Times-Register
Clayton County is home to an active farmers market scene. Amanda Keppler would know. Through her business, Busy Bee’s, LLC, the rural St. Olaf vendor sells at three markets—Wednesdays in Monona, Fridays in Marquette and Saturdays in Elkader near the Fast Trak—throughout the summer and fall.
Keppler did her first farmers market around 15 years ago, and has been selling full time for eight.
“My biggest reason I got into markets is that I like playing in the dirt and gardening,” said Keppler.
After acquiring a one-acre piece of land, she cleared and landscaped the space, planting fruit and nut trees, berry bushes and other edible goods.
“When those things are producing, I can bring fresh items along with the annual garden. The berries and other fruit are also turned into jams and jellies and baked goods. It just perpetuated,” she said. “Crafts are what I do in the winter when the garden is done. I stock up and bring them out to have diversity.”
“I like that I get to grow things, take something I enjoy doing and turn it into a business,” Keppler added.
The jams and jellies are largely traditional recipes, state approved and tested. Keppler takes suggestions from her customers too.
“Some are things I probably wouldn’t have thought of, like a hot version of something to not use as a traditional jelly but with cream cheese or a meat glaze,” she shared. “When I have so many different fruits to pick from, then I get to find different ways to get them on the table for people.”
It’s much the same for the Busy Bee’s baked goods, which range from pies and bread to bars and cookies.
“It depends on what time I have and if I’m running short of something at home, or if people have special requests,” Keppler said.
The garden produce is based on what’s ripe and what Keppler has time to pick. She said the first vegetables of the season are always highly sought after.
“Everybody is waiting for the first radishes, the first peas, then the first beans, first tomatoes and first sweet corn,” she remarked.
“Then, it’s nice to have a break on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday to get ready for markets,” Keppler said. “When you have to get things out of the garden, cleaned up, into jars and bake goods, it’s about finding that balance of juggling it all.”
Keppler said farmers markets remain popular because customers like to know where their food comes from. They can ask questions about how it’s grown, harvested and prepared. They can ask how to use or cook it.
Farmers market goods are also fresh, often picked or made earlier that day.
“You pick fresh raspberries and strawberries and they will mold in three or four days, like fruit should. It’s not like stuff from stores that lasts forever but doesn’t have any flavor,” said Keppler. “Baked goods wise, it’s cool that there aren’t all these preservatives.”
Through farmers markets, vendors like Keppler can have their own small businesses. They often work with one another, sending customers to other stands if they don’t have a particular item.
“We try to support each other,” said Keppler. “It’s important to help each other out so we can all have a nice display of products that looks good for customers so they want to come back.”
To Keppler, fellow vendors become part of her “farmers market family,” as do the shoppers. Meeting people is her favorite part.
“Some shoppers come back week after week to support you, and then there are the new ones who drop by because they’re traveling through,” she said.
For anyone interested in becoming a farmers market vendor, Keppler suggested studying the state rules. It can be more involved than many people realize.
“There are a lot of things on the internet, but go to the actual state site and see what qualifies and what doesn’t. Make sure what you want to do actually falls into the farmers market category,” she said. “If it’s something like produce, make sure you’re preparing it the right way. If it’s baked goods, how do you package it and what needs to be on the labels. If it’s crafts, do you need a sales tax permit. Once you do that, then you check to see what days and times the markets are and if you need a form. Some have fees and some don’t. ”
Check with the vendors who already sell at the market.
“See if they have anybody doing this and if there is an interest in people doing this,” Keppler added. “Then you get feedback from people who are doing it. They can answer questions about each specific market.”
She said this research, paired with experience, has helped her immensely.
“When I did my first ones, there was so much I didn’t know,” Keppler admitted. “I’ve learned a lot over the years just because you learn as you go and from people who are doing it. I hope anyone who’s curious about marketing just reaches out and sees where it goes.”
If you’d like to check out Keppler’s products, visit the Monona Farmers Market at Gateway Park on Wednesdays from 3 to 6 p.m., the Marquette Farmers Market at the Driftless Area Wetlands Centre on Fridays from 4 to 7 p.m. and the Elkader Highway 13 Farmers Market next to Fast Trak on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Find Busy Bee’s on Facebook, or reach her outside market days at (563) 783-2243.
