So You Want to Sell at the Farmers Market?

How hard could it be? Throw some zucchini seeds in the ground, add some water and let the veggies plump up under the Florida sun, gather them up for the and watch the cash roll in, right? Not so fast, Johnny Appleseed.

It's true that farmers markets have seen a surge in popularity, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture reporting that the number of markets on the National Farmers Directory has nearly doubled in the last five years to 7,175.

However, while that might mean more interest, it also means more competition. And, of course, there's Florida's climate and agricultural challenges as well as the daily dedication to farming that need to be considered.

That's where Robert Kluson's market gardening courses come in as part of the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences (IFAS) at the Sarasota County Extension.

”A lot of [the students] don't come from an agriculture background," Kluson told Patch. "That’s why I call it more of an exploration about everything that's required to be a small-scale producer."

The eight-week course, going on now every Wednesday, covers holistic management, business plans, equipment and tools, food safety and farmers markets know-how, but Kluson said he starts by having his students look internally first.

"One thing we're all focusing in on ... is to first get them to think about their own personal reasons, and the reasons of whoever else is going to be farming with them, as a beginning point," he said. "It’s usually the last thing people think of, not the first.

"They rush into buying a tractor or hydroponics or land without really spending the time to think it through as to: Can you really see yourself doing this in five years, up every morning, every day? We lose so many people because they’re not mentally and psychologically prepared to get a farm started."

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This course runs through September, and then Kluson will offer another course geared to women "agri-preneurs," in a national program called Annie's Project, which drills into more of the financial aspects of urban farming.

Kluson will also present during the 2012 Florida Small Farms and Alternative Enterprises Conference on July 27-29 in Kissimmee, where farmers will learn the latest information in their industry and participate in hands-on demos on topics like alternative energy, the latest research, pests control, laws, business savvy, food safety and more.

Vincent Dessberg has firsthand experience in learning from Kluson's IFAS programs and selling at the Sarasota Farmers Market. He built a vertical grow system on a building rooftop not far from downtown. He said the key for him was selling produce that was unusual and hard to find.

"The truth of the matter is you have to grow what people will buy. We grow basil and chard and spinaches and kale," Dessberg told Patch. "I like growing the strange stuff – like nasturtium."

Kluson said the large farms handle the staples, so he encourages students to try to grow something different, like unusual potato varieties.

"Part of my job is to introduce people to produce that’s not being produced by the larger farms," he said. "Tomatoes are good, but there’s a lot of tomatoes around. So we look to the minor crops that will grow in Florida but don’t have large farms growing them – something different that you can take around and show chefs in the restaurants and will stand out in farmer’s markets and be successful."

Dessberg quit working the local farmers market last year, but is launching a new trash growth vertical wall system. "You take trash and build vertical grow systems out of it," he explained. "On Aug. 12, we're going to run a test. If it works, we're going to try to get more people interested in it. The only thing you have to buy is the compost and a sprinkler timer. You just need a couple of nails and the rest is trash."

Whatever type of farming locals try to do, Dessberg said the IFAS is a great resource. "There’s so many reference guides, and they support you so well," he said. "And they respond almost immediately. It's a phenomenal network."

For Kluson's current class, he said he's holding it during the summer and early fall to give students a chance to grow a crop of their own while they're wrestling with their decision to give urban gardening a go. Once this course is complete, the next step for students will be to determine what and how they want to grow their produce. Then work on a farm in an apprenticeship role, he said.

"It's a three-step process to help people get to the point where they’re going to be a successful farmer and achieve what they want to by growing food," Kluson said.

By Dessberg's lights, local farming is going to continue to grow in popularity. "The interest has swollen," he said. "I think that finally after decades of the media pushing out the fact that we’ve got global warming and we obviously we have economic issues, everything is converging. The whole synergy of the world is converging for this having to happen. ... Just go for it."

Farmers Markets

Are you ready to go for it and set up shop at a farmers market? Here are links to area farmers markets websites that include vendor regulations and guidelines.

Sarasota Farmers Market — Saturdays 7 a.m. to noon on Lemon Avenue and State Street near Main

Siesta Key Farmers Market — Sundays 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Davidson's Plaza, 5124 Ocean Blvd.

Sarasota Swap Meet & Farmers Market — Saturdays and Sundays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., 125 S. Tuttle Ave.

Phillippi Farmhouse Market — Reopens Oct. 3 and runs through June. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays, Phillippi Estate Park, 5500 S. Tamiami Trail

You can find more articles from this ongoing series, “Dispatches: The Changing American Dream” from across the country at The Huffington Post.