Short answer: Plan for the weather before you leave. Shade and ice in the heat. Cover and wind breaks in the rain. Small displays always.
In the heat
Park so the display faces away from afternoon sun. Use the awning and add shade cloth if you need it.
Put out small amounts and restock often. A full table in the sun wilts fast.
Use shallow containers so the bottom layer does not crush or heat up.
Ice the crops that like it: leafy greens, lettuce, broccoli and cabbage, green onions, leeks, roots, sweet corn, asparagus. Use ice made from drinking water.
Mist greens, green onions, roots and peas with clean water. Do not mist tomatoes or berries.
Keep drinking water and shade for your team too.
In rain and wind
Add wind breaks. Wind dries produce as fast as sun does.
Keep produce and boxes at least 6 inches off the ground. No crates on wet pavement.
Bring the display under the awning. Wipe and dry tables before you set up.
Fold the awning in strong gusts. Follow the manufacturer's wind limit.
In the cold
Protect crops that chill-damage: tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, squash, sweet potatoes, bananas. Keep them inside the truck and bring out samples only.
Below freezing, show greens in insulated bins or keep them on board and fill orders from inside.
Shorten the stop if the crowd is thin. Tell your partner site early.
When to cancel
Set a rule with each host site before the season. For example: lightning, ice on the road, or a heat warning. Post the cancellation the same way every time so people trust it.
With the Farmers' Truck Map: Email everyone subscribed to that stop in one send. Say why and when you will be back. For a longer break, set the stop to Paused.
Sources: Purdue Vegetable Crops Hotline, Keeping produce fresh at markets and farm stands · Massachusetts DPH, SOPs for mobile food establishments
