Short answer: Something will go wrong: a breakdown, a staff shortage, a supply gap or a stop that is far busier than planned. Write a simple plan for each one before it happens, and tell customers early when you change something.
Every market has bad days. The teams that handle them well planned ahead and kept customers in the loop.
The vehicle breaks down
Keep a roadside kit and a written list of who to call, including a heavy tow.
Have a backup setup: tents, tables and coolers, or a second vehicle.
If you must cancel, post it everywhere your customers look, and tell the host site.
You are short on staff
Know the smallest team that can run a stop safely.
Give volunteers roles the market can run without, so a no-show does not stop the day.
Cross-train everyone on the register.
You run out, or the farm comes up short
Ask a nearby partner or supplier to meet you on the route.
Build the day around what is plentiful. Cook it in a food demo so people try something new.
Tell customers why an item is missing. It is a chance to talk about where food comes from.
The weather turns
Set a cancellation rule before the season starts. How to run a market day in heat, rain or cold.
Someone gets hurt or sick
Keep a first aid kit and train staff in first aid and CPR.
Call 911 for emergencies. Write an incident report the same day.
From the road: One busy day, half of our four-person team could not work the market. With 20 minutes to plan and a line already waiting, two people ran the stop while the other two stayed back from the food and kept customers informed and entertained. The line was longer than usual. Customers still left happy.
From the road: On a farm-run market, the crop does not always match the shopping list. When tomatoes were short, the team built that week's food demo around bok choy. People came for tomatoes and left with a new dish.
