Farmers markets are increasing in popularity. The phenomenon has made it worthwhile for farmers to gain supplemental income selling straight to consumers. If your community doesn't have a farmers market, you may want to start one. Here's how.

Wouldn't it be great if the next time you took a load of grain to the elevator or livestock to market that the consumers of your product were lined up waiting, ready to shake your hand, to tell you what a marvelous job you do, and to offer you more than the market price?

Sounds like a fairy tale, right?

But it does happen at least once a week for four months out of the year for farmers who participate in successful farmers markets in Midwest communities. More than 125 farmers markets operate in Iowa, about 90 in Missouri and nearly 30 in Arkansas. Each one has a personality unique to the community it serves.

"A farmers market brings a sense of community to the community, and people respond well to that," said Billene Nimec with the Historic Haymarket in Lincoln, Neb.

The markets are nothing new to the agriculture community nor to the consuming public. The farmers market in Des Moines has been around for 26 years, and the Soulard Market in St. Louis has been an institution for more than 100 years. But the majority of farmers markets have sprung to life in the last 10 years. Farmers are cashing in on that popularity, some as a full-time effort, others as supplemental income to row crops and livestock.

"From an economic standpoint, a farmers market is a good and quick source of income for farmers. It requires only a small amount of land and little overhead," said Tammy Brukerhoff, a horticulture marketing specialist with the Missouri Department of Agriculture. Brukerhoff travels the country visiting farmers markets and brings her expertise back to the people of Missouri, advising them how to establish or improve a farmers market in their community.

"A farmers market is community driven, but farmer based," she said. "It's up to leaders in both arenas to make the initial commitment to get a market going."

She recommends interested farmers approach business leader in nearby communities to discuss the potential benefits. For example, a farmers market on a Wednesday afternoon may bring additional customers to a downtown business district. A vacant lot or building may find new life as a home to a farmers market, increasing revenue and community image.

Liability insurance is the primary reason farmers should work with the city when establishing a market. If a shopper trips on a watermelon, slips on a wet sidewalk or claims illness based on consumption of a food product, city liability insurance covers the claim. Otherwise, farmers should check with their farm policy before participating.

The population of a community is not a primary factor in determining if a market will be successful or not, said Brukerhoff. Silex, Mo., is a town of 300 people about 75 miles from St. Louis, but shoppers drive there on Saturdays in search of fresh eggs, live animals, produce and processed meats.

Making a farmers market successful in a small community may also depend on when other communities have their market. "Instead of everyone having their market on Saturday morning, consider a Wednesday or Thursday afternoon," said Nimec. "That way a farmer can participate in at least two different markets in two separate communities and double their marketability."

As she travels through Nebraska farm communities promoting the merits of farmers markets, Nimec recommends using a high school business class or the local newspaper to do a survey to determine the potential of such a market in the area.

"Find out what produce is grown and what is grown in surplus," she said. "Find out what consumers want and if there is a match."

Keeping a variety of products available for consumers is an important component to the success of any market. For example, if every vendor offers tomatoes, shoppers will become bored, and vendors will not be able to sell their produce.

"The more farmers you have, the more consumers will show up," Brukerhoff said.

In Des Moines, about 160 vendors participate in the Saturday morning market that draws 5,000 people between 7 a.m. and noon. Kelly Egenberger, director of the farmers market for the downtown association, has the responsibility of approving the vendors who sell at the market.

"We must keep a healthy balance of products to keep our customers coming back," she said. "If we have too many vendors already bringing potatoes, it hurts everyone to add another booth carrying potatoes."

In addition to fresh produce, the market carries prepared foods such as salsa and baked goods, some crafts, and garden art. These are hand-made items featuring a home-grown product such as dried flower arrangements, seed murals and wheat weaving.

All products sold at the Des Moines farmers market must be grown within the state of Iowa, with few exceptions. For example, if a regular vendor's tomato crop has not yet ripened, Egenberger will sometimes allow that farmer to bring produce from a northern Missouri farm. However, products shipped from Mexico or California are not allowed.

Now in its 16th year, the Parkville, Mo., farmers market features 30 local growers and products grown in a 200-mile radius ranging from fresh produce and flowers to homegrown meats and farm-raised eggs to jams, jellies and baked goods. Eighteen of those vendors are members of the Parkville Farmers Market Association, an organization that helps monitor the cleanliness and the price of products.

"We don't tell anyone what to set their price at, but we know what the stores are selling for," said Ida Lake, the association manager. "Parkville has people who come to buy fresh, good-quality produce, no matter what the price."

Lake and her husband, Jim, raise 20 crops on 42 acres in Platte County. She recommends any farmer who makes a long-term commitment to a market grow multiple crops and consider various varieties of the same crop. She suggests attending university extension programs, reading cooking magazines and looking to ethnic groups in your community to see what will sell.

"Also, listen to what the consumers are asking for and talking about," she said. "In doing that, you will attract shoppers who are willing to pay a fair price for the product, not just find a bargain on less-than-quality produce."

Lake likes farmers who will commit to participating for at least 10 weeks. Farmers who have an abundance of sweet corn one week or pumpkins another are welcome, but they do not receive the prime vending spots nor the strong support of member vendors.

"I think the appeal of a farmers market is getting to know the people who grow your food," she said. "We're not some nameless entity in the super market. We become friends with our customers and have a stake in their family eating habits."

"Daily vendors certainly are a viable part of our market and can make some good money, but our regular vendors come to rely on their repeat customers," said Egenberger of Des Moines. "It's those personal relationships that people are looking for that make a vendor successful."

Vendors must be outgoing, comfortable with talking to strangers and unafraid to promote their work and product. People skills are as valuable as perfect green beans and strawberries.

Marketing efforts from an organization or city are important in the start-up and maintenance of a farmers market. The Parkville farmers market advertises in neighborhood newsletters when a crop is coming in and sends press releases to larger media outlets for free publicity.

Brukerhoff's office in Jefferson City creates a directory of markets and sends out six press releases a year highlighting the seasons and activities of various farmers markets. She suggests each local market invite free coverage from a local television station or newspaper by delivering the crop for the season to the newsroom with a notice of hours and other produce available throughout the year.

Coordinating a festival for each season is another option. For example, during strawberry season, designate one market day as a strawberry festival. Every vendor carrying strawberries should have a number of recipes using strawberries. Invite a chef to prepare unique strawberry recipes.

The Des Moines farmers market has musicians, clowns and dance troupes perform. A miniature train for children is a standard fixture, and there is a booth where shoppers can have a cup of coffee or juice.

Other marketing opportunities include brochures at tourist attractions, participation in local tourism activities, postcard mailings, newsletters to patrons, e-mail notices to consumers and developing a website. Posters and flyers at locations such as libraries, grocery stores and community centers are also helpful. The Parkville farmers market hangs a banner over a main thoroughfare and places a sandwich board highlighting the crops of the day at a major intersection.

"Even though we have regulars who always know to come, we get a large number of people who say they forgot we were here but stopped by because of the signs," Lake said. "You always have to keep reminding people every year and several times each year."

Because of those efforts, people are choosing to support local farmers who grow quality produce, and farmers are developing a source of income untouched by government price structures and market fluctuations.

"I think people are taking greater pride in their farm heritage, even if they don't live on the farm," Egenberger said. "For many farmers, such a market is a validation that their lifestyle, their work and livelihood is valued."

That and a pocketful of cash make it worth checking out a farmers market.