AMES, Iowa – The Food Innovation and Business Hub, part of the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Farm, Food and Enterprise Development team, has released two resources to help food business owners prepare for farmers market days and better understand production costs, pricing strategies and profitability.
The resources, “First Farmers Market Checklist” and “Food Product Cost and Pricing Calculator,” are available on the Extension Store at no cost.
With the summer farmers market season underway, current vendors and those planning to join later in the season can download the “First Farmers Market Checklist” for a comprehensive guide to market-day essentials. It covers supplies and considerations for booth setup and weather, food safety and compliance, organization and operations and more.
“Remember that every market is a learning experience that helps you improve for the next one,” said Alex Van Alstyne, food business extension specialist at Iowa State and author of both resources. “This checklist is designed to help make setup easier by giving you a starting point of commonly used items and helpful supplies that vendors can forget the first time around.”
The “Food Product Cost and Pricing Calculator” helps food entrepreneurs understand their costs, set prices and make informed business decisions. It includes three pricing calculators, allowing users to input their specific recipe costs to guide pricing decisions.
Van Alstyne says the resource helps address a common question for food businesses.
“Many small businesses struggle to accurately calculate what their products truly cost to make and often overlook labor, packaging, overhead or fluctuating ingredient prices,” he said. “The goal is to help take the guesswork out of pricing so businesses can stop asking themselves, 'What should I charge for this?' and instead make pricing decisions backed by real numbers.”
To access both resources, visit “First Farmers Market Checklist” and “Food Product Cost and Pricing Calculator” on the Extension Store.
For more information, contact Van Alstyne at 515-294-3041or alexv@iastate.edu.
