How Can I Get Into The Farmer's Market?

I live in a small town, too far away from the city to try the cafe or bookstore venue. I'm not ready to invite people into my house for readings. My experience reading for others is limited to friends, friends of friends, acquaintances, and my mum.

Our town Farmer's Market is the happenin' place on Saturday mornings. The Market Master allows baked goods and crafts, but refuses to consider a Tarot site.

I'll be attending the market business meeting in two weeks. I need your advice on how to convince them to allow Tarot.

Have you read at a market? Do you have a great story I could pass on to them? Suggestions about donating a percentage of proceeds to "sweeten the deal"? (not to the market; there's a flat fee to join) I've considered growing some token plants, but probably won't have enough to sell weekly. (vendors must appear weekly or lose their slot)

If I can't get in, I may sit in an unused corner of the common and read for tips...and give it all to the Library. So there, Market Master

This is a great idea! I am trying to do the same thing in my neck of the woods. I can't imagine they will turn you away. I don't have any specific idea about strategies for you, hopefully others will!

Yes I [and the SGC] read at Farmer's Markets. It's a great venue.
We did it by going to the group that sells stalls.... We rent a 10x10 stall...

Mac22

There is a Market once a month here.
There were some complaints , but the answer was to ask if that particular complaintant has had a reading , the answer was no , so the return answer was, How do they know.

Alls ok now.

There's nothing stopping you from having a stall close to the venue if your refused.

Try and stay out of the wind unless you have a photographic or speed read certificate . Or use a flip top school desk with a clear plastic lid, and work the cards under neath it.

There will always be those that are afraid of the unknown , these will be your complaintants, offer a simple reading.

If it's on a religious basis, remember that the GOOD BOOK has prophecies and future tellers all the way through the old and new testaments.

Those that preach damnation are prophecying, because it hasn't happened nor will it happen, so it's an inaccurate one at best.


Had a client just yesterday, that was there to boo boo the cards.
A challenge was issued , the cost of a reading , refunded , if the reading wasn't accurate.

There was nothing to lose, 'cause thats the way it happens anyway.
The Crow stones were used, one stone selected.(RPA's version of Cronatas ideas)
Open Tears were witnessed several times as the one stone told it's story, the money was exchanged , the client now a believer , or at least open.
He was /is a very intelligent person,Educated , well read in the classics and it's ways.

What is being said is to issue a challenge to disprove you. Get them to put up the money, as stated above. Its ok for them to challenge, but its another thing to prove it. They are then put into the unknown, the very place they dont feel comfortable in.

Thats the value of self trust in your connections.
Bungie jumping, without the bungie safety cord, just TRUST.

What is the basis they are using to keep you out, Feretian?

If you have a business license, I don't know how they could turn you down as a legitimate business. Most venues like that require a business license of some sort in order to conduct business. Every venue I have read at, even the Renaissance Faire required that I have a business license.

We have a few farmers markets around here, but they are small and the public seems very focused on just getting veg for cheap. I had considered setting up and reading for free (handing out cards for a discount on future readings by appointment), just as an outreach sort of thing... like I did at the Womens Only Expo and Girls Night Out venues... showing the public that there is nothing to fear in a Tarot reading. I haven't pursued it yet because I have problems getting up that early on my day off!

Have you considered contacting the media?

Sheri

mac, hmm, no stall sellers connected with the market. Just the market Executive Committee. Who I need to convince.

re-pete-a, thanks for that! I'd not thought of the wind. Just rain. And I've not yet dealt with the Holy Hysterics. Sceptics, Silent Stonys, and teenagers, yes. I dread the first. But I am somewhat armed now, thanks to you.

Sherri, I imagine I would need a special permit from the Town Fathers to read for money anywhere in public. That's standard in this neck of the woods. I don't want to read at home, so business cards are not practical. But you point other town events...I could certainly offer fund-raising readings for some of them. Just to get the idea out.

The Market rules state "Growers, bakers and craftspeople may sell at the market, but all items must be home-grown or home-made."

That is the basis of the exclusion. A lawyer could probably reword it in my favor!

OOh, Feretian...this is a tricky sticky situation...and I know from where I speak because I'm in the same boat!

Small town, and sometimes very small minded...and I even have my mother in law on the Farmer's Market commitee!

Tarot doesn't fly well around here...I started out doing free face painting (for tips) worked in my crafts, and am now working my way into tarot/fortunes.

But by their rules...you need to actually sell "something" hand made.

I would suggest offing some kind of handmade good luck talisman along with a reading.
It can be anything...I have made some out of so many different materials at different times! (sculpey, corn husks, wool, feathers, gemstones, little glass stones.)

Something that actually resembles jewelry works really well...

then offer the talismans for sale, or give them free with with a reading!

They can't complain that you aren't following the rules...because there is a handmade object being offered!

Here where I live, you can set up a stall (or not, if you don't want to and just even want to sell something on a blanket on the ground or whatever) on any corner provided the owner/renter/lease(r) of the property give you permission. So you might call the city council and ask them about what the rules are in your town. You don't need a license or anything here. Just permission from whoever controls the property. And that strip of grass in between the sidewalk and the street is usually not considered the property of the person leasing/owning the property on the other side of the sidewalk so I guess that's up for grabs.

But anyway, call the city council and ask them where you can sell and who has to give the permission. If you were to set up across the street from the Market, you wouldn't need the Market's permission to do it as long as it's legal according to the city. The Market might get upset, but if you don't mind that, go for it. Otherwise, maybe choose a street corner site somewhere else that gets a lot of traffic and set up a little space there offering readings.

I don't have any advice to offer here, as I too have been turned down from our local "farmers market" so I am watching this thread closely!

I wanted to add that by "corner" I'm including store parking lots, other people's yards, your own yard, etc. not just actual corners on the street.

If you get really desperate, you could run out at stop lights and do one-card readings on people's car hoods, I guess, but I don't think even the city council would approve of that.