Marketing cottage food products can be a challenge for farmers looking to diversify their income through value-added bakery products and anyone in rural areas that don’t have a higher population base or customers used to paying higher prices more typical in urban and suburban markets. 

To break down this barrier, consider bringing together a team of rural cottage food bakers to create a “pop-up market” within an existing event.  This can be a “win-win” situation as it creates a reason for more people seeking your products to come and shop while adding more value and interest in the existing event and, again, increasing turnout.

Below is a synopsis of some learnings from a pilot Pop-Up Market we held in conjunction with Creekfest Makers Market in Evansville, Wisconsin: