Extension is working to boost small‑scale farms by strengthening their farmstand operations.
The project combines direct marketing research, solar-powered farmstand blueprints and community-informed guides to help your farmstand through:
Improving customer engagement.
Reducing food loss.
Expanding access to fresh local products.
Providing adaptable resources that farmers and communities can use to build resilient, sustainable farmstand models.
What the research says
Selling directly to your consumer is profitable and popular. In fact, 75% of small‑farm vegetable sales come through direct marketing. Farmstands are especially valuable for young, beginning or efficiency-minded farmers because they require less labor and travel compared to other direct sales options. Farmstands deliver an 84% profit margin — far higher than the 32% financial return seen at farmers markets.
Resources
Quick tips for marketing your farmstand
A quick reference to guide your farmstand marketing. Start with a few actions, build over time, and refer to the full Farmstand Toolkit for more detail, examples, and guidance.
Marketing your farmstand toolkit
Whether you’re running a self-serve pumpkin stand or a fully staffed season-long operation, thoughtful marketing can help more people find you, feel confident buying from you, and make your farmstand a regular stop in their lives.
Farmstand customer survey results and analysis
In the summer of 2025, 50 farmstands across Minnesota partnered with RSDP and Minnesota Grown to better understand their customers and strengthen on-farm promotion efforts.
Our partners
- With support from a Minnesota Department of Agriculture Specialty Crop Block Grant, RSDP is partnering with Minnesota farmers to create tools and best‑practice guides that enhance farmstand performance.
- The University of Minnesota Center for Sustainable Building Research is developing a solar‑powered farmstand prototype with a cooler designed to show-off goods, maintain freshness and reduce waste. Free downloadable blueprints will be available in the future.
- Collaboration with Minnesota Grown will expand consumer awareness, provide a farmstand directory, and elevate farmstands as key local food access points.
Are you interested in learning more? Contact Zachary Paige.
Reviewed in 2026