Starting Your Own Roadside Produce Stand

With warmer weather ahead, fresh produce is on the minds of plenty of people. If you’re a gardener or small-acreage farmer, starting a roadside produce stand is a great way to supplement your income this spring and summer! At J5 Tractors, we’ve compiled a list of helpful tips for starting your own stand filled with delicious produce. If you have any questions or you need some new farming equipment, contact us at one of our locations in Texas. We proudly serve Conroe, Texas and beyond!

Choose Your Goods

The first step in starting your roadside produce stand is deciding what to plant and sell. You should opt for plants that are affordable and easy to grow. This could be fruits, vegetables, and/or herbs. 

Keep in mind that fruit always sells well since many fruits reach their peak in the summer. You could sell strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, perches, pears, and even watermelons! Vegetables can also sell well, but they probably won’t be ready until later in the season. This includes tomatoes, peas, corn, squash, and bell peppers. Looking forward to the fall, you can make some good money selling pumpkins and apples. 

Do you enjoy growing herbs? Add some to your produce stand! Sell bunches of fresh basil or rosemary. You can even expand your roadside produce stand offerings to include your own honey, jams, butters, and preserves.

Build a Stand and Signage

Now that you know what you’re selling, it’s time to figure out where you’re selling. If you want to keep costs low and you can count on the weather to be nice, you can simply use a folding table or picnic table as your produce stand. You can get protection from the sun by using an umbrella or tarp draped over tent poles. If you want a fancier roadside produce stand, consider using scrap wood and metals to build an open-faced shed with shelving to display your goods and keep your cash box.

It’s also important to have good signage for your produce stand. After all, you want drivers to know that you’re selling delicious fruits and vegetables! You can simply state what you’re selling or you can create a more elaborate sign that has your farm’s name on it. Make sure pricing signage is clear so customers know how much each item costs. You should set up a few signs down the road to attract drivers to pull over. You can even print out flyers to post in your local library, grocery store, or church!

We hope these tips help you create the perfect roadside produce stand! If you have any questions, reach out to our friendly staff at J5 Tractors. We have a location in Conroe, Texas and more throughout the state. We can’t wait to see the delicious fruits and vegetables you grow sell this spring and summer!