Choosing the right location for your farmers market can make or break your market's success.

Beyond the obvious needs like enough space for your vendors and room for customers to browse, there's a lot more to consider—from parking and restrooms to cell service, power access, visibility, and nearby foot traffic patterns.

  • The Farmers Market Federation of NY offers this guide to site selection, see page 16.

  • An evaluation matrix created when the City of Portland did an in-depth research study of farmers markets and opportunities for growth in the metro area.

  • This graduate student's project provides evaluation criteria for potential farmers market sites, explains why each factor matters, and demonstrates how they were applied when Seattle's Columbia City Farmers Market needed to relocate.

  • Farmers markets are often housed on property that is not owned by the market itself. To understand leases, rental agreements, and site licenses—check out this resource from the Farmers Market Legal Toolkit.

  • While specifically focused on farmers markets located on federal property, this resource offers valuable insights for any market navigating site agreements. It covers security considerations, maintenance responsibilities, rent negotiations, communication with property owners, and making the case for activating public spaces—all applicable whether you're working with municipal, private, or institutional landlords.

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