Stepping Out of My Box: Selling at the Rose City Farmers Market

Stepping Out of My Box: Selling at the Rose City Farmers Market

This year, I’m pushing myself out of my comfort zone and taking our homegrown produce beyond the ranch—I’ll be selling at the Rose City Farmers Market in Tyler. It’s a big step for me. While we’ve always grown food for our family, friends, and guests at the ranch, this is the first time I’ll be setting up a stand and selling directly to the public.

It’s a pricey investment, too. Between buying folding tables, a pop-up tent, a price display board, and covering the cost of our vendor spot, this isn’t something we’re taking lightly. But it’s a big deal for us, and one we’re truly excited about. We’re putting time, effort, and money into making this a success—not just for our family, but for the opportunity to bring fresh, homegrown food to the community.

Of course, preparing for market days is no small task. Between keeping the garden in top shape, harvesting at peak ripeness, and figuring out the best way to transport everything without bruising my tomatoes, there’s a lot to learn. But that’s part of the adventure. We’ll be bringing our strawberries, blackberries, squash, onions, garlic, peppers, sugar snap peas, okra, lettuce, and whatever else is in season at the time. Plus, we’re starting to can our own pickled goods and sauces, which means we’ll have homemade ranch-grown products to share as well.

And because I clearly don’t have enough going on, I’m also learning how to make sourdough bread and can homemade jellies and jams to sell at the market, too. Right now, I’m in full learning mode—figuring out the perfect rise, experimenting with flavors, and making sure I don’t burn down my kitchen in the process. Hopefully, by March, I’ll have it all figured out and will be able to offer fresh-baked sourdough and homemade spreads alongside our produce. Meanwhile, Scott is standing in the middle of the kitchen, looking around, and wondering what on earth has happened to his space! Between jars of fermenting starter, bags of flour, and rows of cooling loaves, let’s just say things have gotten a little... crowded.

The best part? The kids are all on board and love to help! They are right there beside me, cleaning out the garden beds, mixing our custom potting soil blend, and making sure everything is growing strong. They’re excited about market days and can’t wait to be part of the process—helping customers, setting up the stand, and maybe even sneaking a few strawberries along the way. It’s a family effort through and through, and I love seeing them take pride in what we’re building together.

It’s nerve-wracking, exciting, and a little overwhelming—but that’s what growth is all about. Yeay for learning new things! This year, I’m stepping out of my box, taking the leap, and bringing a little piece of the Flyin H Ranch to the heart of Tyler. Hope to see some friendly faces at the Rose City Farmers Market—come say hi, grab some fresh produce, and help support local agriculture!