This week was rich in frugal accomplishments!!

1. I used Ibotta and Checkout 31 to get a free onion, a free banana, and bread for $0.73.

2. Made guacamole with gifted avocados and tomatoes, as well as free homegrown cilantro. It was amazing! 

3. Sold 4 dozen eggs.

4. Sold one book on Amazon.

5. Made yogurt.

6. One Thursday, I went with my mom and some friends to a "bent 'n' dent" store. These stores, commonly run by Amish or Mennonites, sell slightly damaged or otherwise unsalable grocery items. Some of the items are past the "sell by" date, but are probably still good (think ramen noodles or spices).

I'm going to feature our trip in a separate post, but suffice it to say that I got a ton of great deals and bought things I normally would NOT buy because of price. I figured that I saved 50% or more on most of the items I bought there.

7. Made ginger ale with last week's ginger bug. I was very happy with how the bug worked out- the carbonation was perfect, without the yeasty aftertaste that happens when I use yeast granules. The actual soda recipe I used was from the Wellness Mama website. I'm sure it was a super healthy recipe, but one of our friends remarked that the aftertaste reminded them of soy sauce. We had to agree with this... too much molasses! My next batch is going to be something fruity without the molasses.

8. Transplanted broccoli seedlings into the egg-carton plant trays that I made last year. So far the seedlings are doing very well.

9. The curly willow from my table centerpiece has sprouted roots! I absolutely love curly willow, so I'm hoping to plant this in a pot and then maybe later this summer plant it in the yard. The trick with willows is that you want to plant in a damp spot, but not somewhere the roots will disturb septic systems, sidewalks, etc.

One thing I am trying to learn more about in the gardening department is cuttings. Seed starting is fantastic, but it has limits. The more expensive plants like trees are more often grafted or propagated from cuttings, not grown from seeds. Seeds take a long time to grow big enough to produce fruit, and sometimes they don't even sprout!

For example, I had high hopes for growing a full bed of lavender from seeds, but so far I only have three tiny seedlings to show for hundreds of seeds. The same story is true for basil, rosemary and echinacea (actually, not a single one of my echinacea seeds sprouted!). Alas, I'll probably not have fields of lavender... this year. And I'll probably buy a little echinacea plant in May.

Coming Up... Free Fruit Trees
In addition to rooting the curly willow, I've also been attempting to grow pear trees from cuttings. I'm VERY excited about this. Most people hesitate to plant fruit trees because 1) the trees are expensive, or 2) they are renting and don't want to spend the money on something they'll never see the fruit of.

Using the "jug" method of starting trees from cuttings, I can plant fruit trees for completely free. It will still be a 5-7 year wait for fruit, but I have nothing to lose because I have no money and little time invested into the trees. The method uses new tree growth (suckers that I'm pruning off anyway), an old milk jug, water, dirt and some plastic pots (I see these on the side of the road all of the time, plus you can get them during the town "junk days" or in garage sale free boxes). 

So far, the experiment is working beautifully. The cuttings are beginning to grow roots AND leaves. You can get a sneak peak at this and similar experiments by following me on Instagram (renaissancehousewife). I look forward at sharing more about this in the future.

Til next time,  
-Bethany

Hello everyone! This week I sent out applications to sell at two different farmers markets. I thought I'd share the process, for anyone who is interested. Sometimes the first step toward your goal is the hardest... but this is actually pretty easy!

Some applications are more detailed and lengthy than others. The application below is a simple one-page form for the market I sold at last year. Here are some things to consider when filling out an application:

1. Contact Information
Every application will require your contact information. This includes your name, address, phone number, and email address. It may also include your website or emergency contact information as well.

2. Product Plan
Most markets want to have an idea of what you are going to sell. That way they can avoid having too many crafts, not enough vegetables, etc. Sales of certain items (meat products or plant starts, for example)  may require certain licences or certification from the government in order to sell. Be sure to read up on state regulations before making your product plan.

Some markets are more stringent than others concerning regulations. Last year there was only one time when a state inspector came to my booth. There were many times during the season that I saw people selling things like meat or prepared food products without having the proper labeling or licensing. Pesto, for example, is supposed to be made in a licencsed kitchen if you are selling it. I also saw people selling jam without the ingredients listed and other regulatory blunders. Technical rules may or may not be enforced, but I would recommend planning your product mix according to local rules and regulations.

For me, it has been a little difficult to find good, marketable food products that fit within all of the rules. With the cottage food law, for example, I can't use cream cheese in my baked goods. I also can't sell things like salsa or pickles, because they're not "safe" enough. 

Keep in mind that by only selling dessert items, you will limit your customer base. There were many people last year that didn't even stop because I wasn't selling anything healthy. Plus I got hurtful comments like "I've gained five pounds just LOOKING at that," or "Do you have anything that won't give me cavities?" I would have LOVED to sell healthy things like kombucha or goat cheese, but state regulations just don't allow it. So this year I am going to sell more produce and eggs to keep the booth looking "healthy". I'm also going to put pictures of the orchard and animals out for people to see, which may help with the healthy aspect.

My passion is not really desserts; it is creating a viable home economy. Selling desserts is part of creating that home economy. In order to make the market more fun and fulfilling to me, I am going to make my booth and products more reflective of my passion. Some ideas I've had are to create and give away meal plans based around in-season produce, or printing out some of my articles to share with people there. Being passionate about what you are selling is so important. I don't want be the person giving people cavities or making them fat. I want to sell health and happiness.

3. Attendance
Many markets want to know which dates you will be attending the market. Some markets are a free-for-all where vendors show up or don't depending on the weather, but many are more organized than that. A few weeks ago I went through my calendar and noted which days I would be able (and wanted) to attend. I ruled out any Saturdays with weddings or travel, and also some Saturdays that I knew would be slow at the market (from last year's experience). Then on the application I circled which dates I would be coming.

4. Fee Structure
Knowing how many days you will be attending will help you determine how to pay booth fees. Many markets will have a price per day ($20 or $12 per day, for example), and also a whole-season price where you pay for the entire season in advance and get a discount. Last year I chose to pay for the whole season ($200 or $8 per day). This year I will only be selling for about half of the market season. I considered paying the daily fee ($20), but when I did the math it was still cheaper to pay for an entire season. An added benefit to this is that I will be able to sell on MORE days if I want to (the dates I marked on the application can be changed by contacting the market master and letting her know).

It's Easy Peasy
The short application above is very straightforward. It asks your contact information at the top, what you will be selling below that, then which dates you choose to attend, and how you want to pay the fees. Lastly, they ask you to sign an agreement that you read the rules and agree to comply with them.

​That's it! Many applications can be found online. However, I did have to email the market master to receive the application above in the mail.