Daily Market Operations

Your weekly workflow guide for managing an online farmers market

Remember: Every market operates differently! Your schedule, tasks, and procedures will vary based on your market's unique setup. Use this as a flexible framework, not a rigid rulebook.

Understanding Your Market's Rhythm

Most online farmers markets follow a weekly cycle with distinct phases:

Ordering Phase

Example timing: Monday 6am - Wednesday 6pm

Customers browse and place orders

Fulfillment Phase

Example timing: Thursday - Friday

Growers harvest and prepare orders

Pickup/Delivery Phase

Example timing: Saturday morning

Customers collect their orders

Recovery Phase

Example timing: Saturday afternoon - Sunday

Wrap up, handle issues, prepare for next cycle

Note: These are example schedules only. Your market might operate on a different cycle—some markets run twice weekly, others once every two weeks, and some deliver instead of using pickup locations. Adapt these workflows to your specific needs.

Customize Your Quick Action Buttons

The strip of buttons at the top of your admin page (the "Quick Actions" bar you'll see referenced throughout this guide) is yours to arrange. If you live in Order Check-In on pickup day but never touch Email Analytics, you can make the strip match the way you actually work.

Rearranging, removing, and adding buttons

  1. Click Customize at the end of the button strip. The strip switches to edit mode: each button gains arrows for moving it left or right, plus a ✕ for removing it.
  2. Use the arrows to put your most-used buttons first, and click ✕ on anything you never use.
  3. An "Add a button:" row appears below the strip with everything else you can add — a shortcut to every section of the admin page (like Ordering Schedule, Locations, Email Settings, Market Metrics, Automations, Market Operations, and the Sage Assistant) plus manager pages such as Order Check-In, Order Check-Out, Orders by Location, Unclaimed Orders, Payment Summary, Refunds, Add a Grower, and Documents.
  4. Click Done when the strip looks right.
Changes save automatically — there's no save button to hunt for. Your layout is personal to you (co-managers each arrange their own), and it follows you across devices: the strip you set up on your desktop is the one you'll see on your phone at pickup.

The two pinned buttons

In edit mode, two buttons show a 🔒 instead of a ✕: Market Settings and Pay Balance. You can move them wherever you like, but they can't be removed — Market Settings because the strip is how you reach it, and Pay Balance (which only appears when your market has a software-fee balance to pay) because that's something nobody should lose track of.

Starting over

Changed your mind? While in edit mode, click "Restore the original buttons" and the strip returns to its default arrangement.

Where did the "Quick Actions" section go? The collapsible section that used to sit further down the admin page is now called 📢 Announcements — it's where you can re-read platform announcements you've already seen (the first delivery is a popup). The two shortcut cards that lived there, Market Reports and Volunteers, are now available as strip buttons under "Add a button". See the Announcements guide for details.

Example Weekly Schedule: Traditional Weekly Market

Here's one common approach many markets use. Your market's schedule will vary based on your community's needs:

Monday: Market Opens

Morning Tasks

  • Open the market (if you're not using automated scheduling)
    • Go to /admin and click the "Market Manager" tab
    • Find the "Market Status" card and click "Open Market"
    • Verify the status now shows "Open" with "Accepting new orders"
    • Test that customers can add items to cart
  • Check for issues from previous week
    • Click "View Orders" in the Quick Actions bar
    • Look for any unresolved customer complaints
    • Check if any refunds or credits are needed
  • Review grower availability
    • Expand the "Grower Management" section on your dashboard
    • Check the Active Products count for each grower
    • Look for any growers in "Vacation Mode" (shown with a badge)
    • Check for any products that might sell out quickly
  • Send opening announcement (optional)
    • Open the "Weblog" page from the main navigation
    • Write a new post, then choose "Publish Now" and check "Email subscribers when published" — this reaches everyone, not just customers who've already ordered
    • Optionally check "Include product list" so subscribers see what's available
    • Or post to social media: "Market is open! Order by Wednesday 6pm"

Throughout the Day

  • Monitor for customer questions or support requests
  • Check that orders are coming in normally

Tuesday: Mid-Ordering Period

Daily Check-ins

  • Monitor order volume
    • Is it typical for a Tuesday?
    • Any growers approaching sellout?
  • Respond to inquiries
    • Customer questions about products
    • Technical support issues
    • New grower applications
  • Check grower activity
    • Are growers updating inventory as needed?
    • Any products that should be marked unavailable?
    • Carrying the same item from more than one grower? Priority groups (beta) can hold backup listings off the shelf automatically instead of hand-toggling them

Optional Marketing

  • Send mid-week reminder email
  • Highlight featured products or new items
  • Share grower stories on social media

Wednesday: Last Day to Order

Morning/Midday

  • Send deadline reminder
    • Open the "Weblog" page from the main navigation
    • Write a new post, then choose "Publish Now" and check "Email subscribers when published" — a deadline reminder should reach everyone who might still order, not just customers with open orders
    • Message: "Last chance to order! Market closes tonight at 6pm"
    • Or post to social media
  • Monitor for unusual activity
    • Check the "Orders Ready" stat card for unusual volumes
    • Large last-minute orders
    • Products selling out unexpectedly
  • Be available for customer support (busiest ordering day)

Evening: Closing Time

  • Close the market (6pm in this example)
    • Go to /admin, "Market Manager" tab
    • Click "Close Market" on the "Market Status" card
    • Verify the status now shows "Closed" with "Not accepting orders"
  • Review final orders
    • Click "View Orders" from Quick Actions or the Orders stat card
    • Check for any obviously problematic orders
    • Look for duplicate orders (same customer, multiple times)
    • Note any unusually large orders to follow up on
  • Generate reports
    • Expand "Market Operations" section, scroll to "PDF Reports"
    • Click "Sales PDF" for total sales report
    • Click "Generate PDF" under "Packing Report" for order packing info
    • For pickup locations: Click "By Location" buttons in the PDF Reports section
    • Or use "Export Data" section for CSV downloads
  • Notify growers
    • Click "Send Harvest Emails" in the Quick Actions bar
    • Or expand "Communications" and use "Email Your Growers"
    • Remind about fulfillment deadline

Thursday-Friday: Fulfillment Period

Manager Tasks

  • Monitor grower progress
    • Are growers packing their orders?
    • Any growers reporting problems?
  • Handle substitutions and changes
    • Grower can't fulfill an item (crop failure, etc.)
    • Process refunds or substitutions as needed
    • Notify affected customers promptly
  • Answer customer questions
    • "Can I change my order?" (Usually no, but you can help)
    • "When will my order be ready?"
    • "Where do I pick up?"
  • Prepare for pickup
    • Confirm pickup location details
    • Coordinate with volunteers if you use them
    • Ensure growers know delivery/dropoff procedures
    • Using multiple drop-off locations (beta)? Export your transfer manifests as a PDF and chase down any unassigned growers — see the Drop-off Locations guide

Common Issues to Watch For

  • Growers contacting you about items they can't fulfill
  • Orders with all products removed (customer has nothing to pick up)
  • Customers asking to modify their locked orders
  • Weather concerns that might affect pickup

Saturday: Pickup Day

Before Pickup Starts

  • Send a pickup reminder (optional)
    • Expand the "Communications" section in your admin panel
    • Click "Compose Email" in the "Email Open Orders" card — this reaches only customers who have an order to pick up
    • Message: "Your order is ready! Pickup is today from 10am–2pm"
  • Use the grower check-in page (highly recommended)
    • Go to /orders/checkin to track grower deliveries
    • Mark products as delivered as growers arrive
    • Identify any missing items before packing customer orders
    • See Pickup Management Guide for details
  • Verify everything is ready
    • Growers have delivered to pickup location (if applicable)
    • Volunteers are in place (if applicable)
    • Pickup area is organized

During Pickup

  • Use the customer checkout page (highly recommended)
    • Go to /orders/checkout to pack and track orders
    • Pack customer orders item by item, clicking "✓ Pack One" for each
    • Handle missing items with "Missing + Refund" if needed
    • Mark orders complete when customers pick up (this processes payment)
    • See Pickup Management Guide for details
  • Be available (or have a volunteer available)
    • Help customers find their orders
    • Answer questions
    • Handle problems on the spot
  • Address issues immediately
    • Missing items: Use checkout page to refund or adjust
    • Quality concerns: Document and resolve
    • Wrong order: Fix on the spot if possible

After Pickup Ends

  • Handle unclaimed orders
    • Contact customers who didn't pick up
    • Decide on policy: hold until next week? Refund?
    • Deal with perishables appropriately
  • Collect feedback
    • Talk to customers about their experience
    • Note any recurring issues
    • Thank volunteers and growers

Sunday: Recovery and Planning

Wrap-Up Tasks

  • Resolve outstanding issues
    • Process any needed refunds
    • Follow up on unclaimed orders
    • Address customer complaints
  • Review the week
    • What went well?
    • What problems occurred?
    • Any patterns to address?
  • Financial housekeeping
    • Verify payment processing worked correctly
    • Review grower payouts (if this is your week to pay)
    • Reconcile any refunds or credits

Planning Ahead

  • Check calendar for upcoming holidays or schedule changes
  • Plan any marketing or communications for next week
  • Address any grower or customer requests
  • Rest! You've earned it.

Alternative Schedule Examples

Not all markets follow the Monday-Saturday pattern. Here are other common approaches:

Twice-Weekly Market

Some markets run two shorter cycles per week:

  • Cycle 1: Order Sunday-Monday, pickup Wednesday
  • Cycle 2: Order Wednesday-Thursday, pickup Saturday

Benefits: Fresher products, more frequent income for growers

Challenges: More management time, more work for growers

Bi-Weekly Market

Some markets operate every other week:

  • Order Week 1: Monday-Thursday
  • Pickup Week 1: Saturday
  • Off Week 2: No ordering or pickup

Benefits: Less intensive for small markets, easier for growers

Challenges: Customers may forget schedule, harder to build habit

Delivery Market

Markets that deliver instead of using pickup locations:

  • Order Monday-Wednesday
  • Growers prepare Thursday-Friday
  • Delivery routes run Saturday or Sunday

Additional tasks: Route planning, delivery coordination, driver management

Farm Pickup Model

Customers pick up directly from individual farms:

  • Order any time during the week
  • Each grower sets their own pickup times
  • No central coordination needed

Benefits: Less work for market manager

Challenges: Less convenient for customers, harder to build community

Essential Weekly Checklist

No matter what schedule you use, these tasks need to happen each cycle. Use this as a starting point and customize for your market:

Before Ordering Opens

  • Verify all grower products are properly updated
  • Check that pricing is current
  • Test shopping cart functionality
  • Prepare any marketing announcements
  • Confirm pickup location and time

During Ordering Period

  • Monitor customer questions and provide support
  • Watch for unusual order patterns
  • Send reminder as deadline approaches
  • Check in with growers about availability

When Closing Orders

  • Close market at scheduled time
  • Review order summary for issues
  • Generate grower reports
  • Notify growers that orders are final
  • Handle any last-minute problems

During Fulfillment

  • Monitor grower progress
  • Process substitutions and refunds
  • Coordinate pickup logistics
  • Communicate with customers about changes

Pickup Day

  • Ensure pickup area is organized
  • Have customer list and order details
  • Be present or have coverage
  • Handle issues on the spot
  • Track pickups (if applicable)

After Pickup

  • Follow up on unclaimed orders
  • Process refunds and credits
  • Review week's performance
  • Address outstanding customer issues
  • Plan for next cycle

Time-Saving Tips

Automate Where Possible

  • Use automated scheduling for opening/closing
  • Set up email templates for common messages
  • Create standard operating procedures
  • Use batch operations for refunds

Delegate Responsibilities

  • Train volunteers for pickup coordination
  • Have growers handle their own customer questions
  • Share admin duties with co-managers
  • Create a backup manager for vacation coverage

Batch Similar Tasks

  • Answer all emails at once, twice a day
  • Process refunds in batches after pickup
  • Review orders once when closing, not continuously
  • Schedule specific times for admin work

Communicate Proactively

  • Set clear expectations upfront
  • Create FAQs to reduce support questions
  • Send weekly schedule reminders
  • Use templates for common scenarios

Managing Your Time as a Market Manager

Market management can be time-consuming. Here's how to make it sustainable for different market sizes:

Time Expectations by Market Size:
  • Small market (5-10 growers, 20-50 customers): 5-8 hours/week
  • Medium market (10-20 growers, 50-150 customers): 10-15 hours/week
  • Large market (20+ growers, 150+ customers): 15-25+ hours/week

These are estimates and vary widely based on your market's specific procedures and automation level.

Peak Time Management

  • Busiest times: Last day of ordering, day after closing, pickup day
  • Lightest times: Middle of ordering period, day after pickup
  • Plan your schedule around these rhythms
  • Have backup coverage for peak times

Related Guides

Dive deeper into specific aspects of market management:

Opening & Closing Handling Problems Reports & Analytics