Tips On Breaking Into The Food Truck Market

By Lauren María Alexander|December 11, 2013

Photo by Lauren Alexander

Interested in bringing your produce to the food truck market? Mark Ritchie, owner and operator of Wooden Knight Farms in Cleveland, OH, and supplier of fresh produce to Jibaro, a local food truck, dishes up some advice on the trade.

Educate Yourself
To break into the market, Ritchie enrolled in a 12 week Market Gardener Training Program by the Ohio University Extension Urban Agriculture program, aimed at training participants interested in starting a new agricultural business. Students include those new to agriculture as well as long-term farmers. Training is provided in areas of food safety, crop selection, direct marketing, and small business development.

Choose Your Crops Wisely
The next key is to make sure you’re choosing the right crops to market. “Narrow down what it is you want to grow,” Ritchie advises. In the beginning, many growers have grandiose ideas of how many crops they want to produce, but it’s smarter to keep it simple. “Focus on three, and do all three of those things as best you can,” he stresses. The key here is to be as efficient as possible, and to bring only what the market demands.

Network
Next up, is the ability to network and market yourself as a grower. “From a mobile standpoint, these are quite honestly some of the most personable people I’ve ever encountered,” Ritchie says. “Because in a food truck situation you’re the salesman, you’re the waiter, you’re the cook, you’re everything, so you have to be approachable. Don’t be afraid to get some business cards printed, go to a truck, line up, and hand them out. These guys will try anything once. If you provide them with a quality product then they’re going to come back to you.”