Facebook Content for Farmers Markets

Your digital town square

Facebook is the most important platform for Maine farmers markets because it mirrors how markets already function in real life: people gathering, sharing news, making plans, and showing up for each other. Your goal on Facebook is not performance marketing.

Your goal is to make your market feel:

• familiar
• welcoming
• dependable
• worth building a routine around

If Instagram is the vibe, Facebook is the heartbeat.

1️⃣ Limited-Resources Market Schedule

(Volunteer-run, part-time staff, or “this is one of 12 hats I wear”)

This is the minimum effective Facebook presence.

Weekly cadence

• 2 feed posts per week
• 1 Facebook Event for every market date

That’s it. This alone keeps your market visible, findable, and trustworthy.

Suggested weekly rhythm

• Mid-week (Tues–Wed):
  “This week at the market” post
• 1–2 days before market day:
  Reminder post + highlights
• Every market date:
  Create or reuse the Facebook Event for that date

👉 If you do nothing else, do this.

2️⃣ Expanding Market Schedule

(Markets building momentum, audience growth, and loyalty)

As capacity grows, Facebook becomes your strongest tool for:

• return attendance
• community identity
• sponsor and program visibility

Weekly cadence

• 3–5 feed posts per week
• Facebook Event for every market date
• Event Discussion posts throughout the week
• Photo/video content on market day

Suggested weekly rhythm

• Monday: Community post or vendor spotlight
• Wednesday: “This week at the market”
• Friday: Reminder + what’s fresh / what’s special
• Market day: Photos, short videos, Event Discussion updates
• Post-market (Sun or Mon): Gratitude + recap + preview next week

More frequency = more familiarity.
More familiarity = stronger loyalty.

Facebook Events: Non-Negotiable Best Practice

Create a Facebook Event for EVERY market date.

Think of Events as:

• digital invitations
• automatic reminders
• a place where anticipation builds

Even for weekly markets, Events:

• surface your market to new people
• remind those who marked Interested or Going
• give you a built-in space for updates

Events are not just for festivals.
They are for routine.

1️⃣ The Weekly Anchor Post

“This Week at the Market”

This is your most important recurring post.

Purpose:
Reinforce habit + make attendance easy.

Structure

• Warm opening
• Date / time / location
• 3 highlights
• Friendly close

Tone:
Inviting, familiar, neighborly.

2️⃣ People-First Content (Highest Loyalty Builder)

Markets don’t grow because of produce alone.
They grow because of people.

Post about:

• vendors (by name)
• volunteers
• musicians
• kids at the market
• longtime shoppers
• first-time visitors

Examples:

• “Meet ___, one of our longtime farmers…”
• “This is what market morning looks like…”
• “We love seeing familiar faces every week.”

These posts get shared because people see themselves in them.

3️⃣ Community + Belonging Posts

This is where your brand loyalty lives.

Themes to rotate:

• meeting your neighbors
• slowing down and wandering
• kids dancing, dogs strolling, friends chatting
• a break from screens and schedules
• a condensed, walkable “main street”
• something special that only happens here

This content answers:
“Why does this market feel different?”

4️⃣ Eating Clean + Seasonal Living

Tie food to well-being, not guilt.

Topics:

• eating with the seasons
• simple, real ingredients
• knowing where your food comes from
• feeding your family well without perfection
• small choices that add up

Keep it warm and approachable, never preachy.

5️⃣ Supporting Local Economy & Agriculture

Help people understand the impact of showing up.

Content ideas:

• how shopping local supports farms
• how dollars stay in the community
• how markets keep land in agriculture
• how food access programs help neighbors

Always connect impact back to real people, not abstract stats.

6️⃣ Kids, Families, and All Ages

Markets are one of the few spaces that truly welcome everyone.

Highlight:

• kids activities
• stroller-friendly paths
• teens helping vendors
• seniors shopping
• multi-generational moments

This reinforces the idea that everyone belongs.

Photos (most important)

Prioritize:

• people interacting
• hands holding food
• wide shots of the market
• smiling faces
• real moments

📸 Phone photos are fine. Real > perfect.

Videos (short + casual)

Best performing:

• 5–15 second clips
• walking through the market
• music playing
• “look at this table” moments

No heavy editing needed.

Carousels (multiple photos)

Great for:

• recaps
• vendor roundups
• “what’s fresh this week”
• event highlights

Graphics (when helpful)

Use graphics for:

• dates and times
• special events
• reminders

Canva is recommended

• easy templates
• consistent branding
• correct sizing

You do not need a graphic for every post.

Image Sizing (Keep It Simple)

For Facebook feed:

• Square (1:1) or vertical (4:5) works best
• Avoid tiny text
• Keep important info centered

Canva’s Facebook templates already handle this well.

• Post before market day, not just during
• Use short paragraphs and line breaks
• Emojis are welcome (1–3 max)
• Always include:
• date
• time
• location
• Mention SNAP/EBT, vouchers, or access programs often
• Respond to comments and messages

The Big Picture (This Matters)

Your Facebook page should feel like:

• a familiar place
• a friendly host
• a standing invitation

People don’t become loyal because you posted once. They become loyal because you show up consistently, with warmth, clarity, and heart.

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