Tent Talk

There's a lot of talk among farmers market operators about how to bring diversity, equity and inclusion into the farmers market space, and a lot of confusion about how to do that. This week on Tent Talk we dive deep into this topic with our guest Shiny Flanary, a Black, queer farmer at Scrapberry Farm, the Director of Markets at Black Food Sovereignty Coalition and the founder and manager of Come...

Our guest this week is Kendall Ballantine, farmer and owner of Central Park Farms in British Columbia, Canada. Kendall is a first-generation farmer who has built a devoted customer base through a combination of farmers market hustling and effective digital marketing. In addition to raising livestock full-time, Kendall shares her digital marketing expertise via Instagram, group coaching and online...

Farmers markets are like big families and occasionally you have to say goodbye to a loved one. It's not only a difficult situation for your market staff and vendors, but it can be confusing and sad for shoppers as well. This week on Tent Talk we discuss what happens when a farmers market vendor moves on or passes away and how to support your farmers market community through sad goodbyes. This week...

It isn't often that we get to chat with reality television stars, so we were very excited when we found out that Top Chef Season 18 contestant Sasha Grumman had launched her new business at farmers markets in Houston! This week on Tent Talk, we learn all about Sasha's Focaccia (what a perfect name!) and what it's like to transition from back of house to front of tent. She also shares her 2 year, 5...

This week on Tent Talk we check in with Christine Farren, Executive Director of CUESA (operators of the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market since 1999). We spoke with Christine back in April of 2020 as farmers markets around the country were scrambling to stay open under the threat of a public health emergency. After a year of running a curated market box and pick-up service, CUESA is evolving and adapting...

Farmers markets come in all different shapes and sizes, depending on the communities they serve. Some are big, some are small, some urban, some rural, some seasonal and some year round! This week our guest is Megan Harris, market manager for the Downtown South Boston Farmers Market in Virginia. Megan started her farmers market journey as a farmer and vendor, but now she is a full-time market manag...

Our guest this week is Darlene Wolnik, Farmers Market Support Program Director at the national Farmers Market Coalition and official farmers market Data Wizard! Darlene has worked with FMC since its inception and currently oversees market support projects including network facilitation, development of the farm-direct portion of the GusNIP Hub, Farmers Market Metrics data collection and evaluation...

This week our show is all about hard-learned market manager lessons and what we would tell ourselves if we could travel back in time! With new markets opening and new market managers on-boarding all over the country, we're sharing advice for new market managers, and managers navigating new market conditions with tips from our Farmers Market Pros Facebook community. We also have exciting news about...

This week we welcome farmer and educator Michael Kilpatrick as our Tent Talk guest! After blowing us away with his jam-packed presentation at InTents: the Farmers Market Conference 2021, we had to have him on the show to hear more about his farm education projects Growing Farmers, Small Farm University and the Thriving Farmers podcast and online forum! With years of experience under his belt as an...

The last year has really turned farmers market marketing on it's head. Though we still want to draw shoppers to our markets, attracting large numbers of visitors is not currently ideal. This week on Tent Talk we speak with Heidi Anderson, Co-Founder and CEO of theFarmBoard, about developing a value-based marketing strategy for your farmers market business. Heidi shares ways to develop loyal custom...

It's time to put the FUN in fundraising! This week on Tent Talk we chat with Kathy Newsom, Market Coordinator for The Corner Farmers Market in Greensboro, North Carolina about the innovative fundraising programs she uses to balance her market's budget. Thanks in part to their robust market sustainers program, The Corner Market has been able to implement pre-order and pick up services for the last...

Our guest this week is Christopher Hudson, owner and operator of Benny Blanco Tortillas, which has become a main attraction at the Gilbert Farmers Market in the Phoenix, Arizona area. Prior to working as a vendor, Christopher was an avid farmers market shopper. When his favorite tortilla seller put his business up for sale, Christopher leapt at the opportunity and purchased it! 3 years later, Benn...

Spring has sprung and markets across the country are opening for the season! In a normal year there's a lot that goes into prepping for a new market season, so with COVID-19 restrictions still in place in most areas, there's even more work to be done. We received lots of comments and messages from market managers in on our Farmers Market Pros community about some of the challenges they are facing...

This week we're joined by fisherman, farmers market vendor and consultant, Cynthia Wallesz. When she's not in Alaska harvesting and processing wild salmon, Cynthia is in Idaho, selling her fish at the Boise Farmers Market and providing consulting services to farmers market managers and foodmakers. In this episode we hear all about the impact COVID-19 had on this year's fishing season, how Cynthia...

Last time we heard from Nathan Macaulay, Director of Sales at Apricot Lane Farms, was at the 2020 InTents Conference (right before COVID-19 turned the world and farmers market operations upside down). Over the last year, Nathan and his team have adjusted and adapted, and this week on Tent Talk, he updates us on the goings on at Apricot Lane Farms. To learn more about this incredible biodynamic far...

Our guest this week is Hannah Fuller, Communications Associate for the National Farmers Market Coalition. One of Hannah's projects is the popular guest Instagram program where markets from throughout the country take over FMC's account and provide new perspectives. In this episode Hannah explains the nuts and bolts of running an IG takeover and how online collaborations can amplify your farmers ma...

This week's episode of Tent Talk is a live recording from the very last session of InTents: The Farmers Market Conference 2021! Catt, Brjiet and Justine reflect on their favorite conference sessions, answer some questions from attendees, and unpack salient points made over the course of the four day virtual event. Tune for an #InTents2021 conference debrief!

This week we're just doing a quick check-in to remind you that the Farmers Market Pros Team and 437 of their closest friends are hanging out live online right now at InTents, the Farmers Market Conference. We'll be there March 15th through 18th sharing talks from experts and experienced farmers market professionals all week. If you're not already there, it's not too late to join us. Jump over to f...

This week our guest is farmer Matt Sylvester of Happy Acre Farm. Matt and his wife Helena farm on 2.5 acres in Alameda County, about 30 minutes outside of Oakland, California. Before starting his farm and selling his produce at farmers markets, Matt worked as a farmers market manager. But at the end of 2019 Happy Acre Farm transitioned away from farmers markets and now they focus their CSA program...

It's farmers market conference season, Spring is on its way, and it feels like there's a glimmer of light at the end of this long COVID-19 tunnel! But none of that changes the fact that farmers markets aren't going "back to normal" any time soon. On this week's episode of Tent Talk, we discuss how markets are feeling the impact of "pandemic fatigue," why there are currently so many farmers market...

Our guest this week is Sari Kimbell, market manager and CPG expert. Through her education and consulting service, Food Business Success, Sari helps packaged food vendors grow and succeed at farmers markets and beyond. In this episode we talk about steps food makers can take to build a solid foundation for growth, the perks of launching your product at the farmers market, and the importance of seek...

This week we're revisiting our conversation with Dr. Gail Myers, Agri-Cultural Anthropologist and co-founder of Farms to Grow, Inc. In our interview we chat about the inspiration for Farms to Grow Inc., what it takes to run a community farmers market with a mission, and the importance of studying the history of our food systems. Dr. Myers and her team are currently wrapping up post production on a...

It's been a minute since we've had a farmer on Tent Talk, so we were thrilled to be able to speak with JM Fortier, the author of the international best seller The Market Gardener , creator of The Market Gardener's Masterclass, and now publisher! In this episode we geek out about our love for farmers markets and the community they build and JM shares how markets played an integral role in launching...

Value added products aren't just fun for farmers market shoppers, they're extremely beneficial for farmers, ranchers and beekeepers looking reduce waste, increase their bottom line and expand their product offerings throughout the year. Our guest this week is value added expert Ellen Rawley who enlightened us on why value added products can be so helpful for farmers and changed our perception of w...

This week on Tent Talk we're joined by Corrina Smith, Executive Director of the Columbia Farmers Market and President of the Missouri Farmers Market Association. In our interview, Corrina reflects on what her market has been through in the last year and shares what it's like implementing COVID-19 safety protocols in her part of the country. We also discuss what we're looking forward to at this yea...