Tent Talk

Change is hard, especially when dozens of small farmers and vendors are involved, but that doesn't mean it can't be done! On this week's episode we hear from Lauren Wolfer, Program Director for the Palm Springs Cultural Center about big changes at Certified Farmers' Markets of the Coachella Valley. During the pandemic Lauren stepped in to replace the longtime farmers market manager and then this f...

Eek! The end of 2022 is rapidly approaching! Join us this week as we look ahead to another wonderful year of making farmers market magic happen. In this episode we discuss what market operators should be considering as the calendar year wraps up and how to plan for 2023. Time to pull out those calendars and start dreaming of all the awesome things you're going to accomplish in the next 12 months!...

This week on Tent Talk we're joined by Lisa Herlinger, founder of Ruby Jewel ice cream sandwiches. Lisa is a trained chef turned entrepreneur who launched her gourmet ice cream sandwich company at the Portland Farmers Market back in 2004. Now, almost 2 decades later, it's a thriving business with wholesale grocery and convenience store distribution, spreading joy and dominating the frozen novelty...

Our guest this week is Laura Robbins, Owner of Wild Robbins Farm located in Sherborn Massachusetts. While farmers markets weren't part of Laura's original business plan when she established her farm in 2019, she's found them to be the perfect venue for her to sell her meat and eggs direct to customers who can't make it out to her farm store. She's also discovered the power of value-added products...

It's Thanksgiving week, so we thought we'd replay an episode that highlights what we're most thankful for: our incredible farmers market community! On this Best of Tent Talk episode you'll hear thoughts from 2 dozen farmers market professionals that we interviewed earlier this year at the 2022 InTents Conference in San Diego. Over the course of the 3 day conference, attendees sat down with Justine...

This week our guest is B. Griffin, Farmers Market Support Program Manager for Community Farm Alliance, a nonprofit serving farmers markets throughout Kentucky. In this episode B. gives us a rundown of the new Electronic Farmers Market Nutrition Program that was recently rolled out in Kentucky, the difficulties farmers and market operators have faced implementing it, and the problem-solving efforts...

Join us for a magical episode this week as we talk with Denise Alvarez, farmers market vendor, artist, photographer and owner of Click Bloom, a desert inspired gift company based out of Arizona. She has a deep love for gift-giving and a knack for connecting with her fellow vendors and farmers market shoppers. In this episode Denise breaks down her philosophy of marketing through "magic moments" an...

Our guest this week is Yvette Lippert, market manager for the Downtown Yakima Farmers Market. Since she was hired back in 2018, Yvette has revitalized the decades-old market and overseen its growth, connecting with various businesses and organizations in the community along the way. Now, as a part of that growth, Yvette's market has embarked on an exciting long-term construction and relocation pro...

If you're a farmers market operator, chances are you've been recruited to lend your expertise to some other large scale event. Our skills as farmers market professionals are extremely applicable to special occasions such as neighborhood block parties, artisan fairs, community fundraisers and annual holiday markets! In this week's episode of Tent Talk we share some helpful tips to successfully exec...

This week on Tent Talk we're joined by two special guests with insight on making farmers markets more inclusive for every body. In this episode we chat with writer and researcher Ragen Chastain and Resource Libraries Coordinator for the Farmers Market Coalition, Nina Budabin McQuown about recognizing and combating weight stigma at farmers markets. In our conversation Ragen and Nina educate us on w...

There may still be 75 shopping days left until Christmas but if you're just now starting to plan for end of year holidays, you're already behind! In this week's episode we chat about all the fun ways to get your farmers market festive for the numerous holidays sprinkled throughout the last few months of the year. We also discuss what you can do to make your market marketing more inclusive and how...

Our guest this week is Stuart Nealy, Director of Market Operations for Heritage Farmers Markets. We met Stuart at the InTents Conference back in March and he stood out as one of the fresh faces of a new, ambitious generation of farmers market managers. On this week's episode, Stuart shares how he and his team bring fresh food to Southern Californians across various counties at 4 farmers markets a...

Hanging onto farmers market vendors can be like herding cats! Often times they are creative, independent business owners who like to do their own thing. While it's true that vendors will come and go and the occasional turnover is just part of farmers market life. However there are numerous things market managers can do on an organization level to keep vendors consistently coming back week after we...

This week our guest is Michael Clark, sales and production manager for JR Organics. Michael is a third generation family farmer who grew up working markets and on the farm. Over the years his family's business has expanded to include more than a dozen weekly farmers markets, a robust CSA program and wholesale customers. In this episode Michael explains the origins of his farms CSA program, how it...

Time flies when you're having fun and somehow we're already wrapping up the third quarter of 2022! Because we've only got a couple months left in the year, this week on Tent Talk we're chatting about what market managers should be doing to make 2023 even better: budgeting and sponsor outreach! In this episode we discuss the importance of budgeting for your market and why you should be connecting w...

Happy Labor Day! The Farmers Market Pros team is taking a break today and we're bringing you a Best of Tent Talk episode that originally aired last fall. On this week's episode you'll hear our conversation with Jenny Heck, market manager and communication manager at Mill City Farmers Market in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where we discuss the impact grant funding can have in helping markets incubate ne...

This week on Tent Talk we're joined by our podcast friend, farmers market royalty, cookie maven, vegan business mogul and founder of Maya's Cookies: Maya Madsen! In this episode Maya spills the tea on what she's been up to: pitching her cookies on the Home Shopping Network, reeling in an ex NBA star advisor, opening her second brick and mortar location and still maintaining a presence at farmers m...

Would you get a chiropractic adjustment or purchase a time share at the grocery store? If you answered no, then why would you expect to find those services at the farmers market? This week on Tent Talk we discuss the pros and cons of hosting service providers and informational/promotional booths at your farmers market. Knife sharpeners, food prep services, masseuses, real estate agents, home clean...

This week on Tent Talk we welcome back Sarah Delevan of Sarah Delevan Consulting and the Good Food CFO podcast. We first spoke with Sarah on Tent Talk back in 2018 and since then she's presented numerous times at our annual InTents Conference, sharing her experience as a financial coach with a knack for understanding, diagnosing, and improving the financial performance of food businesses. In this...

Last time Daniel and Kasi Haire were on Tent Talk, back in early 2020, we were all adjusting our farmers market operations to accommodate COVID-19 protocols. In the time since, this farmers market power couple who manage the Nolensville Farmers Market have become invaluable contributors to our online community, sharing brilliant market hacks and solutions to the sticky situations market managers c...

WOW! 200 Episodes of Tent Talk, the farmers market podcast! Listen along as we celebrate this huge milestone by looking back on some of our favorite podcasting moments from the last year. We also discuss some surprising similarities between podcasting and managing farmers markets and chat about where we find our inspiration. Big thanks to our amazing Tent Talk listeners for sticking with us all th...

This week we have two special guests (Greg Plotkin, Director of Digital Communications for AFT and Corrina Smith, Executive Director of the Columbia Farmers Market) who give us all the details on the 2022 America's Farmers Market Celebration hosted by American Farmland Trust! Running from June 20 to September 19, 2022, the 14th annual celebration showcases the essential markets across the nation m...

While we strongly believe that farmers markets should focus on farmers, we also recognize that non-food vendors and crafters add a special element to the farmers market shopping experience. So this week, for the first time in Tent Talk history, we're chatting with an artist who sells at farmers markets! Our guest is Jess Pickering, fiber artist and owner of Jess Makes Macrame. In this episode Jess...

This week on Tent Talk we dive deep into best practices for communicating with your farmers and vendors. From email to social media groups to texting services, there are numerous ways market operators can keep in touch and provide vital information. Tune in for helpful hints from market managers Cori Veverka (Oswego Country Market), Gina Johnson (Madison Farmers Market) and Rebecah Boynton (Richla...

Value-added products come in all shapes and sizes and flavors: pies, salsa, guacamole, fresh-squeezed juice, soups, salads! The list goes on and on and on! This week on Tent Talk we define what value-added means and talk about all the tasty forms they can take. We also discuss some of the barriers of entry for farmers to make value added products and how market managers can help. For more informat...