Tent Talk

Eek! April 15th is just around the corner! It's time to get your receipts gathered and your books in order so you can file those 2022 taxes. This week on Tent Talk our guest is Danielle Hayden, CEO of Kickstarter Accounting where her and her team help entrepreneurs understand their numbers so they can gain the confidence needed to create sustainable profits. In this episode Danielle gives us a pep...

As state legislatures across the country rethink laws on food safety and street vendor permits, farmers market managers are having to rethink their market guidelines and policies. This week on Tent Talk we go over some of the various regulation changes that have been rolled out and implemented and how they are impacting farmers, food makers and local farmers market communities. Listen in for updat...

Our guest this week is Sean Kirkpatrick, co-owner and the culinary creative behind Down to Ferment Hot Sauce. Sean has cooked professionally for all his adult life, filling roles as an Executive Chef, Food and Beverage Manager and Culinary Director. At the on-set of the pandemic, his love of fermented foods coincided with his dissatisfaction with corporate cooking culture and in early 2021 he and...

While we tend to focus mainly on farmers markets, here on Tent Talk, we love food markets of all shapes, sizes and persuasions! So this week we were delighted to speak with John Wang, founder of the Queens Night Market, an open-air night market in Queens, New York. Every Saturday night from April-October, the Queens Night Market features up to 100 independent vendors selling merchandise, art, and...

This week we're discussing an issue that all market managers seem to face: pirate vendors. No, we're not talking about buccaneers that sail the seven seas, we're talking about sellers and solicitors that set up in or around a farmers market as unofficial vendors. Though usually well-intentioned, hawkers, buskers, petitioners, and street vendors can confuse shoppers about where and when the actual...

Ever wonder why farmers markets and small farmers don't have a bigger say in public policy? Us too! This week on Tent Talk, we brought in an expert to help shed light on the big issues that small farmers are facing. We learned a lot and it confirmed that the old adage is true: the squeaky wheel gets the cheese! Join us for this week's episode in which we get schooled by the one and only Kathy Zema...

Farmers markets are often touted as a key to revitalizing failing downtowns. And while they aren't a panacea for all Main St. issues, when executed well, they really can turn around a business district in a special way. Our guests this week represent one of those Main Street success stories: Ivy Hagedorn and Lindsay Gagnon, of the Downtown Joplin Alliance and Joplin Empire Market. Back in December...

This week we're joined by the dynamic duo behind City Gates Events, Brett and Patricia Keller. Since 2012, this husband & wife team has designed and executed high quality festivals that bring communities together, create connections, and encourage commerce. In 2021 they were recruited to take over management of the San Marcos Farmers Market, and though they had nearly a decade of experience pullin...

What does a brand new farmers market manager need to know? Well... kinda a lot! Join us this week on Tent Talk as we discuss all the must-have tools, some tricks of the trade, and helpful advice that novice farmers market operators need to make a smooth transition into their new role. Don't tune out if you're a longtime market manager—even the most seasoned farmers market professional is bound to...

Happy Holidays from us here at Tent Talk & Farmers Market Pros! This week we have a very special treat for you! We are airing an episode of The Meaningful Marketplace podcast which is co-hosted by our dear friend and farmers market whiz Sarah Marshall of Marshall's Haute Sauce. A couple weeks back, Farmers Market Pro & Tent Talk co-host Catt Fields White joined Sarah and her fabulous counterpart S...

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...