Tent Talk

Tis the season for holiday gifting! Farmer, vendor or market manager, it's time to remember your employees, volunteers and maybe some of your great customers or loyal CSA members. If material gifts aren't in your plan this year, we've got tips for other ways to acknowledge people who have supported you this year. It really is the thought that counts, and a special thank you can go a long way. Grab your list, and check it twice as we discuss:

• Who's on our holiday list and why

• Useful gift ideas for your team

• Shopping small and local, of course!

• Fun ways to show appreciation on a budget

Today's episode of Tent Talk, the Farmers Market Podcast, is supported by the national Farmers Market Coalition.

Social media is a perfect example of a blessing and a curse. Engaging with your online community can strengthen existing connections, while inspiring and educating potential new shoppers. Navigating the comments? That requires a whole different skill set and sometimes a tough skin. There's nothing more fun than conversational volleys with your followers. But as we all know, it's not always sunshine and rainbows in the comments section. 🌈🫠 Join us as we discuss...

• Practical tips on effectively interacting with your audience

• Using critical comments as an opportunity to educate

• Counting on your followers for support

• When deleting comments is justified

• Transforming potential PR crises into opportunities for growth

Today's episode of Tent Talk, the Farmers Market Podcast, is supported by Tent Craft.

Whether or not you have a robust social media presence, your website is your markets' home. Whether you're a market manager, a farmer, or a vendor, use your website to tell people the who, where, what and maybe why of your farmers market business. This is a great time of year to take a look at what's there, what should be, and what might be streamlined. Tune in as we talk about: • Putting the basic info front and center • Landing pages and links • Vendors and sponsors and maps, oh my! • Who updates your website Today's episode of Tent Talk, the Farmers Market Podcast, is supported by Grapevine Local Food Marketing.

Survey says: surveys can help you take the pulse of your market! Many of us are winding up our seasons, so why not take some time to listen, gather some data, and look at our markets from a different perspective? Opening a channel for honest feedback can help you improve, understand, and grow your market. No matter what you're asking, surveys are one more way to communicate with your farmers, vendors, and shoppers. Join us as we chat about:

• Who to survey and why
• Creative ways to incentivize responses
• Different survey methods and what to expect
• The value of open lines of communication in your market

Today's episode of Tent Talk, the Farmers Market Podcast, is supported by Market Wurks.

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 addage is true: the squeaky wheen gets the cheese! Join us for this week's episode in which we get schooled by the one and only Kathy Zeman, Executive Director of the Minnesota Farmers Market Association, volunteer treasurer at Cannon Valley Farmers' Market and owner of Simple Harvest Farm Organics in Nerstrand, Minnesota and winner of the 2021 Gus Schumacher Award. Having spent most of her career in agriculture Kathy leverages the reach of the Minnesota Farmers Market Association to build strong collaborations with diverse groups, paving the way for successful public policy efforts in Minnesota and beyond!

This week's episode is made possible by support from Vendor-101.

Time flies and somehow we're already wrapping up the third quarter of 2023! Because we've only got a couple months left in the year, we're chatting about what market managers should be doing to make 2024 even better: budgeting and sponsor outreach! In this episode we discuss the importance of budgeting for your market and why you should be connecting with potential sponsors now, rather than waiting for "charitable giving" season. We also give you some helpful tips on the most effective ways to reach out to sponsors. Listen along and then get excited about making 2024 more profitable and less stressful!

This week's episode is made possible by support from Sarah Delevan Consulting.

Unpopular opinion: inspections can actually be great! Of course, as market managers, farmers, and self-employed business owners, we definitely like to make our own rules, but it's important to remember that inspections provide value in maintaining a market's integrity and keeping things safe. Tune in while we help you navigate the regulations that keep your farmers market playing by the rules. Let's talk about:

• Making friends with your inspectors
• Scheduling farm visits
• Educating versus policing
• Prioritizing transparency

Today's episode of Tent Talk, the Farmers Market Podcast, is supported by Market Wurks.

Say it together, folks: OUR JOB IS WEIRD! Minnesota Farmers Market Association Director of Engagement and Inclusion Sina Pleggenkuhle chats with us about how widely varied experience qualifies us for all kinds of positions in the farmers market world and adjacent. She's developed skills on skills on skills, soaking up all the knowledge this business and others have to offer. In her free time, she's cooking up new, delightful ways to contribute to and learn from her community. Let Sina inspire you to take a page from her book and:

• Shine a light on your skills
• Combine "real jobs" and creative pursuits
• Use market honed skills in related industries

Today's episode of Tent Talk, the Farmers Market Podcast, is supported by American Farmland Trust. Keep farmers farming.

It's the beginning of the end…. end of year planning, that is! Heading into the fourth quarter means the holidays are upon us, folks. Get planning for Halloween costume contests, thanksgiving recipes, special holiday markets and events, and if you're lucky, latke cook-offs. It also means tackling some less exciting clerical stuff and reports. It's a short episode today while we're tackling holiday event applications, so tune in for Pro tips on:

• Making holidays inclusive
• Surviving holiday markets
• Managing boundaries in a busy time

Today's episode of Tent Talk, the Farmers Market Podcast, is supported by Manage My Market, offering proven solutions to eliminate paperwork and streamline your market management tasks.

We all advocate for farmers keeping the full retail price of their products by selling at farmers markets. So are produce distributors competing with markets for chefs' dollars and sometimes home shoppers? Or are they providing one more valuable income stream for farmers? Chris Cirkus manages the award-winning West Windsor Community Farmers Market in New Jersey. She also sells for Zone 7, a special kind of produce distributor. Listen in as we discuss:

• Innovative ways to promote your market
• Creating a food security programs that benefit farmers
• The pros and cons of farmers market awards programs
• When produce distributors do the right thing

Today's episode of Tent Talk, the Farmers Market Podcast, is supported by Gusto, making it easy to process payroll and supporting your HR needs.