Tent Talk

Tune in today as we discuss this year's theme and how to finish this sentence: Farmers Markets are changing the way...

Check out this past episode of Tent Talk for more on the history of Farmers Market Week.

Today's episode of Tent Talk, the Farmers Market Podcast, is supported by Farmers Market Coalition, advocating for farmers markets on a national level and providing invaluable tools for local markets. Don't forget to order your I love Farmers Markets tattoos today.

Tune in today as we discuss:

• Evaluating air quality issues and how to reduce the harm to farmers, vendors and shoppers when you have to close a market to keep folks safe.

• Will staying in your booth throughout a market increase your sales? If you're a market manager, can you help vendors find that answer?

• How to encourage - or require - inclusivity and discourage - or prohibit -discriminatory sales practices at your market.

Sharing perspectives from our listeners helps everyone in the market community to figure out how to handle challenges. because only another market member knows exactly how truly #ourjobisweird.

Today's episode of Tent Talk, the Farmers Market Podcast, is supported by Sticker Mule, providing printed labels and promotional products for farmers, vendors, and market managers to support their businesses.

Tune in today to hear:

• Ways that markets, farmers and businesses are putting their kids to work this summer

• Ideas for fun kids' activities that will engage the littlest shoppers

• All the ways to make your market the village that local parents need to raise healthy, happy children

Today's episode of Tent Talk, the Farmers Market Podcast, is supported by Vendor-101, helping new farmers market businesses launch successfully and streamlining vendor inquiry processes for market managers.

We recently celebrated a big milestone at the Little Italy Mercato farmers market - 15 years! - and a not-so-big milestone at our Chula Vista market - 1 year!

Whatever milestone you have coming up at your market, whether it's big or small, this episode is packed with tons of tips to help you celebrate your vendors, your community, and your farmers market family.

Tune in today to hear:

• How to secure a *MARCHING BAND* for your big farmers market anniversary
• Tips for fun things you can do that won't break the bank (succulents anyone?)
• Tons of examples from our farmers market friends around the country about what they did to celebrate their anniversaries

Today's episode of Tent Talk, the Farmers Market Podcast, is supported by Yiftee, creating and managing custom gift cards for your whole market or your entire community.

Resources:

Farmers Market Bingo

Jorge Bustamante had a problem. Covid-19 completely shut down his thriving transportation business and he wasn't sure what to do next. He knew one thing, however, people loved his family's pozole recipe. So he formed a business plan, took our Vendor 101 course and My Pozole was born. In just a few short years, he's grown his business so much that he's at farmer's markets seven days a week and recently opened a food truck!

Listen to this episode to learn:

• How Jorge turned his family's recipe into a thriving farmers market business

• Business tips from Jorge and the business book he read when he got started

• The number one piece of advice he has for people thinking about starting a small business

Today's episode of Tent Talk. The Farmers Market Podcast is supported by Square, helping small farmers, food makers, crafters, and market managers increase their incomes by making it easy to process credit and debit card sales on the street and in the tents.

A few years ago our guest and friend of the show, Sagrdrina Jalal set out to create the anti-racist farmers market toolkit. Sagrdrina was the founding executive director of the Georgia Farmer's Market Association and is the lead facilitator of the anti-racist farmer's market toolkit and related communities of practice. Tune in today for:

• Tips for making your farmers market more inclusive
• The history of Black farmers in America and the ways in which we can better represent them at our farmers markets
• How farmers market managers can honor and recognize the Juneteenth holiday

This week's episode is made possible by support by the Farmer's Market Coalition, giving farmers markets a voice in public policy and strengthening farmers' markets for the benefit of farmers, consumers, and communities.

What happens when farmers market managers from 50 countries assemble in Europe to talk about strengthening local food systems, shortening food chains, preserving biodiversity, and protecting small farmers?

Listen to this week's episode where we follow Catt on the road as she attends the FIRST general assembly of the World Farmers Market Coalition in Rome! Their mission is to cultivate and promote intentional, managed farmers markets and we were thrilled to attend.

• Hear our takeaways from the exciting event including chatting with Tent Talk fans from around the globe

This week's episode is made possible by support from MarketWurks, the online platform for market management.

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 constantly find themselves in.

We're thrilled to welcome them back again to Tent Talk this week to learn about:

• The benefits of collecting data at your market
• How you can apply that data to everything from increasing vendor sales to grant applications

The numbers help inform Daniel & Kasi when making decisions about bringing in new vendors, applying for grants, and have even changed their whole approach to pulling in sponsorships! Time to get your calculators & spreadsheets ready, folks!

This week's episode is made possible by support from Marketing for Markets.

Our guests this week are Jonathan Przybyl and Amanda Abou-Eid, owners and bakers at Proof Bread in the Phoenix, Arizona metro area. Jon and Amanda took over an existing farmers market and wholesale bakery business in 2017 when their favorite bread vendor decided to retire. After four years of baking in their garage, Proof Bread has expanded into a commercial bakery space and is now sold at 5 weekly markets across Arizona.

Tune in this week to hear Jon and Amanda's incredible story of how they've expanded their business while staying true to their farmer's market roots. This week's episode is made possible by support from The Food Corridor.

Spring is just around the corner and it's time for market managers, farmers and vendors to get in the zone for peak farmers market season! This week on Tent Talk we're chatting about all the things you need to do to get ready for those excited shoppers who'll be flocking to your market. Tune in to hear what you should be doing a few months, a few weeks, and a few days before the start of your market season. This week's episode is made possible by support from California Palms.