Tent Talk

This week on Tent Talk we tackle a question we frequently receive from market managers: where do you find new farmers market vendors? Whether you're looking to fill a specific vacancy left by a long time vendor who retired or your market is moving to a bigger location with more room, we've got some tips and tools to help you in your hunt for new vendor recruits. Tune in to this week's episode for ideas on where to find new vendors, ways to get potential vendors to seek you out, and how to avoid stepping on other market managers' toes. This week's episode is made possible by support from Marketing for Markets.

This week our guest is Jorge Bustamante, Vendor-101 grad and owner of MyPozole. When COVID-19 forced Jorge to shut down his previous business, he saw a new opportunity to follow his dreams and share a special recipe that had been in his family for generations. Now MyPozole continues to grow thanks to Jorge's hard work and all the farmers market customers that enjoy and recommend his delicious product! In this episode Jorge shares tips on standing out at the market, the benefits of a focused product line, and what prepared food vendors can do to keep customers coming back. This week's episode is made possible by support from Square.

In the last few years we've seen a huge increase in online services that allow shoppers to pre-order from local farmers and vendors and get their groceries delivered. Though these services may offer convenience, they're rarely able to foster relationships between producers and consumers the way that farmers markets are able to. This week on Tent Talk, we weigh the pros and cons of online grocery delivery services and what to consider if one of these services is interested in partnering with your farmers market. This week's episode is made possible by support from Vendor-101.

Our guest this week is Melissa Maltais, Membership and Program Lead at BC Farmers Markets in British Columbia, and facilitator of that organization's Hatch & Hype incubator program.⁠ Melissa was one of our favorite presenters at the virtual 2021 InTents: the Farmers Market Conference and she'll be back with us for our 6th annual event, live onstage in San Diego next month! In this week's episode Melissa shares how to market your market through community outreach, simple ways to reel in sponsors, and a gives us a little teaser of her 2022 InTents Conference presentation! This week's episode is made possible by support from The Kitchen Door.

Our guest this week is Emily Josenhans, Vendor-101 Grad, farmers market vendor and Founder & CEO at Domaine Santé. After working as a clinical and private nutritionist and witnessing the struggles of her clients' sugar addictions, Emily set out to develop a healthier alternative. By combining her nutritional knowledge and interest in viniculture, Domaine Santé California Grape Nectars was born! Tune in to hear how Emily educates her customers on her unique product line and her keys to converting samples to sales. This week's episode is made possible by support from Sticker Mule.

Since no two farmers markets are the same, it's only logical that there are many different ways they can be operated. Organizational structures vary greatly, but whether a market operator is an employee at a parks department or a manager on contract with a business development group, clearly established job roles and boundaries are vital! This week on Tent Talk we explore the pros and cons of different farmers market management options and provide some tips on how to make sure your market's manager is set up for success. This week's episode is made possible by support from MarketWurks

This week we're joined by our good friend Sarah Marshall of Marshall's Haute Sauce and her daughter Adeline of Adeline's Bunny Puffs. Sarah is a long-time vendor at Portland, Oregon area farmers markets and her daughter Adeline (age 8) is a newer market vendor, who sells her freeze dried snacks right alongside her mom! In this episode we catch up with Sarah about what's going on with Marshall's Haute Sauce and discuss all the ways to get families and children involved at farmers markets, both as shoppers and participants. We also hear from the mini-marketeer, Adeline, about her new farmers market venture. This week's episode is made possible by support from Blue Owl Promos.