Tent Talk

For farmers market vendors operating on tight budgets, purchasing the tools or inventory necessary to get their business running at a higher capacity can be an on-going challenge. If only they had a couple thousand dollars, they could really push things to the next level! This week our guest is Jenny Heck, market manager at Mill City Farmers Market in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Jenny oversees the Next Stage Grant Program, which was launched in 2013 to provide funding to local farmers market vendors who are growing toward the "next stage" of their local food businesses. In the years since, this program has granted over $240,000 to local farmers and food makers and improved the quality of farmers markets across the state! This week's episode is made possible by support from WhatsGood.

It's that time of year again! Kids are going back to school, tourists are starting to head home, and there's a slight chill in the air. Since many farmers markets across the country are wrapping up their 2021 seasons soon, this week we're sharing tips for closing out your market season on a high note and what to do during the "off season" to make next year even more successful. This week's episode is made possible by support from Vendor-101.

Our guest this week is Vendor-101 grad, Libby Lefanowicz, the owner, founder and Chief Maker of plant-based desserts at Kula Ice Cream. In 2019, Libby founded San Diego's first and only completely gluten-free and vegan ice cream company with a catch… her dairy-free frozen dessert actually tastes like real ice cream! In this episode Libby explains how she juggles increasing production and developing new flavors while also selling at multiple farmers markets a week, the importance of a well-trained staff, and future plans for her newly-opened commercial kitchen and scoop shop. This week's episode is made possible by support from Local Food Marketplace.

This week on Tent Talk our guest is Ashley Drakeford of The Capital Market in Capitol Heights, Maryland. As a 6th generation resident of Prince Georges County, she is deeply committed to seeing her community thrive and spearheading equitable change through access to fresh and healthy food. In this episode Ashley shares the story behind The Capital Market and the role it plays in bringing food justice and equity to her community. We also chat about the importance of vendor training and The Capital Market's produce buyback program. This week's episode is made possible by support from Nutrition Incentive Hub.

It's been 18 months since the first round of COVID-19 shutdowns and some farmers markets that closed in response to the pandemic are just now starting to reactivate, or are planning to do so in 2022. But reopening a farmers market isn't as simple as flipping a switch! There's a lot that goes into jumpstarting a market that has been dormant. This week Catt, Brijet and Justine talk about what it takes to reopen an inactive market, from recruiting vendors to community outreach. This week's episode is made possible by support from InTents: the Farmers Market Conference.

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 farmers market roots. This week's episode is made possible by support from The Food Corridor.

This week on Tent Talk our guest is Punita Patel, owner and chief buffalo milker at Backyard Buffalo. Punita raises water buffalo and sells gorgeous Indian specialty foods at farmers markets in Jacksonville Florida, while advocating for sensible regulation of small, local dairies. In this episode we chat about balancing farmers market dreams with reality, how to adjust your product line to fill the needs of consumers, and what market managers and market vendors can do to ensure everyone succeeds. This week's episode is made possible by support from The Kitchen Door.

Happy Labor Day weekend! The Farmers Market Pro Team is taking the holiday weekend off and we're revisiting an episode from early 2020, when Catt and Katie Green of Wild Hare Organic Farm met up at the Washington State Farmers Market Association Conference in Tacoma. They chatted about what makes a great farmers market from a farmer's point of view and how Katie juggles markets, farming, a successful CSA program, and family life. This week's episode is made possible by support from American Farmland Trust.

Tune into Tent Talk this week for another round of questions and answer from our Farmers Market Pros online community! Catt, Brijet and Justine dive deep into updating farmers market sampling protocols, managing EBT/SNAP and market match programs, making sure your farmers market is ADA compliant, how to keep people from driving through your market during operating hours, and much more! This week's episode is made possible by support from MarketWurks.

Our guest this week is Andrew Plotsky, Creative Director at Farmrun, a creative studio in Vermont that works with all types of clients (from food and agriculture to politics and culture) to develop brand strategy, logos, and web design. Farmrun is located at Stitchdown Farm, which Andrew co-owns and co-operates with his wife, where they grow specialty cut flowers and offer floral design for all occasions. In this episode we chat about what a brand is, common branding mistakes new business owners make, and how to develop a brand strategy for your farmers market business. This week's episode is made possible by support from Sticker Mule.