Tent Talk

This week we welcomed Anastasia Plakias as our Tent Talk guest! Anastasia is Co-Founder and Vice President of Brooklyn Grange Rooftop Farm; Co-Founder of City Growers; and author of The Farm on the Roof: What Brooklyn Grange Taught Us about Entrepreneurship, Community, and Growing a Sustainable Business. As a native New Yorker she is dedicated to making the city that raised her a greener and more sustainable place to live. In this episode Anastasia gives us the lowdown on how Brooklyn Grange came to be, fills us in on the what it's like to grow food in an urban environment, and explains the importance of collecting data and understanding return on investment.

Our Tent Talk podcast guest this week is Ben Grimes from Dawnbreaker Farms in North Carolina. Dawnbreaker Farms specializes in pasture-raised, non-GMO chickens, forest raised pigs, Thanksgiving turkeys and grass-fed lamb. In our interview Ben shares his techniques for selling meat at the farmers market, tips on retaining customers and increasing sales, and his passion for informing people about the food choices they have.

On this week's episode our guest is Marcy Coburn, CEO of Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture in San Francisco. CUESA operates five weekly markets in the Bay Area which have been a proving ground for many incredible food makers. In our conversation with Marcy, we talk about diversifying farmers market communities, the importance of food education, and what it's like to be a bellwether of food culture in California.

This week our guest is Amber Holland, operations director for Portland Farmers Markets. In our interview we discuss PFM's efforts to reduce waste at farmers markets, the challenges of placing vendors when your market becomes a construction zone, and Amber's passion for creating inclusive community gathering spaces for Portland residents and visitors. Listen along for some great ideas on how to make your market more eco-friendly!

On this week's episode we interviewed two of the most devoted farmers market shoppers we know: Tiffany and Terence Cooke (AKA @cookesinthekitchen)! Listen along to hear about the perks of making friends with your local farmers market vendors, the keys to a successful weekly meal planning process, and how they capture their delicious homemade creations in photos.

Our guest this week is Ben Feldman, the Policy Director for the national Farmers Market Coalition, which is a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening farmers markets across the United States. Ben tells us about his passion for farmers markets, gives us an update on current Farmers Market Coalition projects, and clues us in on important food system issues. In this episode we get a little nerdy and dive deep into some food policy!

On this week's episode of Tent Talk, we answered another round of questions we received from our listeners. In this episode you'll get advice from the Tent Talk hosts on various issues that farmers market managers face. Listen along for tips on curating your market, giving prospective vendors constructive criticism, marketing on a budget, and what to do about tardy vendors.

On this week's episode of Tent Talk, we had the pleasure of speaking with Mike Reidy, Chef De Cuisine at Ironside Fish & Oysterin Little Italy, San Diego. In our interview, Chef Mike gushed about his love for farmers markets, he clued us in on a day in the life of a busy chef, and explained how chefs can make connections with local farmers.

On this episode we spoke with Jennifer and Eric Halverson of JenEric Foods. Jennifer and Eric make jun (rhymes with fun!) kombucha and sell their delicious beverages at farmers markets in Southern California. In our conversation, Jennifer and Eric told us about what makes their kombucha special, how they turned their love of food and drink into a business, and what it's like to work with their spouse. Do you have a dream brewing? Go for it!

This week's Tent Talk guest is Kelli Diann Billips, the Operations Manager and Media Coordinator for the Seattle Farmers Market Association. SFMA operates the Wallingfordand Madrona markets, as well as the Ballard Sunday market, which is the largest farmers market in Washington State! In this episode, we chat with Kelli Diann about how to promote your farmers market, maintaining an interest in your seasonal markets, and surveying your shoppers.