Just a quick "hello!" from the 2020 InTents: The Farmers Market Conference! We are knee-deep in conference happenings right now, and will be back next week with all new content- keep an ear out for 'live! from the conference' episodes of Tent Talk!

On this episode of Tent Talk, Catt and Brijet are talking about making decisions today that will benefit your market or business for the long term. It's not always easy, but it's important! 

On this week's episode of Tent Talk, we chat with Sena Wheeler of Sena Sea, a successful fresh fish operation in the Seattle area and Eastern Washington farmers markets. We chat with Sena about how her plan to sell fish direct to consumers took a big turn when she discovered direct sales at farmers markets, and how markets made her family business a success. 

On this episode of Tent Talk, Catt and Brijet discuss market turnover. Are you a manger seeing a lot of changes to your vendor mix right now? Are experienced farmers leaving the market? If you're a vendor, do the food makers leaving your market know something you don't? Listen to today's episode for those answers! 

On this episode of Tent Talk, Catt and Brijet discuss a simple strategy to make your farmers' market business more successful- tell people where to find you! You may think everyone knows where your market business is every week, but believe us - many people are bombarded by so much information and so many events happening, they may forget where you are, especially after the busy holiday season. Just tell them! Post your list of markets on social media, on your website, in your email newsletters. Start off the new year (new decade!) with a re-introduction of yourself and your business. People love to be reminded of who you are and the face behind the Market, or favorite farm or food product they love- and your new customers will love getting to know you. 

On today's episode, Catt and Brijet discuss some great New Year's resolutions for Farmers Market folks. Thinking of becoming a farmers' market vendor in 2020? Make sure you plan ahead before you make that leap. Want to expand your business in the new year? We'll discuss some education courses to check out and why finding your market community is so important for long-term success. Looking to manage more markets? Make sure you remember that Market Feasilbilty strategy. It's also important to remember that expanding and scaling up is not always the best resolution! Maybe digging in and doing the best market business you can do, right where you are already, is the best thing for you in the New Year.  

Catt and Brijet are just popping in to say "Happy Holidays" to all our wonderful Tent Talk listeners!  We hope you enjoy this busy season and find time to relax.

On this episode of Tent Talk, Catt and Brijet have big news: our InTents: The Farmers Market Conference speaker list is shaping up and you're going to love these guests! Tune in to find out who will be at the 2020 conference and why we think you need to hear them speak. The countdown to the conference is on... will you be there?    Farmers’ market work is the best work ever, and nobody really understands its special challenges except the other managers, farmers and food makers out there on the streets. It’s so intense In Tents. That’s why no matter how excited we are about the speaker lineup for our 4th annual Farmers Market Conference coming up February 2-4, we’re most excited about seeing all of you there. ............ 30+ speakers and panelists include Darren Chapman of Tiger Mountain Foundation, Nathan Macaulay of Apricot Lane Farms, photographer and food stylist Lori Rice, Alfonso Morales of Farm2Facts, marketing guru Charlotte Smith, Beverly Grant of Mo’ Betta Green Markets, Pascale Le Draoulec of Morning Glory Markets and author and food system activist and trainer Mark Winne  

On this episode of Tent Talk, Catt and Brijet speak with Leigh Sloss-Corra, Executive Director of The Market at Pepper Place in Birmingham, Alabama. Under the direction of Leigh and her team The Market at Pepper Place has helped to revitalize Birmingham’s downtown and has become an economic force in that city. A large market with some unusual expenses, the market helps defray overhead by working with a slate of almost four dozen sponsors ranging from banks to local restaurants. We ask Leigh how she makes all that work so well!    

Today's episode is short and sweet and full of gratitude. Catt and Brijet take a minute to give thanks to all the wonderful listeners of Tent Talk and our incredible Farmers Market Pros community. We give a few quick hints for things Market Managers, Farmers & Food Vendors can do to show their farmers' market community gratitude this week and all year long. Thank you for listening! 

On this episode of Tent Talk, Catt and Brijet talk with Master Herbalist Meghan Dolly, owner and founder of The Loose Leaf and The Loose Leaf Tea Bar in Oceanside, California. Meghan is a hands-on business operator, whether she’s standing in the tent at one of six local farmers markets, coordinating employee schedules or packing boxes of her signature tea blends for wholesale. How does one business juggle market, retail, and online sales? Let’s ask Meghan. 

On this episode of Tent Talk, Catt and Brijet discuss how to celebrate various winter holidays at your market! This is a great season to remind your community where to shop for gifts and ingredients for holiday meals. Have you considered operating a holiday market in conjunction with bigger holiday festivities in your neighborhood? We'll give you tips for how to make that work and the many benefits it provides your market for the whole year. Have you registered for the 2020 InTents: The Farmers' Market Conference yet? There's still time to take advantage of Early Bird pricing, get your tickets now at: www.FarmersMarketPros.com 

On this episode of Tent Talk, Catt and Brijet speak with farmer Annie Newman, co-owner of Sylvanaqua Farm in Montross, Virginia, about permaculture, farming while married, and pink egg cartons. 

On this episode of Tent Talk, Catt and Brijet answer questions from our listeners! What's up with Square's new fees and should you switch to cash? (no way!) How can you keep your seasonal relevant in the off season? What do you do if your business is slowing down at the market? Hear answers from the Farmers Market Pros to these questions and more. 

On this episode of Tent Talk, Catt and Brijet address a Tent Talk listener question about whether or not to start a new farmers' market. They discuss the issues to consider; from location, to the day of the week, to what it means to invest time, money, and energy into starting and sustaining a brand new farmers' market. Farmers and food makers who are trying to decide whether to add a new market to their schedule will find this discussion helpful! 

On this episode of Tent Talk, Brijet & Catt discuss guests who show up at your farmers market uninvited. From buskers to petitioners to those cute little Girl Scouts who end up negatively impacting your regular baker's sales... How can you manage people at the market who show up unannounced? We'll talk about some professional ways to deal with market interferences and how to keep your market on track no matter who is there. 

On this episode of Tent Talk, Brijet & Catt discuss ways to connect to your happy market neighbors and those who may not be... yet! Running a farmers market for a few hours a week in a neighborhood that has businesses open every day means you may have to put a little extra effort into showing the community that you want the market to fit into, and be a contributing piece of, that neighborhood. Whether it's becoming a regular at the coffee shop, or attending other events in the 'hood, we give you some tips for making those connections that really count! 

On this episode of Tent Talk, Brijet & Catt discuss looking at your budget for next year and doing some strategic planning! We talk about reviewing your actual vs. projected budget for this last year and how to that information can help you set yourself up for success for the coming season or year ahead. 

On this episode of Tent Talk, Catt and Brijet speak with Emily Lawrence, Marketing & Communications Coordinator for Farmers Markets of Nova Scotia, a non-profit cooperative of over 30 farmers markets. Emily gives us great tips for making the most of your social media presence, things to avoid and new ways to leverage the power of social media to build your farmers market business. 

On this episode, Catt and Brijet discuss ongoing education opportunities for market managers, and farmers and vendors who sell at farmers markets. There are some great conferences coming up! How will you expand your knowledge for the coming season and year ahead? Of course, we think InTents: The Farmers Market Conference is a must for everyone listening, but there are some other great conferences to help you network, learn, and continue to help you turn your passion into bigger profit! 

On today’s episode of Tent Talk, Brijet and Catt welcome Megan Goehring of The Certified Farmers Markets of the Coachella Valley. They chat with Megan about the challenges in running markets that need to be indoors to escape intense heat part of the year, the extra cost involved in doing that (and how she attracts and retains sponsors to help) and criteria for making an average-sized market stand out.

It’s back to school time so we thought we’d review the 4 P’s! This is just a little of what we teach in our Farmers Market Vendor-101 course each month and we’re sharing them today with all our Tent Talk listeners. Because whether you’re just getting started with your farmers market farm or food vendor business, or you’ve recently started managing a market, or you’ve been doing this farmers’ market job for a while, it’s always a good time to brush up!

On this week's episode, Brijet & Catt discuss how you can celebrate National Farmers Market Week (Aug 4 - 10) at YOUR market! They also have fun market-ing tips and tricks for you, and discuss ways to leverage special events at farmers markets! 

On this week's episode, Brijet & Catt discuss the busy summer market season, listener feedback, "what's in a name, anyway?", and announce some big news about OUR name change! Plus, early bird ticket information for the 2020 InTents: The Farmers Market Conference and how to get them! 

This week we are revisit Alli Ball's episode on branding, sales techniques at markets and expanding into wholesale. We have some branding news of our own coming up, so don't miss next week's new episode of Tent Talk for some special announcements!

On this week's episode is all about the importance of booth behavior and appearance. Hosts Brijet and Catt provide tips to increase sales by making simple improvements to your display, creating a welcoming vibe in and outside your booth, and engaging with your customer. 

On this week's episode, hosts Brijet and Catt answer a listener question about bad weather on farmers market days. Listen along for tips on how to handle weather issues at your market before, during, and after they happen. 

This week we bring you a Best of Tent Talk episode! In our conversation with devoted farmers market shoppers, Tiffany and Terence Cooke, we chat 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.

Farmers markets have operated all over the world for centuries, and today they are an important element in many farmers, food makers, and communities' economies. This week on Tent Talk, co-host Catt Fields White reports on her recent visit to London for the International Public Markets Conference, where she connected with other market managers and operators from around the globe.  

Ever wonder how to keep momentum going at a year round farmers market when the weather changes drastically from one season to the next? This week on Tent Talk we chat with Sara Matlin of Phoenix Public Market about her solutions to extreme temperature variances, how to bring the community together with intention, working with volunteers and interns, and making it to the 15 year anniversary mark. 

Many farmers market food makers stay in farmers markets for years and years, others use the markets as a launch pad to create a wholesale empire or open brick and mortar restaurants. On this week's episode of Tent Talk, we talk with Eric Dobbs of Seven Seas Roasting Company, a coffee vendor that recently launched their first retail outlet after years in local farmers’ markets, about what it takes to keep all those balls in the air.

On this week’s episode of Tent Talk, we talk with Sena Wheeler of Sena Sea, a successful fresh fish operation in the Seattle area and Eastern Washington farmers markets. We chat with Sena about how her plan to sell fish direct  to consumers took a big turn when she discovered direct sales at farmers markets, and how markets made her family business a success. 

How do surrounding businesses get along with their neighborhood farmers markets? Find out on this week's episode! We chat with the team at Waypoint Public, a local restaurant who shares their storefront with a busy weekly farmers' market. Listen along to learn how markets can synergize with the businesses around them. 

This week we bring you a Best of Tent Talk episode! In our interview with Amber Holland, operations director for Portland Farmers Markets, we discuss efforts to reduce waste at farmers markets, challenges she's overcome as a market operator, and creating new programs to enhance her markets. 

On this week's episode of Tent Talk we're joined by Trish Watlington of Two Forks Farmand Farm to Fork San Diego. We chat about the challenges restaurant owners face in buying direct from farmers, how to make the system work better, and how to leverage the power of farm to table commitment to increase business for both farmers and restauranteurs. 

This week on Tent Talk, our guests are Melissa and Taylor of Quantum Microgreens. In this episode they share the story of how the made the leap into farming on a micro scale. We also chat about the importance of continual learning when it comes to farming and entrepreneurship, and how Melissa and Taylor share that knowledge with their customers at the farmers market.

On this week's episode of Tent Talk, we chat about the recent InTents: The Farmers Market Conference, held in San Diego, California in February 2019. We reminisce about our favorite parts of this year's event, what we'd like to add to future conferences, and why we think it's important to bring the market community together. 

This week's Tent Talk episode is the last in our series of Tent Talk Live episodes recorded at the 2019 InTents: The Farmers Market Conference in San Diego, California. The presentation "Using Our Voices to Create Change" was led by Amelia Moore Program Coordinator for California Alliance of Farmers Marketsand Executive Director of the Farmers Market Coalition, Ben Feldman. Listen along for tips on how to engage in farmers market policy!

For this week's episode of Tent Talk we bring you yet another live episode. In his presentation "The world needs less food," recorded at the 2019 InTents: The Farmers Market Conference held last month in San Diego, organic farmer and author, Brent Preston dives deep into the complexity of our food system. Though he doesn't claim to have a quick-fix solution to these large issues, Brent offers an interesting paradigm shift for the way we approach food production.

This week on Tent Talk, we bring you another special episode recorded live at the 2019 InTents: The Farmers Market Conference in San Diego. InTents Conference alum Sarah Marshall of Marshall's Haute Sauce returned to the main stage to share her insight on how to avoid farmers' market burnout. In this episode Sarah explains why working as farmers market vendor is tough and provides a helpful roadmap to avoid wearing yourself out.

This week on Tent Talk we bring you a special episode recorded live from the 2019 InTents: The Farmers Market Conference in San Diego! In this panel discussion, moderated by Marcy Coburn, CEO of CUESA, panelists discussed why new markets are great, when a new market isn't a good idea, and everything in between.

In this week's episode we tackle another round of tough questions sent in from our market manager listeners. Listen along for sage advice from our resident market manager experts. We cover complex issues like booking market musicians, rearranging vendors when your market site is under construction, and what to do about Yelp reviews.

On this week’s episode of Tent Talk we made good use of our own expertise and answered some tricky farmers’ market questions we received from vendors. In this episode you’ll get advice from the Tent Talk hosts on various issues that vendors face. Listen along for tips on sampling your product, incentivizing employees to increase their sales numbers, and what makes a good farmers' market business name. 

This week on Tent Talk we are joined by Candread Gadaga, farmers market vendor and farmers market musician! On this episode Candread tells us about his journey from playing music at the market to starting his own hot food vendor business to packaging his own sauces for sale.

This week on Tent Talk our guest is Lisa Kivirist, farmer, advocate for women in sustainable agriculture, and author of Soil Sisters: A Toolkit for Women Farmers. In this episode Lisa shares her passion for cottage food law, how the community of female farmers is growing, and why she loves going to conferences. 

This week on Tent Talk we are joined by Dr. Gail Myers, Agri-Cultural Anthropologist and co-founder of Farms to Grow, Inc. Over the last 15 years Dr. Myers has been busy lecturing, researching, teaching, writing and documenting stories of African American farmers, sharecroppers, and gardeners. In our interview we chat about the inspiration for Farms to Grow Inc., what it takes to run a community farmers market with a mission, and the importance of studying the history of food systems.

Our guest this week is Joe Hargrave, founder and CEO of Tacolicious. What started as a pop-up taco stand, then became a mainstay at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market in San Francisco is now a 6 location enterprise across the Bay Area. In our interview with Joe he tells us about the bumpy road that led him to tacos and why Tacolicious will always have a booth at that the farmers market. If you're a farmers market vendor dreaming of one day opening your own brick-and-mortar, this episode is for you!

For our first Tent Talk episode of the new year, we welcomed Ross Graham of Food Liability Insurance Program to the show. Ross is a licensed insurance agent and strategic partnership manager focused on helping businesses find the coverage they need at an affordable price. In or conversation with Ross we talk about all things risk management at the farmers market and how to protect vendors and market managers.