This week on Tent Talk we are joined by Food Cost & Strategic Sourcing Consultant, Sarah Delevan. Sarah works with food makers, restaurants, caterers, and retail markets throughout the US to help them become and remain financially sustainable. In this episode Sarah provides tips on sourcing quality ingredients, shares keys to understanding your food financials, and identifies mistakes food-driven businesses can avoid.  

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.

Our guest this week is Sarah Marshall, creator, owner, and producer of Marshall's Haute Sauce, author of Preservation Pantry: Modern Canning From Root To Top & Stem To Core, and vendor at the Portland State University Farmers Markets. In our conversation Sarah shares about her background in canning and preservation, how she found her place at the farmers market, and where she gets inspiration for new recipes. This episode will inspire you to get creative in the kitchen!

Our Tent Talk guest this week is Neal Gottlieb, founding twin and CEO of Three Twins Ice Cream. Neal shared with us the story behind his ice cream empire, the value of staying in farmers markets while also operating brick & mortar locations, and how giving back is part of the Three Twins brand. In this episode you'll learn about what it takes to scale a product from farmers market to national grocery chains.

For this week's episode we had the pleasure of speaking with Brent Preston of The New Farm. Brent is a farmer and the author of The New Farm: Our Ten Years on the Front Lines of the Good Food Revolution. He told us about his experience finding his true calling in life and how he was able to build an organic farm that is environmentally and financially sustainable. In this episode we also tackle some big questions about the future of farming and re-thinking our current food systems.

This week's guest is Alli Ball, creator of Retail Ready and Allison Ball Consulting. Alli teaches classes and provides one-on-one consulting for all types of food businesses. On this episode Alli shares her tips for breaking into the retail scene, ways for food makers to find the voice of their brand, and how to have a rockin' display at the farmers market. If you're a farmers market vendor curious about selling your products to stores, this episode is for you!

On this week's episode of Tent Talk, instead of interviewing a farmers market expert, 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 differentiating your product from other vendors', solidifying your prices, finding your bearings in a new market, and what information to include on your labels.

For this week's episode we were joined by Forrest Pritchard of Smith Meadows Farm and author of Gaining Ground, A Story of Farmers' Markets, Local Food and Saving the Family Farm. Forrest is a sustainable farmer and New York Times bestselling author. Forrest told us the story of saving his family's farm, explained the impact of farmers markets on farm profitability, and shared how he's able to manage his career as a farmer and an author. This episode is inspirational, yet down-to-earth - it may be the push you need to become a farmer, or to finally sit down and pound out that book you've always dreamed of writing!

On this week's episode of Tent Talk, our guest is Kelly Foss, Director of the Downtown Farmers' Market in Des Moines, Iowa. Kelly shared with us her strategy for slowly but surely growing her market from about 40 vendors to nearly 300! We also learned about her new role at the Farmers Market Coalition and what they’ve got planned for the 2018 National Farmers Market Week. This episode contains some helpful leadership advice from a pro farmers market manager!

For Episode 5 we had the chance to sit down with Nick Burton from Paris, Texas. Nick is owner of Victory Gardens Farm and Victory Lunch Club, and founder of State of the Soil. He's also the creative director for Bootstrap Farmer and co-hosts a podcast called Bootstrap Farmer Radio. In this episode you'll hear Nick's perspective on selling value added products and the benefits of having your own commercial kitchen. We also talk boot-strapping, side-hustling, and mocktail-drinking!

In this week's episode we chat with Chris Quinlan, the market manager of the Whistler Farmers Market in British Columbia. Chris gave us the run down on how he manages a busy farmers market in a location where the growing season for produce is short. He also sheds light on the pain points of market managing that led him to launch the software company MarketWurks. Chris inspired us to think of techie solutions to farmers' market conundrums! 

On episode 2 of Tent Talk Charlotte Smith, of 3 Cow Marketing and Champoeg Creamery, tells her story about how she built a successful dairy farm and ended up becoming a small business marketing guru. She shares tips on developing loyal customers through email newsletters, social media, and face to face interaction. What's her secret to success? It's all about relationships!