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The future of farmers markets starts with surveys   That's right folks! The National Farmers Market Survey is right around the corner and we're discussing it in detail on this weeks episode of Tent Talk: The Farmers Market Podcast. Featuring local leader, data enthusiast, and food systems advocate, Amanda Edmonds, we're digging into everything about one of our industry's most important and influential surveys.   What we're covering: What the survey is and why it matters Who it helps and the impact it has Important dates and deadlines Necessary info needed to submit   Learn more and meet Amanda Edmonds at the InTents Conference in just one month: March 1st-4th, 2026.   This episode of Tent Talk: The Farmers Market Podcast is supported by Square.

Farmers markets are based on human relationships and market manager communities are no exception   In this weeks episode of Tent Talk: The Farmers Market Podcast, we're highlighting opportunities to strengthen your relationships with other farmers market professionals in your region and across the country. From national conferences to local meet ups, we're covering a range of ways you can engage in-person with the very people whose job is just as weird as yours.   What we're covering: The importance of networking with your peers Local conferences coming up Ways we'll be helping to build connections at inTents 2026   This episode of Tent Talk: The Farmers Market Podcast is supported by Loco Canopies.  

It's time to apply our knowledge towards market applications   It's application season at farmers markets across the country! Each year offers a new batch of farmers and entrepreneurs anxious with excitement for the opportunities markets have to offer. But before that 10x10 is popped and in-place, they have to get past one thing: the almighty market application.   A critical tool for establishing which markets are right for your business and which businesses are right for your market, applications, when done with intention, help pave a path to long-term market success. Tune in to this episode of Tent Talk: The Farmers Market Podcast as we discuss all things application related.    What we cover: How to ensure your application process is an extension of your market's mission Why you should be reviewing your applications with intention How to engage in effective application marketing Ways to evaluate whether a market is a good fit for your market business   Listen NOW at the in bio or wherever you stream your podcast.    Want to dig deeper into this topic? Join us in March at the 10th annual inTents Conference in San Diego, CA. Tickets available for purchase at intentsconference.com

Welcome to a new season of Tent Talk, the Farmers Market Podcast. The theme for our next 7 episodes is Grow Where You're Planted, and it's all about using your own resources and the others available to you locally and in the wider farmers market community. Here in episode 360, let's start with taking stock. What's in store for your market in coming months, and how can you plan now to make it the most successful market season yet? Listen in as we talk about:    Thinking about your core mission  Ways to increase income and reduce expenses  Creating win-win partnerships  InTents National Farmers Market Conference sessions  Stream the episode NOW on Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube.   Register NOW at intentsconference.com   

Welcome back to Tent Talk, it's been a minute! Be sure to stay with us until the end for an important announcement. Listen in to hear what's been happening at Farmers Market Pros and the rest of our community, what's coming in the next season of Tent Talk, the farmers market podcast, and new offerings at our Farmers Market Forum platform. Hear about some of the amazing speakers coming to the InTents National Farmers Market Conference in March (the South has something to say!). Do not miss the exciting news revealed near the end of this episode. Don't forget to register now for InTents 2026: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/farmersmarketpros/1764636     Listen in as we talk about: The next season of Tent Talk Farmers Market Forum newsletters Monthly live online calls Preview of InTents 2026 sessions  and a Very Important Announcement! 

Our theme for this season of Tent Talk is Survive and Thrive and boy does it feel relevant now more than ever. Between nearly a million government workers currently on furlough and 40 million people going without access to SNAP benefits, our customers, our farmers, and our communities are staring down the neck of truly dark and difficult times.That's why we're reaching into our toolkit and pulling out a word that guided us through the pandemic: PIVOT.   It's time to lean on each other, get creative and resourceful, and mobilize quickly and efficiently to ensure our neighbors remain fed and our vendors balance their bottom line. Join us TODAY as we do exactly that during SNAP to It! a FREE live Zoom call with market managers across the country. What: SNAP to It! Supporting Your Market Family Today When: Monday, November 3rd, 2025 at 9:30 AM PT / 12:30 PM ET Where: Zoom How: Register at https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/HALavysyRe6F09xnmrFtdQ#/registration This episode of Tent Talk, the farmers market podcast, is supported by the National Farmers Market Coalition.  

Every year the last quarter never fails to creep up on us and 2025 is no exception. As we reflect on the year and look ahead at what's to come, everywhere we turn we're haunted by budgets. How can we continue to ensure that our market business is turning a profit? How can we create a safety net so in times of stress we're still financially secure? The answer is simple: sponsors!    This week on Tent Talk, we're calling back to an old, but ever so relevant episode and are revisiting creative ways to harvest support. Tune in as we discuss: The importance of budgeting for your market Why you should be connecting with potential sponsors now, rather than waiting for "charitable giving" season Helpful tips on the most effective ways to reach out to sponsors Listen along and then get excited about making 2026 more profitable and less stressful.

Uncertainty often breeds innovation and periods of economic instability are no exception. Job insecurity can be the tipping point to that pushes makers to think outside the box and embrace the adventure of farmers market entrepreneurship. Suddenly there's space to turn that recipe into a money making reality.   In this episode of our Survive & Thrive series, we're focusing on an unexpected benefit that markets sometimes see during times of turmoil: an influx of business start ups. As people part ways with corporate America and dip their toes into farmers market life, it's up to market managers to ensure those new vendors are informed, prepared, and properly supported.   Listen in as we discuss: Why shifts in the economy and employment offer opportunities  Resources that benefit new business owners Incubating new vendors to increase success How to determine if a farmers market business is right for you   This episode of Tent Talk: The Farmers Market Podcast is supported by Vendor-101.

Farmers Markets offer food founders the chance to capture high margin sales, but it only matters if you know how to make them profitable.  In this episode, Sarah Delevan sits down with Catt Fields-White, nationally recognized farmers market expert and founder of the InTents National Farmers Market Conference, to answer real questions from Good Food CFO listeners about maximizing farmers market revenue. What You'll Learn: Why Catt told one cookie vendor to raise prices five times before adding production capacity The margin advantage of farmers markets vs. wholesale distribution (and why it matters for cash flow) Logistics for selling at 7+ markets weekly: staffing, delivery, and storage solutions Simple display changes that directly impact sales (including the pricing psychology most vendors miss) What to do before walking away from an unprofitable market, and more 

In this episode of our Survive & Thrive series, we're going back to the basics when it comes to maintaining a financially stable market. While grant funding feels unstable and uncontrollable, when your passion meets profit, you're prepared to weather even the most unpredictable of storms. A strong P&L around the core function of supporting farmers and incubating small businesses is almost like tent weights for your market operation.    Listen as we discuss doing the math on: Venue Equipment Operating costs Staff Marketing This episode of Tent Talk, the Farmers Market Podcast, is supported by the Catamaran Resort Hotel & Spa.

When your job is weird, it's easy to feel isolated. Who do you ask for help when all of your friends work desk jobs? How do you advocate for the importance of markets in your community when you're a team of one? Where do you go to brainstorm city specific issues? Well the solution just might be in your own backyard. In this episode of our Survive & Thrive series, we're emphasizing the importance of hyper-local coalitions on the success and longevity of markets in your city, county, or region. Because no one understands markets better than other market managers. Listen in as we discuss: The effectiveness of collaborative problem solving Why it helps to lean on fellow market managers How to collectively navigate changes to local permitting and safety protocols The benefits of exchanging farmer and vendor information  This episode is supported by MarketWurks, making market management easier.

In this episode of our Survive & Thrive series, we're speaking with Dana DiPrima. She's built the For Farmers Movement on consumer education and thousands and thousands of small donations. Her organization's simple grant application creates solutions for one challenge at a time and ensures small farms can keep farming.   Listen in as she shares all about her story, the movements role in sustaining local food systems, and the importance of investing in everyday farming infrastructure. Because no farms, no farmers markets.    This episode of Tent Talk, the Farmers Market Podcast, is supported by SQUARE.   Dana's farmers market guide can be found here:  https://www.forfarmersmovement.com/farmers-market-guide 

Tent Talk has returned with a new series, Survive & Thrive! Before we dive deep into our scheduled content, we're sharing a quick preview of this season and a few reminders.   Tune in as we talk about: Next weeks episode featuring Dana DiPrima from the For Farmers Movement Our new online community, the Farmers Market Forum Early bird ticketing for the 10th annual inTents conference ends September 15th, 2025 RFP deadline for inTents 2026 extended to September 19th, 2025 Voting period for America's Farmers Market Celebration by American Farmland Trust closes September 30th, 2025 Interested in more Farmers Market Pros content? Subscribe to our newsletter at farmersmarketforum.com

The leaves aren't the only thing changing this fall! We're shaking things up with an adjusted schedule, a fresh new Tent Talk season, and an updated interactive platform. In our upcoming series, Survive & Thrive, we're focusing on how to operate a successful market business during unprecedented times. In this episode, we're taking a look back at where we've been and forward to where we're going. From 2020 to 2026, tune in as we reflect on all things farmers markets, Farmers Market Pros, and inTents: The Farmers Market Conference. Listen closely for a few important dates and deadlines. To keep growing your market business, subscribe to our newsletter at farmersmarketforum.com.   This episode of Tent Talk, the Farmers Market Podcast, is supported by American Farmland Trust.

Almost 350 episodes in, we're making some changes to Tent Talk. We're still here, that big archive is still bingeable and new episodes are on the schedule. We're also moving our newsletter to a more interactive platform, making it weekly and adding related offerings. Watch for upcoming webinars, live calls and later this year additional private podcast episodes just for members. Tune in to hear what we're doing on our summer not-a-vacation. Pop over to farmersmarketforum.com to subscribe to the newsletter. Let's keep growing community. #farmersmarketpodcast #farmersmarketsdontjusthappen #farmersmarketforum   farmersmarketforum.com