Tent Talk, the farmers market podcast
Whether you’re a farmers market manager, a farmer or food maker selling at farmers markets, a policy maker or market supplier, Tent Talk is the podcast for you!
How to listen to Tent Talk
Stream our most recent episodes below or find Tent Talk wherever you regularly get your podcasts. With a new episode every Monday, Tent Talk brings you new farmers market knowledge on a weekly basis. There is so much that goes into farmers markets, and so many interesting people involved, we will never run out of material!
Search by keyword, topic or guest to find the episode you’re looking for!
Episode 329: Good Form | How To: Manage Market Applications
There's no one right way to manage vendor applications for your farmers market. Some managers prefer simple inquiry emails before a detailed form. Some market management platforms integrate applications with online maps and vendor profiles. We all need to know business names and exactly what will be sold. An origin story makes an application more interesting, permit and insurance information generally gets it processed more quickly.
Episode 328: By The Numbers | How To: Share Your Market Data
How many eggs did Apricot Lane Farms collect in 2024? Eighty three thousand five hundred ninety seven. How do we know that? Because they posted a clever graphic that said so. What does that make us think about their farm? They must be hardworking farmers and have some happy chickens. Use numbers to share your farm, business or farmers market accomplishments and impress your shoppers.
Episode 327: Log Polling | How To: Track Your Market Day
Farmers Market Day logbooks can store valuable information, customer requests and market history. Whether you use them to track attendance or sales, complaints or comedy, they can be helpful and interesting if you both maintain and read them. Listen in for tips to decide what to include and how to format your market log, based on the Farmers Market Pros' experience and other market managers' and market business owners' input.
Episode 324: Holiday Gifting
The season for holiday gifting is here! Whether you're a market manager, farmer or vendor, we have great tips for remembering all the people who have supported you this year. It really is the thought that counts so if gifts aren't in the budget we suggest other ways to acknowledge the people you appreciate.
Episode 321: James Grevious: Rebel Courses
This week we caught up with James Grevious of Rebel Marketplace in Aurora, Colorado. Since he last joined us on Tent Talk, he’s been addressing challenges around establishing a consistent location and a sustainable business model. Staying rebellious, he continues to create neighborhood food security with a hyper local farmers market.
Episode 320: Youth in the Booth
Inviting young people to vend at your farmers market can foster a new generation of market entrepreneurs and delight your community.
Episode 319: Staff Evaluations
Whether you're a farmer, maker or market manager, if you have a team, providing them with feedback will make their work life and yours better. It doesn't have to be awkward or uncomfortable to discuss workplace performance.
Episode 318: Kasi Haire: Making Fundraising Delicious
What could be a more fitting fundraiser for a market organization than a dinner featuring local chefs and farm fresh ingredients? Organizing a farm to table dinner or a cultural food festival is a little different than coordinating a farmers market. Kasi Haire of Nolensville Farmers Market in Tennessee assures us that much of the skill set is the same.
Episode 317: Fee Here Now: Collecting Market Rent
Bookkeeping is yet another of the many hats that farmers market managers wear. There are so many formulas for setting space rent at markets and, especially post-Covid, a whole variety of ways to manage calculating and actually collecting those fees.
Episode 296: Vendor Story: Not Your Nonna's Sauce Co.
We love a good vendor story almost as much as we love Not Your Nonna's nut-free pesto, full of locally grown basil. Adrianna Zizzo operates her pasta sauce business in six farmers markets a week. Her fledgling business weathered pandemic protocols shortly after she launched. This summer her business is celebrating its five year anniversary. Devoted to using locally grown ingredients and no preservatives, Adrianna has built a devoted customer base and an extended market family.