InTents: The Farmers Market Conference 2023 Schedule

In this workshop, The Food Corridor team will walk attendees through emerging definitions and models of shared use kitchens, help communities identify opportunities for renters and programs, guide attendees through activities to begin planning goals and outcomes, and develop strategies and best practices for successful kitchen planning and launching. You’ll hear from existing shared kitchens that are connected to farmers markets and what makes them successful.

Casey McAuliffe; Galveston’s Own Farmers Market; Galveston, TX 

Organizing community partners, participants and fans to stand up for your market when it’s under attack. Galveston’s Own FM didn’t mean to build an army of supporters, but leveraging their weekly safe space as a platform for public minded entities did just that. Learn how and why to build your own coalition.

Deidre Grim PhD, Tasha Wei & Asia Harold; Forsyth Farmers Market; Savannah, GA

Learn how the Forsyth Farmers Market addresses food apartheid by squeezing a farmers market onto a school bus and taking to the streets, and how to put your market on wheels.

Sarah Marshall; Marshall’s Haute Sauce & The Meaningful Marketplace Podcast; Portland, OR

Delivery services, online shopping, fast food: beat them or join them? Position your market to win the battle between convenience and community.

Sagdrina Jalal; SageD Consulting and Juju Harris; Nana Juju Rocks Food

These Farmers Market Anti Racist Toolkit facilitators will help you determine why your DEI efforts seem stuck, and how to move forward. Listen and watch as they lead the Anti Racist Toolkit Community of Practice through ways to connect with communities through the language of good, affordable food.  

Round Table Presenters & Facilitators:
- Boom or Bust: Managing a Struggling Market - Melanie Anderson, Ottawa Markets
- Mini Grants Grow Farmers & Vendors - Sarah Holle & Maya O'Brien, Mill City Farmers Market
- Supporting Farm Bill Priorities - Ben Feldman, Farmers Market Coalition
- Waste Less, Sell More - Shannan Mascari, Livingston Farmers Market
- Staffing for Success - Tamara Cameron, Boise Farmers Market
- Producer Only or Resale in the Mix? - Casey McAuliffe, Galveston’s Own Farmers Market
- Adding Up Fee Structures - Catt Fields White, San Diego Markets & Farmers Market Pros

Producer only or off-season resale? What’s in the next Farm Bill? Flat fee or percentage? Gentrifier or Generator? How to save a struggling market? What about waste? and more farmers market industry questions. Pick your topic, join your facilitator and fellow attendees, exchange ideas and opinions and report back for more discussion.

Mandy Moody; Green City Markets; Chicago, IL

Develop creative fundraising opportunities and leverage partnerships to train and engage your staff and volunteers, farmers and vendors to promote the power of nutrition incentives to increase both food access and sales.

Brijet Myers; Farmers Market Pros, San Diego Markets; San Diego, CA

Use these new approaches to old-school marketing to increase your farmers market’s visibility, reach out to the community and bring shoppers into your tents.

Christine Hawks; Worthington Farmers Market; Worthington, OH

With a multitude of markets and pop ups to choose from, use social media and other tools to convince new and established farmers and vendors that your market is the place to sell.

Ashley Colpaart, PhD; The Food Corridor and Becca Bartels; Rockford City Market

Incubator kitchens provide space for budding market vendors to grow. Learn to guide vendors seeking commercial kitchen space, deepen connections between markets and kitchens, and discover what’s next if you’re hoping to start your own kitchen. Access The Kitchen Door, NICK, and the Shared Kitchen Toolkit to plug into shared kitchens and enrich your market.

Ben Feldman and Mykalee McGowan; Farmers Market Coalition

National Farmers Market Week is a perfect opportunity to connect with elected officials, build relationships, and be heard. Don’t let your efforts stop there. Find ways to use that momentum to influence policies that affect your markets.

The challenges include aging farmers, loss of farmland, climate change and political and economic uncertainty. Unpredictable commodity supply chains, increased awareness of the value of small farms and a craving for human connection provide hope. What’s next for farmers markets? Listen in and share your own ideas.

Allinee “shiny” Flanary; Come Thru Market & Black Food Sovereignty Coalition; Portland, OR

This toolkit for extensive farmer and vendor orientation establishes a culture of learning rather than assumed expertise and builds vendor comfort, relationships and retention. Includes access to slide decks and handouts.

Charlotte Tolley; Nourish Knoxville and Catt Fields White; Farmers Market Pros

Build coalitions between small markets and larger organizations to increase sustainability and stability, including increased ability to provide nutrition incentives. Focusing on food access is not only the right thing but the smart thing to do to increase markets’ strength and longevity.

Corrina Smith; Columbia Farmers Market; Columbia, MO

How the Columbia Farmers Market quadrupled their budget, vendor count and attendees and became an America’s Farmers Market Celebration winner and how to use those methods to make your market a champion.

Allen Moy; Pacific Coast Farmers Market Association; Concord, CA

Step by step methods for tracking financial data to explore what-ifs, plan your budget and sell your ideas to your Board, grantmakers and sponsors, and your farmers and vendors.

Christopher Quinlan, Kami Semick and more!

Don’t let “we’ve always done it this way” keep you from streamlining systems and reducing stress. Learn how these market managers learned to love technology, reclaimed time and increased producers’ sales.

Jeremy Dondlinger, Paige Frasier, Velma Lakins, USDA FMLFPP

The Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) and the Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP) support markets throughout the US to increase local and regionally-produced food consumption and boost local economies. Join three USDA Grant Specialists for an overview and discussion on eligibility requirements, how to apply, funding amounts and more.