InTents: The Farmers Market Conference 2025 Speakers

Meet our initial line-up of farmers market experts & conference presenters. More to come!

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2025 Conference Speakers

For full bios, click the ＋ symbol to the right of each speaker’s name.

  • Allen Moy is Executive Director of the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association (PCFMA), a nonprofit organization serving nearly 250 California farmers by operating and promoting more than 35 certified farmers’ markets in the San Francisco Bay area. Allen joined PCFMA in 2003, bringing over 15 years of experience in nonprofit organizations, and was promoted to Executive Director in 2015. Allen is the founder of California Food Education, a nonprofit organization that seeks to increase knowledge of local and healthy foods in the Bay Area. He is Treasurer on the Board of Fresh Approach, a nonprofit founded by PCFMA in 2008 to connect California communities with healthy food from California farmers through innovative food access programs including its mobile farmers’ market. He’s also President of the Farmers Market Coalition Board; an organization advocates for farmers’ markets at the federal level and connects market operators nationwide to build their skills and support their markets.

  • Amanda Maria Edmonds (Beehive Strategies) is a sustainable food systems consultant and researcher. She is a big-vision, systems-change thinker who translates these ideas into pragmatic, on-the-ground strategies and policies. Edmonds founded and directed Michigan-based nonprofit Growing Hope for 15 years, improving healthy food access through farmers markets, urban agriculture, youth programs, economic development, and good food policy. Between 2014-2018 she served as the Mayor of Ypsilanti, Michigan. She has extensive experience serving on and leading governing and advisory boards in nonprofit and public sectors, locally to internationally. After living in London, UK from 2019-2024, she returned to Michigan and continues consulting, focusing on policy, evaluation, & strategy, particularly as related to markets. She is also completing her doctorate in spatial planning at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, researching municipal policy and planning related to farmers markets. Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, she has BS and MS degrees from the University of Michigan.

  • Amanda Shreve has been working with farmers markets in Michigan for over 15 years. As a leader for one of the most mature statewide farmers market associations in the country, she has a wide breadth and depth of knowledge about markets, how they operate, and what tools and resources need to be leveraged to help advance the market sector as a whole. She has also become a nationally recognized expert in how markets increase food access and accept food assistance benefits. Amanda Shreve provided leadership for Michigan’s first comprehensive, statewide farmers market census in 2020 and contributed to the development of MIFMA’s Data Collection Toolkit which is based on over a decade worth of learning and experimenting with data collection at individual farmers markets and at a statewide level across a network of markets.

  • Andy Naja-Riese brings 17 years’ experience in community food systems, public health, and food equity programs & policy. As Chief Executive Officer, he leads AIM's major programs, partnerships, strategic planning, advocacy, and fundraising, including a capital campaign for AIM’s Center for Food and Agriculture in collaboration with AIM’s Board of Directors. Andy is currently the Co-Chair of the Marin County Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) Collaborative, serves on the Steering Committees of the Alliance of California Farmers Markets, Bay Area Agricultural Plan, Marin Carbon Project, Marin Feeding Workgroup, and the National Farm to School Network's Advisory Board. Andy represents AIM on the California Food and Farming Network & Food and Farm Resilience Coalition. Andy received the 2022 CVNL Heart of Marin award for Excellence in Leadership and the 2023 Farmers Market Champion of the Year award from CAFF. He earned his master’s degree from the T.H. Chan Harvard School of Public Health and his bachelor’s degree from Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

  • Asia Harold serves as the Community Engagement Director at Forsyth Farmers' Market. In her role, Asia manages the Saturday Market, and oversees 912 Food Farmacy, the FFM ‘food is medicine' program. Asia is instrumental in cultivating community relationships, strengthening connections between local farmers and the Savannah community, driving access to fresh, locally sourced produce and fostering community resilience through engagement and education. Her dedication to community service and nonprofit work is evident in her commitment to fostering inclusive environments that empower and uplift the communities she serves.

  • Ben Wenk is a seventh generation fruit grower in Adams County, Pennsylvania where his family owns Three Springs Fruit Farm, makers of Ploughman Cider. Ben earned an Agroecology degree from Penn State College of Ag Sciences in 2006. Shortly after, he expanded the diversity of crops grown at Three Springs to support trips to regional farmers markets and local stores and restaurants. Late 2016 saw the debut of Ploughman Cider, a new venture to express the best of our farm through fermentation.

  • Bret Shaw is Environmental Communication Specialist for the Division of Extension and a Professor in the Department of Life Sciences Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His work focuses on how to support farmers market managers to conduct more effective marketing through understanding the motivations and preferences of different audiences and testing what messages are most effective.

  • Brijet Myers learned a lot in her 10+ years as a Farmers’ Market Operations Manager for San Diego Markets. Handling the nuts and bolts behind the scenes work she still keep her feet on the street and under the tent managing special projects at year-round markets in Southern California, including San Diego County’s largest, the Little Italy Mercato. In addition to her positions as Farmers Market Pros Education Coordinator, and Tent Talk Co-host, she has spent years coordinating fundraising and community events for her children’s IB school. Her focus on making the most of marketing opportunities for the weekly markets she helps operate has pushed her to develop easy systems for e-mail newsletter content, wrangling information and review sites online for her markets. Brijet is passionate about giving local farms and small businesses a place to thrive and grow every week at her markets, and enjoys all the delicious perks of the job.

  • As the newly appointed and first Executive Director of the Napa Farmers Market, Cara Mae Wooledge leads in strategic partnerships, fundraising, marketing, and community engagement. She brings with her inexhaustible energy and 17 years of experience working to improve public health and increase wellness in Napa County. She works to ensure the Napa Farmers Market is a welcoming, accessible, inclusive, and safe environment for all. Cara Mae believes all farmers markets are essential spaces that allow us to grow community around local food.

  • Catt Fields White has been the director of San Diego Markets since founding the Little Italy Mercato in 2008, and is the Founder and CEO of Farmers Market Pros and a host of Tent Talk, the farmers market podcast. She acts as a Technical Advisor to a variety of granted funded farmers market organizations and provides consulting for developing and established markets. At San Diego Markets she and her team bring farmers to the city and people to the table at weekly, year-round farmers markets, including San Diego County’s largest, with 180 tents on six city blocks. Catt writes for publications and speaks at conferences and events worldwide, teaching market organizers and participants to make their operations stronger and educating consumers about the importance of supporting small farmers and food businesses. She is devoted to educating and encouraging emerging and evolving entrepreneurs and ensuring the future of real food for her grandchildren.

  • Cedric J. Thompson (C.J.) is a dedicated public health professional with a strong background in nutrition education and program management. He currently serves as the VegU Manager and Program Management Specialist in the Local and Regional Food Division at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), where he oversees nutrition education initiatives for the USDA Farmers Market. Cedric holds a Master of Public Health in Nutrition from The George Washington University and a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Exercise Science from Rowan University. His expertise spans nutrition education, program coordination, food safety, and public health outreach. He is committed to advancing policies and programs that promote sustainable agriculture, healthy eating, and food accessibility.

  • As Assistant Director of Marketing for the Pacific Coast Farmers' Market Association (PCFMA), I've spent over eight years immersed in the farmers' market industry, developing brand strategy and marketing solutions that champion California farmers and local agriculture. My strengths include visual identity and branding, content strategy and execution, data-driven marketing, art direction, and team leadership. I am always looking for new ways to innovate, collaborate, and grow as a storyteller, helping to connect communities with the vibrant heart of California's agricultural landscape.

  • Christopher purchased the fledgling Benny Blanco Tortillas in 2018, and has grown it from 1,000 tortillas a week, to 15k, all while having a darn good time. He has moved from his home garage kitchen into a fully kitted commercial space, from a one man show to a crew of 7, but has never allowed the quality or commitment to local high-quality sourcing to become back burner. Traditional methods yield a traditional product, but sometimes you have to get creative. Bourbon, brown sugar and figs in a tortilla? Why not? Mascarpone cheese, lime zest, and strawberries? Let’s do it.

  • Christopher Quinlan served his passion for regional economic and food security as the manager of the Whistler Farmers’ Market for 8 years. With a business owner’s inclination to resolve everyday challenges, Chris developed online platform Marketwurks.com as a better way to manage market paperwork. Over time, the customizable program evolved to allow market managers to generate application forms, qualify applicants, utilize that information to create public profiles and populate market maps, capture data, invoicing and reports, and simplify marketing, all inside within markets’ websites. Co-Founder and Vice President of Canadian Farmers Markets, Chris is a founding member of the World Farmers Markets Coalition, and a familiar face at farmers market conferences and online, providing technological solutions and consulting to markets throughout Canada and the US.

  • Emily is the Director of Development for the Lawrence Farmers Market in Lawrence, Kansas. As the first full-time employee, Emily is integral to growing the market and creating a fun, welcoming atmosphere each Saturday. Emily was born and raised in Lawrence and has a background in farming, cooking, ecology, and education and is super passionate about bringing her community together and teaching kids about their local food system. She is responsible for communications, fundraising, programming, volunteers, and outreach, as well as leading the market to secure a new permanent location. Emily created the Double Up Protein Bucks token program and Play With Your Food kid program to encourage more community members to connect with and eat local foods. Emily also serves on the Douglas County Food Policy Council and the LiveWell Douglas County Coalition to continue food systems work at the county level through programming and policy change.

  • Erica Sage Johnson, graduate of Southern University A&M has managed SPROUT's Truck Farm Table for 5 years. She is the Treasure and Secretary of the Crescent Soil and Water Conservation District, a garden instructor for New Orleans high school students, and has served as a speaker and panelists at multiple conferences discussing urban farming, marketing practices and value added goods. Erica owns and operates Petit Jardin an urban farm in Orleans parish. Here she produces shelf stable goods, specialty crops, herbs and flowers. Erica has hosted tours of her garden space and is active in the agricultural community often sitting participating as an ambassador for green spaces, cohort member and committee member. She is a mother to four young children.

  • Erika Tebbens is the Director of Impact at Taste the Local Difference and a marketing expert with twenty years experience running businesses of all kinds. TLD is a woman-owned and woman-led local food marketing agency for purpose-driven food and farm businesses. Before joining TLD, Erika spent a decade working with entrepreneurs on their sales and growth strategy as a highly-respected business consultant, and she used to farm and keep bees in upstate New York.

  • Iriel Edwards is the Value Chain Coordinator for Louisiana Mid-Market Agriculture at Louisiana Central. As Value Chain Coordinator, Iriel is responsible for managing the Louisiana portion of the Delta Regional Food Business Center activities, including supporting small-scale farmers in accessing grants and connecting them to intermediated markets. She also manages the Community Produce Table at the Alexandria Farmers Market, one of the largest rural, producer-only markets in the state. While the market itself is over ten years old, the Community Produce Table is less than a year old. Despite this, the table has contributed greatly to the expansion of market vendors, diversity, and access to produce in the community. Iriel graduated from Cornell University with a BSc in Entomology and a BSc in Environmental and Sustainability Sciences in 2020. Iriel is passionate about understanding complex systems and uplifting social connection as a means of overcoming systemic challenges, specifically through the lens of social justice, land access, and food sovereignty.

  • Jaclyn Pace is the Director of the Utah Farmers Market Network and a member of the North American Food Systems Leadership Network’s Capacity Building Circle. She also serves on the Executive Committee for Pride of Southern Utah. She is passionate about community engagement, social justice, and local food systems. She earned her BA in Education Studies from Eugene Lang College/New School University in Manhattan and her MA in Sustainable Communities from Northern Arizona University. She now lives in St. George, Utah and has been involved with her local farmers markets in many capacities: running SNAP and DUFB, collecting booth fees, implementing a diversity and sustainability youth program, and packing and delivering orders during the pandemic. She is dedicated to supporting farmers markets as vital community hubs for local food, art, and economy. Furthermore, she is committed to helping make Utah’s markets more inclusive and welcoming spaces for all.

  • Jaime Hadji is a passionate advocate for local farmers and consumer access to locally-sourced and produced goods—both as co-founder of Wayward Seed Farm and Great River Organics, and as a former Farmers Market Manager of several Central Ohio farmers markets. Hadji has a bachelor’s in Hospitality Management from The Ohio State University, and more than 20 years of experience in both food and customer service. She brings a unique blend of business acumen and an understanding of marketing and communication that is a rarity in farming. With a genuine passion for agriculture and fresh and local food, Hadji is an ideal ambassador for not only the farm itself, but for the education and expansion of farmers markets throughout the community.

  • James Grevious is a 17-year military veteran, urban farmer and the founder and owner of Rebel Marketplace. Deeply committed to serving his community, James is dedicated to building parallel local food systems in Denver and Aurora, Colorado. Since 2015, he has been at the forefront of fostering community food sovereignty by establishing a network of small urban farms, including farmers markets, and supporting urban agriculture initiatives. Rebel Marketplace, a cornerstone of the community, provides a platform and food access point for local growers and residents to connect directly with consumers, promoting sustainable agricultural practices and economic growth within under-served areas.

  • Jenny obtained a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies and Sustainability with a minor in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems at Michigan State University. Since joining MIFMA in June 2018, she has focused her efforts on program and event organization and farmers market data collection.

  • Jessica is the director of development at Travelers Rest Farmers Market just outside of Greenville, South Carolina. She has worked for the market full-time since 2022. After the pandemic, Jessica worked to triple her market’s sponsorships and has sustained the market's sponsorship rate for three years. Sponsorships account for approximately 40% of the market's budget so the market is sustainably funded long-term by local businesses.

  • Jimmy DeBiasi is the Executive Director of the Maine Federation of Farmers' Markets (MFFM). Jimmy has been working with the farmers' market community since 2017 focusing on low-income food access, market promotion, organizer training, and market development & education initiatives. MFFM is a statewide nonprofit, with staff in 4 counties, dedicated to cultivating a vibrant and sustainable farmers' market community.

  • Johanna Klaiman is a Marketing Specialist with the Pacific Coast Farmers' Market Association (PCFMA), where she leverages her expertise in social media marketing and content creation to champion California farmers and local agriculture. With a Masters in Marketing from ESEI International Business School, as well as a degree from Bryn Mawr College, Johanna brings a data-driven approach to crafting compelling narratives that connect consumers with the heart of California's agricultural community. She is passionate about fostering a thriving local food system and highlighting the vital role farmers play in our lives.

  • With over 25 years of retail management experience, Laurie has held key leadership roles for several Forbes Top 100 retailers including recruiting, training development and community engagement/volunteerism programs. In recent years, Laurie has transitioned her focus to entrepreneurship. This has included a home renovation business as well as owning and operating a successful real estate brokerage in Winslow, AZ. However, her favorite role is leading the Mother Road Farmers Market, where she combines her passion for fostering small business growth with improving access to healthy, locally sourced food. Through the market, Laurie finds joy in helping vendors thrive and connecting her community with nutritious, Arizona-grown produce. Laurie has a BA in Philosophy from Providence College, class of 1992.

  • Maggie Switzer is the Farmers Market and Food Systems Coordinator for the Colorado State University Extension Office in Larimer County, Colorado. In this role, she manages the Larimer County Farmers' Market, the oldest farmers' market in Northern Colorado. She uses her background and experience in Public Health and Social Work to maintain the Larimer County Farmers' Market as a unique and essential community asset. In her role, she also supports local food businesses and producers and helps facilitate more local food consumed by local restaurants, schools and grocery stores.

  • Since 2000, Martin has led the Ecology Center, a community-based organization incorporated on Earth Day in 1970. Under Martin's leadership, the Ecology Center is leveraging local direct community service programs to have state, national, and international impact. Martin has spearheaded innovative efforts such as building the California Alliance of Farmers’ Markets, institutionalizing electronic food stamp access and incentives at farmers' markets through the Market Match program, and passing the nation's first Soda Tax to promote health equity. By linking local grassroots grit with highly competent program implementation and increasingly effective policy advocacy, Martin has led the Ecology Center to become a high impact engine for change.

  • Maya Madsen is the founder and CEO of Maya’s Cookies, America’s #1 Black-owned gourmet, vegan cookie company. She started the business in 2015, after she struggled to find a gourmet, decadent vegan cookie that satisfied her sweet tooth so she started baking them herself. She started small, sharing her cookies with friends and family and eventually transitioned into the local farmers market scene. Fast forward to now, Maya’s Cookies now operates their own facility to ship their cookies nationwide, have two flagship stores in San Diego and San Marcos and have established themselves as a national brand.

  • Meghan Railton began her farmers market journey in 2020, quickly discovering her passion for connecting local farmers with their communities. Since then, Meghan has dedicated her career to fostering strong relationships between farmers, market organizations and customers, ensuring transparency and trust in the local food supply chain. With a focus on supporting sustainable food systems, Meghan currently works with The Collective Markets, where she oversees five vibrant local markets and multiple artisan events. Her work highlights the importance of local food sources while providing opportunities for farmers, artisans, and communities to thrive together.

  • Melissa is an event planning and logistics professional with over 15 years of experience. She has previously worked with the Surrey Urban Farmers Market, New Westminster Farmers Market and most recently was the Executive Director of the Fraser North Farmers Market Society overseeing the management of the Port Coquitlam and Haney Farmers Markets. She is an award winning fundraiser and has assisted in generating over $1 million in revenue for the BC SPCA helping animals in need of veterinary care. Melissa is dedicated to helping small businesses succeed and enjoys working with passionate individuals who are contributing to the well-being and economic success of their communities.When not thinking about or visiting farmers markets Melissa is hanging out with her young son, Logan in the City of Port Coquitlam. During her “off” time she loves to preserve food, bake yummy cakes and go camping and explore British Columbia.

  • Market & Operations Manager Mimi leads Napa Farmers Market operations, integrity, and administration. Growing up in New Jersey, she worked at an organic co-op grocery that fueled her passion for environmental sustainability. Mimi joined Napa Farmers Market team in May 2019, tapping into her enthusiasm for community-driven businesses and organizations. Mimi feels that being a part of the market, and working closely with our staff, vendors and volunteers, gives her a sense of community and belonging that is unlike any other.

  • Natalie is the Director of Operations for Farm Habit, operating eight CFMs across Los Angeles and Orange County. Since joining Farm Habit in 2022, she has helped the company double in number of markets, increased the team to nearly 5x its size, and participated in the Anti Racist Community of Practice. Professionally, she is most passionate about making an impact on people, building a strong, cohesive, inclusive team, and creating environments that vendors want to be in. Before Farm Habit, she solidified her work ethic in restaurants. She trained over 1000 employees across 15 states and on 3 continents. She’s proud to now represent the little guys, and hopes to continue to make a more positive impact on her communities and the planet! When not working, she can be found cooking meals for friends with produce from the farmers, and watching movies with her partner and their dog Chili Pepper.

  • Nicole Ryane Johnson co-manages Fightingville Fresh Market and its Market Table, a consignment table representing over 35 local producers since June 2020. A farmer and entrepreneur, she is dedicated to strengthening local food systems and supporting small growers and makers.

  • A community-driven innovator and heart-centered educator, Sagdrina is committed to advancing equity and liberation by developing authentic communities. As the founder of the SageD Collective and the owner of Atlanta Leadership Consulting, Sagdrina cultivates and delivers transformational experiences for executive teams, non-profit boards, and impact-driven professionals. She currently serves as an executive board member for Slow Food Atlanta and Unearthing Farm and Market and has also served as the founding Executive Director for the Georgia Farmers Market Association, a board member and consultant for the National Farmers Market Coalition, a Well-Being Impact Area Advisor for the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, and an advisor for Tuskegee University’s Organic Farming Project. In 2022, she collaborated with Black growers and farmers market leaders to curate the Anti-Racist Farmers Market Toolkit that is now utilized by farmers market leaders across the country.

  • Samantha Crisp is the founder of the Mother Road Farmer’s Market and owner of Four Paws Micro Farm LLC in Winslow, Arizona. She founded the Mother Road Farmer’s Market in 2019 during her second year as a City Councilwoman as a City initiative and managed it until receiving a USDA capacity building grant in 2023, which allowed for the hiring of a full time Market Manager, immediately accelerating growth and expansion efforts. Legally established in 2022, the farm began many years prior as a hobby to provide fresh produce for her family and has since grown into a thriving small business. Samantha and her husband Stephen co-own the farm, with Samantha managing the day-to-day operations, while Stephen is the heavy lifter and voice of reason. A passionate advocate for local small businesses, Samantha is dedicated to using food-based initiates as a driver for increased economic security and is now collaborating with Market Manager Laurie LaShomb to co-create an agricultural nonprofit that will eventually house the market and support other local food efforts.

  • Sarah Delevan is a Financial Consultant, podcast host, and “good food” advocate with over 15 years experience building and supporting regional and sustainable food systems. As the Founder and CEO of Sarah Delevan Consulting, and The Good Food CFO, Sarah’s work over the last 10 years has focused on supporting mission-driven food businesses, farmers, ranchers and fishers in achieving profitability and financial sustainability to secure their much needed place within our food system. At the heart of all of her work is a belief that access to real food is a right, not a privilege. She is also committed to educating consumers and lawmakers about the way that food business is done within the industry at large, and fighting for meaningful change.

  • Sarah Marshall is the owner of Marshall’s Haute Sauce in Portland, Oregon. Her small-batch sauce company grew from her love of gardening and background in home preserving. Sarah is passionate about farmers, artisan producers, and canning seasonal ingredients. Teaching canning classes, experimenting in the kitchen, and organizing a local canning club- Portland Preservation Society, inspired her to write Preservation Pantry: Modern Canning From Root To Top And Stem To Core. Since 2019, Sarah has been co-hosting the culinary podcast Masoni & Marshall: The Meaningful Marketplace. This led to owning a podcast production company, The Joy of Creation Production House.

  • Stacy, born on Bayou Terrebonne and raised in southern Mississippi, has a deep passion for food and its power to connect people. Moving to NYC to work in fashion, she rediscovered her farming roots through the Greenmarket. Her culinary career flourished under Michelin-starred chefs Dan Barber and Eric Ripert, where she focused on food waste, locality, and supporting growers. With five seasons of regenerative farming experience, particularly with rotationally grazed livestock, Stacy is also trained as a butcher and charcutier. For the past two years, Stacy has served as the Director of Markets and Vendor Support for Market Umbrella/Crescent City Farmers Markets in New Orleans, strengthening vendor relationships and supporting local producers. Stacy is committed to fostering equitable food systems and empowering communities through sustainable food practices. Outside of work, she enjoys antiquing, playing in nature, and working on fiber arts projects.

  • Tamara Cameron is a local food advocate, helping make farmers markets and other non-profits successful for many years. From 2016 to 2022 she led the Boise Farmers Market as Market Manager and Executive Director. Tamara was responsible for moving the farmers market to a new location in 2019, resulting in an increase of 20,000+ shopper visits from the previous season. She shifted the market to a successful drive-thru model in 2020, ensuring that over 19 thousand orders were distributed and 1.4 million dollars went back into the pockets of local farmers, ranchers and producers. 2022 was BFM’s most successful year yet, with 2.2 million in sales. Working for non-profit organizations and organizing events in Boise and in the San Francisco Bay Area, she has supported farmers markets wherever she has lived or traveled. Tamara currently lives in Astoria, Oregon where she forages for mushrooms, hikes the forest and volunteers with the North Coast Food Web.

  • Vanessa Parham is a Marketing Specialist with the Pacific Coast Farmers' Market Association (PCFMA), where she specializes in videography and content creation. Driven by a deep appreciation the markets cultivated from years spent working for her father's business at her local farmers' market, Vanessa brings a unique perspective to promoting California's agricultural landscape. Her expertise in visual storytelling helps connect consumers with the heart of the farmers' market experience, highlighting the dedication and passion of California's farmers.