Tent Talk

Farmers Market Pros
  • 4.9 (29)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
Tent Talk

Tent Talk is a podcast for farmers' market managers, farmers, food makers, and anyone who counts on farmers’ markets as a source of income. Please join us as we interview farmers’ market experts, talk about ways to improve local food communities, and provide you with tips on building a successful farmers’ market business. Tent Talk is produced by Farmers Market Pros.

  1. 3 DAYS AGO

    Ep 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. (OK, sometimes it can be.) If you've provided employees with expectations and the tools to meet them, this is just a checkup. We're talking today about how we make these chats productive for everyone involved, including:  Giving people a chance for self evaluation Hire in a hurry? It's never too late to share job descriptions.  We're all motivated by know the why behind processes  Bosses can benefit from feedback too: listen!

    30 min

  2. NOV 4

    Ep 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: planning, staffing, renting equipment and marketing. Listen in to hear how and why her market keeps finding new ways to help people do good by eating well, including:   The pros and cons of serving dinner on a farm What to consider when budgeting for your event Why fundraising is just one of the goals How to use special events to incubate new vendors

    35 min

  3. OCT 28

    Ep 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. Do you use a market management program with built in invoicing? Are you adding up percentages of sales and handling cash at the market? Either way, there's plenty to consider and to communicate to make sure things run smoothly. Let's talk about: Pros and cons of flat fees and percentage of sales rates Calculating processing fees vs labor costs Reimbursing for nutrition incentives  Understanding penalties for missing markets or late payments  Building trust with clear communication

    55 min

  4. OCT 21

    Ep 316: Jessica Mullen: Learn, Teach, and Grow

    How do you learn and grow in your farmers market career? We met Jessica Mullen of South Carolina's Travelers Rest Farmers Market when she traveled to San Diego for InTents, the national Farmers Market conference. In this episode of Tent Talk, Jessica shares what she finds valuable about InTents and other conferences and networking with other market professionals. She's all about learning, and also about offering educational opportunities at her market. Listen in for Jessica's tips on: Interactive programming for kids Simple cooking classes at the market Using data to educate your community Funding education for farmers and vendors

    47 min

  5. OCT 14

    Ep 315: Conference Look Ahead

    What's new and exciting, and what's comforting and familiar about InTents, the multinational Farmers Market Conference? Join us for a quick look ahead to what's in store in March 2025.   What's NEW:  2025 Theme: Speak Up for Farmers Markets! Brand new venue with rooms and meeting spaces under one roof Central location with shops and restaurants and the beach nearby Break out tracks for new and experienced market managers Special sessions for market farmers and vendors What's FAMILIAR: Speed-friending session lead by Cara Mae Wooledge Making your market or business financially sustainable Tons of networking time with people who get you Local food, inspiring talks, (mostly) sunny San Diego

    26 min

  6. OCT 7

    Ep 314: Peter Henry: Easing Farmers' Labor Pains

    While working for a cheese maker at New York City farmers markets, Peter Henry started thinking about ways producers could expand their reach and increase efficiencies. Now, Ten by Ten Logistics serves more than a dozen farmers at markets throughout New York. Peter continues to explore and refine systems of transporting goods to market, managing inventory and using staff based closer to the market than the farm. Listen in to hear what kinds of coordination help farmers sell at more markets and still have time to farm.  Separating packing and driving from farming, setting up and selling Palletizing so the tent weights are on the truck and the Square is charged Training farmers' own city-based employees on best market practices Creating compensation models that benefit everyone involved

    58 min

  7. SEP 30

    Ep 313: Ask The Pros!

    It's another Ask the Pros episode this week, with a mix of topics based on listener questions. We always find that discussing one person's question helps others that are pondering some variation of the same thing. If we don't necessarily have THE answer, we have ideas and experience and those might inspire your handy solution. There's nothing quite like the hive mind. This week we're talking about these questions and more:   • Where can farmers find online tutorials for building effective marketing displays? • How do market managers control political campaigners at the market? • Can we help farmers kick the plastic bag habit?  • What does it actually cost a market to facilitate EBT use?   And last but not least, could a chicken salad donut be a thing? We'll have to check with the sourdough wizards at Slow Rise.

    40 min

  8. SEP 23

    Ep 312: 4th Quarter Team Work

    The fourth quarter rolls around every year, but somehow we often forget what to do to prepare for it. Listen in as we chat about moving past the September slump. We're looking forward and making plans to make the upcoming season more productive and less stressful. How are you getting ahead of things?   Reminding farmers and vendors that this cycle happens every year Planning ahead for necessary off days Using slow days to experiment with new displays and systems Recognizing that you can do anything, but maybe not all at once   #farmersmarket #holidaymarkets #popupmarkets #marketvendors #smallfarmers #marketmanagerlife

    26 min
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4.9
out of 5
29 Ratings

About

Tent Talk is a podcast for farmers' market managers, farmers, food makers, and anyone who counts on farmers’ markets as a source of income. Please join us as we interview farmers’ market experts, talk about ways to improve local food communities, and provide you with tips on building a successful farmers’ market business. Tent Talk is produced by Farmers Market Pros.

Information

  • Creator
    Farmers Market Pros
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2024
  • Episodes
    322
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    Tent Talk

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