Podcast
Tent Talk
Hosted by Farmers Market Pros · EN
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.
23episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Ep 367: Past Tents, Future Tents | Apply Yourself: Farmers Market Application Tips
1w ago00:35:59Tap to summarizeDiscovering new vendors that fill a need for shoppers at your farmers market is like hitting the jackpot. Finding the market that's the perfect fit for your business and your schedule is every vendor's goal. Communicate clearly and everybody wins. This week the Farmers Market Pros are talking about balancing all the pieces that create a smooth, straightforward and welcoming application. With just a little effort on both sides the process can be the start of wonderful working relationships. Start here: Know where you're headed and make your application a map Put that application button in all the places Find the right balance: more welcoming, less gatekeeping When applying, be as specific as possible Auto responders and market management platform tools save precious time
Transcribe →Ep 366: Past Tents, Future Tents Reza Djalal | Putting The Farmers Market in FMPP
2w ago00:50:09Tap to summarizeThe USDA just opened the Local Agricultural Market Program (LAMP) request for proposals and Farmers Market Promotion Program applications are due on June 5th. This funding has been a moving target the last couple of years, with tight deadlines, slow responses and sometimes sudden terminations to confirmed contracts. Still, the grant amounts are some of the largest available to farmers markets seeking to accomplish big, multi-year projects. This week we're talking to Reza Djalal of the Adams County Farmers Market. He's been part of a successful FMPP grant project and is submitting again this year. Listen in as we chat about: What kind of preparation will help meet this tight deadline Framing your project as one that helps farmers Checking meticulously for typos and math errors The weight USDA gives to naming partners (like Farmers Market Pros) Making your 35 page proposal "beautiful"
Transcribe →Ep 365: Past Tents, Future Tents | What We Learned at The InTents Conference
3w ago01:00:34Tap to summarizeKicking off this season of Tent Talk, the farmers market podcast, we're looking back at last month's InTents National Farmers Market Conference. Our theme for this series is Past Tents; Future Tents so today we're recapping what we heard and saw at the tenth annual conference, and thinking about ways we might come back even stronger in 2028. Listen in and join us in the comments while we consider: • The importance of meeting in real life. Zoom fatigue, anyone? • Messages and ideas that really stuck with us. What were your favorites? • Adding additional tracks for new and experienced market managers to deep dive • Partnering with a friendly non-profit to fund scholarships. Know anyone? • Staying in touch between conferences with live calls, focus groups and more This episode of Tent Talk is supported by the National Farmers Market Survey 2026. You have until THIS Thursday to answer the questions and contribute to a knowledge base that will benefit us all. Click the Michigan State University logo on the Resource page at FarmersMarketPros.com to access the survey today.
Transcribe →Ep 364: Grow Where You're Planted | Maggie Funkhouser: State of Reunion
Feb 900:43:01Tap to summarizeWe're in a farmers market (state association) state of mind. You already know we like all things local and farmers market associations are no exception. This episode of Tent Talk is all about the value of state market associations. Featuring Maggie Funkhouser, Director of the North Carolina Farmers Market Network, we discuss how state specific associations create more resilient markets, better market managers, and stronger food systems. This episode of Tent Talk: The Farmers Market Podcast is supported by Manage My Market.
Transcribe →Ep 363: Grow Where You're Planted | Amanda Edmonds Is Up To Data
Feb 200:36:37Tap to summarizeThe 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.
Transcribe →Ep 362: Grow Where You're Planted | Meet, Play, Learn
Jan 2600:36:58Tap to summarizeFarmers 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.
Transcribe →Ep 361: Grow Where You're Planted | Apply & Demand
Jan 1900:37:45Tap to summarizeIt'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
Transcribe →Ep 360: Grow Where You're Planted | Taking Stock
Jan 1200:46:50Tap to summarizeWelcome 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
Transcribe →359: End of Year Update: Let's Get Growing
Dec 2200:30:16Tap to summarizeWelcome 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!
Transcribe →Ep 358: Survive and Thrive | SNAP To It!
Nov 300:07:36Tap to summarizeOur 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.
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