Hot Take: Market Managers Are Brand Builders, Not Just Business Owners
Picture a busy Saturday morning at your local farmers market. The smell of fresh bread, the towers of strawberries, the easy feeling of a community doing what communities do best. It looks effortless. It isn’t. Someone built that — and they were up at 5am to make it happen. Market managers don’t just run events. […]
Where Did All the Vendors Go? The Farmers Market Recruitment Slump in 2026 (And What Managers Can Do About It)
It’s 9pm on Sunday. You’re at the kitchen table, laptop open to a vendor application spreadsheet, and the math isn’t mathing. You have 18 confirmed vendors for 30 spots. The market opens in six days. If this scene feels uncomfortably familiar, here’s the first thing you should know: it’s not just you, and it’s not […]
3 Things Farmers Market Managers Should Set Up in the Offseason (Now) to Avoid Chaos
The most organized farmers markets don’t get that way by accident. They’re built in the offseason. If you’re a farmers market manager, the weeks (or months) before opening day are your biggest opportunity to prevent in-season stress. Once the market starts, you won’t have time to rebuild systems — you’ll just be reacting. Here are […]
Scaling Your Market From 20 to 200+ Vendors Without Losing Your Mind
So your market’s taking off. What started as a cozy weekend gathering with 20 vendors has evolved into something bigger, maybe 50, 100, or even 200+ vendors wanting in. Congratulations! That’s amazing. Also, terrifying. Because what worked when you knew every vendor by name absolutely will not work at scale. Here’s how to grow without […]
Your Q1 Market Planning Checklist: For The Organized Market Manager
New year, new markets, new you! (Okay, maybe the same you, but with better organization this time.) Q1 is the perfect opportunity to set your markets up for success before the spring rush hits. Here’s your no-nonsense checklist to start the year organized, efficient, and dare we say it, slightly less stressed. Review Last Season’s […]