08/13/2026
A little glimpse behind the scenes. 🌱
Back in 2018, I started driving almost an hour to have consistent access to fresh, farm-to-table food.
We live in our community year-round, but access to locally grown food was seasonal. That experience eventually led me deeper into farmers' markets, first as a customer, and later as a vendor.
Becoming a vendor changed my entire perspective.
I gained direct access to farmers and locally grown food, but I also began to understand what happens on the other side of the tent.
Behind every tent is a farmer, producer, or small business owner who has invested time, money, labor, and sometimes hours on the road to show up.
Somewhere along the way, I realized a farmers market isn’t just a collection of tents. It’s a local food system.
And if we’re asking farmers and small businesses to show up for communities, we also have a responsibility to build markets that show up for them.
Today, I find myself on the other side of that journey, helping to build a Certified Farmers Market and learning just how much more this work can be.
It’s food access.
It’s supporting local agriculture and small businesses.
It’s helping families understand where their food comes from.
It’s health and wellness.
It’s creating partnerships and bringing resources closer to the communities they serve.
Because access to fresh, healthy food should not depend on your income, your ZIP code, or whether you have transportation.
Sometimes the work means being at the market; sometimes it happens behind the scenes; and sometimes it means getting in the room and sharing the vision.
Still learning, still growing, and building. 🌱
