InTents: The Farmers Market Conference 2026 Schedule
Sessions and speakers subject to change, panels may be revised or added.
Saturday
February 28th
8:00 am - 2:00 pm Visit the Little Italy Mercato farmers market 660 West Date Street
Click the arrow▼ symbol on the right for session details.
Sunday
March 1st
2:00 - 4:00 pm - Early Registration & Check-in at The Catamaran Resort
4:30 - 6:00 pm - Casual no-host meetup
Monday
March 2nd
6:15 am - 6:45 am - Yoga on the beach with Sara Hill
6:30 am - 3:30 pm - Conference Registration & Check-in
7:00 am - 8:00 am Coffee, tea and light breakfast provided
Resource Lounge Open 7:00 am - 5:00 pm
Shaping the Future of Farmers Markets
8:00 am - 11:30 am
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Join us to kick off the 10th annual InTents National Farmers Market Conference!
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Project for Public Spaces discovered and analyzed changes in customer needs and behavior over the past 5 years at the 50+ farmers markets operated by Grow NYC. Shifting our operations and marketing can bring market communities throughout the US, Canada and beyond into a future that benefits all of us.
Kelly Verel, Project for Public Spaces, Co-Executive Director, Brooklyn, NY
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The 2026 National Farmers Market Survey—led by Michigan State University Extension and guided by leaders across our sector—is now live! This effort can generate data to support your operations and fundraising as well as shape public policy more broadly. Learn how to participate and how consistent data across markets can strengthen our sector nationwide.
Amanda Maria Edmonds, Beehive Strategies, Michigan; Dave Ivan, Michigan State University
10:15 - 10:35 am - Morning Networking Break
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Speed Besties: Find your camp buddy, your market bestie, your mentor or mentee in this quick paced session. This year we’re adding a regional element to help aid ongoing connections and support beyond InTents.
Facilitated by Cara Mae Wooledge and Mimi Adams, Napa Farmer Market, California and friends
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Meet us for a quick photo session to memorialize your attendance at InTents 2026.
11:30 am - 1:00 pm - Lunch Market On-Site with local vendors, Networking, Lunchbox Meetups: grab your lunch and keep learning
Lunchbox Session: MarketWurks Updates 12:15 - 12:45 pm: Christopher Quinlan
Building Market Alignment
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
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Align your vendor application with your market’s values and long and short term goals to create clear criteria for evaluating prospective vendors, organize your layout and communicate with participants and shoppers about your choices.
Avery Reynolds, Vancouver Farmers Market
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Build plug-and-play systems that empower vendors to succeed without repetitive questions, reminders or frustrations. Create or revise onboarding kits, booth setup checklists and clear tools for setting expectation to increase vendors’ success and save managers’ time.
William Davenport, Anchored Market Ventures, Florida Alliance of Farmers Markets; Panama City, Florida -
Build a volunteer program with staying power by planning ahead, and building trust and collaboration with people of different backgrounds and varying goals. Dedicated volunteers mean stronger, more active markets and community connections.
Jaime Hadji, Ohio Farmers Market Network
3:15 - 3:45 pm - Afternoon Break
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Explore concrete strategies and add your own insights to avoid burnout and stay sane in our demanding roles during this interactive session. Start with investing in professional development, celebrating the wins big and small, and making a commitment to offsite bonding even when you don't think you have the time or resources. Let’s share solutions.
Christine Farren, Executive Director, Foodwise, San Francisco CA; Sarah Marshall, Marshall’s Haute Sauce, Meaningful Marketplace; Portland, OR
5:00 - 7:00 pm - A Longer Table: Opening Reception; appetizers, beverages and mingling in the Resource Lounge
Monday
March 2nd Farmers & Vendors Track
6:15 am - 6:45 am - Yoga on the beach with Sara Hill
6:30 am - 3:30 pm - Conference Registration & Check-in
7:00 am - 8:00 am Coffee, tea and light breakfast provided
Resource Lounge Open 7:00 am - 7:00 pm
Passion, Meet Profit
8:00 am- 5:00 pm
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Join us to kick off the 10th annual InTents National Farmers Market Conference!
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Does your market display sell itself? Farmers markets are a profitable sales channel for small farms and food producers if you understand that your booth is more than just a tent—it's a storefront, sales team, and a first impression. Learn the science behind why customers stop (or don’t), how to fix common booth mistakes that cost you sales, and storytelling techniques to turn browsers into loyal buyers.
Kelly McManus, Market Vendor Academy, Mill City Farmers Market, Minneapolis, MN
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How do you know if your farmers market business is successful? Selling out regularly may give you a hunch. Using this simple profit tracker to meticulously record your financials including expenditures, product costs and sales will give you a clear answer.
William Davenport, Anchored Market Ventures, Florida Alliance of Farmers Markets; Panama City, FL
10:15 - 10:35 am - Morning Networking Break
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Speed Besties: Find your camp buddy, your market bestie, your mentor or mentee in this quick paced session and build ongoing connections and support beyond InTents.
Facilitated by Cara Mae Wooledge and Mimi Adams, Napa Farmer Market, California and friends
-
Meet us for a quick photo session to memorialize your attendance at InTents 2026.
11:30 am - 1:00 pm - Lunch Market On-Site with local vendors, Networking, Lunchbox Meetups
Lunchbox Session: MarketWurks Updates 12:15 - 12:45 pm: Christopher Quinlan
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Whether you’re asking or giving, jump past those gates and watch your farmers market business and your community grow. Success is not pie, there’s enough for everyone when experienced vendors and mentors lend a hand.
Maya Madsen, Maya’s Cookies, San Diego, California with Sarah Marshall, Marshall’s Haute Sauce
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When it comes to farmers market businesses, connecting with your community is a better metric than going viral. Lock into your local culture with help from an experienced social media managers and vendor.
Haydee Yanez, Hayan Art, Mexicons Art
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Your farmers market is thriving, should you add more markets, sell online, scale up to wholesale? Each of these options has different requirements and sometimes hidden costs. Explore the Good Food CFO systems and software that let you predict cash flow and profit for each sales channel.
Sarah Delevan, The Good Food CFO, Los Angeles, California
3:15 - 3:45 pm - Afternoon Break
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Explore concrete strategies and add your own insights to avoid burnout and stay sane in our demanding roles during this interactive session. Start with investing in professional development, celebrating the wins big and small, and making a commitment to offsite bonding even when you don't think you have the time or resources. Let’s share solutions.
Christine Farren, Executive Director, Foodwise, San Francisco CA; Sarah Marshall, Marshall’s Haute Sauce, The Meaningful Marketplace; Portland, OR
5:00 - 7:00 pm - A Longer Table: Opening Reception; appetizers, beverages and mingling in the Resource Lounge
Tuesday
March 3rd
6:15 am - 6:45 am - Yoga on the beach with Sara Hill
7: 00 am - 2:00 pm - Conference Registration & Check-in
7:00 am - 8:00 am Coffee, tea and light breakfast provided
Resource Lounge and Merch Shop Open 7:00 am - 5:00 pm
Marketing Your Market
8:00 am - 11:30 am
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While there are many reasons to shop at farmers markets, our truly unique value proposition is taste. Encourage people to shop direct from farmers for financial impact, mitigating climate change, keeping money in the community and increasing food access. Just remember that fresh, biodiverse food tastes better and that hits harder.
Mike Lee, The Future Market; Detroit, Michigan
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Which reels, posts and live streams work best to bring shoppers to the market? And what does trending audio even mean? Things keep changing but these social media savvy market managers will let you know what works today.
Christy Campli, Growing Roots Farmers Markets, Chester County, Pennsylvania, Larry McClements, Old Town Newhall Farmers Market, Santa Clarita, California; Kaitlin Morris, Little Italy Mercato, San Diego, California
10:15 - 10:45 am - Networking Break
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The Taste It Tent is an adaptable, affordable tool to increase vendor income, promote nutrition education, build relationships and make your market more vibrant and welcoming. Learn to turn taste into action with a step by step way to turn seasonal samples and storytelling into sales.
Dawn Carrillo, Racine Farmers Market, Racine Wisconsin; Dena Radtke, Jackson Park Farmers Market, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
11:30 am - 1:00 pm - Lunch and Networking on your own, MERCH SWAP Open
Merch Swap Opens 12 noon to contributors, 12:30 to All, open to 3:45 pm Wednesday
Lunchbox Meetups to lunch and learn
Better Together
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The South has Something to Say about leadership development, mutual aid, and creating powerful coalitions even when you may not have chosen the hand - or partners - that you’ve been dealt
Moderator: Sagdrina Jalal, SageD Collective, Atlanta Leadership, Atlanta, GA; Amber Staples, West Georgia Farmers Cooperative, Hamilton, GA; Jennifer Thompson, Grant Park Farmers Market; Nancy Qarmout, Peachtree Road Farmers Market; Matthew Bagshaw, The Green Market at Piedmont Park, Atlanta, Georgia
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When an established, larger market and a smaller, emerging market pair up to secure funding opportunities, manage food access systems and combine marketing efforts everybody wins.
Sara Hill, Ohio Farmers Market Network, Garrettsville Farmers Market, Garrettsville, Ohio; Andrew Rome, Ohio Farmers Market Network, Columbus Ohio
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This wide open workshop will offer attendees a chance to brainstorm ways to make markets more profitable and enjoyable for all. Choose or suggest your bright idea and join your preferred group considering waste reduction, food access and other hot topics. Groups will report back and share their brightest thoughts. Watch for post-conference invitations to continue these conversations into the coming year.
Moderated by Natalie Labéjof, Farm Habit, Los Angeles and Orange County, California and friends.
5:00 pm - Walk to Pacific Beach Tuesday Farmers Market
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm Pacific Beach Ocean View Sunset Meetup: Shore Club; hang at the Shore Club (it’s Taco Tuesday)or go to dinner on your own or with new friends
Wednesday
March 4th
6:15 am - 6:45 am - Yoga on the beach with Sara Hill
7:00 am - 8:00 am Coffee, tea and light breakfast provided
Resource Lounge Open 7:00 am - 4:00 pm
Growing Into Tomorrow
8:00 am - 5:00 pm
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Leveraging human connection at farmers markets in the age of AI, digital delivery systems and orchestrated division. Join us for a conversation with David Sax, the author of numerous books relevant to our community, including The Soul of an Entrepreneur, The Tastemakers and The Future Is Analog: How to Create a More Human World.
Catt Fields White, Farmers Market Pros, San Diego, California and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; David Sax, Author, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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When the Covid-19 pandemic suddenly changed the order of operations for markets and the world, in most places, the farmers market community stepped up. We collaborated to find new ways to achieve the goals of feeding people and supporting farmers.
What if we put that same collective brain power and energy towards developing protocol and policy responses to ever-changing climate-related market disruptions like floods, fires, extreme heat and cold and unexpected policy changes? What would happen if markets collectively planned for an uncertain future by strengthening our grassroots ability to respond to disruption and change and support our people while doing so?
Get inspired by the stories our moderator brings and contribute your own to a conversation meant to start here and continue post-conference.
Moderator: Laura Smit, Executive Director Vancouver Farmers Markets, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Combined morning break and early lunch to accommodate hotel check-out. Luggage can be stored in meeting room after lunch.
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With an established farmers market full to capacity, passing on new vendor applicants can be heartbreaking. Annexing an under-used area of a market site and establishing short-term opportunities for new businesses organized around diverse themes creates a small business incubator that brings new excitement to the market. Get inspired by this low-risk, low-budget way to active space and support new vendors.
Jasmine Leong, Liz Weiler, Hollywood Farmers Market, Los Angeles California
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Creating a smaller version of a farmers market on a nearby corporate campus provides vendors with additional sales opportunities and exposes a new customer base to the market. Financial support for market operations is provided by the business since the mini-market is a perk to make mandatory in-office days more appealing to remote workers. Finding a need and filling it can create new funding streams while increasing shopper count.
Chloe Kuhn, Riverside Arts Market, Jacksonville, Florida
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Continuing cuts to federal food incentive programs require creative solutions to keeping people fed. Securing non-traditional partners and funding can support food access and also introduce new audiences to farmers market shopping. Learn how partnering with a neighborhood food pantry and a local language services co-op to hire Spanish Language interpreters and develop culturally diverse programming expanded services to food insecure community members and also helped them feel at home.
Megan Hague, Northside Farmers Market, Cincinnati, Ohio
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Consistent weekly scheduling is a key element to creating a farmers markets habit for grocery shoppers and supporting consistent sales for farmers and vendors. In today’s frenetic world, how do we balance commitment with a need for rest and balance?
Catt Fields White, Farmers Market Pros, San Diego, California and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania