Love Farmers Markets? Subscribe to National Farmers Market Forum
- Bob Benenson
- 3 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Substack Publication for Market Pros Launched by Local Food Forum Subscriber

I love producing Local Food Forum — it is my passion project — though sometimes over the past 4+ years it has felt a bit like a voice in the wilderness. There sure aren't a whole lot of people publishing with a tight focus on local food ecosystems, not here in the Chicago region nor, as far as I can tell, anywhere in the U.S.
So I was thrilled to learn last week that there is a new Substack publication called Farmers Market Forum... and even happier to recognize that the publisher, Catt Fields White, is a Local Food Forum subscriber!
I found out about Farmers Market Forum last Wednesday, when I was checking email while getting a ride back from the opening of the Prairie Food Co-op in the Chicago suburb of Lombard. Out of nowhere, one after the other, I was notified of new subscribers (they totaled several dozen) who were referred by Catt Fields White of Farmers Market Forum.
Catt signed on to Local Food Forum in early 2024. But it wasn't until this past week that I learned she is a major farmers market world figure in her hometown of San Diego, California and nationally. She has been founding director of the San Diego Markets organization since 2008, and since 2014 has been founder/CEO of Farmers Market Pros, a professional training and coaching agency for farmers market managers, staff and vendors.
Let's let Catt tell her own story, from the About page of the Farmers Market Forum website:

I’m Catt Fields White, and I’m a Farmers Market Pro, supporting farmers and community markets. If you’re a market pro too, this is the place for you.
You may be a farmers market director or manager, a farmer, rancher or beekeeper, a baker of bread or fermenter of pickles, a soap maker or non-profit board member.
You make farmers and community markets happen, and we’re here to help.
This newsletter and community are part of Farmers Market Pros, where we also produce a weekly podcast, offer online classes, and host an annual conference for farmers market operators, managers and participants.
We also post weekly memes, which will make you laugh out loud and wonder how we know exactly what you’re dealing with at your markets. We know because we’re still managing markets ourselves, every week, rain or shine.
So, what qualifies me to lead a community around farmers market operations?
Well, in the last 18 years I’ve:
Created and revised maps, pointed farmers and vendors to their spots, adjusted barricades and answered questions at 1,930 farmers markets
Written or edited 1,916 weekly newsletters for said markets, some on paper, some via email
Reviewed applications from 117 farmers, more than 20,000 foodmakers and 1,000,000* jewelry and candle makers
Taught 103 live Vendor-101 classes of 20 to 30 students each. One of our former students made a deal with Mark Cuban on Shark Tank.
Created an online version of Vendor-101 that creates realistic expectations and helps launch successful vendors nationwide
Spoken at conferences, annual meetings and festivals in 16 states and five countries about farmers markets and food systems
Recorded 327 episodes of Tent Talk, the Farmers Market Podcast
Produced the annual InTents National Farmers Market Conference 9 times. Save the date for the 10th annual gathering, coming March 1st - 4th, 2026
* number is a joke, but it does seem to be true that only 17 people in San Diego County do not make jewelry!
Along with me, here at Farmers Market Forum you’ll hear from my Tent Talk podcast co-host, market manager and event developer extraordinaire, Brijet Myers, from time to time. Team members Nino Budabin McQuown and Kaitlin Morris contribute research, musings and marketing tools. Hive members can expect special guests, from our favorite farmers, foodmakers and market managers to experts on marketing, finance and risk management.
Feeding people is important, farmers and community markets are happy places, and this is the best job ever. It’s also a lot of work, and having access to resources and a supportive community is important to avoid burnout. We’re here to remind you that being independent doesn’t mean you’re alone.
Subscribe so that you don’t miss a weekly newsletter full of tips, ideas and our own views of the world of markets and foodmakers. Comment on those newsletters to join the conversation and add your perspective.
We’d love for you to become a paid subscriber, to access our weekly Market Haul of links, offers, leads and tools and to support the work we’re doing here.
Level up to our Hive Membership for even more. Cheaper than the price of a single consulting call, at less than 85 cents a day, this one will give you access to our monthly Ask Me Anything live advice sessions, webinars on specific operational topics, special offers from us and our Resource Partners and more.
However you connect, we can’t wait to share market life and experiences with you.
So, like Catt said, if you are a Farmers Market Pro, you should definitely subscribe to Farmers Market Forum. But if you're a farmers market geek (like me) and you're interested in what makes markets tick, you should subscribe too.
Good luck, Catt!