COLUMBUS, Ohio – Hundreds of farmers markets operate throughout Ohio each year. Most are open on a seasonal basis – usually May through September – while others are active year-round. Regardless of frequency, consumers and vendors share the benefits of all these exchanges.

Markets offer consumers a variety of fresh products and produce from a local source in a community setting. Upsides for vendors include direct marketing, increased profit margins, growing a client base, and development and sales of complimentary products.

Farmers markets may operate as independent entities or partner with municipalities, churches or non-profit organizations. Notwithstanding the operating structure, a market manager is essential in maintaining the day-to-day activities associated with marketplace transactions.

Market managers are not always equipped to handle obstacles that arise while overseeing a marketplace. Problems include friction among vendors, lack of community support, inadequate marketing, or lack of development and planning for future growth.

Non-profits have emerged to support market managers at the national and state level. The Farmers Market Coalition is a national organization whose mission is “to strengthen farmer’s markets for the benefit of farmers, consumers, and communities.” This is achieved by providing resources, networking opportunities and training.

The Ohio Farmers Market Network (OFMN), a non-profit, originally known as the Farmers Market Management Network, has been around since 2008. A group of market managers searching for ways to collaborate and share ideas formed the network with assistance from Ohio State University.

“In the early stages, the network was called the Farmers Market Management Network and was organized as a cooperative,” OFMN board chair Jaime Hadji said. “The organization produced one event a year – a statewide farmers market conference. Market Managers from around the state came together at the Ohio Department of Agriculture for a two-day conference focused on best practices and management.”

OFMN’s services have evolved through increased networking events, training opportunities, conferences and certification programs. In addition, the network has broadened its collaborative scope. “We also work with complimentary organizations across the state and country to improve the overall state of the Ohio food system, such as OEFFA, Produce Perks Midwest, Farmers Market Coalition, and the Washington State Farmers Market Association to name a few,” Hadji said. “We maintain a strong relationship with the Ohio Department of Agriculture and OSU too, consulting one another regularly.”

Lisa Nemeth, the owner of Northcoast Promotions, manages Pinecrest Farmers Market and Tremont Farmers Market in Northeast Ohio. Her managerial responsibilities span the entire event, from inception to conclusion.

“I secure the farmers, get the contracts signed and get them signed up for their date, collect the payment for participation, handle the advertising, and make sure security is in place and the musicians are hired,” Nemeth said. “Then, I pretty much manage and make sure everything goes smoothly.”

Nemeth’s decades worth of experience in creating and managing pop-up events and festivals was why Tremont and Pinecrest approached her when searching for a market manager. “In 2020 they approached me and asked me if I’d be interested,” Nemeth said. “I entered into it with the full disclosure that I had never run a farmers market before, and they were OK with that.”

Two weeks after she accepted the position the pandemic shut everything down. In a twist of fate, the isolation provided Nemeth with an opportunity. “I was able to concentrate all my efforts on the farmers market that year and learn what they needed and how to do it,” she said. “So for me, it was just making a side step from art into food.”

While Nemeth educated herself, OFMN’s training provides current and aspiring market managers with valuable knowledge and skills required for success. “We host monthly meetings with market managers in southwest and central Ohio and have developed a robust training program known as the Market Manager Certificate Program,” Hadji said. “It’s an annual education program that provides advanced training to market managers through an online webinar series. It’s been quite popular and with a few improvements to the program in 2024, we’ll begin working with other state farmers market associations to provide the training to their networks as well.”

Market managers employ assorted skills in their organizational and managerial capacities. Problem-solving, active listening, and organization are vital talents for effective management.

“We set them, we set the mood for what the event is going to be, and a lot of it has to do with the disposition of the person in charge,” Nemeth said. “If the person in charge is calm taking care of business, everybody else is calm. If the person running the event is chaotic, everything else is chaotic.”

OFMN continues to support vendors as well as market managers. “Our efforts to work with and for vendors have always been there, but not until recently have they been successful,” Hadji said. “This year we hosted our first conference dedicated solely to farmers market vendors and the issues they face when considering a farmers market. We also host a vendor list-serv to communicate things that may be of interest to them, and co-host webinars and information sessions with other statewide organizations.”

OFMN uses a membership and registration process for farmers markets. This allows them to track the number of markets in the state and communicate the economic impact for vendors and communities.

With a dedicated board of directors, the OFMN is looking toward a very bright future. “We’re committed to supporting the market managers, farmers, and food producers that feed our neighbors, and constantly search for ways to do better,” Hadji said. “It’s a collaborative effort with mutual respect for the uniqueness of every farmer’s market across the state.”