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Local Roots | Richmond Farmers Market
Welcome to "Local Roots," a captivating podcast series broadcasting directly from the bustling heart of the Richmond Farmers Market in Richmond, Indiana. Each episode dives into the vibrant community of farmers, artisans, and customers who are the heartbeat of this local market. We take you on an auditory journey through the stalls, bringing to life the stories, traditions, and passions that make the Richmond Farmers Market a treasure trove of local culture and flavors.
Join us as we chat with long-standing farmers who have watched the market grow, newcomers who bring fresh ideas, and regular customers who share their favorite market finds. Our episodes cover a variety of topics including sustainable agriculture, local culinary delights, traditional crafts, and the importance of supporting local economies.
With the rustling of fresh produce, the hum of friendly chatter, and the occasional acoustic melodies from local musicians as our backdrop, "Local Roots" isn't just a podcast—it's an experience of the senses and a celebration of community spirit. Tune in and become part of the story of Richmond's own local treasure.
Local Roots | Richmond Farmers Market
Episode 2 | Local Roots - Cierra Bailey's Evolution from Market Director to Apothecary Visionary
Ever wondered what it's like to leave the hubbub of market coordination for the tranquil art of herbal entrepreneurship? Cierra Bailey, a beacon of botanical wisdom, joins us to recount her vivid journey from the bustling Richmond Farmers Market to the founding of Run Wild Apothecary. Her story is one of transformation and growth, from the ritual of packing to the sacred act of connecting with the earth—and it's all wrapped in the potent embrace of community service. Cierra not only concocts soothing salves but also imparts plant knowledge, nurturing the symbiosis between humans and nature.
Navigating the vendor life is no small feat, and today's conversation pulls back the curtain to reveal the patience and intricacy involved in crafting herbal remedies. Crafting each tincture is an act of dedication, a testament to the relationship vendors cultivate with their clientele. Sierra emphasizes the critical importance of ethical foraging and sustainable practices, a backbone of her practice, and the profound responsibility every vendor shoulders when their products touch lives. It's an intimate look at the unseen labor and expertise that infuses each market stall with life.
As we wrap up our heartfelt exchange, the spotlight turns to the strong bonds forged in the heart of the marketplace. Sierra's personal tale weaves through her experiences, from her first days at the Richmond market to the flowering of romance with a fellow vendor. It's a reminder of the magic that can happen within the microcosm of a market, where business and personal triumphs share the stage. Join us for this enriching account, and witness how local markets nurture relationships that extend far beyond their booths.
Local Roots is your go-to podcast for all things Richmond Farmers Market. The Richmond Farmers Market is not just a place to buy fresh produce. It's a bustling hub of community, culture and connection.
Speaker 2:Enjoy the show. Hello and welcome to Local Roots, your Richmond Farmers Market podcast. I am Hannah Snoddy, Farmers Market Coordinator. I'm Christy Cruz and I'm Sierra Bailey. Sierra is here with us today to talk about the Richmond Farmer's Market. She has a unique experience with us as Sierra was a prior Farmer's Market coordinator, now turned vendor. So I will let Sierra introduce herself and what she's up to these days, yeah, so thank you guys for having me here.
Speaker 3:As Hannah said, I was market coordinator of the Richmond Farmer's Market. I started that position in 2021. I moved here from Ohio specifically for that position and I did that for about a year and a half until fall 2022. And then, as much as I love that position, I quit to live on a bus for a while with my partner and because I wanted to pursue my herbal business full-time, which I know we'll be talking about today and so now I get the best of both worlds I get to run my own herbal business and I get to see everyone at the farmer's market. Still, is that where Run?
Speaker 2:Wild came from.
Speaker 3:That makes sense now that you say that Not really. That makes sense now that you say that Not really. I just like the general message of run wild, be wild, do whatever you want.
Speaker 4:Live free, live free. So I always wondered did your time at the market inspire you to create your business, or did you create your business with that in mind? Which one inspired? The other, I guess.
Speaker 3:So the market definitely inspired me in particular ways. So I had been studying herbalism since 2017, but I had never necessarily wanted to pursue it full-time and it wasn't until I started as market coordinator and moved to Richmond that I saw that it is a viable option and how fulfilling and lucrative vending can be, and just the opportunities that arise when you enter that world. So, yeah, I definitely would not be where I am with my business if not for specifically learning what vending can be, like at the market.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so you've always done the herbalism. But being with the market you saw the vending experience from everybody Exactly and they make it look fun. You guys make it look easy, they do it is fun and it is easy and also it's.
Speaker 3:It's such a unique experience, in both the positive and the negative ways that it is. It kind of shows you that the ebbs and flows of business, without taking on that storefront, without taking on that, you know property necessarily and for sure, because if people didn't have the opportunity to vend at the market, a lot of people just wouldn't have a business, or not nearly as successful a business, by having the venue to meet people to sell their goods.
Speaker 2:It's a good way to test the waters, for sure. If it's something new, for sure. I remember when you first started vending, the first couple of times I saw you tearing things down, I was like, so which one's easier? Is it easier to tear down a booth setup or the farmer's market like our information booth, because we have a lot of tables and stuff too, but not products.
Speaker 3:So I think it's harder to tear down the vending setup, especially with me with my herbal products. I have like a million tiny little bottles that go in their little sections and then I put them in my suitcase and then I close the suitcase and then I just have a lot of boxes. It honestly needs to be more efficient than it is.
Speaker 4:I feel like every vendor has their own specific way also of packing their things. They've offered to help people before and you almost make it worse for them when you do try to help. They all have a method to their madness. Yep, and they fit it in the car just perfectly it's like tetris with all the products, so I've always wondered that that's interesting, yeah so for someone that doesn't know about your business, tell them a little bit about like you do, what you make and why you started doing that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so my business is Run Wild Apothecary and it is an herbal business, so I do a mix of things. Within the past year I've started seeing clients, I sell products that is my main endeavor and also I teach classes. So I try to teach a class a month, most local, some online. And, yeah, that began slowly. So I have a degree in environmental biology and then I started working in natural resources for the parks and doing environmental education and planning events. So that is what introduced me to the plants. That's a lie.
Speaker 1:My father was always into alternative like in holistic medicine.
Speaker 3:Uh, growing up and he would like fit feed me like ginger root and like 20 fish oil pills at a time.
Speaker 3:Oh my gosh, but poor, thing, yes it wasn't until I started working in natural resources that my own interest and excitement and like passion started to come, and I had all these amazing people like teaching me about the land and the plants and I was like this is so cool, so I just got obsessed with it, and I tend to get obsessed with things for like six months at a time and this is the only thing that has stuck. But and the reason I do it I think, has changed some. I started to do it because I wanted people to care about plants and I was like, okay, well, if you like bridge, if you create a bridge for people and be like, hey, you think this is just a dandelion, but it can actually do all these like very potent medicinal things for you. Then I was hoping to create more like curiosity and reverence around the plans.
Speaker 3:And now that I have started to get more into the clinical and like advanced side of herbalism, more into the clinical and advanced side of herbalism, I very much do it for the people just as much at this point because, while there are limitations to both herbalism and modern medicine, I think that both fill in these particular gaps. But a lot of people that come to Herbalist, have been to a million doctors and they can't get the help that they need. And I think that, just because the approach to herbalism versus the approach to like our medical system is so different than a lot of support can be provided through herbal medicine and supplements and, of course, like nutrition and lifestyle, like I do all of that with my clients. But yeah, just people feel hopeless and it's there's hope to be had, so that's important and I was one of those people.
Speaker 2:I was one of those people that had seen a doctor multiple times over stomach issues and stuff and I went and saw Sierra and, like Sierra, helped me out greatly with those and helped me come up with a plan, ways to eat, things to take. So that was really helpful for me and I know eating healthier, eating natural and seeking natural ways is really I don't want to say a trendy thing, but you see those trends in medicine. So have you seen any upticks in your business since you started? Do you see more people seeking your advice to find natural?
Speaker 3:ways For sure, and one, the I can't tell if it's like I think herbal medicine and like alternative medicine is getting a lot more popular, but I also think the market has been a huge part of that for me, like I expected a lot of my business to be online and like 75% of it has been in person because of word of mouth, uh, like around town people I meet at the market or people just talking about my products or what I do, and. But yes, definitely, and it took about, so I've been vending. I think it'd be for a year and a half now.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And it probably wasn't until this past winter that things really started to take off and I could count on like a regular income from the market. And I think it is because I think that's just a rule of vending Like you need to You're building that customer base and getting repeat customers and they're telling their friends and family about it and exactly, and I think this past winter I don't know if it was just me doing more herbal medicine and like talking to more people or if everyone in the world was just actually sick.
Speaker 3:Yeah, but both. Yes, but I had a lot of products for like cold and flu stuff and um, and they worked really well. And a lot of people started coming for those and then started talking to their friends about it.
Speaker 4:And I think that's a cool thing to point out is that when you think of a farmer's market, you don't, you know. The first thought is food. You know vegetables, meat, you know that sort of thing, and I think that's one really cool thing about the Richmond Farmer's Market is that we have so many of these other products that you can come out there and get that are still based around health and wellness and being healthy and making alternative choices that people may not realize, and I think that's what makes us different than some other markets. It's a good point. We have a lot of diversity, yeah, yeah, Different. You can almost come there and get everything you would need, rather than going to a name chain store.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and I think, as much as we all try to spread the word about the market, that is something that people don't know. You can literally get everything you need, from meat and eggs and all the veggies in the world and fruit to herbal medicine, to leather work and really nice ceramics and jewelry and all of it.
Speaker 2:Dishes to eat. The food on Exactly Got body care.
Speaker 3:I definitely will make just full meals from everything at the farmer's market. We'll make just full meals from everything at the farmer's market.
Speaker 4:Oh gotcha, it's kind of cool when you can look in your refrigerator and pull together a meal and think, oh my gosh, I got like 90% of this at the farmer's market, you know like once you kind of start thinking about all the different aspects of it.
Speaker 2:I've done that before and I've been looking at my plate and it kind of in my mind it was like you normally see these kids plates where it's like the different food groups and instead it's like this vendor that vendor, this vendor. There should be like a farmer's market plate. Like we've done that several times when we've been cooking, and that's how my mind worked with visuals That'd be like a cute graphic.
Speaker 3:It was yeah, oh, we should do that that is a good idea.
Speaker 4:Mental note what do you think for someone who is looking to start their own business? You've seen it from both sides from a market coordinator perspective and from your own. What advice would you give to someone that's wanting to start their own small business.
Speaker 3:You see a million people on the internet that are like make money selling something with no skills or prior knowledge, and I think that is very inaccurate. I think you need to be really good at what you do. I think you need to have the knowledge and the experience and the talent and the passion. And the passion Because you do have to put in, at minimum, minimum months, let alone most of the time like years of work before this, before you get the ball rolling, before it's lucrative, before it can support you. And I think that's why vending in a farmer's market is so important, because it gives you that avenue to support yourself while also building your business. And, yeah, just put the work in and learn as much as you can and know what people want, without assuming what people want, because I think it's easy to be like, oh, a lot of people will like this, but will they?
Speaker 3:Everybody's different, everybody's different, everybody's different and, like we've already touched on, as both a vendor and market coordinator, it takes a good while to build a customer base and I think, going into vending, you need to recognize that. That is very normal, not overnight. It doesn't happen overnight, for sure. And I was even wondering, since I was a market coordinator, if that would be different, since people would recognize my face. And I was even wondering, since I was a market coordinator, if that would be different, since people would recognize my face. But it was not by any means At first.
Speaker 2:They did, they did associate the two, because they would come into the market and they would come up to me and be like I heard you sell these now and I'm like no, I don't Go around the corner. I can help you Very minimal in that category. So yeah, it was pretty funny and I was like, oh well, I love that you think that, but you know she's right around the corner and she's here and we got there for a couple of months. But I think now they've you know, they've separated that gap a little bit, but obviously still still know you as Sierra.
Speaker 2:So, that's really cool and I thought you talking on, like you know, putting the work into these businesses and stuff. I know this was a conversation we had with vendors just a couple of days ago about how I think a lot of people, when they come to the market and they see stuff that's produced by the vendors, they don't realize the work that goes on behind the scenes. So when you talk about do your research, don't just up and watch a video and think, oh, this is a quick way to make a buck. Instead, these are people that this is what their livelihoods are based on, this is what they're passionate about. So there's months and years, you know, of education and work that goes into this and a lot behind the scenes that you guys do just to get that product on the table. And I mean, I know, I'm sure, for your stuff. I mean, do you have an average amount of time that it takes for you to make your tinctures and your salves?
Speaker 3:I don't know. I'll tell you what goes into a tincture, for example, one if you're talking about plants in general, like 14 years of education have went into this, but specifically herbalism over six years and I think with when you're dealing with health. That's incredibly important, especially because it is becoming more popular and trendy, like you need to know what you're talking about. You didn't just Google search Exactly? How does this help me? Google is not very good at herbalism.
Speaker 4:Yeah, just don't Google anymore, definitely not your symptoms. Yeah, don't Google symptoms, don't don't Google cures.
Speaker 3:And also when you Google like herbs for this, it's always the same 10 herbs for everything which those herbs can be beneficial. But you also have to know contraindications, which is like what this herb should not be taken, like if there's coexisting conditions like you, shouldn't take the herb with this. If you're onexisting conditions, like you shouldn't take the herb with this. If you're on certain pharmaceuticals, you shouldn't take the herb, and that stuff is really important to know. If you have high blood pressure, don't take this herb. Things like that.
Speaker 4:The same kind of things you'd ask your doctor if you were talking about pharmaceutical medicine Don't take this with this and don't take this because of this condition Exactly.
Speaker 3:And the amounts, I'm sure, and yeah, the amounts for sure. And some herbs you can take right in that moment to feel better, but a lot of herbs you need to take as a tonic. You need to take it consistently. You need to give it weeks or months to make a difference in your body. No-transcript.
Speaker 3:But so then, after the education, one like medicine making in terms of herbalism is a whole different ballgame than the herbal knowledge. Like how do you make the most potent, concentrated and preserved herbal medicines? And I've taken whole courses on that alone. So you need to know whether something is better fresh or dry. So like, are you pulling it right out of the ground and putting it into alcohol or oil or water, or do you need to dry it first? Because some things so, for a tincture, for example, I'll just go back to that.
Speaker 3:So tinctures are alcohol extracts and alcohol is a really good solvent of a lot of like the medicinal constituents of herbs and acts as a really good preservative. So it's concentrating and preserving this and then you're letting the plant sit in alcohol for about four to six weeks and then you strain it and you're left with like this little bottle and you have a dropper and then you can take that and it acts as your herbal medicine. But so one I have to learn how abundant a plant is and how it reproduces. Because if it's not abundant and it's not going to and you can't cultivate it, then I'm not going to take it from the wild. And yeah, if something is rare, like that's just an important part of the process, like don't forage stuff that is not abundant enough to forage.
Speaker 2:Kind of taking care of the earth a little bit Exactly, so you don't take something away that can't replenish itself and I think that has been a big problem with trends, especially in herbal medicine, over the years.
Speaker 3:But so you need to know that first.
Speaker 3:And then, if something is abundant enough and it's in an area that I know has not been sprayed that is legal to forage off of, I go out, I have my little backpack and my clippers and like my bowl or all the stuff I need to gather it, and I go and I clip it from the ground and then I take it back to my house and I weigh it and then I look at this little reference book I have that tells me the ratio of herb to alcohol that you want, what percentage of alcohol.
Speaker 3:So then I'm mixing distilled water with alcohol to get alcohol soluble and water soluble medicine from it. So then I'm chopping it up as fine as I can and then I'm putting it in my jar and then I'm making a label that has a lot of information so that I know exactly what I need. And then I'm waiting for four weeks and then I'm straining it and then I'm bottling it and then I design my own label. So a lot goes into that, figuring out like who, where do I order labels from? Like, what do I use to design them? And also sourcing bottles is a pain in itself, and something I have had to learn over the years is how to buy proper bottles sizes with lids that actually fit because they were sold separately often.
Speaker 2:Do you have to look at even the?
Speaker 3:bottle color. Yes, so for some stuff that's really pretty, that is not gonna that someone is going to use rather quickly, I'll put it in a clear bottle, um, just because it looks neat. But if someone is going to have something for a while, an amber bottle is best. And when I make my, someone is going to have something for a while, an amber bottle is best. And when I make my tinctures that are in my cabinet, I will put them all in darker bottles.
Speaker 4:I think that's a good point too. We had another vendor that started a couple of weeks ago and they came to the first market and walked away with just a grocery list of things that they needed to go buy for their booth. And I think, as a new vendor setting up, that's something to think about getting out going to the farmer's markets and not just looking at what they're selling. But how are they selling it? What's their setup look like? We tell vendors all the time your setup matters. That's what draws people in. It makes it look interesting to them. But to your point then, think about what are you putting the product in? How are you putting the product in? How are you labeling the product? How are you you know it's your responsibility as the vendor, from start to finish to you know put a product out. So I think there's a lot that goes into it that people don't think about.
Speaker 3:And I know for me with herbal medicine, like people don't know what it is, and so I thought, and some this has transitioned a lot. Even over the past two years I have been selling products. But I want to. My goal is to have like nice, quirky, cool labels for everything to have a professional look, because people are hesitant to like, try something that doesn't is quote weird or they haven't tried it before.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I think it's the same thing, Like you always hear people eat with their eyes, but they also shop with their eyes. So and I mean people are judgmental of things like that. You know, if they look at your bottle and the, you know it's a handwritten, weathered, torn thing and they're like this is supposed to be medicine. Yeah, I don't know, but I can say I know your labels have come a long way.
Speaker 2:The ones that you have now are gorgeous and they look great. I like the color contrast on them. They're very eye-catching. But I think that that's something especially new vendors just don't think about and we've had a couple of vendors that have done that with their products and we see it's. It's cool to see that change in them from like where they started and like they have that grocery list and then a couple months later it's like bam, all their stuff matches, it's color coordinated, it's beautiful and it's catchy. And then you have people that are stopping in their booth because it catches their attention. So it matters a lot it does.
Speaker 4:Speaking of that, like, do you find people are getting more comfortable with things like herbal medicine and those types of remedies? You know, to your point, people might walk up and say, well, I'm kind of scared to try this. You know, what kind of information do you offer someone who's like questioning you know what kind of product to try? Or you know someone that's kind of hesitant. I guess I should say, like as a vendor, obviously having knowledge of your product is important, but how do you, kind of you know, bridge that gap when you do have someone who's like, well, I'd like to try this, but you know I'm hesitant.
Speaker 3:So yeah, like you just mentioned, especially with herbal medicine.
Speaker 3:Yeah, like you just mentioned, especially with herbal medicine, prior knowledge is the most important thing, and I can ask what someone's main concerns are, I can ask if they are on medications, I can ask if they have any preexisting conditions, and then I also like have this list of herbs in my head that are just the safest herbs that aren't, and, of course, people can have like individual allergic reactions, but there are like, and those safest herbs are, for the most part, what I vend with, because they're applicable to most people, and there's also different forms of herbal medicine that can interact more and less.
Speaker 3:So, like my salves are really good sellers and because they are effective, but because you put them on topically, like they're not, people don't really have to worry about like interactions with anything that they might be taking or dealing with. Um, also, teas especially if it's tea that you're just enjoying for, like the calming effects every once in an hour to go to sleep or for a bellyache like, and you're not drinking like huge amounts like teas, for the most part, are very safe. Um, and then when you do start dealing with tinctures that are more concentrated, that is just when you have to know which herbs are not gonna interfere with meds.
Speaker 4:I'm sure you have to build that trust factor with people sometimes. And yeah, it took.
Speaker 3:I depend. So my fiance, as you guys know, he vends leather work and when he goes and vends somewhere else like he usually makes really good money because it's a lot of people who haven't seen his stuff. Whereas I go and I vend elsewhere I do not do as well as I do at the farmer's market because people don't have that trust in me. They don't know what I know, they don't know my training and education and experience with this Rely on those relationships Exactly, and they don't know what it is. Even Some people have thought it was pheromones. I have a lot of people think it's essential oils, which takes just like still like particular equipment to make that. I don't have, um, and it just takes a lot, a lot of plant material to make essential oil. So I don't dabble with that very much. But yeah, so that trust is a huge part of my business that's an interesting point.
Speaker 4:I never thought about that. That he could probably go and sell to almost anyone. But for you in your line of you know your products you kind of have to build those relationships a lot more.
Speaker 3:That's really interesting and I think that's why I'm doing well now is because that's been happening for the past year and a half and you stuck with it and I think we see vendors that come in and they're there for a few weeks and they say, oh, I'm just not.
Speaker 4:you know people are looking but they're not buying. And we tell people a lot. You just got to keep trying, you got to keep coming back. People need to get to know you and, especially, interact with them, build those world, you know.
Speaker 2:I know I just talked about, like, oh, your branding's important, but you can have the best setup in the world and if you don't have a good attitude about it, then that's not always going to sell your product, you know, and it's definitely not going to have somebody keep coming back to you and be like oh, your product might've been okay, but Sierra is a nightmare and I just don't want to go talk to her anymore, so you know. I think that's something that's important to keep in mind as well and changing products becomes.
Speaker 4:You know, you get vendors that get antsy and they say, well, this product didn't work great for me, I'm going to jump completely ship and start doing something new. Well then, you're not giving people time to learn your product, and so you do have to stick with it to a certain point, and there is maybe a situation where you have to pivot and do something different to meet your customer's needs. But you have to give it a fair chance too.
Speaker 3:And admittedly, it is a unique disappointment that I had not experienced before vending, because you put your whole heart and soul, hopefully, into these things that you're creating and I think people can tell when you do or when you don't, but you're like, hey, I work really hard on this and it's really cool.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And then, yeah, and then you have to just keep in mind that you have to gain that trust, that relationship with your customer, and then people will start to come.
Speaker 1:Mm-hmm.
Speaker 4:So, speaking of your fiance, tell the people the story. We need the people to know the story.
Speaker 3:We love the story. Yes, so I moved to little old Richmond, indiana, not knowing anyone, and I saw an email from the market coordinator before me, caleb Smith. I saw his second email just on a farm list serve I was on. He said hey, last call for applicants for this position and I was like I can do that. Life has been changed. Yes, and so I moved here and got offered the position and Denise of course I think this is funny she was like well, can you be here in a week Because she can make things happen.
Speaker 1:Yes, she can, it's so impressive. But I was like, well, can?
Speaker 3:you be here in a week because she can make things happen that she doesn't happen. It's so impressive. But I was like no, I can't, like I don't have anywhere to live.
Speaker 4:And she's like I have somewhere for you to live and so I was like, okay, well, I can be there in a week then and she had the most beautiful place in the world for me to live.
Speaker 3:I love the Charles house.
Speaker 3:But so I came and then the first couple months were of the market were so busy because I started full time in July and then finally yes, and finally, when things started to slow down, I was like that guy's cute and he is a vendor and he would sell his other work and he wears this cowboy hat that I love and this raccoon tail on a side that I loved and love. And so finally we got to talking one day after the market and then we sat there for like three hours after the market and that was probably in August or October or September. That was probably sometime in September and immediately I was like oh, that's what that's supposed to feel like oh and farmer's market love and then.
Speaker 3:So then yeah, we just he was like you want to go on a hike with me? And I was like, yeah, and then that was it, and now we're engaged, we're getting married next weekend oh my gosh.
Speaker 2:I got a little goose. Yes, we are very excited for you guys.
Speaker 3:He actually thought about proposing at the farmer's market, not making like a scene.
Speaker 2:Remember he told me that and I was like oh, you should have done it, but everyone would have loved it.
Speaker 2:We all would have loved it, but I don't, you know, knowing Jeremy and how he is like, yeah, I can, I can see how he's like. Well, I didn't want to make a huge, huge thing of it. I was like you should have made a giant, we could have put you on the stage, but it was the sweetest thing and I know, during the winter market it was funny too, because one of the vendors that sets up besides our info booth they've been real nosy and they thought that Jeremy had a ring on his finger one day and they came up to me and they're like, did they sneak off and get married? And they didn't tell us. And I was like I don't think they would do that to us. Like, we're all invested now.
Speaker 2:I had to like play the middleman and just go up and like glance around. I didn't see anything and I was like Jeremy, what's up? And you know. Then you guys are like no no no.
Speaker 3:Our mothers would kill us. He just found a cool local ring made by Shelby Bruner and he just loves it. But now, so as of next Saturday, be looking for the ring.
Speaker 4:Now the real ring is coming. Other than, jeremy, what is your favorite thing at the Richmond Farmers Market? Like favorite, just your like your favorite thing about coming to the market?
Speaker 3:Absolutely the community Favorite product is probably cut flowers. I love the pretty bouquets, but that is something that I think if I wouldn't have been a vendor after being market coordinator, it would be very hard, and the fact that I get to do my business and still see everyone is very important to me and it's something that I feel like. It's such a unique community too, and Jeremy and I talk about like we're who knows what will happen, but like likely we'll be there for a lifetime, and that's like really cool to think about and think about like bringing our little babies along, and it's just. I think I feel really lucky to like be surrounded by people who are really passionate and talented and like care about their businesses and each other in the farmer's market community.
Speaker 4:It's definitely a community, not just within the vendors and the staff. I mean, we see this. You know a lot of repeat customers that come out, and even new customers when they come out and they say, oh, I get it now. You know now.
Speaker 2:I get it.
Speaker 4:I've been here now I get it. So, it is.
Speaker 2:it's a really cool Well maybe in like 30 years you'll be like the next Don and you guys will be sitting in the back of a pickup truck and you'll see everything that the market's gone through over the past 30 years, and that would be awesome. That's the literal dream.
Speaker 3:We'll check back in in 30. Yeah, we'll have you back. We'll have to do another podcast.
Speaker 2:So I am curious so after you did leave from being a coordinator and you and Jeremy you got on your bus and you went south for a little while you tried some other vending experiences. What was that like? What was it like to vend in other places? I know you talked a little bit about like you have to build that relationship base, but even like on his end you know selling leather goods and stuff like that, how does it differ, like when you're at a different vending event, whether it's a market or, you know, festival or wherever?
Speaker 3:just so I feel like we were in a unique opportunity, like a unique position, where we didn't realize you couldn't just show up to Florida and vend things. Everyone kept telling us like it's about. So we went down there at the beginning of November and that's when the busy season is, that's when the influx of people start coming and it was impossible to get into any vending events. So I think Just because of the volume, because of all the people down there that want to vend, wow, and their market coordinator, I called her about six times and she never got back to us. So that really disappointed me After doing it for a year and a half and seeing how good of a job you do.
Speaker 1:I was like you can at least call people back.
Speaker 3:After doing it for a year and a half and seeing how good of a job you do, I was like you can at least call people back. But in terms of different vending events, yeah, I think it is just so dependent on your product. Like I've done one like health and wellness event that was like advertised for like alternative holistic hippie medicine kind of stuff, and I did well there, but for the most part with my product that people like people want to trust you before they take something for their health from you. So that's why I think I do so much better at Richmond than I have done elsewhere. And then, yeah, if you have something that is applicable to like everyone that doesn't require as much education, I think that there can definitely be more. Yeah, you can make just as much money elsewhere. And then, yeah, sometimes, depending on what you sell, sometimes it can be nice to like branch out and get those one-off opportunities in different communities where people don't know your stuff.
Speaker 2:Sometimes change is nice. Sometimes a change of scenery works out in your favor. I know we've had some vendors that'll say like I went to this event. That was supposed to be really, really good, but I'm going to be home next weekend because it didn't work out right and then they call the market home. That's where they go back and they know they have a little bit of that consistency that helps them out.
Speaker 3:Well, and even knowing different vending events, jeremy's been vending for, I think, over six years now, and it has taken him that long to know which events are worth going to and which are not, because, depending on what you have, depending on where it is, depending on what theme the event is, all that stuff matters and again, you just have to put in the time to know where your customer is. That's a really good point.
Speaker 2:Really good point. Even then, I feel like there's no guarantee. I'm sure you know what it feels like to be an event coordinator and you, christy, you put your heart and soul into getting these and promoting, and promoting, and promoting, and then, like the night before, it's like I can't sleep. Is this going to be successful or not? Will people show up? And so it's the most gratifying feeling when people show up because, like that's our job, to get the people there. And then you know, hopefully, when the people are there, they want to buy your products while they're there. So, but that's probably where my anxiety gets the highest, on those like really busy market event days when we pushed and pushed, because we still have people that say I didn't know that this was here.
Speaker 3:you know, every time I hear that like because even when I'm out and about on the town, like I wear Jeremy's earrings a lot, for example, and they're like, hey, I love your and I'm like Richmond Farmer's Market, and they're like does that happen in the winter?
Speaker 4:I'm like I didn't know we had one.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I get that a lot too, and I actually got questioned today because I had earrings on that look like they should be from the Farmer's Market. And they're like did you get those from the Farmer's Market? And I was like, unfortunately no, so I guess I just need to switch all of my wardrobe to everything market so I can just be a walking advertisement for everybody.
Speaker 2:But I do that a lot when I have earrings on and stuff or I need to get a new bracelet from Jeremy, but when I had a leather one, I got asked about that one all the time.
Speaker 2:I have an ankle bracelet that I get asked about all the time. Of course, my tie-dye shirt. I tie-dyed one of our farmer's market shirts. Get asked about that one all the time. And that's just great when you're walking around with those products and you're not intentionally trying to do anything, but everybody's like I love that, where'd you get that? Oh yeah, yeah, it's a good way to advertise for others.
Speaker 4:Well, thank you for coming out and talking with us today, ciara, obviously we're at the farmer's market every saturday down at elstro plaza right now, from nine until noon. But tell the the folks where they can also find your products and where you're at yes, so farmer's market every saturday.
Speaker 3:And then I'm on etsy it's run wild apothecary. And then facebook and instagram run wild apothecary. Oh and tiktok now oh and TikTok now.
Speaker 2:Oh, so TikTok.
Speaker 4:We'll have to follow you.
Speaker 2:I'm going to have to check that out. Well, I mean with that, like Christy said, we loved having you on here and chatting with you about all things market and vending and market coordinator, and also about your upcoming wedding.
Speaker 1:So, Sierra, is getting married in two weeks.
Speaker 2:So we just wanted to let her know. Congratulations to both you and Jeremy, both very cherished members of our Richmond Farmers Market community.
Speaker 3:Thank you so much and I will be forever grateful to the Richmond Farmers Market for bringing me to him.
Speaker 4:Everything happens for a reason it does.
Speaker 1:Follow the Richmond Farmers Market on Facebook for up-to-date information and catch Local Roots podcast on YouTube and all major podcast platforms. Thank you for tuning into this episode of Local Roots.