This vendor resource page is intended to provide information on educational opportunities for farmers market vendors assist your small business. This list of links is not all inclusive. Please feel free to contact us if you don’t see the information you are looking for.
Approved Platteville Farmers Market Education Sources
Wisconsin Farmers Market Association (WFMA)
The Wisconsin Farmers Market Association (WFMA) was created to bring together resources and expertise from around the state to help farmers markets in Wisconsin thrive. Our purpose is to promote local food consumption through the support and education of market managers, vendors, communities, and consumers.
Wisconsin Farmers Market Association – Helping farmers markets, vendors and shoppers thrive
Food Finance Institute (FFI)
Our mission at the Food Finance Institute is to help food and farm businesses thrive at every stage through finance-forward training, coaching, and consulting.
Food Finance Institute – Your Source For Making Money In Food
Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
The Wisconsin SBDC offers consulting, education, referrals, sophisticated tools and resources, whether you’re just getting started or looking for ways to improve your business.
Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative (WWBIC)
Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC) opens the doors of opportunity by providing individuals who are interested in starting, strengthening or expanding businesses with access to critical resources such as responsible financial products and quality business and personal finance training.
Food Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Development (FEED)
Learn tips for starting or expanding a successful food business from Wisconsin based specialists and entrepreneurs! These trainings are for people who are interested in starting or expanding small-scale food businesses in Wisconsin. The FEED Initiative hosts an annual conference for Wisconsin food and farming entrepreneurs called the FEED Summit. The FEED Initiative hosts an annual webinar series for Wisconsin food and farming entrepreneurs called the FEED Webinar Series.
Food Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Development (FEED) Project – Community Food Systems
UW Extension Community Food Systems
The Community Food System Program promotes thriving, just and resilient place-based food systems. We support community organizations, Tribal partners, local governments, small-scale farms and food businesses, and community gardens.
More education sources to come!
Unlocking Capital for Growth
Presented by Food Finance Institute
**This course is designed for people who have already completed FFI’s Farm Finance Foundations, or who already have a similar level of financial management.**
You’ve already laid the foundation for a financially sustainable farm business. You have:
- Refined your business model and market channels
- Set up your bookkeeping system
- Developed financial statements
- Created profit projections
With all of that in place, you’re ready to grow your business…you just need a little money to make it happen! In this course, we’ll be talking about several different strategies to access capital, including loans, grants, and equity investments. We’ll talk about:
- How to choose the financing options best aligned to your farm business
- What it takes to be successful at the application stage
- How to negotiate favorable terms
After this program, we want you to be able to identify appropriate sources of capital and articulate an airtight business case that will get you to “yes” with potential funders and financiers.
Dates: August 13th, 20th, & 27th
Time: 1pm to 3pm
Start a Cottage Food Business
Presented by Wisconsin Cottage Food Association
Thinking of starting your own home-based baking business in 2025?
Join the Wisconsin Cottage Food Association (WCFA) for a live presentation and Q&A on how to start your own Cottage Food Business in Wisconsin.
Wednesday June 5th 9am-10am Registration
Monday July 14th 9am-10am Registration
Monday August 11th 9am-10am Registration
Virtually (link to be sent after registration)
Small Business Legal Workshop
Presented by Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative (WWBIC)
This hands-on workshop covers key legal topics for small business owners, including business structure, contracts, intellectual property, liability, and compliance. Learn how to protect your business and avoid common legal mistakes. This session includes an hour-long workshop from 12:00-1:00 pm, and an opportunity for eight clients to have a private 1:1 session with legal expert Jeff Glazer. These 1:1 sessions are available on a first come, first serve basis from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm or 1:00-3:00 pm. Contact the WWBIC Southwest office for more details or to request a time slot for your private session.
July 23rd at 10am
In-person at Platteville Business Incubator
Address: 52 Means Drive, Suite 101, Platteville, Wisconsin, 53818
For questions, please contact Mallory Pierce: mpierce@wwbic.com or 608.668.4402
Financial Foundations for Farms & Food
Presented by Platteville Farmer’s Market and Food Finance Institute
The PFM has partnered with FFI to provide PFM Vendors education to help their businesses grow. In this training, expert-led instruction, tools, and coaching combine to help you develop your marketing and financial management skills, while also honing in on your market positioning and pathways to profitability. While particularly valuable for farms and value-added operations in their first five years of business, all can benefit from this fundamental training. Financial Foundations consists of three live virtual group sessions, as well as one 50-minute one-on-one consulting session with FFI’s Farm Program Manager.
Financial Foundations group sessions take place virtually on April 15, 22, and 29 from 4-6PM Central Time. One-on-one consulting is scheduled separately at a time convenient for the instructor and participant.
Space is limited and registration is required. PFM verified vendors will be sponsored through this course. Non-PFM vendors are welcome for a reduced course cost of $200. Interested in being sponsored in this course but not a PFM vendor? Please fill out an application and contact us.
2025 Farmers’ Market Short Course
Presented by Wisconsin Farmers Market Association
This educational opportunity has ended. Please stay tuned for future education by WFMA.
The Farmers’ Market Manager Short Course will develop your knowledge of farmers market topics specific to Wisconsin. To ensure that markets have access to education across the state, the Wisconsin Farmers Market Association and the University of Wisconsin Extension bring together experts on food safety, regulations, risk management and the Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program. Registration is week by week so you can attend one, all or any combination of weeks, whatever fits your schedule. The Short Course is presented live only and is not available for replay. Click Here for more information.
2025 F.E.E.D. Webinar Series
Presented by Food Entrepreneurship Ecosystems Development
This educational opportunity has ended. Please stay tuned for future webinars by F.E.E.D.
Learn tips for running and growing a successful food business from specialists and entrepreneurs! This no-cost series of online trainings is for food entrepreneurs and farm-based food businesses.
2025 Farmers Market Manager Workshop
Presented by Wisconsin Farmers Market Association
This educational opportunity has ended. Please stay tuned for future education by WFMA.
Develop your farmers market skills and knowledge at one of the three in-person 2025 Farmers Market Manager Workshops. The cost of the workshop is $40 and includes lunch (no refunds). Click here for more information.
Grow Your Farmers Market Business with Us!
Presented by Platteville Farmer’s Market and UW-Extension Crawford County
This educational opportunity has ended. Please stay tuned for future webinars by PFM.
Get set up for success in 2025 with this no-cost, virtual webinar series for new or current Farmer’s Market Vendors and Market Staff.
Whether you are a Farmer’s Market Vendor or Staff, or considering either role for the future, there are rules, regulations and best practices that are worth taking time to understand. This NO-COST webinar series, focused on laying out the essential information and led by industry experts, will answer your questions and set you up for success in the coming year.
Webinars are held on Mondays, Noon – 1:00 pm Central, January 13th – February 3rd.
Click topics below for details!
Jan 13, 2025 12:00 PM – Best Practices For Homemade Cottage Food Vendors
Join us for this webinar to learn more about the current state of cottage food in Wisconsin and best practices for cottage food bakers at local markets who are selling home baked goods directly to consumers.
Presenter: Jobea Murray, President, Wisconsin Cottage Food Association (WCFA), wiscocottagefoodassoc@gmail.com
Jan 20, 2025 12:00 PM – Legal Issues for Farmers Market Vendors
Legal Issues for Farmers Markets Vendors. If you are a vendor at a farmer’s market you have probably run into legal issues, whether you know it or not. Whether you registered your LLC, got your Seller’s Permit, need insurance, or have questions about in-home food production, you probably have questions about risk and liability for the goods and services you are selling. This 1-hour discussion will cover general legal issues through a Q&A format.
Presenter: Jeff Glazer, Clinical Professor, UW Law & Entrepreneurship Clinic, jmglazer@wisc.edu
Jan 27, 2025 12:00 PM – Product and Presentation for Farmers Market Vendors
When “Show and Tell” becomes “Show and SELL”. That’s the power of Visual Merchandising and strategic product presentation. Is your booth inviting? Shoppable? Does it communicate your “brand” and the quality level of your products? In this presentation, we’ll explore ways to elevate your booth’s appearance while increasing your sales. Win, win!
Presenter: Amy Meadows, Owner of Windows Matter, amy@windowsmatter.com
Feb 3, 2025 12:00 PM – Marketing and Promotion for Farmers Market Vendors
Learn the fundamentals of marketing, promotions, and branding in this beginner-friendly webinar. Perfect for small business owners and farmers market vendors, this session covers simple strategies to build your brand, attract customers, and get started with online marketing.
Presenter: Adriana Humbert, Downtown Development Promotions Manager, WEDC
This registration gives you access to all of the webinars in the series. You may attend all or just the webinars that interest you most.
For any reasonable accommodations requests, to ensure equal access to educational programs as early as possible, please contact Sara Tedeschi at: sara.tedeschi@wisc.edu.
