About the Network
The Utah Farmers Market Network endeavors to support local agriculture in Utah by promoting farmers markets and supporting increased capacity through communication, collaboration, technical assistance and professional development.
A brief history of the network
The network began as a series of conversations among Utah farmers markets who wanted to network and learn from each other. In October of 2018, Utah State University (USU) was awarded a Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) grant from the USDA to fund a variety of capacity-building, outreach, and marketing activities to help connect more low-income and ethnically diverse populations to healthy local food at farmers markets. The activities of the grant also provided the necessary support to formalize Utah’s statewide farmers market network.
In late 2022, USU was awarded a second FMPP grant to create a market manager handbook, a marketing campaign, and to gather community and economic impact data.
Utah Farmers Market Network 1st Forum
On March 3, 2020, thirty-eight market managers and staff representing 20 markets from all over Utah met up for a day-long farmers market forum for the first time ever. We learned, shared, listened, made friends and strengthened our network. Planning for the continued development of the network will be taking place over the summer and fall of 2020. Slides from each presentation at the forum are available here.
Network Staff
Jaclyn Pace
Jaclyn Pace is passionate about community engagement, social justice, and local food systems. She previously worked with UFMN co-facilitating the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Community of Practice (CoP) with market managers across the state. Originally from New York, she earned her BA in Education Studies from Eugene Lang College of the New School University in Manhattan. She has been out West for nearly two decades now and earned her MA in Sustainable Communities from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, AZ. She lives in St. George and has been involved with the Downtown Farmers Market in many capacities, where she ran SNAP and Double Up Food Bucks, collected booth fees, developed and ran a youth program focused on diversity and sustainability, and packaged and delivered pickup and delivery orders during the pandemic. She is eager to strengthen existing relationships with markets and stakeholders and build new relationships throughout the network. She is dedicated to supporting farmers markets as vital community hubs for local food, art, and economy. Furthermore, she is committed to helping make Utah’s markets welcoming spaces for all.
Gwen Crist
Gwen Crist has lived in SLC for over 35 years. Raised on an organic farm, she has always been passionate about local food and an advocate for small farmers. Gwen served on the Board of Directors for Slow Food Utah for more than 11 years, and as Chairperson for 10 years. She is an avid farmer’s market supporter and self-described market groupie. She currently serves on the Board for Urban Food Connections of Utah and recently participated on their Strategic Planning Committee, as well as the UFCU Local Food Microgrant Fund review committee. During her time on the Board for Slow Food, Gwen worked with other organizations to develop the Eat Local Week program, the annual Honeybee Festival, and the yearly fundraiser “Feast of Five Senses” which helps to fund the local food and farming community through a microgrant program. Gwen has an extensive and intimate knowledge of the local food community, as well as experience in organizing events and educational activities, grant writing, and non-profit management.
Photo descriptions: Top, Historic Downtown Brigham City Farmers Market; 2nd down, Blair Fraser/Unsplash; 3rd down, Utah Farmers Market managers at 2020 Farmers Market Forum; 4th down, Jaclyn Pace; 5th down, Gwen Crist.