Early-Stage Farmers At Saturday H2Hotel-Spoonbar Pop-up Market: Sip, Nibble, Meet The FARMpreneurs

HEALDSBURG, CA — Farmers markets from the top of Sonoma County to the very tip beckon shoppers seeking fresh, local food and handmade goods, creating a direct link between growers and their communities. While these markets offer small farmers a critical point of connection for selling their products, they are a lot of work for one farm.

Even as growers leverage Instagram and farm stands like Tookey Farms that set up a Venmo-ready spot on Westside Road, the reality remains that the work behind each stand whether at the farmers market or on a country road is demanding and often financially uncertain. Small-scale farmers who sell directly to consumers often juggle multiple roles, acting as grower, bookkeeper, marketer and market vendor all at once, as the Sustainable Agriculture Network points out.

A Healdsburg collective, FARMpreneurs, has inserted itself in the challenge.

FARMpreneurs describes the program as a farmer training and business-development initiative designed to support early-stage and next-generation farmers, with a focus on regenerative agriculture. In practice, FARMpreneurs helps aspiring and beginning farmers move from concept to viable operation by combining mentoring, networking, marketing, and partnerships with hands-on techniques for regenerative and climate-smart farming.

This January, h2hotel is spotlighting the program and the next generation of regenerative farmers with a two-week popup market and photo exhibition.

From Jan. 16–30, the hotel will host the FARMpreneurs Provisions Pop-Up Market, featuring small-batch, regeneratively grown and crafted goods from current FARMpreneurs participants and program alumni. Products available for sampling and purchase include olive oil, hot sauce, mushroom grow kits, tinctures and spice blends, all produced by early-stage farmers.

The market will be accompanied by Portraits of Regeneration, a black-and-white photo exhibition honoring California growers by Northern California photographer and farmer Kristina Lapinski.

A FARMpreneurs Provisions meet-and-greet is scheduled from 2–4 p.m. on Saturday in the h2hotel lobby, giving guests the chance to meet participating farmers and learn about regenerative agriculture in Sonoma County.

Throughout January, h2hotel’s onsite restaurant, Spoonbar, will also offer a special low-ABV or nonalcoholic FARMpreneurs cocktail made with ingredients from locally sourced regenerative farms.

A portion of proceeds from the cocktail sales will benefit the FARMpreneurs program.