Launching Union Station Farmers Market with Brian Coppom | Boulder County Farmers Market

"…What the markets offer in this growers-only context is an opportunity to reconnect to the food in a very meaningful way and it happens really simply by actually having that authentic connection to the source." – Brian Coppom

The heart of Denver finally has its own farmers market! Union Station Farmers Market will launch on Saturday, June 6 and run weekly until October 22nd.

Union Station Farmers Market is operated by Boulder County Farmers Markets (BCFM), the non-profit that already runs the very well-respected and established farmers markets in Boulder and Longmont. According to their website, "We are a nonprofit organization operating producer-only farmers markets in Colorado since 1987. Our mission is to support, promote and expand local agriculture, making fresh products accessible to our community and strengthening relationships between local food producers and food consumers."

Brian Coppom is Executive Director of Boulder County Farmers Markets. Brian, his team at BCFM and all his vendors have a lofty goal – to make Union Station Farmers Market "Colorado's Flagship Farmers Market."

Brian Coppom worked in the corporate world in product development, industrial design and telecom before joining Boulder County Farmers Markets in late 2013. Just two years later, in late 2015, he was surprised and pleased to win CEO of the Year from ColoradoBiz Magazine, despite carrying the title of Executive Director. He was also the first non-profit leader to win the award.

– IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL LEARN –

• What making Union Station Farmers Market "Colorado's Flagship Farmer's Market" means
• The challenges Brian and his team have faced in setting up the market and how they overcame those
• The enduring value and challenge of being a growers-only market
• How the market will fit in among the already strong and growing food options in Lower Downtown Denver
• How this market could impact healthful food access in Denver
• How we might think about the economics of food for not only consumers but farmers, too
• How we, as a society, treat food versus how we treat other critical public needs

– LINKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE –

• ColoradoBiz CEO of the Year 2015: Brian Coppom
• Union Station Farmers Market
• Boulder County Farmers Market
• Partners: Larimer Associates, RTD Denver, Downtown Denver Partnership, Denver Union Station plus others
• NPR Story on Double SNAP and Farmers Markets (Late 2014)
• SNAP and Farmers Markets (USDA)
• RTD's New A-Line Train

 – THANKS FOR LISTENING –

 This episode (#21) comes from Mile High Locavorist.