Our Board

The FMC board of directors represent the farmer, consumer, and community
interests that farmers markets serve. Serving two year terms, the current
board members are:

Don Wambles, President (Alabama)

Don is serving as President of the National Farmers Market Coalition. For the past twelve years, Don has served as the Director of the State of Alabama Farmers Market Authority where he has provided marketing and technical assistance to Alabama farmers. Through Don’s leadership the number of farmers markets in Alabama has increased from 17 in 1999 to 95 today. Through this network of market facilities across the state, more than 1,544 small family farmers have benefited. Don initiated the “Buy Fresh, Buy Local” campaign for the entire state of Alabama and also started the “Alabama Farmers Market Trail.” He is responsible for the WIC FMNP and Senior FMNP in Alabama. Today the WIC FMNP is operating in 27 counties and the Senior FMNP is a statewide program operating in all 67 counties.

Richard McCarthy, Vice President (Louisiana)

Richard McCarthy is co-founder and executive director of marketumbrella.org in New Orleans, LA. Its flagship project is the Crescent City Farmers Market. Social entrepreneur, Richard devotes as much energy to economic development practice as he does to replication and measurement. Housed at Loyola University New Orleans, Richard manages an organization with an annual operating budget of $600,000 and projects as varied as the White Boot Brigade to develop boutique commercial fishers and SEED: the Sticky Economy Evaluation Device to measure farmers markets’ economic impact. He received his Master’s Degree from the London School of Economics.

Diane Eggert, Secretary (New York)

Diane Eggert is the Executive Director of the Farmers’ Market Federation of New York and has been since its inception in 1998. Under her leadership, the organization has developed a variety of programs and services to support and advance the farmers’ market industry in New York State, including a commercial general liability insurance program for markets and participating vendors, market manager training programs, new market development in partnership with community organizations, market promotional programs, and a statewide farmers’ market wireless EBT program. Diane also works with several statewide organizations, committees and local agricultural boards of directors to focus attention on direct marketing farmers and the farmers market community.

Sharon Yeago, Treasurer (Florida)

Sharon is the immediate past Chairman of the Board for the Florida Association of Community Farmers Markets, and is currently directing their Buy Local Florida grant program. Sharon developed this program and it is successfully bringing more small farmers to market, creating new community markets, and educating market managers on working with small farmers, value added products and best management practices. Sharon has been a community farmers market manager for the past 7 years and currently manages the High Springs Farmers Market. She also manages the High Springs Food Security Project, a grant funded program sponsored by the Project for Public Spaces and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Prior to joining the agricultural community, Sharon developed extensive experience in the nonprofit world through her work with cultural and music programming.

Mike Bevins (Iowa)

Mike Bevins is State Horticulturist and Bureau Chief of the Horticulture and Farmers’ Markets Bureau at the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. His efforts are focused on marketing and promotional activities for fruit and vegetable growers, nurseries and landscapers, greenhouse growers, Christmas tree producers, vineyards and wineries, nut growers, the turf industry, farmers markets, and a variety of gardening organizations. Mike also directs the administration of the Iowa Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program which serves both the WIC and Senior clients. Mike is a past president of the National Association of Farmers’ Market Nutrition Programs, Secretary/Treasurer of the Iowa State Horticultural Society, and a founding member of the Iowa Farmers Market Association. Mike is an avid horticulturist and enjoys working in the garden, orchard, vineyard, nursery, and apiary on his acreage in central Iowa.

Jim Bingen (Michigan)

Jim is a Professor of Community, Food and Agriculture in the Department of Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies at Michigan State University. As a scholar-practitioner-activist, he is actively engaged in creating the Michigan Farmers’ Market Association (MIFMA), and in supporting Michigan farmers markets through surveys of market managers, vendors, and rapid market assessments. Most of Jim’s other applied work on place-based, local, and organic products also seeks to promote the continued viability of Michigan family farms. The weekly trip to the local farmers market is part of Jim’s Saturday schedule with his wife Linda from late May through October, but one of his dreams is to bring live music to the market by playing clarinet in a small group.

Jeff Cole (Massachusetts)

Jeffrey is the Executive Director of the Federation of Massachusetts Farmers’ Markets. He has served as Executive Director of FMFM since 2000. Jeff has farmed family land in Sutton, MA since 1981, and he continues to own and operate Silvermine Farm with his wife, Martha. They are the 9th generation on the farm dating back to 1716. Jeff worked with FMFM staff and the Mass Department of Food and Agriculture to begin the program now known as the farmers market nutrition program and was one of the first farmers to accept farmers market coupons. Jeff currently serves on multiple ag boards including the Massachusetts Agriculture Promotion Board and the New England Vegetable and Berry Growers Association (NEVGBA) Promotions Committee. He is First Vice President of the Worcester County Farm Bureau.

Janel Leatherman (Texas)

Janel is the Farmers Market Administrator for the City of Dallas, Texas, a year-round market with both retail and wholesale components, that recently has embarked on a 3.2 million dollar renovation project for the retail building at the Market. For seven years prior to joining the Dallas Farmers Market she was manager of the City of Virginia Beach Farmers Market, where she instituted “Fun on the Farm”, a hands-on educational program for second graders that emphasizes the importance of agriculture in daily life. As treasurer of the National Association of Produce Market Managers and a member of the board of directors for the Farmers Market Coalition she strives to assist organizations that foster and promote farmers markets. She received a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture with a major in Horticulture from New Mexico State University.

Andrew Stout (Washington)

Andrew is the owner of Full Circle Farm in the state of Washington. Andrew began Full Circle Farm in 1996 with a vision of participating in a strong local sustainable food system. Over the past decade, together with his wife Wendy, the farm has expanded its acreage from the original 5 acres to over 260. Currently, Full Circle Farm has a 2500 member CSA, sells at 18 local farmers’ markets, and works with over 40 restaurants, 15 grocery
stores and 5 wholesalers on a year round basis. In addition to the business of farming, Andrew has been committed to educating the community through internships, farm tours, lectures, and connections with local school districts and conservation programs. He is currently Treasurer on the boards of the Seattle Slow Food Convivium and Snoqualmie Valley Tilth Association and serves as President of Washington Tilth.