NAPMM 76th Annual Conference, New Orleans, Louisiana - March 7-11, 2022
This past month the organization finally broke free from the confines of FaceTime, and reunited face to face in the beautiful city of New Orleans. We were submerged in the rich culture and history of the city that is deeply rooted in markets and curbside merchants. In addition to the rich history and culture, members of the organization were able to dive deep into discussions of local food systems, what is entailed in recovery from natural disasters, and how markets can be so important as the heart of a community to drive the recovery process.
We opened up the conference on the evening of March 7th, with a reception hosted just across the street from the hotel at the Pythian Market. This building, full of its own rich history, is home to a booming food hall on the first level and a fully catered event space and bar on the upper level. The membership enjoyed an open bar, a delicious selection of hor d'oeuvres, and even a carving station. It was a great evening full of networking, connecting with those who we have missed over the past two years of quarantine, and getting to know the many new members who were joining us for the first time.
Following the reception, we wrapped up the night in the hospitality room. It was all a buzz with old friends reconnecting, new members creating new connections, and stories being told of the ins, outs, challenges, and triumphs that each market manager had faced in the recent years.
The next morning we were treated to breakfast in a private room in the hotel's restaurant, and then kicked off a day full of learning. The day opened up with a presentation on the Crescent City Farmers Market and Market Umbrella, and the important role that they played in bringing the community back from Hurricane Katrina. This highlighted, not only the importance of markets in the food system, but also in their ability to create a community and bring people together. The day continued with learning all about the rich food and beverage history and culture in New Orleans, the roots of markets and how the food and beverage history has been so deeply woven into markets, and their importance to the community throughout history and today. Other highlights included a panel discussion and Q & A of Market Managers representing the organizations' diverse membership and how different management models affect market management, an opportunity to hear all about architectural and grant services that the USDA has to offer to markets, and finally a spotlight on the International Fresh Produce Association and the merger between United Fresh and the Produce Marketing Association. After members grabbed dinner on their own, and had some time to explore New Orleans, the night was once again concluded in the hospitality room where there were some nitty gritty discussions of the real day to day challenges that occurred in the depths of COVID and how those challenges had been handled.
The next two days were packed full of tours. We kicked off the first day of tours with a visit to JV Foods. The size of the building proved to be incredibly misleading, though our group had to split into two to fit inside, the operation was by no means small. This tour showed the value of cultivating relationships with local growers and markets, and demonstrated an incredible business that is able to source and congregate locally grown and produced goods to get them into restaurants at a fair price to the farmer, while also limiting the farmers' expense of marketing, fulfilling, and transporting the goods to the restaurants. We then traveled out to the Westwego Shrimp Lot, where we got to learn all about the aquaculture and seafood industry in New Orleans. We then took a trip over Lake Pontchartrain on the Causeway Bridge, the world's longest bridge over a body of water. This ride brought us to Covey Rise Lodge where we were served a delicious lunch of regional cuisine, in their beautiful lodge. We then boarded tractor pulled wagons and got a tour of their full operation, learning about the produce and flowers that they raise and their unique business model. The day of tours was closed out with a visit to St. Roche Market. This historic market is now home to an astounding food hall with a renowned bar. There, we were able to grab a happy hour drink and learn about the history of the market and how it became what it is today.
The final day of the conference began by boarding the bus once again, but for just a short drive to the French Quarter. As soon as we entered the French Quarter, we were able to begin taking in the businesses that make up the French Market. Most of us started our day with coffee and beignets at Cafe Du Monde, and then explored the area with time to eat and shop before heading in to learn all about the history and management of the French Market and market district. Following that, the membership was given a credit for lunch in the market and adjoining district and given additional time to explore the market, market district, and French Quarter, before boarding the bus to the Mid-City Market. This pop up market was rich with delicious and unbelievably fresh products. We had time to shop, mingle and enjoy the market before boarding the bus to head back to the hotel to get ready for the awards banquet.
At the awards banquet, we were able to honor Mark Smith from the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market as Market Manager of the year. We also honored Linda Best for her service to the organization as she looks toward retirement from the administrator role. Overall, it was a great night filled with raffles, a beautifully catered meal, an open bar, and celebration of comradeship both new and old.
