Crescent City Farmers Market

What Crescent City Farmers Market does

Crescent City Farmers Market (CCFM) is a program of Market Umbrella, an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1995 and headquartered at 200 Broadway Street, Suite 107, New Orleans, Louisiana. The organization operates three weekly, year-round outdoor farmers markets in distinct New Orleans neighborhoods—Uptown Tuesdays at The Batture, Mid-City Thursdays at Lafitte Greenway Plaza, and City Park Sundays at the City Putt Parking Lot—serving as a direct-to-consumer sales channel for 70+ local farmers, fishers, and food producers who travel up to 200 miles to participate. The markets attract more than 150,000 shopper visits annually and are recognized as a national model for farmers market operations.

CCFM operates an integrated suite of food-access and community programs built around a proprietary token economy system introduced in 2004. The color-coded wooden and plastic token system (gold/green/orange for credit/debit, purple/blue for EBT, red for SNAP Match, lime/dark green for FMNP Match) processes SNAP/EBT, credit/debit, and federal nutrition incentive transactions in a single physical workflow. Supporting programs include Market Match (dollar-for-dollar SNAP matching up to $40 per visit as of January 2025), Market Mommas Club ($60 monthly tokens for eligible lactating parents), Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) administration, Meet Me at the Market children's education, Music at the Market live programming, and the statewide Greaux the Good nutrition incentive initiative. Vendor-side infrastructure includes a password-protected Vendor Resource Portal, vendor training delivered via YouTube and Eventbrite, vendor-elected governance, and a 30+ year producer community.

The organization's revenue model blends earned income, sponsorship, and grant funding. Earned income comes primarily from vendor market fees ranging from $15 to $40 per market day depending on location and season, a $50 new vendor administrative fee, a $100 annual vendor renewal fee, and token-system reimbursement processing. Sponsorship revenue is generated from daily booth sponsorships at $300-$500 per market day, including social media promotion and newsletter features to 8,000+ Market Morsels newsletter subscribers and 68,000+ combined social media followers. Substantial grant funding comes from foundations including the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Ella West Freeman Foundation, and Goldring Family Foundation, as well as federal and state partners (USDA, Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry). The organization does not publicly disclose revenue figures.

Name

Crescent City Farmers Market

Legal name

Market Umbrella

Website

https://crescentcityfarmersmarket.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Crescent City Farmers Market, operated by nonprofit Market Umbrella since 1995, runs three weekly year-round farmers markets in New Orleans connecting 70+ local farmers, fishers, and food producers with 150,000+ annual shoppers through SNAP/EBT incentive programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Farmers Market Operations

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421)

SIC

Retail-Food Stores (5400)

akta.pro primary industry

Farmers’ Markets & Farm Stands (Fresh Food) (CRAHAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Produce Markets & Greengrocers (CRAHAHAA), Farm-to-Consumer Produce Boxes / CSA Delivery (AFAIANAC), Farmstead & Local Artisan Food Markets (Retail Shops) (CRAHAGAO)

Keywords

• Farmers market operations
• Local food retail
• SNAP incentive programs
• Community farmers markets
• Fresh produce distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

New Orleans

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Vendor Market Fees: Daily vendor fees for market participation ranging from $15-$40 depending on market day and season. New vendor fee of $50, annual renewal of $100. This is the primary revenue stream for operating the markets.
2. Sponsorship Revenue: Sponsorship opportunities for vendors and businesses to have booths at markets. City Park Sunday market sponsorship at $500/day (average 3100 customers), Uptown/Mid-City at $300-$350/day (average 900 customers). Includes social media promotion and newsletter features.
3. Donations and Grants: Donations from individuals and organizations supporting the nonprofit mission. Supported by foundations including W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Ella West Freeman Foundation, Goldring Family Foundation, and government entities (USDA, Louisiana Department of Agriculture).
4. Token System Operations: Token reimbursement processing with $5 fee for paper check reimbursements under $10. ACH direct deposit available through Bill.com for vendors. Reimbursements processed on Net 7 terms weekly.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Crescent City Farmers Market operates three weekly, year-round farmers markets in New Orleans (Uptown Tuesdays, Mid-City Thursdays, City Park Sundays), hosting 70+ local farmers, fishers, and food producers serving over 150,000 shoppers annually. The nonprofit also administers food access and nutrition incentive programs—Market Match (SNAP dollar-for-dollar matching up to $40), FMNP, Market Mommas Club, Greaux the Good, and Meet Me at the Market—to expand fresh-produce access for low-income families, seniors, and breastfeeding parents. A token-based payment system enables SNAP/EBT, credit/debit, and incentive transactions across all market locations.

Product overview

Crescent City Farmers Market is a program of Market Umbrella, an independent nonprofit 501(c)(3) that has operated the Crescent City Farmers Markets since 1995. The organization operates three weekly, year-round markets across New Orleans (Uptown Tuesdays, Mid-City Thursdays, City Park Sundays) featuring 70+ local farmers, fishers, and food producers who travel up to 200 miles to participate, serving over 150,000 shoppers annually. The market ecosystem includes complementary programs: Market Match (SNAP dollar matching up to $40), Greaux the Good (statewide nutrition incentive), Market Mommas Club (breastfeeding support), Meet Me at the Market (children's education), and the Farmers Market Nutrition Program (senior/WIC benefits). Supporting infrastructure includes a token economy system for electronic transactions, a password-protected Vendor Resource Portal, vendor training via YouTube/Eventbrite, live music programming, and the Market Morsels weekly newsletter distributed to 8,000+ subscribers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Market Morsels: Weekly electronic newsletter featuring recipes, market updates, and food preparation tips from vendors, chefs, and shoppers.
• Greaux the Good
• Market Match
• Market Mommas Club
• Meet Me at the Market
• Marketeers Club

Products and services

• Crescent City Farmers Markets Three weekly year-round farmers markets (Uptown Tuesdays at The Batture, Mid-City Thursdays at Lafitte Greenway Plaza, City Park Sundays at City Putt Parking Lot) hosting 70+ local small farmers, fishers, and food producers and serving 150,000+ annual shoppers in New Orleans.
• Market Match Nutrition incentive program that matches SNAP/EBT dollars spent at market on fresh fruits, vegetables, and food-bearing plants, doubling purchasing power up to $40 per visit for SNAP recipients.
• Greaux the Good Louisiana statewide nutrition incentive program providing administrative and financial support to direct-to-consumer food purveyors to incentivize SNAP/EBT and FMNP purchases, expanding fresh food access while supporting local farmers.
• Market Mommas Club

Quantifiable outcome

• 150,000+ annual shoppers at three weekly markets
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Grow Dat Youth FarmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSA subscription partner where SNAP/EBT customers can purchase spring or fall CSA shares at 50% discount. Grow Dat Youth Farm is a youth employment program in New Orleans focused on sustainable food production.
• River Queen GreenscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFarm Share partner offering any farm share subscription at 50% discount when purchased with EBT card. NOLA-based urban farm providing fresh greens and vegetables.
• VEGGI Farmers CooperativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSA subscription boxes and EBT Farm Share boxes available at 50% discount for SNAP customers. Cooperative of urban farmers in New Orleans.
• New Orleans Food Co-opcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner retailer where SNAP/EBT customers get 50% off fresh fruits and vegetables through Market Match program.
• Barcelo GardensminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner location offering 50% off fruits and vegetables when shopping with SNAP/EBT card through Market Match.
• NOLA Baby CafecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBreastfeeding support group partner for Market Mommas Club program. Mothers attend support groups to qualify for $60 monthly market token incentives.
• Birthmark Doula CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBreastfeeding support group partners (Cafe au Lait and Cafe con Leche) for Market Mommas Club program enrollment.
• Lafitte Greenway PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for hosting Thursday Mid-City market at Lafitte Greenway. Co-hosts Supernova evening market events with extended hours, live music, and art installations.
• Threadhead Cultural FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFunding partner for Music at the Market program featuring local musicians at weekly markets.
• Mayor's Office of Cultural EconomyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFunding partner for Music at the Market community music series.
• American Federation of Musicians Local 174-496minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMusician's Union partnership for Disaster Relief Gig Fund and music programming at markets.
• Feeding LouisianacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHandles FMNP Senior applications in Orleans Parish through pop-up locations for the Farmers Market Nutrition Program.
• Louisiana Department of Agriculture and ForestrycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdministers FMNP program in Louisiana. Certifies farmers to accept FMNP benefits. Provides program oversight.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Hollygrove Market & Farm: New Orleans-based urban farm and market that operates CSA programs and a farm stand, overlapping with CCFM's CSA partnerships and local produce mission. Smaller in scale than CCFM and primarily focused on one neighborhood rather than citywide.
• New Orleans Food Co-op: New Orleans-based member-owned food cooperative that is both a partner retailer for CCFM's Market Match program and a potential local competitor for fresh, local food retail. Operates a brick-and-mortar grocery model in the same geography with overlapping customer base focused on local and natural foods.

Direct peers

• CUESA (Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture): CUESA operates the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market in San Francisco, a producer-only farmers market with similar vendor fee structure, EBT acceptance, and food access programming. Comparable scale and nonprofit educational mission in a major US food city.
• Greenmarket (GrowNYC): Greenmarket operates over 50 weekly farmers markets across New York City, serving as a direct comparable as a multi-market nonprofit operator with SNAP/EBT acceptance and food access programming. Operates at much larger scale (millions of shoppers annually) but follows the same community-led farmers market model with token/electronic benefit infrastructure.
• FRESHFARM: FRESHFARM operates producers-only farmers markets across the DC metropolitan area, with similar SNAP doubling (FreshMatch), nutrition incentive programming, and nonprofit organizational structure. Comparable mission-driven model focused on local food access in a single metro region.

Others

• Farmers Market Coalition: National trade association supporting farmers market operators like Crescent City Farmers Market. Crescent City is referenced as a model organization within FMC's network, making it a peer organization in the farmers market support ecosystem rather than a direct competitor.

Emerging players

• Imperfect Foods: Direct-to-consumer online grocery service focused on reducing food waste and supporting local producers. Overlaps with CCFM's mission of connecting consumers to local/sustainable food but uses a subscription delivery model rather than physical markets.
• Farmbox Direct: Subscription produce box service delivering local and organic produce. Competes for the same health-conscious consumer seeking fresh local food but through home delivery rather than market attendance. Overlaps with CCFM's CSA partnership model.

Broad incumbents

• Sprouts Farmers Market: National grocery chain specializing in natural and organic foods with strong fresh produce positioning. Operates as a broader incumbent in the same fresh/local food retail space but at massive scale (400+ stores) and without the producer-only farmers market format.
• Whole Foods Market: Large national natural/organic grocery retailer that competes for the same health-conscious and local-food-seeking shopper. Operates at substantially larger scale and broader product assortment, but does not offer the producer-only, weekly market experience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLJ2X_08loZdpbvCYhiD3uMNuMxP_Phdyk
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Crescent-City-Farmers-Market/12780011170
• Instagraminstagram.com/crescentcityfarmersmkt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/crescent-city-farmers-market

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Crescent City Farmers Market