Meet Kelly Miller | Own and operate farmer’s markets

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kelly Miller and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kelly, how does your business help the community?
Real Farmers Markets helps communities profoundly by providing fresh, local vegetables, fruits and meats provided by family farms, orchards and ranches. We support small businesses who create homemade and small batch foods. The farmer’s markets are a place for the community to gather, buy fresh, nutrient dense foods while supporting the local economy.

What should our readers know about your business?
Getting to where I am today has not been an easy road. I began 14 years ago with a background in marketing and graphic design in the natural foods industry. I decided to start a farmer’s market in my hometown, quite naively, and it was trial by fire. I stuck with it and learned to navigate City permits, recruiting farms and vendors (not easy initially) and the multitude of details that go into the production of a weekly, seasonal venue. I spent years growing slowly, shaping the template and building relationships. I have a deep passion for what I do, the people I work with and the communities we are a part of. I eat solely out of the farmer’s markets during the season and educate communities on the benefits of shopping local, provide recipes for seasonal veggies and fruits. I hand select the highest quality vendors to curate the best markets that serves the demographic of the communities. I have a ‘hands on’ approach and manage all of the markets myself which lends to well organized, high level of communication and lucrative market place for vendors and quality and diverse food choices for families in these areas.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
To show off my state I would choose a variety of experiences to showcase the many jewels in Colorado. I am a big fan of Hot Springs so we would do a tour of my favorites: Hot Sulphur Springs, Strawberry Park, Mt. Princeton, to name a few. After relaxing in the mineral rich springs, we would get a massage and a good meal. I would do a ‘Denver Day’ and tour around the City and eat at one of the many great restaurants Denver has to offer. I love Tennyson Street and Union Station. Of course we would frequent farmers markets to pick up Palisade peaches and roasted chilis and cook up an amazing meal. We would hit Rocky Mountain National Park to take in the majestic beauty of the Rockies. There are so many hiking trails that I love and frequent. Mount Sanitas is favorite to bring friends for its intensity and panoramic beauty.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My shoutout goes to the hundreds of vendors that I have had the honor of working with over the years. The high quality offerings of food, goods and services, their integrity, loyalty and trust in me have created some of the best farmer’s markets around. I am working with the cream of the crop and as a whole we grace communities with an abundance of amazing products.

Website: realfarmersmarketco.com

Instagram: realfarmersmarket

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-miller-13a82618/

Twitter: @realfarmmarket

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kelly.m.williams.7/