Yes, I hear you chuckling as to my poor poor life, traveling twice in one year to Rome to work with the World Farmers Market Coalition. Accepted.

Still, I have a few butterflies and some anxiety about this trip because the stakes keep raising in terms of how to have an impact on those that WFMC amasses for us, including trade ministers, ag leaders, FAO, USDA, US Embassy staff, funders, among many many others. (And then, once back, how to share the global excitement around farmers markets with US stakeholders?)

The exciting news is that this trip will be held at the Villaggio Coldiretti, a 3-day farmers market educational event held at the Circus Maximus, which on our last trip, Bruce Springsteen was using as his concert hall. (We were able to hear the sound check and see the crowds build for that event because the WFMC events were nearby at the gorgeous Circo Massimo farmers market operated by our Italian WFMC partner Campagna Amica.)

I’ll be cramming facts and figures and stories into my head especially around nutrition incentive programs as this is one US pilot that our fellow market leaders are eager to hear about. Please reply to this with any that you think I should share, and I’ll do my best to report back here and on FMC’s social media.