Meet Aubrey Cyphert | Market Manager

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

Hi Aubrey, how does your business help the community?
Morningside Farmers Market (MFM) creates a community space where neighbors catch-up over coffee and pastries, while their kids play on Morningside Presbyterian Church’s playground and guitar tunes drift in the dewy morning air. Community space is often lacking in our fast-paced modern world–we need to savor it, cultivate it, and grow it together until it blossoms and seeds more opportunities for community gathering. MFM is also a place to get your groceries directly from the hands of farmers who plant the seeds and harvest the vegetables in our home state of Georgia. Food at MFM is the freshest you can find, often being picked the day prior to Saturday’s market–this means more flavor, vibrant colors, and greater nutrition for you and your family. Supporting our local farmers, producers, and artisans keeps your money close to home, directly impacting our local economy. I love talking with real people who raise their animals and crops with care and intention. I love hearing farm stories and knowing that these folks truly care about our land. MFM is Atlanta’s Organic Market and all of our produce is USDA certified organic, farmers use organic practices to raise their crops and animals, and all products sold contain a high standard of organic ingredients. Supporting organic practices ensures zero chemicals are used on the food you and your children consume and prevents chemicals from polluting our earth. Instead, MFM’s farmers and producers build healthy soils and create a flourishing environment for future generations. Enjoy community with us every Saturday morning, 8-11:30am!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have been lucky enough to learn from some of the best Market Managers in Atlanta. In 2018, I began volunteering with Mary Yetter at the Green Market in Piedmont Park. I could walk to the market from my apartment and every Saturday in the summer, I would wake up at 6 am on my day off to be at the park by 7:15 am. Volunteering at this market was a workout back then, as we unloaded and popped tents for all of the vendor booths and set out tables, chairs, and umbrellas for guests. After work was done for the morning, I enjoyed listening to music, sampling food, and getting to know the farmers and makers during the core market hours. There was just something about the community that got me hooked and wanting more. I started talking to the purveyors about how they got their jobs selling goods for small business owners and learned about the website, “Good Food Jobs.” I combed job postings daily, looking for a good fit in the local food space. Alas, I applied and got a phone interview with Shaun Terry of Grateful Pastures Farm in the latter part of 2018. The interview went well, as we talked about my love of farmers markets and my past history of growing up on a family farm with chickens and cows in Erie, PA. I learned a lot about pasture raised poultry since and I still work on the farm in Mansfield, GA once a week. It was great to be involved in the marketing side of the business and now I get to be involved in the farming and value-added product side of the business too. I began thinking about how to get even more involved in the local food economy and I was drawn to Community Farmers Markets (CFM), as the non-profit organization leads several successful markets around Atlanta. I applied to an opening for a Market Assistant with CFM and in April of 2020, I helped run a grocery pick-up location in Sceptre Brewing Art’s parking lot. The grand opening of Oakhurst Farmers Market was delayed and it was a hard time for all farmers markets during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. We were all nervously navigating these challenging times together. Some folks wouldn’t even open their car doors and asked us to put their pre-ordered groceries in their trunks through a slightly cracked car window. Others smiled with their eyes, despite masked faces, and kept returning week after week for fresh groceries. I believe the CFM family all felt very purposeful and proud to be serving our community fresh foods and enabling farmers and purveyors to continue selling their goods during these stressful times. Over time, with the development of vaccines, Oakhurst market opened fully. The new farmers market blossomed into a cheerful community marketplace with dedicated weekly shoppers–it was here that I learned a great deal working with Manager, Casey Hood (now Director of Operations and Vendor Support at CFM). I also had the opportunity to work as Market Assistant with Katie Kriner who has managed East Atlanta Village Farmers Market and Ponce City Farmers Market for some time now; I learned many tips and tricks from Katie. Additionally, I have to give a shout out to Holly Hollingsworth, Manager of Freedom Farmers Market, as she dedicated 30 minutes or more of her time to offer advice to me via an informational interview one Saturday after a long day at the market. I have been very fortunate to learn from so many successful Market Managers and others in the market community. It is a space that I love to work in as many are so generous in sharing their experiences and expertise with those that are willing to listen. In March, 2021, I applied as Market Manager for Morningside Farmers Market. I had applied previously and lost out on the opportunity, so I was intimidated and worried that I would be turned down for the position again. Instead, I had a phone conversation with the Board President and she asked how soon I could start! It has been a journey to reinvigorate a small neighborhood market that had recently moved to a new home (from a bustling business district in the parking lot of Highland Runners, across from Alon’s Bakery to Morningside Presbyterian Church’s parking lot). We are still dealing with challenges of redirecting customers to our new location (with lots of shade and plenty of parking!), as it is more hidden from view. I have been fortunate to work with community members on the Marketing Team who give input and lend time and talent to help us grow. Members of the team have helped design yard signs, banners, t-shirts, and a new website over 2021 to get word out there about our year-round organic market. MFM’s Board Directors have chipped in too, offering advice from past experiences and connecting me to many people, such as pop-up chefs and fellow farmers. Making a farmers market come to life weekly is honestly a full out community endeavor–from musicians playing tunes, to Morningside Presbyterian Preschool providing kids activities, to farmers waking up at 4 am to drive 2 hours and open market with us at 8 am. MFM is growing and we dream of filling-up the parking lot with more farmers and purveyors, pop-up chefs, musicians, activities, and fun over 2022! We have been the premier organic market in Atlanta since 1995 and will continue to grow with your support for many years to come!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Of course, we’d start out on Saturday morning at Morningside Farmers Market–my bestie would sip coffee, munch on Root Baking Co. croissants, and go shopping for the week while I am working (thanks friend!). I would honestly be too tired on Saturday night to go out (waking up at 4:15 am for the market), so we’d likely stay in and pick-up a pizza from Grant Central to eat while chatting over some vino. Sunday, we would have to go brunching, because yes, it is a verb and we live in ATL. We would go to Homegrown for some homemade biscuit lovin’ and cheesy grits. Afterwards, we’d go to my old neighborhood and stroll around Piedmont Park, taking in the scene of dogs and families basking in the sunlight. Next, we’d stroll down the Eastside Beltline trail to walk off a few brunch calories, but snack on King of Pops or Queen of Cream once we made it to Inman Park. I would show you around Krog Street Market and we’d have to pick out Xocolatl chocolate to take home for later. Then, we’d drive back home and relax for a few hours before making a geriatric dinner at 5 pm with our MFM groceries. We’d have fun making a simple salad and playing with my cat, Disco after dinner. Monday we would venture into the heart of the city and check out the National Center for Civil and Human Rights (a gem in our city!) and you would drag me to the World of Coca-Cola for the best part of tasting Coke from around the world at the end of the exhibit. We’d escape the downtown scene and come back to East Atlanta Village, where I just moved in. I am obsessively trying out all of the restaurants in our new ‘hood and I would have to take you to Gaja for Korean food. We’d share ½ dozen small delicious plates off of their menu and we’d walk home delightfully full and happy. Tuesday would bring more Beltline adventures, this time to the Westside trail for biking and admiring street the art! We’d stop by Monday Night Garage for a sip and hang out on their great patio. Next, we’d be lucky enough to catch Vinetta’s pop-up at ASW Distillery. We’d gorge ourselves on tasty vegetarian fare while listening to a band at the Distillery. Wednesday we’d wake up and lounge around with coffee at Plants + Coffee in EAV. I’d take home a new baby plant to mother and then we’d set out to walk around Grant Park, the oldest park in the city. We’d get hungry and stop at The Beacon’s Buteco for a bite of Brazilian street food and catch the beginning of a music-filled dance party. To give our wallets a break, we’d make dinner at home together, using a Pinterest recipe that I just looked up in order to use our farmers market ingredients. Thursday, I’d take you to work with me at Grateful Pastures Farm. You’d help me package chicken bone broth in our commercial kitchen and we’d visit the laying hens of No Mad Hens in their new fancy chicken tractors. We’d drive the hour home and be too tired to cook dinner. After showering, we’d venture back out to EAV for dinner, settling on Argosy for their cozy covered patio and Georgia Organics Farmer Champion eats. Friday we’d sleep in, brunch again at Petit Chou for fancy French bistro fare and I would see you off to the airport!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to shoutout to a group of community members who contribute ideas, time, talent, pick-up trucks, and thought leadership to Morningside Farmers Market. These community members call themselves the “Marketing Team,” but they do more than marketing for MFM. They sit in Zoom meetings almost weekly, pick-up and transfer boxes of peaches, hand out flyers in parades, and pick-up yard signs in the pouring rain. I cannot thank them enough for helping MFM continue to grow! It is a true community building endeavor!

Website: morningsidemarket.com

Instagram: @morningsidefarmersmarket

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/morningsidefarmersmarket

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/morningside-farmers-market-atlanta

Image Credits
Chris Herrin Photography took a subset of these photos (market space, close-up of red root vegetables); I took the rest of the set and my hubby takes credit for my photo.