Our Story

The Farmers Marketplace and the Gold Country Food Hub started as a glimmer in the eye of a Placer County farmer whose desire was to create an efficient and profitable way for local farmers and artisan producers to market, sell and distribute their products while providing our community with convenient access to locally produced food.

Also important was education based on the growing data and research on the benefits of eating clean, local, seasonal, organically produced food. Educating the community on buying their primary foods locally from businesses that use organic, regenerative and eco-conscious practices was paramount, while collectively growing a thriving, local food system and economy.

It all began in July 2019 when our founder, Tammi Riedl of Lincoln Hills Farm, along with co-farming colleagues, Dave & Danielle Kuder, launched "The HUB" in Lincoln, California, with a few other farmers and artisan producers. Every Thursday we would bring all of the products together, set up under canopies outside of the Citizen Vine Wine Bar, distributing online pre-orders to our community.

In November 2020, we moved into our Auburn HUBstore facility located at the Gold Country Fairgrounds. This space is where we aggregate all of the products from our producers, pack orders and load our transport vehicles for home deliveries and distribution at our other HUBsites. We have a great team of employees who carefully check all of the products and pack orders with a sensitivity to quality and detail, feeling grateful to experience the bounty and the joy of local foods, packed up, picked up and delivered to our community.

As we grow and move through many seasons, we continually introduce new local producers and products. We thoroughly vet all of our producers, ensuring that our farmers are using Non-GMO, organic, and regenerative practices and that our artisan producers source locally and use organic ingredients in the products they make. All producers are encouraged to use eco-friendly packaging, minimizing the use of plastic and using compostable and recyclable, zero waste packaging as much as possible.

Our goal is that our online community farmers market and our HUBstore can provide a profitable, time-efficient way for our producers to distribute their products, giving our customers ease of access to fresh, local, seasonal grocery, garden and eco-lifestyle products in the most convenient way.

"Having been a regenerative farmer in Placer County for eight years, selling through a variety of markets, restaurants, food hubs and our farm stand, I quickly learned that every time I was away from the farm, sitting at markets selling my products was time away from doing what I LOVE. For me, a food HUB was a great solution, allowing me to simply harvest to order and deliver my products. Today, when I hear our local farmers and artisan producers share their confidence in maintaining their businesses while meeting the needs of the community, I know the HUB has played a role in the solution of time management. Check out the many faces of our producers and know that every time you SHOP on the HUB, you are supporting their businesses and giving them the gift of time. Thank you for being an integral part of growing a thriving, local food system and economy!"

~ Tammi Riedl, Founder, The Farmers Marketplace & The Gold Country Food Hub