Darlene Wolnik

Darlene Wolnik has been an advocate for regional food systems (especially farmers markets) for more than 25 years. In the 1980s and 1990s, her work include human resources positions, environmental and pocketbook issue community organizing, and designing and managing small businesses before serving a decade as (New Orleans NGO) Market Umbrella’s Deputy Director from 2001-2011. While on staff at MU, she led the recovery of the regional food system after the 2005 levee breaks, designed its fair-trade holiday market, oversaw the management of its 4 weekly farmers markets, and created “marketshare” one of the first national farmers market resource sites in the US. Since leaving MU, Darlene has consulted for dozens of markets and food systems assisting with design, operations, data collection, and analysis support. She has worked with the national farmers market entity Farmers Market Coalition since its inception and joined as staff in 2015.

She was a founding member of New Orleans Food and Farm Network and New Orleans Food Co-op.

Current focus at FMC: Dar oversees all farmers market support staff projects and leads the networking of market leaders, analysis of the farmers market sector, and the collection and development of technology and tools appropriate for markets including FMC’s Metrics platform and the FM Legal Toolkit.