Today we’d like to introduce you to Sabrina Smulders.
Hi Sabrina, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Growing up on a farm, local food wasn’t considered a trend or luxury — it was simply life. We had fresh produce from the garden, farm-raised meat, fresh milk, and eggs right in our backyard. Looking back, it truly felt like the good life. There was something special about knowing exactly where your food came from and the people behind it.
As I grew older and became a nurse, I traveled farther from my farm roots, but no matter where I lived, farmers markets always gave me that feeling of home again. I also found joy in baking and sharing homemade goods with friends, coworkers, and my community. Eventually, I started participating in farmers markets myself as a vendor here and there.
That experience opened my eyes to both the beauty and the challenges of local markets. Farmers and makers put in endless hours growing, harvesting, baking, creating, loading, transporting, setting up, and hoping for good weather and enough foot traffic to make the event successful. So much depends on variables outside of your control. And when you’re dealing with fresh herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, baked goods, and handmade products, you can’t simply store everything forever if sales are slow. You harvest and hope for the best.
That’s when the idea for The Artisan Farmers Market
was born. I kept thinking, “Why can’t people have access to fresh local goods 24/7 — just like I did growing up?” I wanted to create a platform that made local shopping more accessible and sustainable for both customers and vendors.
Today, the platform helps connect people with fresh, homemade, and homegrown products anytime they need them, while also helping vendors reduce waste and gain more flexibility. Instead of spending every weekend out in the summer heat at markets, vendors can focus more on what they love most — growing, creating, experimenting with new products, and sharing their passions with the community. For me, it’s about bringing people back to real food, real makers, and the sense of connection I experienced growing up on the farm.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I definitely don’t think it’s been a completely smooth road — but I also believe that dreams, visions, and meaningful goals are rarely easy, and that’s often where the most growth happens.
One of the biggest challenges was shifting people’s mindset around what a farmers market could look like. When most people think of a farmers market, they picture tents, Saturday mornings, and in-person shopping — not an online platform. It took a lot of education, consistency, and repetition to communicate the vision and help people understand that local shopping could still feel personal, community-driven, and authentic in an online space. There were many moments where it felt like I was repeating the same message over and over again before things slowly started gaining traction.
Building the actual platform also came with its own learning curves. I had a vision in my head of exactly how I thought certain workflows and systems would function, but once the development process began, I quickly realized some of those pathways simply weren’t possible the way I had imagined. That forced me to adapt, problem-solve, and redesign parts of the process while still staying true to the original mission. Those pivots delayed the launch timeline quite a bit, but ultimately helped create a stronger and more functional platform.
On a personal level, the journey also came during an emotionally and physically difficult season of life. I experienced the loss of two grandparents and also went through a dirt bike accident that resulted in losing a digit. Balancing grief, recovery, and the demands of building a business was incredibly challenging at times. Ironically, though, working on the platform often became something that kept me moving forward during those hard moments. It gave me purpose, focus, and something positive to pour my energy into when life felt heavy.
Looking back, I think all of those struggles shaped both me and the business. They taught me resilience, flexibility, patience, and the importance of continuing to show up — even when progress feels slow or uncertain.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about The Artisan Farmers Market Ltd. Co.?
The Artisan Farmers Market
is an online multi-vendor marketplace designed to make shopping local easier, more accessible, and more sustainable for both customers and small businesses. We connect customers with local farmers, bakers, makers, artisans, and small food businesses, giving them access to fresh, homemade, and homegrown products in one convenient place — 24/7.
What makes us different is that we’re not just another online shop or delivery service. We’re focused on creating a true community-centered marketplace that supports local economies while helping small vendors grow in a way that is more flexible and sustainable. Traditional farmers markets are wonderful, but they can also be physically exhausting, weather-dependent, and time-consuming for vendors. Our platform allows makers and growers to continue doing what they love while reducing some of those barriers.
We specialize in bringing together a wide variety of locally sourced and handcrafted products all in one place. Customers can shop everything from seasonal produce, baked goods, jams, honey, plants, and handcrafted gifts to curated gift baskets, subscription boxes, and multi-vendor delivery orders. We also help businesses and individuals create unique locally sourced gifting experiences that feel far more personal and meaningful than mass-produced gifts.
One brand milestone I’m especially proud of is launching our customizable Artisan Farmers Market subscription boxes. That concept truly brought my vision full circle — recreating the feeling of growing up with routine access to fresh local eggs, sourdough bread, seasonal produce, meats, and homemade goods, but in a modern and convenient way. What makes it unique is that customers can curate boxes to fit their own tastes and lifestyle while discovering new local vendors and products along the way. There’s something really special about helping families bring fresh, local goods back into their everyday routines while also creating consistent support for small farmers, bakers, and makers in the community.
Brand-wise, I’m most proud of the sense of connection and purpose behind everything we do. The Artisan Farmers Market isn’t just about selling products — it’s about preserving traditions, supporting small businesses, reducing waste, strengthening local food systems, and helping people reconnect with where their food and goods come from. There’s something really special about knowing the story behind the person who grew your tomatoes, baked your bread, or handcrafted your gift.
I want readers to know that every order placed through our platform directly supports real people, real families, and real passions within the community. When you shop local, you’re not just making a purchase — you’re helping someone continue doing what they love while keeping those skills, traditions, and small businesses alive for future generations.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I think both good luck and bad luck have played a role in shaping my journey, but I also believe a lot of “luck” comes from continuing to show up, staying adaptable, and being willing to keep going even when things feel uncertain. Some of the hardest moments in my personal life happened while building the business, including loss, physical setbacks, and delays that forced me to slow down and rethink parts of the platform. At the time, those moments felt like bad luck, but looking back, many of them taught me resilience, patience, and how to problem solve in ways I probably wouldn’t have otherwise.
On the positive side, I feel fortunate to have grown up with strong agricultural roots and an appreciation for local food and community, because that foundation ultimately inspired the entire business. I’ve also been lucky to meet supportive and passionate vendors, curious customers, and community members who believed in the vision early on and helped it grow into what it is today and what it continues to grow into.
Pricing:
- Vendor Memberships: $20-45/month
- Subscription Boxes Range: $10-50 (monhtly or 2x/month)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.theartisanfarmersmarket.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theartisanfarmermarket?igsh=eGU4Y2lubWlscnB1&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61568393443670&mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@theartisanfarmersmarket?_r=1&_t=ZT-96OiWTsP6Oj
