From Vision to Victory: How Tammi Riedl Is Building Auburn’s Local Food Future

When Tammi Riedl founded the Gold Country Food HUB in 2021, she wasn’t starting from scratch—she was advancing decades of lived experience in organic farming, community-based food access, and local food entrepreneurship. Her early work at Lincoln Hills Farm shaped her understanding of the challenges small-scale, regenerative growers face: processing bottlenecks, rising production costs, inconsistent market access, and a lack of regional infrastructure built for farms under 20 acres.

That experience led her to launch GroMatters and later The Farmers Marketplace in 2019, one of the region’s earliest digitally integrated local farm marketplaces. These ventures became Tammi’s proving ground for what she has always believed: when you remove barriers for small producers, entire communities become healthier, more resilient, and more economically stable.

Auburn’s tough economic climate hasn’t slowed her mission. Instead, it has sharpened her focus. Her businesses demonstrate what regenerative local food systems can look like when guided by persistence, creativity, and a deep commitment to farmers.

The Farmers Marketplace: A Business That Builds the Food System

Today, Tammi owns and operates The Farmers Marketplace, an Auburn grocery located at 195 Elm Ave., featuring organic produce, pasture-raised meats, fresh breads, and artisan goods from more than 100 small farmers and makers across Northern California.

The Marketplace doesn’t simply sell local food—it strengthens the entire ecosystem:

• The store sources directly through the Food HUB, creating stable, year-round markets for farmers.

• Sales help fuel the nonprofit’s mission, including farmer support programs, technical assistance, and food access initiatives for food-insecure families.

• Her ambitious remodel is transforming the space into a true community hub with workshops, a future espresso bar, artisan pop-ups, and producer pickup points.

• Events held at the Marketplace routinely route proceeds back into Gold Country Food HUB programs.

This integrated approach—business and nonprofit working together—has allowed Tammi to support small producers in ways traditional distribution systems simply don’t.

Driving Change Through Entrepreneurial Leadership

Tammi’s entrepreneurial drive powers her nonprofit leadership. The synergy between her business and the HUB is intentional: as the Marketplace grows, the HUB grows alongside it.

Throughout economic challenges, she has remained agile:

• Launching online markets and delivery routes during regional disruptions.

• Operating fairgrounds pickup hubs to connect farmers and communities efficiently.

• Mentoring dozens of producers on pricing, packaging, seasonality, and sustainable farming practices.

• Educating the public on clean, seasonal, regenerative foods.

Her model demonstrates that local food systems can be equitable, economically sound, and resilient—even when public funding is uncertain.

A Major Grant That Fuels the Next Phase

In 2025, the Gold Country Food HUB secured a major Farm to Community Food Hubs Grant from the California Department of Food and Agriculture. This grant arrives at a critical time: statewide budget cuts have reduced programs such as Healthy Fresh, while farmers continue to face significant cost pressures.

The funding will accelerate the HUB’s infrastructure development, including:

• Cold storage expansion

• Aggregation and processing capabilities

• Distribution improvements that connect farmers to schools, nonprofits, and community food programs

This investment directly aligns with Tammi’s mission: strengthening access to climate-smart, locally grown foods while supporting small and organic farmers who serve as the backbone of our regional food economy.

Looking ahead, Tammi envisions continued growth in regenerative farming programs, farmer resiliency initiatives, waste reduction strategies, and expanded education through the HUB’s website and community channels.

Her Auburn-rooted ventures—both nonprofit and for-profit—are designed to keep local food systems strong, stable, and community-driven despite economic fluctuations.

This Giving Tuesday: Support the Ecosystem Tammi Built

Tammi Riedl has built more than a business and more than a nonprofit—she has built a blueprint for what a healthy, local, regenerative food system can look like in Placer and Nevada counties.

This Giving Tuesday, you can help her continue that work.

Your donation to the Gold Country Food HUB supports:

• Small and organic farmers

• Food access for local families

• Regenerative agriculture

• Climate resilience

• Community health

• The long-term stability of our regional food system

Together, we can ensure the future of local food remains strong, equitable, and rooted right here in Gold Country.

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