Today we’d like to introduce you to Gigi Goin.
Gigi, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Hi, I’m Gigi Goin, founder of Milk Lady Markets.
My connection to farming began on my family’s homestead in Trinidad, where my grandmother taught me how to grow and care for fresh food. Those early experiences planted a love for the land that stayed with me even after I immigrated to Brooklyn, New York, at age 11.
For many years, my career followed a different path. I spent more than 20 years working in human resources and organizational development, helping organizations build strong, effective teams. But my interest in farming and healthy living never really left. Eventually, I returned to it more intentionally, studying agriculture through courses, workshops, and a hands-on internship in biodynamic farming, permaculture, and organic growing practices in Western North Carolina.
That experience brought everything full circle and led me to start Milk Lady Markets in 2010.
Today, Milk Lady Markets develops and manages farmers’ markets across Montgomery, Prince George’s, and Howard counties in Maryland, creating welcoming spaces where local farmers, food makers, and neighbors come together around fresh food.
More than anything, the work is about relationships, farmers, neighbors, vendors, and families who care about where their food comes from. Over the years, Milk Lady Markets has grown into a trusted local institution built around supporting regional agriculture, strengthening the community, and making fresh food easier for people to bring home.
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The Long Version.
My connection to farming began on my family’s homestead in Trinidad, where my grandmother taught me how to grow and care for fresh food. Those early lessons stayed with me even after I immigrated to Brooklyn, New York, at age eleven.
In Brooklyn, food was woven into the rhythm of neighborhood life. My mother would send me “to the store” to get dinner, stopping at the fishmonger, the butcher shop, and the produce stand before heading home. Those small errands quietly shaped how I think about food, not as something abstract, but as something that comes from real people and real places.
My professional path initially led elsewhere. I spent more than twenty years working in human resources and organizational development, helping organizations build strong teams. But my interest in farming and fresh food never really disappeared. Eventually, I returned to it through a two-year sabbatical, taking courses, workshops, and a hands-on internship in biodynamic farming, permaculture, and organic growing practices in Western North Carolina.
My first attempt at a local food business was simple. I began visiting nearby farms, learning what farmers had available each week, and taking orders from friends and neighbors. It worked, but I quickly realized that to make it profitable, I would need several trucks on the road and many more customers than I was ready to manage.
So I tried another direction. I launched a small company called Great Foods by Gigi, producing vegan meals from a commercial kitchen and wholesaling them to health food stores around the Beltway.
Then the summer of 2010 arrived with a long heatwave, and hot prepared meals suddenly stopped selling. One of the managers at a health food store suggested I try selling at a farmers’ market. I brought samples, set up the following week, and sold out in a single day.
Standing at that market, surrounded by farmers selling meat and produce, something clicked for me. The scene reminded me of those neighborhood trips in Brooklyn, gathering ingredients from different shops for dinner. In that moment, I realized that every neighborhood deserves a place where fresh food is easy to find, and people can connect directly with the farmers who grow it.
That realization became Milk Lady Markets.
Today, Milk Lady Markets develops and manages neighborhood farmers’ markets across Montgomery, Prince George’s, and Howard counties in Maryland. Over time, the markets have grown into trusted community spaces where farmers, bakers, and food makers connect directly with the neighborhoods they serve.
What I’m most proud of is the trust that has grown around the markets. Vendors return season after season, and many families plan their week around market day.
At its heart, Milk Lady Markets is about strengthening the connection between farmers and the communities they feed. When people gather around fresh food week after week, the market becomes more than a place to shop; it becomes part of the neighborhood’s life.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Hardly a smooth road! My biggest challenge early on was figuring out how to turn what I loved into real work. I had spent many years in human resources, and I had to ask myself whether my interest in farming and fresh food was just a hobby or something I could actually build a business around.
My first attempt was to visit farms, get to know the farmers, and then let friends and neighbors know what was available each week. I would take their orders and bring the food back. It worked, but I quickly realized that to make it profitable, I would need several trucks on the road and a much larger customer base. At the time, I wasn’t quite ready for that level of growth.
So I tried another direction. I started a small company called Great Foods by Gigi. I leased a commercial kitchen, hired a few culinary students, and we prepared vegan meals that were delivered wholesale to health food stores around the Beltway.
Then the summer of 2010 arrived with a long heatwave, and hot prepared meals weren’t selling well. A health food store manager in Clarksburg suggested I try a farmers’ market. I brought samples, and the next week I was selling there, and everything sold out in a single day.
Standing at that market, surrounded by farmers selling produce and meat, reminded me of growing up in Brooklyn, where my mother would send me to the fishmonger, the butcher, and the produce stand to gather dinner. Looking around, I realized that every neighborhood deserves a place like that, where fresh food is easy to find, and people can connect with the farmers who grow it.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I develop and manage neighborhood farmers’ markets through my company, Milk Lady Markets. My focus is on creating welcoming spaces where local farmers, bakers, and food makers can connect directly with the communities they serve.
Over time, I’ve specialized in building markets that function as true neighborhood institutions. They’re places where customers return week after week, vendors build stable businesses, and farmers have a dependable place to sell their products. The goal is always the same: making it easy for people to bring home fresh, thoughtfully sourced food.
What I’m most proud of is the trust that has grown around the markets. Many vendors have been with us for years, and customers organize their routines around market day. When you see families returning season after season and farmers relying on that space to reach their customers, you realize the market has become something much larger than a place to shop.
What sets Milk Lady Markets apart is the care we put into relationships and market balance. We work closely with vendors, carefully curate the mix of foods, and create an atmosphere where people want to linger and connect. In the end, the markets aren’t just about selling food; they’re about strengthening the local food system and the community around it.
Every neighborhood deserves a farmers’ market where people can connect directly with the farmers who grow their food.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
People connect with Milk Lady Markets in many ways. The simplest is to come shop at the markets and support the farmers, bakers, and food makers who bring their work each week.
We also welcome collaboration with local farmers, artisans, and prepared food vendors who want to participate in the markets. Musicians, community organizations, and small businesses often partner with us to help create a lively and welcoming market atmosphere.
Schools and students connect with us through internships and our teen and adult volunteer opportunities, especially for young people interested in marketing, agriculture, or community development. We also work with organizations that share our interest in improving access to fresh, healthy food.
And of course, the most important support is simply showing up. When neighbors make the market part of their weekly routine, they help create the steady community presence that allows local farmers and food producers to thrive.
Pricing:
- Because we sponsor a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) subscription membership, we show all our pricing info on tour CSA page here: https://milkladymarkets.org/csa
Contact Info:
- Website: https://milkladymarkets.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milkladymarkets/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MilkladyFarmersMarkets/
