People come to a farmers market to shop, to find goods not widely available at a typical grocery or retail store. They come for community, to participate in a collective experience that is unique to an open-air market. On the other side of the booths, however, are the vendors. The vendors come armed with nothing more than their goods and a dream—that this passion of theirs is profitable enough to make all of the sleepless nights and countless hours that they dedicate to their craft worth it. That dream is what took vendors like Alina Plokinger, owner of Alina’s Sourdough, and Diane Dillon, owner of Brown Dog and Company, to Nathan Benderson on a sun-soaked Tuesday morning in late October, to participate in The Market at Nathan Benderson. The Market, which runs every Tuesday from 9am to 2pm, features the goods of vendors from both near and afar—some, like Alina or Heather Veremis, owner of Jewelry by Nature’s Stones are based in Sarasota. Others come from different corners of the state. That dream, however, to share one’s passion with the world, is why Jessie Gill and Angie Reznick, owners of MY Promotions, a Sarasota-based events and marketing company, decided to start The Market.  “There’s a different energy from even going into a Macy’s or a larger retail store,” says Gill. “You get to meet the actual owner of a business and converse with them. Everybody is so passionate about what they do and the product they offer.” Gill and Reznick, vendors themselves, wanted to find another venue for their weekend regulars to sell their goods during the week. Nathan Benderson Park, with its close proximity to UTC, picturesque views and festival-oriented layout, was looking for a farmers market to accommodate the swell in population during the winter months. With live music and vendors selling everything from natural stone jewelry to Kosher challah bread, SPF t-shirts and more, the pairing was a perfect match. “Nathan Benderson has a heart for the community and local businesses, just like us,” says Reznick. “The decision to do this together was almost a no-brainer; it was so effortless.” What makes up The Market, however, are not just the products that are being sold, but the stories that lie behind them. Plokinger, who is based out of Wellen Park, peddles a variety of sourdough goods at 10 different farmers markets and has only been in business for a little over a year. “I’ve made bread all my life, but one day I decided to make sourdough and once I discovered it, I realized that it was easier on my stomach, healthier and generally more tolerated for those who are gluten sensitive,” says Plokinger. “I shared it with my neighbors and wanted more people to try it—now I’ve turned my dining room and half of my living room into a bakery.”