Gary Olsen is on twitter, and,quite frankly, who the heck isn't? It's sometimes easier to deploy messages on twitter particularly on certain textcentric cellphone models.

elcome to the Farmers' Market Live TV Information Website. This site is our combination launch pad and collaborative journal as we move judicially toward our goal of producing this television show dedicated to the joys of gardening, buying and preparing locally produced agricultural products. Included in this mix are arts and crafts, but we won't stop there. Local musicians have found farmers' markets a way to connect with their audience so our music on the show will be home grown as well.

Photo: Digital Dubuque

The production staff for Farmers' Market Live TV is helmed by national award winning media producer, Gary Olsen. Gary is assembling a talented team of professionals to meet the challenge of a series of live telecasts, and he's brought his considerable technical know-how to this project.

It could be called a home-grown variety show that will appeal to a broad demographic because growing one's own food or buying locally grown food is becoming a movement of national proportions. This show plans to capitalize on the vast resources and topics available to us and endeavors to be both informative and entertaining.

So how did this project get started? Gary produces two award winning series television shows for the Dubuque Community School District with whom he is employed as Media Developer. Kids in the Kitchen and The Garden Organic are shows that teach students how to grow and prepare their own food with emphasis on fresh produce rather than prepared or packaged food. For the past five years, Gary has always filmed an episode or two at the famous Dubuque Farmers' Market, a community, economic and cultural institution that has been going almost continuously for well over a century!

Photo: Digital Dubuque

"Those shows were so popular," explains Gary, "I realized immediately that Farmers' Markets could form the basis for a television show. It has everything... gardening information, shopping tips on what's in season and how to choose good produce items, how to prepare fresh foods, and the best part, big crowds of Farmers' Market enthusiasts who shop every week. Farmers' Market combines shopping with cultural opportunities and just plain old neighborliness. People come to Farmers' Market to socialize."

Also Gary noticed other features that would lend themselves to the show. "Local musical talent would perform for our camera. Local chefs who came down to connect with their suppliers would occasionally do cooking demonstrations. In fact," says Gary, "I would bring a chef with me to shop the market and talk to vendors, and he brought with him his own unique perspective on food. It was amazing."

Photo: Digital Dubuque

The landscape of Farmers' Market is continuously changing depending on what's in season. There are livestock producers, herb, flower and decorative plant vendors, and of course arts and crafts including soap and candle makers, a shoemaker and a wine maker or two.

Then there are the food vendors who prepare local favorites like organic donuts, vegetable egg rolls, coffee, candy and bakery goods.

"Farmers' Market is phenomenon begging to become a television show," says Gary with enthusiasm. "And we have the team that can do it professionally and with creativity."

So what does it take to mount a production like Farmers' Market Live TV? It takes money, creativity, technical know how and talent.

-Gary Olsen, Executive Producer December 2010

This is a project that I've been involved in planning for the past four years. I've thoroughly researched all aspects of mounting a production like this. And right now couldn't be a better time in the history of television technology to engineer a program like Farmers' Market Live TV.

I wanted to use this opportunity to provide you with a glimpse into the technical design of the production. It is not a simple matter of just buying three cameras. This is designed to be a professional production in every way.

In this this day and age, a television production of this design is best to own dedicated equipment rather than share equipment with another production, leasing or renting it. It's actually less costly over the long run.

Today mobile productions don't use large expensive cameras costing $30,000 each requiring even more expensive support technology. Equipment today is lighter, faster, and more mobile. As a result, it is not practical to rent equipment for shooting schedules such as ours because of the logistics associated with renting. We are farther ahead by simply owning what we need to ensure dependability, flexibility and readiness.

The Technology

Television technology has taken the biggest evolutionary step since color television with the advent of high definition cameras that are smaller, lighter, and less costly, Cameras can go places that older heavier cameras cannot and still deliver a high definition, high quality video product. In this production scenario, our cameras can walk up to a vendor or into a booth and provide a more realistic and interesting point of view. Mounted on a Steadicam brace that the camera operator actually wears, there is fluid movement as the camera glides through the marketplace.

The cameras are about $5,000 each and we need 3.

I've been working with Steadicam technology for the past five years, and all of my television shows have been based on it. A single camera on a Steadicam brace provides a compelling image that puts the viewer into the scene. It's so much more interesting to watch than a static camera on a tripod for example. I like to say that a scene shot with a single camera on a Steadicam is more interesting than one shot with two cameras on tripods.

Steadicam vests are approximately $5,000 each and we need two.

Wireless technology is also available that frees the cameras to move about without having to be tethered to the production truck. Wires strung along the ground would not only be hazardous but inhibit the cameras from freely moving about the marketplace.

Wireless transmitters and receivers are about $7,000 per camera and we need three. We can get by with two, however,a third unit can move from the stationary camera to an operator in the vent we have a down unit.

A production switcher is next on our list, which is a device allowing us to switch between our live cameras and other video sources like computer graphic workstations and video servers.

Our pick for live broadcast of high definition video is the NewTek Tricaster which sells for $12,000, We'll need some accessories in addition to a monitor for it, and that will add perhaps $2,000 to the cost of this important piece of equipment.

Add to this an audio mixing board at $1500, and a laptop with graphics package to support the live telecast $1300.

Now it has to all go into a production vehicle, and we feel the best one is the Dodge Sprinter, however there are other makes that match the Sprinter's overall dimensions and can be similarly equipped. We'll be looking to buy used, possibly a diesel. Plenty of headroom for three operators, one director on video switcher, an engineer on audio, and a graphics coordinator. These vehicles can be obtained used from $15,000 to $40,000 depending on model year, engine type, mileage, etc. But this would be a naked vehicle which we would have to customize for broadcasting. We may be farther ahead by buying a new vehicle from a custom shop like Frontline Communications of Clearwater, FLA., I recently found a Sprinter broadcast command vehicle with satellite uplink and fully customized for live television broadcasting for $42,000 on eBay Motors.

Once we have the vehicle, it will require graphics, and Digital Designs in Dubuque has quoted us $3,000 to fully wrap the vehicle so that we make the best possible impression when the unit is on location. An important audience is the live audience wherever we travel, and it's a great opportunity to brand market our sponsors names and logos on the van.

Microphones and accessories will be from Sennheiser, maker of sturdy reliable, high quality wireless equipment. Approximately $5,000 for Evolution Series ENG wireless microphone sets with rechargeable batteries are what we need to outfit two broadcast teams and our show's featured chef.

An intercom system to connect the director with the camera crew and on-camera talent is an absolute necessity. We are still researching this, and I'm hopeful we will have figures shortly.

I haven't listed everything we need for the startup capital, but so far our quotes on equipment from such firms as ECS (Davenport) combined with the vehicle comes to almost $200,000. And this doesn't include such things as portable burners for our cooking segment, wardrobe items for the on-screen crew (shirts and blouses embroidered with our logo, etc.

I hope this has provided you with a snapshot of what is involved in the capital investment of a television production. It may seem like a costly endeavor, but the return on that investment in the form of a sustainable production that delivers a large and diverse audience is extremely worthy of the investment.

Photo: Digital Dubuque

he concept of farmers' markets are a growing phenomenon in America as citizens endeavor to get back to their pre-manufactured foods roots where almost every household had a garden, and children actually knew where their food came from (not just the super market). It's a venue that begs to become a television series with infinite possibilities. It represents an almost inexhaustible list of topics from gardening and organic farming to diet and nutrition, from crafters and cooks to entertainers and farmers' market enthusiasts. It's not just about the promotion of local food sources, but about a community's culture. A farmers' market in Dubuque, Iowa would be totally unique from one in New Orleans, Louisiana.

How The Show Works

Two hosts, each with a wireless camera operator, roam the farmer's market to talk with local growers, gardening enthusiasts, food purveyors, flower fanciers and the broad variety of market vendors. The show is broadcast live and a producer switches between the hosts' segments. This gives one host an opportunity to set up his next segment while the other host is on the air. The crews are linked by wireless intercoms to facilitate smooth transitions between segments.

There is a third camera in the production that remains stationary perhaps shooting the overall scene from an elevated vantage point. It serves as a go-to shot in the event the segment cameras are not ready. The third camera also serves as a backup in the event there are technical difficulties with one of the other two cameras.

We want to emphasize that this production is planned as a live television show, but the show's taping is intended for distribution and rebroadcast during the week following the live telecast. Because this is a show about gardening for the most part, the information is seasonal in nature.

Photo: Digital Dubuque

There are feature segments: One segment of the show features a chef who is shopping for ingredients to prepare a dish live and on camera. The segment, "Shopping with the Chef," will endeavor to have a variety of chefs from the local culinary community on the show.

Another segment is pre-recorded featuring one of the market's vendors and their garden, kitchen or studio. The idea is to record several of these segments ahead of time and have them loaded in the production vehicle ready to play, which is particularly useful in the event of a weather delay or technical difficulty.

Photo: Digital Dubuque

Finally, there's are music segments featuring local musicians or groups that play Farmers' Markets. There will be at least one musical number per show preceded by a brief introduction. Following the segment there will be brief interviews with the musicians.

Series Themes:

The overarching theme of the series is to showcase local agriculture and regional foods.

There are gardening "tools, tips and tricks" information we wish to convey.

The cooking segment is designed not only to show people how to creatively prepare fresh and whole foods one can acquire at Farmers' Markets, but it's also intended to showcase local cuisine and the creativity of local chefs.

We want to convey information about the value of organic farming and how to employ natural ways of growing food without chemicals that can harm the environment and our health.

We want to showcase the talents of local artisans and craftsmen who are among the mix of people selling their products at Farmers' Markets.

Gary Olsen

Gary has been a creative force in Dubuque media for decades. Media Producer for the Dubuque Community Schools, Gary has won several regional and national awards and recognition for his work in television and online media: NSPRA Award of Excellence for documentary, the cable industry's Beacon Award for Outstanding Series Kids in the Kitchen, and most recently he was named a Cable Leader in Learning for his work on The Garden Organic cable series in which children learn how to grow and preserve their own food. Gary is founder of Kids in the Kitchen Productions, a non-profit corporation that is dedicated to the production of quality and entertaining educational media.

Dr. Darryl Mozena

A long time physician in the Dubuque Community, Dr. Mozena is a farmers' market enthusiast. Dr. Mozena is our connection to public health and the extraordinary and beneficial impact that a healthy diet of fresh, locally grown produce has on a community. Dr. Mozena serves as our vice president on our board of directors on Kids in the Kitchen Productions.

Jim Terry

Jim is a chef who has managed and created outstanding restaurants in the Dubuque Tri-state area. He's known for his creativity and teaching ability, and he has a passion for locally produced and organically grown food. Jim has been the executive chef for the award winning television series Kids in the Kitchen for the past four years. How he became the chef on the show is an anecdote worth mentioning. Creator of the show, Gary Olsen, had another chef lined up for the series and one week before the first taping was scheduled, he announced he couldn't do the project. That afternoon, associate producer of the series, Wally Brown, said "Come to dinner with Barbara and me tonight. I want to introduce you to Jim Terry." On that fateful evening at a restaurant called The Captain Merry, a friendship and professional relationship began that continues to this day.

Kimberly Feltes

Kimberly graduated from Loras College and received her degree in Communications and Public Relations. She has done some outstanding work on behalf of area non-profits including the Girl Scouts. Kimberly and her husband Jim have two sons who have been featured on The Garden Organic cable series. One day the show needed an interviewer to go on camera, and Kimberyly was handed the microphone. She did such a good job we have tapped her as one of our segment production positions on Farmers' Market Live TV. Kimberly is currently serving as president of Kids in the Kitchen Productions that is producing this show.

Chrissy Hogue

Chrissy is from New York, New York. She studied acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She lives in Dubuque, and she came to the attention of producer Gary Olsen through a mutual friend, Carrie Tedore (Penninsula Gaming). Gary needed a co-host and Chrissy answered his email with enthusiasm beyond measure.

Shannon Gaherty

Shannon works for the Greater Dubuque Development Corporation as the Newcomer Relations Coordinator. Shannon is responsible for coordinating one-stop concierge service for newcomers relocating to Dubuque to ensure that individuals and families who have chosen Dubuque to live, work, and play are not only welcomed into the community, but are also equipped with the knowledge they need to make the most of their experience. Shannon has been on both sides of the fund raising table having previously worked for the Dubuque Racing Association's grant program. She also worked for Loras College in alumni development. Shannon is the secretary treasurer on the board of Kids in the Kitcvhen Productions.

Tiffany Malcom

Tiffany is with the Iowa State University Extension Office in Dubuque. She's director of 4H. Tiffany worked at Ascension Lutheran Church (Director of Youth & Family Ministries). She studied at Augustana College. Lives in Dubuque, Iowa. She hales from from Albert City, Iowa.

Jenni Ostwinkle

Jenni staffs the Dubuque Eats Well group through a partnership between the City of Dubuque Americorps program and Dubuque County Iowa State Extension. Jenni is a native of Worthington, IA, and she is passionate about agriculture and the emergence of family farms dedicated to food production.

Paul Schultz

Paul is an environmentalist by avocation and a Resource Management Coordinator for the City of Dubuque by vocation. Paul has been associated with television producer, Gary Olsen for the past seven years when the two became co-producers of a national award winning show, The Garden Organic.

Dee Gaul

Dee Gaul is a leader in the agricultural community. Former director of 4H Clubs in Dubuque Country, Dee has been associated with another cable show, Garden Organic, and she has hosted several episodes of this national award winning cable series for the past four years. Dee's involvement with 4H is an important partnership for us because it serves as an opportunity to develop an agricultural enterprise for urban as well as rural youth.

Wally Brown

Wally Brown, a retired business owner, is one of the leading philanthropic consultants in the Midwest, and he's partnered with Gary Olsen on such successful productions as Kids in the Kitchen, Doctor! Doctor!, and The Garden Organic. Wally does much more than raise funds. He forges strategic partnerships among companies and organizations who can benefit from collaborating on a cable television project. "I don't just look for money and materials," explains Wally, "but people with expertise who can become involved and share their knowledge with young people and the greater audience who tune in to watch."

Terry Mozena

Terry is our feature producer for Kids in the Kitchen, Terry applies her considerable experience in hospitality and cooking to developing special projects. Terry has three grandchildren who perform on The Garden Organic and Kids in the Kitchen cable shows. She began driving her granddaughter, Sophie, to the set of Kids in the Kitchen, and she stuck around to help out, and she's never left, becoming a valuable asset to all of our projects.

Brandon Noel

Brandon is one of the top audio engineers in our area. Yes he's young, but thoroughly knowledgeable in the field of sound gathering and production. He is an expert at wireless microphone systems, location sound gathering, and this talented young man has ventured into camera operation and video production on such projects as national award winning The Garden Organic, Kids in the Kitchen, and Crazy Cam!

Frank Bisek

Animator and graphic designer, Frank acquired his skills at the University of Dubuque. He's done everything from fine art to commercial graphic design, advertising, Web design, gaming, and he's working on the show's opening graphics and animated segues that identify feature segments within the show.

Sony HXR-NX5U solid state high def video camera.