market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Market Farming
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- From: mckemie AT inetport.com
- To: market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu
- Subject: Farmers Market Organization
- Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 09:13:07 -0600
I certainly find this farmers market discussion enlightening,
interesting, educational, etc!
The farmers markets with which I am associated are almost exclusively
operated/sponsored by the members of an associated which is made up of
sellers at the market. The members of these associations have an
annual meeting at which are elected officers and these
officers/directors are responsible for the market's operation,
including appointing a manager. The managers generally see to the
on-site operation of the market: allocating stall spaces, collecting
stall fees, minor rule enforecement, and bringing major problems to the
attention of the officers. The managers are generally paid a token
amount, while officers serve without pay. This type of organization
gives the farmer participants a chance to control their destiny, not
a certainty but a chance,. Our most pressing problem is finding people
to do effective market promotion. I fully appreciate the advantages of
having a "sugar daddy" to sponsor markets!
You Oregon guys are very fortunate to have CUSTOMERs willing to get
involved in the operation of markets! Though I fear that having
farmers play a minority role in market management will lead to trouble.
I believe that your non-farmer directors will be more easily bamboozled
by dishonest sellers than farmers would.
I was suprised to learn that Del's market is only three years old.
While ALL market stories interest me, I am especially interested in
hearing about markets that have a long history. My perception is that
it takes quite a few years for a market to stablize, mainly to deal with
the re-selling issue. It is my perception that few market organizers
fully appreciate the re-selling problem in the early years of a market.
Who else has a farmers market tale to tell? Especially of old farmers
markets.
--
Onward! Through the Fog!
Willie
http://austinfarm.org/homegrown
-
Farmers Market Organization,
mckemie, 02/14/2001
- <Possible follow-up(s)>
- Re: Farmers Market Organization, Patrick Mulkey, 02/14/2001
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