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  • From: Guy Clark <guyclark AT socket.net>
  • To: GreenMrkt AT aol.com, market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Cc:
  • Subject: [Market-farming] Good Market Manager
  • Date: Sun, 13 Feb 2005 10:33:53 -0600

Karen-

What makes a good market manager? Let me see if I can come up with some characteristics.

Our market manager, Alouette, came from a pool of 5 applicants last spring. She said in her interview that she was the type of person who does not postpone things. She likes to keep a clean desk; if something needs to be done, she'd rather do it now rather than later. I was skeptical, but pleasantly surprised.

I knew her vaguely from being in the same small town (80,000) for several years and she seemed pleasant enough.

Characteristics that seem crucial:
 

  • The ability to be organized, but handle large amounts of chaos
  • The ability to listen and interpret instructions
  • The ability to ask questions when you need to for clarity
  • The ability to work independently
  • The wisdom to choose between the above two on a busy Saturday market
  • Passion for food, farming and farmers
  • Good connections in the community (this allowed her to have music every Saturday)
  • Pleasant to deal with, but firm when neccessary
  • Punctual (something I am not)
  • Capable of handling part-time work without having to have too many other jobs to divert her away from doing the work for you
  • Good on-site and off-site (We have had managers who were fine at the market, but did not follow through on phone calls and other off-site work)
  • Completes tasks immediately and doesn't procrastinate
  • Creative but consultive
  • Respectful but probing
Truthfully it takes a good board of directors (or at least one good person on the board) to give direction and answer questions combined with the market manager to make the organization hum along in summer. For the most part, we don't want to be bothered at market because we are there to sell, but sometimes there are questions and there needs to be ONE person the manager asks, or the board needs to be sympatico and give consistent answers. I am that person at our market.

If you look at most of the above characteristics, they are what makes good farmers or good employees or good just about anything. You want an actualized, curious adult.

Guy Clark
Columbia Farmers' Market
Columbia, MO
laughably Zone 5B (but Zone 7 the last 14 years) due for a zonal pruning any day now


  • [Market-farming] Good Market Manager, Guy Clark, 02/13/2005

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