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  • From: Home Grown Kansas! <hgkansas AT sbcglobal.net>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Farmers Market question
  • Date: Tue, 26 Jun 2007 16:33:15 -0700 (PDT)

We have a $30,000 operating budget.  We seek sponsorships from local business, organizations and who ever whats to support our market.  The Downtown Development Cooperation sponsors our lease payments on the market location - $150/week.  We have a sponsor for our Chefs Table (chef demo), sponsor for the Music at Market, and for our Children's Corner booth.  Grants are used for advertising, promotions and improvements.  We also have sponsors for special events - like this week "Grilling with The Good Life Guy" (local radio food show that will broadcast from our market this week)  www.oldtownfarmersmarket.com   You have to hustle to make a market work. 
 
You have to run a market like a business.  Stall fees have to be enough to operate the market.  The market manager (her title is Chief Operating Officer) is paid 50% of the stall fees.  The manager at our market costs the market between $5,000-$6,000/year and she is under paid.  The market manager takes care of the day to day business.  Stall fees are $40 for a one time visit plus a $25 registration fee (to set the vendor up in our data base).  Fees reduce for vendors who pay in advance for longer periods of time - they drop to $20/stall when they pay for 1/2 season at a time.  Bottom line, you have approach it like a business if you plan to stay in business.   
 
All markets are different - you have do what works for you.  I can only tell you what work for us in our circumstances.  I recommend you pick up a book called, "New Farmers' Markets: Farm-Fresh Ideas for Producers, Managers and Communities by Eric Gibson, Marcie Rosenzweig and Vance Corum - it will be helpful. 
 
This may seem overwhelming to you, but take it one step at a time.  What is the old saying, "Life is hard by the yard and a cinch by the inch."  We started with an "Initial Assistance" Grant from the Kansas Dept. of Commerce - a $5,000> 2 for 1 matching grant - we had to come up with approximately $1,650.  The grant covered the fees of start up - lawyer, insurance, etc.  We have applied for other grants through the Commerce dept. for advertising and promotions. 
 
There is a lot of competition for customers time in our society - so your market has to be interesting for your customers. 
 
I wish you good luck and I hope this is helpful.  We need viable markets to sustain ourselves.
 
Elzie
Wichita    



Lynn Wigglesworth <lynnw1366 AT hotmail.com> wrote:
If you pay the manager from the stall fees, where do you get money for
liability insurance and advertising?

Lynn Wigglesworth
Peasant Farmer
Tioga County, PA

----- Original Message -----
From: "Home Grown Kansas!"
To: "Market Farming"
Sent: Tuesday, June 26, 2007 3:47 PM
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Farmers Market question


> We formed an LLC with three vendors. Secured a lease from the city for
a location. Hire or pay yourself out of the stall fees to be the manager.
Spaces are rented to vendors. Some vendors - those that are interested
can pay to join the LLC as a partner.
>
> Elzie
> Wichita
>
> Lynn Wigglesworth wrote:
> I guess it's the 'we' that I wonder about. Who is 'we'? In my market,
> there is no 'we', only 'me'....anything that needs to be done is my
> responsibility. The vendors want nothing to do with the running of the
> market.
>
> Lynn Wigglesworth
> Peasant Farmer
> Tioga County, PA
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Home Grown Kansas!"
> To:
> ; "Market Farming"
>
> Sent: Tuesday, June 26, 2007 12:27 PM
> Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Farmers Market question
>
>
> > We are on a great city property site in two cities, that we lease. We
> use our own rules to govern our market. The city has no involvement in
> the operation of the markets. It is all in how it is organized.
> >
> > Elzie
> > Wichita
> >
> > Beth Spaugh
> wrote:
> > We have two producer-only markets on private property with no
> government
> > involvement. The ones on government property tend to be told to allow
> > resellers, flea market types, etc, especially if they are
> friends/related to
> > a politician. We pay rent, insurance, etc, but are pleased with the
> freedom.
> >
> >
> >
> > Beth Spaugh
> > Rehoboth Homestead
> > Peru NY
> > http://rhomestead.com
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Barbara Miller [mailto:barbmill2 AT verizon.net]
> > Sent: Tuesday, June 26, 2007 8:31 AM
> > To: Market Farming
> > Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Farmers Market question
> >
> > O.K. I'm curious.... how much involvement do you expect from local
> > government? (and I'm not just directing this query to Lynn). Farmers
are
> > usually a rather independent bunch (especially up here) and don't
> typically
> > invite intervention from "big brother" types.
> >
> > Barb Miller
> > Tioga County, PA
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Lynn Wigglesworth"
> > To: "Market Farming"
> > Sent: Monday, June 25, 2007 12:06 PM
> > Subject: [Market-farming] Farmers Market question
> >
> >
> > > What kind of community/local government support do other Farmers
> Markets
> > > get? Who finds the location for the market? Who finds vendors? Who
> pays
> > > for signs, insurance, advertising? Who organizes all of this? What
> role
> > > does the local government, cooperative extension, farm agencies,
etc.
> > > play? I'm curious about how it SHOULD work in areas that have good
> > > community support.
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
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> > > Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
> > > http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming
> > >
> >
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> >
> >
> >
> >
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