Good Morning!
We are looking for some advice this morning. It's
officially past the outdoor growing season (well, almost) and our farmers market
board is starting to address the yearly evaluation of the running of our market
and try to make improvements.
So, here's some information about our market.
Paul and I helped to organize our producer only market in Bowling Green,
Kentucky 5 years ago. We just finished our 5th season. For that
time, board members have functioned as volunteer market managers. Two of
the board members have done almost all of the managing. As the market has
grown, this has become more and more problematic. It's hard to manage
vendors (and consumers) as well as sell your own items, and there is the
appearance, if not the reality, of less than optimum objectivity when dealing
with vendor issues. This season, the membership of the market took a
dramatic upturn, both in actual members, and in members attending on a given
market day. We are approaching 50 members and that seems to be a breaking
point of a sort where hiring a manager becomes more
important.
So, along with other
business, the board is considering hiring a manager for the market. Not
having ever done this, they are looking for advice - no reason to re-invent the
wheel! We have some idea of what we think we want a manager to do,
but, I figure there is a wealth of
information and advice out there. So, here is a list of questions they
would like information on:
What type/size market is your market?
What is the manager's salary and what costs does the market reimburse the manager for(e.g. cell phone, travel stipend,
etc.)
Does the manager do farm inspections (for producer only
markets)?
Is the market using a service to pay the manager, or is
the market's treasurer handling payroll?
How
many hours does your
manager typically work a week?
Is the job year-round, or only seasonal, and if
year-round, do hours change seasonally?
What are the typical
duties?
Do membership and stall fees support that salary
totally? And, if you don't mind, what are the membership and stall
fees?
Do you have any suggestions as how to find that
"perfect" manager?
What would you like
to tell us about the process that we haven't
asked?
Thanks so
much. You can email us directly at wiediger AT windstream.net if it is
more comfortable for you.
Alison Wiediger, Au
Naturel Farm
