Market Farming

[KAKerby AT aol.com]

I don't have a lot of experience at farmers markets yet, but I have worked with a lot of other non-profit board of directors groups.  Some of them were extremely effective, some were so-so, and one in particular was about as bad as the scenario you describe.  I worked for 10 years to fix that latter scenario, and in the end I left.  Life is just too short.  To my knowledge, they're still there, still playing their games, still running their organization into the ground because they have money coming in such that they can perennially resurrect their operation from near death.  It's miserable to watch and I moved 1000 miles away so that I didn't have to watch anymore. 

 

I don't know that you have enough to work with at that market to resurrect it, given the blase attitude of 2 of the 4 board members, and the enmity that has already built up in your community against that group.  But I wonder if instead of fixing that sinking ship, you could launch another ship.  This time, tap all those agencies that you spoke of, the ones that the current board has totally alienated, and tell them what you're trying to do.  I would not even dream of attempting this unless and until you had a bunch of like-minded folk on board who could not only help carry the load, but are committed enough to the principle of producers-only markets that they'll stick to their guns when the going gets tough.

 

I don't know how big your community is and normally I would think that anything less than a moderate sized town couldn't afford two markets.  But if that board has really done such a poor job on all counts, it sounds like they're not serving their community very well.  Yet without any competition or choice, folks who want a market will have to keep going to them.  That dog-and-pony show could go on for years.  A competing market, with all those related agencies on board and pulling with you, with appropriate PR and collaboration and communication, could render the first market irrelevant over the long term.  But trying to wait them out?  That could be a real long wait.  I'd ask around and see if enough other folks are fed up with the games, and see if there's a critical mass to create a superior market and let the first market simply die of attrition.  But you'll certainly have your work cut out for you.  Keep us posted.  I suspect you're not the only one facing this particular problem.  Best of luck in whatever you choose to do.

Kathryn Kerby

frogchorusfarm.com

Snohomish, WA

 

In a message dated 1/3/2011 4:56:09 P.M. Pacific Standard Time, cjmaness AT juno.com writes:

I think if it were me, I wouldn't waste my time on that market. Spend the time working on your orchard and work on making a pick your own a viable option. If not, can you at least get on the waiting list of the larger market? Is it possible to do both? Large market and pick your own? When your orchard reaches full production, that small town market may not provide enough business for the amount of fruit you will be producing. And, if the larger market is anything like our market, fruit of any kind is in high demand, and is priced accordingly.
I wish you were closer to Stillwater. You and your help would be more than welcome!
Carla
Perkins, OK

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