Three weeks after beginning my internship with the farmers’ market, I find myself feeling overwhelmed by all of the hard work that goes into conducting and maintaining such a large and busy market! Prior to my internship, I worked as a vendor for three summers at the same market, and it has been increasingly interesting working on the other side. As a vendor, the hardest part of my day was carrying in the tables, and tent, and product, and of course, packing it all out at the end of the day. To work with the market managers is a whole different ball game. Not only do I help vendors set up, but also I show them where to go, and I find out the answers to their questions, and there are always a plethora of questions. At the end of the day, I help pack them out and handle the financial side of the vendor life in terms of sales tax and site fees. However, during the market itself, I don’t get to simply sit and sell a little something here and there. I am constantly walking around, checking in with different vendors, solving problems, and trying to meet everyone’s needs, while trying to fit in a little shopping myself! Even though it is a long day, who wouldn’t want to spend their Friday at a vibrant, bustling farmers’ market. Learning the ins and outs of the market has given me some motivation and material for the upcoming newsletter I plan to write, including articles about other projects I’m working on as an intern, as well as general market news. I also plan to create community awareness on the new recycling program the market has implemented. Overall, finding my groove at the market was an easy transition with such great market managers, all of which are willing to help me learn as much as I can over the course of my internship.
