Farmers Market Management Trainee Intern

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Love farmers markets? Interested in getting employment with a local farmers market as a Market Manager or even at Detroit's Eastern Market or another large farmers market? If so, we have the gig for you! Volunteer at our market while gaining that farmers market management experience that can be added to your resume to get a job at another local market.

Friends of Lincoln Park Farmers Market is a not-for-profit 501c3 organization dedicated to the operation of the seasonal outdoor Lincoln Park Farmers Market June through October as well as an indoor late November Holiday Market. Our market is every Sunday, June through October, 11 am - 4 pm, at the southwest corner of Fort & Southfield. We have a late November indoor holiday market as well.

What does it involve managing a farmers market? Market Manager's, often part-time, oversee market operations throughout the season. The Market Manager is responsible for all aspects of market operations during a season. Although volunteer position, this opportunity will enable the successful candidate to achieve a paid position at many local Michigan farmers markets including Detroit's Eastern Market.

This volunteer position requires the ability to communicate effectively with a variety of people, including: customers, vendors, volunteers, health inspectors, city departments as well as Friends of Lincoln Park Farmers Market board members and interns. The volunteer position is Sunday's at the market and might at some point include 4 hours on Monday's and 4 hours on Wednesday's at our City Hall office.

Our market managements general responsibilities include: managing vendor relationships, coordinating market set -up and tear -down each market day, assisting with social media and general outreach to promote the market, operating the food assistance programs, answering customer questions, assisting with the market’s special events program and promoting the Lincoln Park Farmers Market.

General Requirements:

The volunteer Market Management Trainee/Intern must be available during all market hours throughout the season, be willing and able to work outside in all weather conditions; and be able to safely lift and carry at least 50 pounds. The position requires the ability to work independently as well as inter-dependently with the team of volunteers, interns and board members.

The ideal candidate will be an enthusiastic advocate of the local food movement and Michigan Agriculture. The Market Manager must be reliable, self-motivated and have good communication and customer service skills.

Responsibilities:

Specific responsibilities will be determined by the needs of the customers, our partners and the vendors at the market. Generally, the Market Manager is responsible for the following activities:

MARKET OPERATIONS

• Arrive Sunday’s at market 1.5 hours before opening to coordinate market setup and stays at market until all vendors have left (usually no more than 1 hour after market closing).
• Sets up market table and display.
• Coordinates vendor setup, ensuring vendors are in the correct space.
• Staffs the market booth providing information to customers, assisting with food assistance programs with helping run the EBT/Credit Card machine.
• Data entry of market data, recording of paid vendor dues as well as receipts to vendors.

GENERAL MARKET SUPPORT

• Develops and maintains good working relationships with volunteers and interns, vendors, customers and community members.
• Assists vendors, community representatives and customers by providing market-related information, conflict resolution and general aid as appropriate.
• Enforces market rules.
• Occasionally assist vendors by providing limited set up help and brief personal breaks and by assisting vendors with sales during especially busy times.

OUTREACH AND MARKETING

• Works to promote the market through social media, contributing to weekly email newsletters and promotion throughout the community.
• Educates customers about the market’s mission
• Assists with the development and coordination of special events - including educational Programming.

MARKET MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES

The objective of market management, i.e. Market Manager, etc., is to ensure a positive experience for both vendors and customers at the markets.

Market Management will perform the following duties:

1 Oversee other volunteers.

2 Assign spots for the vendors based on the reservation and daily first come, first served system.

4 Handle calls or questions from vendors making reservation changes or inquiring about selling at the Market.

5 Sign up new vendors and collect the weekly /seasonal fees from vendors and give to board treasurer or other board member.

6 Fill out the Vendor Log each week; especially products vendors expect to bring to the market next week and get to the board officers by email.

7 Oversee the Guestbook/email list and provide new entries each week.

8 Administer the Lincoln Park Farmers Market Rules.

10 Be a liaison with the board officers, notifying on concerns, needs or opportunities arising at the Farmers Market from the vendors or the public.

11 Be a positive voice for the Lincoln Park Farmers Market.

12 Work with local businesses and volunteers to promote the market.

13 Submit requests for extraneous expenditures to the board treasurer.

14 Where applicable, administer the Bridge Card program, including swiping cards, dispensing tokens, keeping a log by vendor of tokens received, and submitting the data in a timely fashion to board treasurer in order to compensate vendors.

Estimated weekly hours 16 hours per week, from June through November.

Sundays 9:30 am -5:00 pm

Mondays Approximately 4 hours

Wednesdays Approximately 4 hours