Crafts

[Dan]

Hi All,

Does your market have craft vendors?

~Dan

[Lovering RN, Ann]

No, our focus at this point is simply fruits and veggies.

Annie Lovering Steele, RN, Manager
Health 1st, Medical University of SC Employee Wellness Program
 
MUSC Wellness Center, Rm SW273A, MSC 976
45 Courtenay Drive
Charleston, SC 29425-9760
(w) 792-1245     (c) 762-6262
For information about current Health 1st events, go to www.musc.edu/medcenter/health1st
 
Make your own health come 1st .........................
Choose water Walk more and Eat 5-9 servings of colorful fruits Don't Smoke!
as your primary become more active! and vegetables every day!
beverage!

[Shaffer, Julie]

No, we don't allow crafts.

Julie Shaffer

Sustainable Food Service Education Coordinator

Emory University

University Food Service Administration

Julie....@emory.edu

Drawer YY

Emory University

Atlanta, GA 30322

404.727.6734

Supporting good, clean and fair food for all

-----Original Message-----
From: campusfarmers...@googlegroups.com [mailto:campusfarmers...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Dan
Sent: Tuesday, September 29, 2009 2:05 PM
To: CampusFarmersMarketNetwork
Subject: Crafts

Hi All,

Does your market have craft vendors?

~Dan

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[Jessica Zdeb]

I think many campus farmers' markets operate with a stated, or unstated, goal of educating their communities about local agriculture, and crafts don't fit into that mission.  Others that are sponsored by health services might not allow crafts because they don't encourage healthy eating.  You might not want to dilute any message you're trying to get across about the importance of supporting agriculture and/or fresh produce.

However, if your finding that traffic is lacking and farmers needing more business, a small number of crafters may draw more of an audience.  I would not make any decision, though, without at least soliciting input from your food vendors.

Jess

Jessica Zdeb

[Megan Shoenfelt]

We started our market this past spring. I have allowed some craft vendors to round out the market. We dont want a flea market atmosphere, but the more diverse and fun shopping experience it is, the better it will be for the success of the market.
Megan Shoenfelt
Program Coordinator
Agroecosystems Management Program
Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center
201 Thorne Hall
1680 Madison Ave
Wooster, Ohio  44691
330.202.3537 (office)   330.988.0304 (cell)
shoen...@osu.edu

--
Megan Shoenfelt
Program Coordinator
Agroecosystems Management Program
Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center
201 Thorne Hall
1680 Madison Ave
Wooster, Ohio  44691
330.202.3537 (office)   330.988.0304 (cell)
shoen...@osu.edu

[Katie Lamar Jackson]

We have allowed local artisans and craftspeople to sell at our market,
but they have to go through a clearance process (not a juried process,
but we have some other artists "vet" the work before it is accepted).
We only allow things that are locally made and hand-crafted and they
must be sold by the artists or craftspeople, not by third parties.

To be honest, we have not had arts/crafts people beating down our door
to sell there, perhaps because our market only lasts three hours and
set-up is too difficult for such a short gig, or perhaps because we've
made it too much trouble for them. We also have not solicited much from
this community either, so the numbers might increase should we invite
some people to sell there, etc.

Our market focuses on supporting the idea of "local" goods, be they
grown or made, so we have no trouble with opening our market to arts and
crafts and other non-food items unless they are poorly made, mass
produced or otherwise inappropriate for the venue.

Katie

Katie Lamar Jackson
Editor
AU College of Agriculture
Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station
3 Comer Hall
Auburn, AL 36849
PHONE: 334-844-5887
FAX: 334-844-5892
smi...@auburn.edu

[eric ballard]

Dan,

We at N.C. State do allow crafts.  We have found that including craft vendors increases the diversity of your customers and ultimately increases business for the farmers.  We are strict in how we classify a vendor as "crafts".  Some of the points we made sure to cover in the crafts section of our handbook include only using materials of North Carolina origin and that everything must be made by hand.  We were very thorough with our description of what is and is not considered a "craft" and that helped attract true local craftsmen and repel people who are just trying to make a quick buck.  If you want to know more, just ask.

Eric Ballard
NCSU Campus Farmer's Market, Director

On Tue, Sep 29, 2009 at 2:05 PM, Dan <dewax...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Phillip Fandel]

Yes, we have student potters and jewelery makers who do really well. A faculty member also sells her work. I feel promoting creativity in your community has value especially when associated with local foods, and it provides a venue student artists would not have otherwise.

And how cool is it that someone can buy a student-made bowl and then eat their food that they just bought out of it (assuming prepared food is sold at your market)?!. 

Phil
guy who started farmers market at the University of Vermont (in Burlington)

On Tue, Sep 29, 2009 at 2:05 PM, Dan <dewax...@gmail.com> wrote:

[girl...@aol.com]

Dan

At www.thefayettevillefarmersmarket.com you can see some of what we have to offer. We are not on a college campus just local farmers trying to sell our products that we grow. I myself sell honey, eggs, and foot creams that my granddaughter and I make out of our own beeswax.

Vickie

Fayetteville, NC

[Harry and Elaine Hamil]

Dear Campus Farmers Market Supporters,

 

The Black Mountain Tailgate Market is a small town, seasonal, producer controlled, outdoor market in Black Mountain, NC   It is physically located between the 2 campuses of Montreat College but not affiliated with either.  It was preceded for 8 seasons by the Valley Garden Market--an anyone could vend market started in 1994 when 2 women approached our chamber of commerce with the idea of a seasonal gardeners market on the Town Hall parking lot.  From the start it was open to crafters with idea that everything was "homegrown or homemade."  Considering the long mountain tradition of artisan crafts, an increasingly tourism dominated economy due to loss of good manufacturing jobs and the small town, community aspect of the market, this was a no-brainer.  We began in the old style of the farmer coming to town, parking in as prominent a public place as possible and using his/her tailgate as a table for displaying produce and crafts.  I believe we were the first modern market in WNC to include crafts.

 

The Valley Garden Market was a Saturday morning summer only market when my wife, Elaine, and I joined in 1995 at the start of its second season.  We brought excellent quality, organic coffee and Amish Friendship muffins so that meant we had all the things needed (homegrown produce, homemade crafts and homemade food and drink) for success.  It quickly became clear to me that this continuation of a "mountain tradition" of the tailgate marketing of produce and crafts was serendipitous.  It gave us the opportunity to set as a goal that we all have fun--vendors and customers alike.

 

To help people understand this was our goal, Elaine and I began wearing bright, festive shirts that she had bought while visiting the Caribbean years before.  And that gave us an image that people grasped quickly--the gaiety of a Caribbean market.

 

As it turned out, we realized that the crafts helped keep locals and visitors coming to the market because of our shorter growing season and original sparse produce offerings.  And we didn't appear to have as "slim pickings" as we actually did.  And that is very important when growing a market.  A disappointed first time visitor doesn't come back and spread a negative impression of the market.  Crafter, also, empowered us to have a 6 month market long before we had the critical mass of produce needed for that long a season.  The importance of crafts was shown when we reinvented ourselves as a "tailgate" market rather than a "garden" (or farmers) market.

 

I have no question that a carefully chosen array of crafters, possibly varying from week to week, would strengthen the community aspect of a college connected market.  During this, we realized that we can never "build" a community.  We can only uncover the community that already exists and then strengthen its perception and ties.

 

Finally, it seems to me that most campus markets would best remain small markets in terms of set up space and number of vendors.  Small markets work quite differently from large markets.  This means that, like a shopping mall, the coordinator/manager needs to work for the right array of vendors who will collaborate rather than compete.  Every week for 6 months is a lot of work and requires dependable people committed to the success of the market.  You can't just open your doors.  You need to focus from day one on broadening your array of products. 

 

If I can help anyone, please call or write. 

 

Best wishes,

 

Harry Hamil

 

Black Mountain Farmers Market - a year-round store for local food

828/669-4003 - greenhouse & home  (where I usually am)

828/664-0060 - the market (10 - 6, Mon - Sat)

 

 

-----Original Message -----

[girl...@aol.com]

Dear Harry

I agree with you on this. The Fayetteville Farmers Market does almost the same. We let vendors (craft) sell as long as the product is grown by the vendor. Some have there own spinning wheel and knit there items. Me I have bees and try to sell only items made from them like the foot creams and such to sell. We have a limit on the craft vendors so as not to turn it into a flee market.

 

Whoever stated that this is a great information site you are correct, we all seem to have one thing in common and that is producing and selling our produce plus educating the public on the importance of growing your own.

 

Vickie Mullins

President

[Robin Crowder]

Hello All -- In case it's helpful to you, check out the Bellingham Farmers Market in Washington State, bellinghamfarmers.org.  I managed that market for 7 years before moving to Chapel Hill this past winter.  The craft vendors provide a very important component in the mix of vendors and are critical for diversity, tourism, bookending the slow ends of the season and just general good spirit.  The market has very carefully written policies about what constitutes a craft and how those vendors are approved, and placed throughout the market.  Here is the link to the policies for the organization:  http://bellinghamfarmers.org/uploads/Documents/2008%20handbook%20and%20bylaws.pdf.  Also, be sure to check out the craft jury form.  There are many markets in Washington State that allow crafters, with similar policies in place.  Visit, www.wafarmersmarkets.com, to see a list of markets that are members of the statewide association.  If I can be helpful with more information I'd be glad to. 
Robin

 

Robin B. Crowder
Gillings Project for Sustainable Agriculture
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
CB#7426
1700 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
Chapel Hill, NC 27599
Office Telephone: 919/843-8885
Cell Phone: 360/224-7220
E-Mail: robin_...@unc.edu
Blog: http://gillingsproject.wordpress.com/
Web: http://www.hpdp.unc.edu/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/UNC-Center-for-Health-Promotion-and-Disease-Prevention/93647039573?ref=ts
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---

From: "girl...@aol.com" <girl...@aol.com>
To: campusfarmers...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Thursday, October 1, 2009 9:10:06 AM
Subject: Re: Crafts