Farmers markets are an interesting place.
The class visited a farmers market this week to take some notes on stuff we noticed about the event, and to interview the market's vendors, and customers. One of our project deliverables is to eventually get to a point where students develop such an understanding of business and agriculture, that they can then start businesses of their own.
Here are some of my observations that I made with my friend Harrison:
Elements of a farmers market that appeal to the senses:
Interviews:
Many-a-people seemed to be under the influence of recreational drugs.
That Interview bit of the list is probably most valuable to me; pretty good information to have. (Especially that last bit.)
Going to the OB farmer's market was a pretty cool thing, and if I wasn't there for a class assignment, I would have most definitely bought the crap out of like 30% of the stuff there. The atmosphere was pretty relaxed and there were pleasant scents of incense flying about the sidewalks. Interviewing vendors was a great experience, every product had an, at least somewhat, interesting story behind its existence, the vendors themselves had their entire histories plastered right onto their hands. We spoke with a woman who made woolen hats, and she had been at the market for fifteen years. She had a lot to say about her kids, grandkids... Grandma stuff.
Speaking with customers was a different thing altogether. Everyone seemed like they wanted to keep to themselves and their friends, so Harrison and I didn't bother too many folks. Interacting with people who don't want to be spoken to is always a struggle.
I guess that's about it, so here's a friendly picture of the sidewalk where the market was.
The class visited a farmers market this week to take some notes on stuff we noticed about the event, and to interview the market's vendors, and customers. One of our project deliverables is to eventually get to a point where students develop such an understanding of business and agriculture, that they can then start businesses of their own.
Here are some of my observations that I made with my friend Harrison:
Elements of a farmers market that appeal to the senses:
- Food Smells
- Meats
- Peanut Butters
- Guacamole
- PIZZA
- Bitchin’ Sauce
- Other Aromas:
- Essential Oils
- Marijuana
- Candles
- Incense
- Things we saw:
- Unkempt folks with crazy hair
- People with massive ear gauges (This one guy in particular)
- Member of the “Flat Earth Society” (You can tell that farmers markets attract lots of, “undesirables” (This is objective)
- Plenty of good food
- Things we heard:
- Lots of street performers, percussion, string instruments…
Interviews:
- Most commonly asked questions:
- “Did you make that?”
- Vendors at the market must have:
- Handmade their product
- Raised or cultivated the food that they sell
- OR be a representative of the person who has done the above
- Common local media coverage
- Most vendors (save for one in particular) have been within the business for a pretty significant amount of time
- Most people have personal connections to people who run the market
- Ah-ah Ah! Ah-ah!
- We come from the land of the ice and snow, from the midnight sun, where the hot springs flo-ow!
Many-a-people seemed to be under the influence of recreational drugs.
That Interview bit of the list is probably most valuable to me; pretty good information to have. (Especially that last bit.)
Going to the OB farmer's market was a pretty cool thing, and if I wasn't there for a class assignment, I would have most definitely bought the crap out of like 30% of the stuff there. The atmosphere was pretty relaxed and there were pleasant scents of incense flying about the sidewalks. Interviewing vendors was a great experience, every product had an, at least somewhat, interesting story behind its existence, the vendors themselves had their entire histories plastered right onto their hands. We spoke with a woman who made woolen hats, and she had been at the market for fifteen years. She had a lot to say about her kids, grandkids... Grandma stuff.
Speaking with customers was a different thing altogether. Everyone seemed like they wanted to keep to themselves and their friends, so Harrison and I didn't bother too many folks. Interacting with people who don't want to be spoken to is always a struggle.
I guess that's about it, so here's a friendly picture of the sidewalk where the market was.