Employment & Volunteer Opportunities

POSITION AVAILABLE

THOMASVILLE FARMERS MARKET PART-TIME POSITION - July -OCTOBER 2024

The Thomasville Farmers Market is a producer’s only farmers market located in the heart of the Historic Downtown Thomasville district. The MARKET MANAGER position is a part-time seasonal position. Please apply here and send your resume via email. The position involves working Saturday Markets 7 am to 12:30 pm, plus Pop-Up Markets on Tuesdays and any special events to be scheduled. The manager position requires training attendance, and attendance at board association meetings.

Compensation: $20/hour ———

QUALIFICATIONS

  • Familiar with local agriculture and food systems

  • Friendly, personable, articulate, courteous and diplomatic

  • Knowledgeable of social media and other marketing tools

  • Willing and able to communicate and collaborate with other community organizations

MARKET SUPPORT ACTIVITIES

  • Schedule special activities and events such as church bake sales, Extension Master Gardener displays/demonstrations, post updated list of Friends of Market & upcoming events, hold   drawings for Friends of Market, theme days such as Craft Days, Tomato Madness, Melon Mania, Music at the Market

  • Attend meetings relevant to the market such as NCDA&CS Manager Training Sessions and Thomasville Farmers Market Association (TFMA) meetings

  • Order supplies as needed (e.g. receipt books, market calendars)

  • Visit farms as needed

  • Answer queries from potential vendors (including churches and other nonprofits) and the general public

  • Assist with fundraising activities for the market (Friends of the Market, selling t-shirts, etc.)

MARKETING AND COMMUNICATION

  • Establish and maintain communication with County Cooperative Extension, PACE marketing person, and TFMA officers, church contacts, media, City of Thomasville Parks & Recreation, Thomasville Tourism and Davidson County Local Food Marketing Coordinator

  • Assist with social media and update website, including taking photos when appropriate

OPEN AND CLOSE THE MARKET

Saturdays, starting mid-April, Tuesdays & Thursdays; special markets as scheduled.

  • Open the gates at least an hour before the official opening time of the market

  • Put out TFM signs at strategic corners and pick up after market

  • Unlock the storage room and rest rooms

  • Turn on lights, fan, and radio as needed

  • Set out trash cans and signs for NO SMOKING.

  • Make sure all vendors have and display farm signs and Wash Produce Before Eating signs (for produce vendors); all vendors should have the latest Market Rules and Regulation.

  • At end of each market, leave trash cans inside the market to be collected by Parks & Recreation, check rest rooms, put away signs, lock up storage room, restrooms, turn off lights and fans.

  • Lock up the gates after all vendors have cleaned up their spaces and left.

VENDOR RELATIONS

  • Help park vehicles (vendors not market attendees)

  • Assign spaces to new vendors and remind vendors of food safety and Public Health protocol.

  • Find out at beginning of market what each has for sale that day

  • Handle questions/problems

  • Make sure rules and regulations are followed

  • Collect stall fees & write receipts

  • At/near end of each market, find out how well the vendor did that day and what the vendor expects to bring the following week

  • Stamp Senior Nutrition & SNFMP coupons, making sure they have not expired and have been signed by customer, stamped by vendor, and maintain any Federal Food assisted programs

  • Assist vendors with problems if any

RECORDS AND REPORTS

  • Make sure all growers are certified; keep copies of grower certificates

  • Vendors present and paid at each market

  • Give bills to treasurer for payment

  • Give fees received to treasurer for deposit

  • Daily market traffic, including vendors, church bake sale workers, customers

  • Prepare and present reports to TFMA meetings

OVERSIGHT

  • Label first aid supplies and assist with application as needed

  • Remind churches of food safety protocols

  • Remind customers of no smoking and pets must be on a leash

  • Handle unruly customer behavior (e.g. kids running in aisle)

  • In an event of a situation at the Market, the Market Manager will cease their vendor duties and address the situation. The Market Manager can appoint someone to take over their vendor duties during this time.               

PAYMENT

The market manager is a contractor, working part-time from mid-April to October. Pay is determined annually by the TFMA. If the market manager chooses to sell produce or approved value-added products (e.g. handmade crafts) at any market sessions, the stall fee is waived.

Grant

Fulfill duties that are required to maintain the current Grant (2022-2024) that is shared by TFMA and LFM (data collection of sales, customer attendance, volunteer hours, participate in meetings, and potentially serve as Market Manager at Winter Markets as needed)

07/05/2024 - Thomasville Farmers Market is an Equal Opportunity Employer

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Thomasville Farmers Market is always looking for volunteers to help our market managers work with our farmers.

Responsibilities include market set-up, traffic counties, assisting with cooking demos. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact us.