Last Call for Market Customer Survey Data...

Hi All,
This is a quick hello and follow up request to have a look at our customer survey to complete.

Your feed-back is of extreme value, whether you were a regular attendee or only attended once or twice. All responses are confidential and anonymous. You will not be contacted regarding your answers unless you request that in one of the comments sections.

The survey closes February 28th so if you haven’t already, we encourage you to take this opportunity to share your thoughts on last year’s market and suggestions on what changes you would like to see this year and in the future. The more respondents we have, the better our understanding of our customers needs.

Again, the survey is confidential and has fewer than 20 questions.

Many Thanks,

Tricia Herbert
Market Manager

Happy New Year!!

I am happy to be back, as market manager sending you the very first newsletter of 2010 for the St. Thomas Horton Farmers' Market.


Before I talk about anything else, I ask you to hop over here and give us your opinion. This is one of the main areas I am working on during this hibernation time of the market. We are busy strategizing, collecting data, and recruiting new vendors and customers alike to the market for 2010. Your five minutes of time is of extreme value so thank you in advance for your participation in the survey.


Another project under way includes a few more upgrades to the market building itself. You will be happy to see a new ventilation system that will help cool off the green house experience we went through in July and August indoors. There will be shiny new three part sinks and steel countertops to keep things in stride with food handling regulations, and increased hydro access in the North Pavilion for outdoor vendors. And for the future generation of market goers, a baby change table is now installed in the family access washroom.


That's only round one. We have a few more things we are working on including signage for the building and indoor vendor tables - but more about round two later.


Lastly, I have had the luxury of stepping out into the world of 'Farmers Markets' at-large a bit more. I recently attended the Canadian Organic Conference at the University of Guelph where I furiously scribbled notes at a Farmers Market Direct Forum. The room was packed full of farmers, market managers, chefs, and people who love fresh food. I hung out in the farmers market networking room and chatted further. The experience confirmed the importance of what the farmers' market does for community, agriculture, environment, and food sustainibility.


We're on the right track.


I will be posting from time to time but not on a weekly basis yet. If you know of anyone interested in being a vendor at the market, please pass on the news! Vendor packages will be going out in early March.


Remember the survey :-)


Many Thanks,

Tricia Herbert
Market Manager