The dictionary provides a high word count in its efforts to define “entrepreneurial.” Members of the Market, if asked, would probably be a bit embarrassed by such a fancy word, especially since it is so hard to spell. He/she/they would be more likely to mutter something like, “I’m a farmer” as if that summed up all of the many hats that are necessary to make the business work … producer, marketer, salesperson, customer service representative … it is a long list.
If you get right down to it, an entrepreneur has the same courage and intestinal fortitude that enables a bungee-jumper to close his or her eyes and lean forward into space. The “long drop” with faith that the cord will snap you back up in time is what makes the difference between a dreamer with a mental picture of “Someday” and some doodles scratched in the margins of scrap paper during down time at their day job compared to someone who takes the plunge to make their idea reality. Ask any small businessperson and you will hear about the challenges of finding a way to get their products into the hands of paying customers.
Members of the Presque Isle Farmers’ Market have the added challenge of needing to take the show on the road, so to speak. Like an old time peddler, their “store” needs to be entirely portable, loaded into a car, van, or truck early on Saturday mornings and reassembled in the Sears parking lot by 8:30 on Saturday morning. Necessary items need to be hauled in and they all need to be packed up and taken away again in the early afternoon (except the products sold, of course. How wonderful to be sold out when we leave!).
One would think that repetition would make the process automatic — the magic of assembling a vendors’ stand in the right place at the right time should happen without thought. It is true that it gets a bit easier even as it gets busier with more products to harvest, clean, prep, and package as the season goes along. But the first couple of weeks? Honest to Pete, it feels like you never did this before in your entire life, and the winter break, while welcome, doesn’t help a bit! Signs … where are the signs? Basement? Garage? Barn? Attic? Oh, all the rain last year made them all moldy. OK. New signs. Rats! Gusty winds straight off the river snapped the leg on that stand last fall; I never did fix that, did I? OK. Duct tape … it worked in October … maybe fresh duct tape. Change. What did I do with the change box? Why are there doll clothes in the change box? Yes, dear. I am sure it is a wonderful doll bed, but spring is coming. Maybe Betsy-wetsy is ready to go camping. I need a bag of bags — people never remember their shopping bags. Now how did I get these boxes and coolers to fit in the trunk? I do need the geometry I hated in high school. Who knew?
Somehow, we make it work. The members of the Presque Isle Farmers’ Market assemble on Saturday mornings in the Aroostook Centre Mall parking lot and spend the morning providing good things to their customers. Hope to see you there!
The Presque Isle Farmers’ Market contact person Gail Maynard, who operates Orchard Hill Farm in Woodland with her husband, Stan. Their phone number is 498-8541 and their email is orchhill@gmail.com.
