The Bend Farmers Market (BFM)  is a seasonal agricultural farmers market that has been in operation for over 20 years. It provides access to locally grown fruits, vegetables, and other farm products. It operates in downtown Bend, Oregon from May to October.

The mission of the BFM is to foster and sustain a centralized market that supports the viability of local farmers and producers who offer fresh local produce and farm products produced sustainably, enhancing the business, nutritional, and community health of Central Oregon.

Required qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s degree and/or desired experience below

Experience: At least 3 years management experience, including personnel management, budget responsibility, operations management and experience working with multiple constituencies/stakeholder groups; experience working with the public, experience in retail and/or other customer service experience preferred.

Required Skills: The ability to develop good team relationships with staff, vendors, contractors, and board members; the ability to interface well with the public; strong customer service orientation and skills; excellent interpersonal and communications skills, good listener; strong organizing and problem-solving skills; pro-active, good attention to details; computer skills.

Compensation and time commitment commensurate with experience: hourly rate of $18-20/hour. The average time commitment is 550 hours per year with peak hours during market season with ~ 20 hrs/week (April to October) and ~ 7 hours/week in the off-season (November-March).

The ideal candidate exhibits the following:

• Farmers market manager experience or similar
• Is comfortable interacting and communicating diplomatically with vendors, customers and partners
• Has great customer service skills
• Maintains confidentiality and professional demeanor
• Is passionate about the community and local agriculture
• Is independently motivated, proactive and efficient
• Is an effective problem solver
• Has excellent written and oral communication skills
• Possesses strong organizational, detail oriented, and time management skills
• Has some marketing skills
• Possesses digital skills such as managing spreadsheets and updating the website
• Has basic financial skills
• Exhibits a positive attitude
• Has excellent time-management skills

Project Specific Work:

• Screens farmer/vendor applications based on BFM criteria
• Establishes vendor space layout prior to market season
• Uses Manage My Market (market management software) to track applicants and vendors, their contact information, any licenses or permits required of each vendor based on the products they are selling, as well as dates requested, booth spaces, market attendance, etc.
• Ensures that all applicable licenses, permits, and insurances are filed with relevant agencies
• Communicates with vendors and community in a timely fashion
• Advertises and promotes the market using social media and other avenues
• Acts as liaison to the market’s governing board, providing accounting and performance reports
• Brings suggestions from vendors back to the market board/committee
• Is able to lift a minimum of 30 lbs, carry and transport BFM barricades, signs, and tent to and from weekly market
• Invoices vendors, maintains updated budget records, submits receipts and expenses to bookkeeper, supports Treasurer with budget documents
• Accurately keeps track of and submits reports required for DUFB or similar
• Tracks SNAP tokens redeemed by vendors and pays out reimbursements.
• Attends BFM board monthly meetings and a monthly call with the Board Chair
• Maintains the BFM email and web sites

Arrives prior to market vendors arriving and is present at market throughout the market day to:

• Place market signs and parking signs
• Properly place vendors in stalls, including assigning market stalls to daily vendors
• Collect all stall fees owed, make accurate accounting, and deposit in market account
• Ensure all rules and regulations are adhered to including hours of operation and that sales occur only during specific market hours
• Ensure all state and county regulations are adhered to
• Resolve disputes that arise
• Maintain market grounds in a safe manner
• Operate and attend the market manager’s booth
• Operate market’s EBT and DUFB program at all times during market hours
• Maintain and manage farmers’ market volunteer base
• Ensure volunteers are available to support market manager weekly at the BFM booth if needed
• Answer questions for vendors and consumers
• Post to Facebook and Instagram
• Ensure the market site is clean once the market is closed and the vendors have left for the day
• Conduct periodic customer counts on market day to assess the level of growth in market usage
• Communicate market policies, activities, and rules to farmers, keeping them informed throughout the season