Winter Market

I realized recently that I need to pick up even more streams of income if I want to continue to work on my own schedule and keep my daughter out of daycare. The thing that motivates me above all else is the desire to teach her myself, nurture her myself, while she is a very young child. After all, I didn't have her so that someone else could raise her. That's why I started my own business. That's why I teach classes at a corporate craft store. That's why today I started my new and exciting part time job as Winter Market Manager for the NWPA Growers' Co-op store.
It's a really fabulous concept, and for anyone in Butler or Mercer County, PA, it's convenient. My responsibilities include signing up new members, getting product availability from each farmer, adding that to the online ordering system, opening & closing the web store at specific times, reporting the orders to the farmers, and dealing with any irate growers/customers that an error (anyone's errors, not just my own)may have caused. It's not paid hourly; my pay is based instead on a percentage of what is sold. I'm having quite a bit of anxiety about possibly dropping the ball in some way throughout the season even though I should know that I can handle this. I do well with people, especially older people. I know that deep inside I am actually a very old woman, so I am at home bluffing my way through a conversation about quilting or canning or knitting. I do know a bit about all three of those things, but nearly as much as a "real" old woman knows!

I'm excited about this job. What I'd love to do is have some obscenely wealthy person fall in love with my work and bankroll my design house. . . assuming that scenario will never play itself out, my second choice is having a small farm. I'm seriously considering buying some pheasants and quails for feathers, eggs, and meat. How great would it be if I could tell potential clients that I knew exactly where every feather in their custom headpieces came from? And I could eat yummy game birds. . . mmmmm. Let's pretend for now that they kill and pluck themselves.
Working with these farmers is great experience. I have already learned so much during the summer CSA season from one particular farmer who is a grizzled, kind older man with a big laugh and an appropriate anecdote for almost everything. He explained why my vining crops failed this year; he encouraged me to give my daughter raw cow's milk instead of goat milk, and it worked amazingly; he helped me decide which tiller to buy for my garden.

I'm so thankful and pleased to be involved in this. While it may take about 12 hours each week away from jewelry & accessories design time, I think it's the best, wisest choice for me and for my family.