Marketing Manager Message: October 14th, 2015

Brandi Good from BLG Business Solutions and Your Marketing Made Easy has offerered our vendors 25% off this month's marketing conference. It's called "YMME15: Moving Small Business Forward" and is held at the DoubleTree on Oct. 20. Please register by 11:59 pm, Oct. 18. There are quite a few sessions to choose from and meals are included. It's a good opportunity to learn from 10 local marketing professionals. Your discount code is: YMME25FLASH

To register or find more information, visit this link: 

http://www.yourmarketingmadeeasy.com/ymme15/

Dee

Marketing Manager Message: October 13th, 2015

At our first Indoor Market on October 17th, the Shriners will be hosting a pancake breakfast in the basement. To make sure that vendors get a chance to eat, they will begin serving at 8 am. For customers, it's been advertised as starting at 9 am. A donation to the WAWA Shriners will get you a plate of pancakes, sausage and syrup from Over the Hill Orchards. Enjoy!

Dee

Operations Manager Message: August 10th, 2015

Hello everyone,

Tomorrow we will be hosting a market tour for Justin Trudeau, the leader of the federal Liberal party. Although the RFM is itself a non-political organization, this will be a great opportunity for our organization and farmers’ markets in general to receive significant media exposure, both at the local and national level. Please keep in mind that our hosting of Mr. Trudeau is in no way an endorsement of the Liberal party, and that we would welcome similar requests from any other major party.

As a diverse organization, I think it’s safe to assume that RFM members represent all political stripes. Regardless of where your personal political views fall, I would ask that you all do your best to welcome Mr. Trudeau on behalf of our organization. Like any campaign stop, tomorrow’s market tour will be on a tight schedule. As such, Mr. Trudeau will be stopping by a handful of booths that will represent the diversity and quality of what the RFM has to offer.

If you do have a personal issue that you feel compelled to speak to Mr. Trudeau about, please consider asking him if he would be willing to speak to you after the formal tour is complete.

Thanks and see you in the morning!

Nikko

Operations Manager Message: August 7th, 2015

Hello everyone!

A quick reminder that tomorrow's market is off the Plaza, and will take place on the 2000 and 1900 blocks of Scarth St. I am attaching the map for you to have a look at. 

Please try to arrive a bit earlier than usual to ensure that our set up goes as smoothly as possible. In some cases parking will be a bit tricky and will be best done on a first-come-first-served basis. As such, the final position of vendors may end up being slightly different than what is shown on the map. 

I am doing my best to ensure that there won't be any non-RFM vehicles parked on Scarth St in the morning. However, in the event that there are cars parked on the street we'll need to make last minute adjustments as needed. 

Keep in mind that there is free parking available in the SaskPower parking lot for staff and additional vehicles. 

If you can, please share tomorrow's location with your customers via social media and whatever other communication methods you use. 

If we all work together it should be a great market! Thanks in advance for your help and patience.

See you in the morning,
Nikko

PDF Map provided with message

Operations Manager Message: July 31st, 2015

Hello everyone! It’s hard to believe that it’s the beginning of August. I hope your market season is going well! Here are a few quick reminders and thoughts to share with you:

Staff Transition:

Ada is expecting her baby in the next couple of weeks, so she is in process of handing the torch over to Dee Kitsch, who will be taking over the role of Marketing Manager while Ada is away on parental leave. I will continue to be your point of contact for regular market issues, including stall placement, fee collection, health regulations, etc. Dee will handle your questions about marketing, including your presence on the RFM website and social media. All the best to Ada and her family as they prepare to welcome their new addition!

RFM Off-Plaza on August 8:

Regina Folk Festival takes place August 7-9, and as such we will be moving off the Plaza on Saturday August 8. We will be located on Scarth St (from 12th Ave all the way south to 13th Ave).

-   Please confirm your attendance on August 8 as soon as possible. This will really help me plan the day!
-   Set up may present a few more challenges than usual, so please plan to arrive a bit earlier than usual.

-   We will have access to additional electricity from the SaskPower parking lot.

Driving & Parking on the Plaza:

It is extremely important that we avoid driving on the Plaza during market hours. Pedestrians using the Plaza during and immediately before and after the market are not expecting to share the space with vehicles, and it is our responsibility to take every precaution to keep our customers safe. Please keep in mind the following:

-  If you are parking your vehicle on the Plaza, make sure to arrive with enough time to park before 8:30 am. As you are all aware, there can be traffic jams at certain times during morning set up. Please take this into consideration when planning your arrival time. (Also, please remember not to idle your vehicle as some vendors have respiratory problems.)

-  If you are dropping off products and then leaving the Plaza with your vehicle, keep in mind that your vehicle must be moved off the Plaza by 8:30 am. Please ensure that you arrive with enough time to unload and still leave the Plaza before 8:30. Also, if you are parking temporarily to unload, please be respectful of other vendors by not blocking the through lane and/or other vendors’ spots.

-  If you are arriving with a large or awkward vehicle, please make every effort to arrive as early as possible.

-  Do not drive on the Plaza during market hours. If you are picking up or dropping off products or people, park on the street. This applies to the edges of the Plaza as much as to the centre, as pedestrians are entering and exiting the site from these points.

-  When arriving, please replace the barricades so that they block the entrances to the Plaza. The barricades serve to keep non-RFM vehicles off the Plaza and are in place as a protection to our customers. It is our responsibility to keep them in place for the entire duration of our street closure (6 am to 2 pm).

- There is generally room for one vehicle to park at each vendor’s booth. If you must bring more than one vehicle, please plan to park it on the street or in the SaskPower parking lot (free on Saturdays). The market is able to provide a limited number of parking permits for vendors to park at bagged metres on Scarth St. However, we are not in a position to provide parking passes to additional staff people. Please ensure that your staff are prepared to park their vehicles off site.

Electricity:

-  If you are the last person unplugging from a power box, please close and lock the box.

-  Please ensure that you bring sufficient extension cord to reach the electrical outlet, and keep in mind that your distance from an outlet will likely vary from market to market.

-  Please let me know whenever your notice that an outlet isn’t working, so that I can follow up with the City of Regina immediately.

Thanks for what’s been a great market season so far! I really welcome your feedback, so please never hesitate to share your thoughts and ideas for ways to make our market even better.

Nikko

Operations Manager Message June 30th, 2015

Hello!

You are receiving this email because as far as I know you are planning to attend the Regina Farmers' Market tomorrow, July 1st.

The market will be going ahead as scheduled, despite the smoke in the air. However, due to the weather conditions and special air quality statement that's in effect, please take note of the following:

- As RFM vendors you are responsible for your own well-being and the well-being of your staff. Please consider your individual situation carefully and make an informed decision about whether it is safe for you and/or your staff to attend the market tomorrow.

- If you decide not to attend, please let me know as soon as possible.

- The Board has expressed concern over the well-being of the RFM staff working outside in the current conditions. As such, I will be on site in the morning to set up, but am not planning to stay on site for the entire market. Board member Robert Barton of Golden Prairie Wild Boar will be present, and has agreed to be a point person if I'm not on hand.

- If you come to market but decide to leave early, please check in with Robert beforehand, and ensure that you leave the Plaza safely.

Please let me know if you have any questions, otherwise I'll see you in the morning!

Thanks,
Nikko

RFM Marketing Manager Message June 26th, 2015

Hello everyone!

A few things for your information:

-I am getting quite pregnant and some of the promo materials are getting a little heavy for me to carry around. We have Market under the Stars and Sasktel 411 bags for you to hand out to customers. From this point on come to the Info Tent, located at the center of the Plaza, to pick up your promotional materials as needed. More bags will be given to vendors who sell heavy items.

-Nikko would like the payments for Market under the Stars regular vendor booths to be put in by Saturday (tomorrow). This is so we can have a map prepared for promotional purposes and for our partners, Regina Downtown, who are sharing the space with us.Tasting Booths and Mobile Units are part of the ticket system for the event and do not have to pay a booth fee for the tasting area. 

-I expect all Tasting Booths to have handed in their Temporary Food Permits by Saturday (tomorrow). I will be meeting with the Health Department to go over them. Do not be surprised if they need you to make changes. I will let you know after the meeting. Please bring temperature gauges on event day.

-All food trucks planning on being involved are to notify me by Wednesday and give me a menu plan. You may not attend if your tastes do not have a local component from the Market in them. You will not be allowed back if you go over two tickets ($6) on your tastes. You may sell drinks for cash, but not meals or tastes.

-Three vendors have nominated the Top 40 customers for our 40th Anniversary celebrations. I will be photographing two of them tomorrow. A write up will be done on our website about your business and why you nominated your most valued customer. This will be shared on all our social media. The customer will receive an exclusive RFM Bag, RFM pin, and $25 worth of products from the Market. Let me know if you have a special customer, Find out their name or send them to the Info Booth, so I can set up an appointment to photograph you together and get their bag ready.

Thanks everyone! As always this information can also be found on the Members Only page on the RFM website. Click Members Only (NOT login!). This will take you to the correct login page. Type [email protected] for the e-mail and membersareawesome as the password.

Ada Bennett

RFM Marketing Manager

RFM Operations Manager Message June 12th, 2015

PDF Attachment with the e-mail: June 13th, 2015 Vendor Map

Hello everyone,

As you know, we are moving off the Plaza tomorrow (Saturday June 13). We will be located on Scarth St between 12th and 13th Avenues (i.e., north and south of Victoria Ave).

I want to give you a bit of background on this situation. Although we are the most consistent users of the Plaza, many other events also use the space. Sometimes these events are big enough that they require the entire Plaza, which means that we occasionally need to make way for them. 

There is no way around this. In fact, it's actually pretty exciting. The more use the Plaza gets, the more people come downtown, which only benefits us in the long run. For example, tomorrow there will hopefully be a ton of people downtown to take in both the RFM and the Pile of Bones BBQ Competition!

I've been working with the City of Regina for the past couple of months to establish a consistent "Plan B" location that we can move to whenever we can't be on the Plaza. The spot we've established, while not perfect, is directly adjacent to our regular spot, which means that customers will easily be able to find us. The benefit of having a regular Plan B is that over time our customers will get used to it and know what to expect. 

Your role in making these off-Plaza markets a success is to support them as much as possible! I understand that there may be concerns about how these moves could affect your businesses. However, our best bet is to embrace this new location with open arms and commit to working together to make these Scarth St markets as amazing as any other market we put on!

I'm attaching the map for tomorrow's market. I'm sure there will be plenty of questions about the rationale behind developing the map, and I will be happy to discuss it with you tomorrow and beyond. However, today I would ask you to help make tomorrow's market a huge success by actively doing the following:

- Actively share both the market location and your booth location with your customers via social media, etc. 
- At market tomorrow, actively let customers know that the market extends south of Victoria Ave, and that they should go right to each end to avoid missing great vendors and activities (including Kids' Club, which is at the far south end).
- Let customers know that we will be in the same location again on August 8 (Regina Folk Festival weekend). 

A few logistics to note for tomorrow:

Everyone: 
- Know your spot number.

- Plan to arrive a little earlier than usual to help ensure a smooth set up. 
- Please optimize space by setting up as close to your neighbours as possible. 
- Vendors requiring power: please bring extra extension cords if possible. 

Vendors placed north of Victoria Ave:
- Please enter Scarth St from Victoria Ave. 
- Set up to face onto the street.
- Park and set up as close to the curb as possible, to keep the centre walking lane as wide as possible. 
- For those placed on the east side of Scarth St, there are three sections. You will be placed within your section on a first come first serve basis in order to facilitate easy parking and optimize space.

Vendors placed south of Victoria Ave:
- Please enter Scarth St from 13th Ave. (Note that 13th Ave is a one-way street going west.)
- Set up to face onto the sidewalk. 

Finally, please note that some flexibility may be required tomorrow morning as we deal with the joys of last minute changes that aren't always avoidable. 

Thanks and here's to a great market tomorrow!
Nikko

RFM Operations Manager Message - June 3, 2015

Thank you everyone for your patience as I’ve been learning my new job! It’s been great to get to know those of you who’ve been to market to date, and I look forward to meeting the rest of you very soon.

A few reminders about RFM Rules & Regulations:

The City of Regina requires that tarps be placed beneath vehicles parked on the Plaza. I would love to never have to enforce the $20 no-tarp penalty. You can help by keeping your tarp in your vehicle!

Vendors using electricity are required to provide sufficient extension cords. As your placement may change from market to market, please make sure to bring enough.

Vehicles are not permitted to drive on the Plaza between 8:30 am and 1:00 pm.

The deadline to book or cancel a market is 12:00 pm the day before the market. I really appreciate everyone making your best effort to let me know by this time.

-          As a courtesy to other vendors, please avoid idling your vehicle while waiting to park. To avoid traffic jams, whenever possible please enter the Plaza from the end closest to where you are placed. (To see the map, visit the reginafarmersmarket.ca blog the evening before market.)

Off-Plaza Dates:

There are two dates over the summer when we will be required to move off the Plaza (one of which is coming up very soon on June 13). I’ve been working closely with the City of Regina to develop a “Plan B” that we can use whenever we have to move. Unfortunately, the details of our off-Plaza location are still being finalized, but I will provide more information and a map as soon as possible.

The off-Plaza dates include:

·         June 13, Pile O’ Bones BBQ Competition

·         August 8, Regina Folk Festival

Some other upcoming events that will impact our market (hopefully in positive ways!) over the summer:

·         July 18, I Love Regina Day (Victoria Park)

·         September, Labour Day Bash (Plaza, after market hours)

Thanks again for all your support! I really welcome your feedback, so please never hesitate to share your thoughts and ideas for ways to make our market even better. Nikko Synder, Operations Manager

Message from the Marketing Manager May 22nd, 2015

Ada Bennett, Marketing Manager

Here are the PDF files that were atttached:

May 2015 Marketing Message

2015 Market under the Stars Policies & Information

2015 Market under the Stars Layout Map

Temporary Food Permit Application (Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region)

Message from the Operations Manager April 2015:

Dear Regina Farmers’ Market vendors,

The RFM outdoor market season begins on Saturday May 2. I am very excited to be your new Operations Manager, and I look forward to working closely with you to make this one of the RFM’s best market seasons yet!

This package contains important information for all RFM members and renters. It is your responsibility to read through the enclosed documents carefully and let me know if you have any questions or need clarification. The package contains:

2015 RFM Rules & Regulations for Members & Renters:
This document includes information about market dates, fees, bookings and cancelations, market set up, and more. Some information has changed since last year, so both new and existing vendors must read the document carefully. My job is to ensure that the RFM’s rules are as clear as possible, and that they are enforced fairly and consistently.

2015 RFM Outdoor Market Map (you can use your zoom function to get a closer look at this document):
The enclosed map lists all the vendors that we expect at some point during the season. However, please keep in mind that it is extremely unlikely that all vendors would ever attend a single market. The map for each market will be adjusted based on the vendors attending that particular market, and in many cases a vendor’s physical location will change from market to market. Each vendor is assigned a stall number that remains the same for the entire outdoor market season – look for that number at every market to find your spot.

Many, many factors go into determining where vendors are placed on the map and at any given market. Because of the many challenges, including limited physical space, limited electrical power, vehicle size, number of vendors, etc., it is impossible to guarantee any vendor a specific spot. Please know that we do our best and that my intention is to continue to make improvements to the process wherever possible.

If you haven’t yet confirmed your first outdoor market date, or if your plans have changed, please let me know as soon as possible (or at the very latest by noon the day before the market you plan to attend).

My goal as Operations Manager is to support the RFM in becoming an even stronger and more vibrant organization than it already is. On that note, I look forward to getting to know each and every one of you and to sampling products from all of your wonderful businesses over the course of the year. I welcome all of your feedback and support as I get to know the organization. I can be reached at(306) 209-8552 and  .

All the best for a successful and enjoyable market season! 

Sincerely,

Nikko Snyder

Attachments for this e-mail are:

2015 RFM Rules and Regulations

2015 RFM Outdoor Market Map

2015 Vendor Outdoor Market Map Spot Numbers

AGM Packages:

2015 AGM Package

2014 AGM Package

2013 AGM Package - Minutes for 2013 AGM

Our AGM begins this Saturday at 1:30pm. Help getting the Market packed up and set for the meeting would be much appreciated. There will be no meal or snack provided, feel free to bring your own or purchase from our attending vendors before the meeting. Thank you everyone, Ada.

President’s Letter: March 20th, 2015

Greetings Market Members and Renters,

I just want to make a quick announcement before we get too far into the Market season.

We have a new employee, Nikko Snyder, who will start in April. Nikko has a great background and a passion for local products that will make her a great fit with our organization. Please be patient as she has around 100 Members to meet, so she may not be able to chat long the first time she stops by your booth. As part of our staff reorganization we now have two Manager positions; a full-time Operations Manager (Nikko) and a part-time Marketing Manager (Ada). We will support this staff with casual labour as needed, but volunteers may still be required from time to time. Starting in April, Nikko will now be your main point of contact for Market attendance, dues, etc. Add-on forms can be given to Nikko, but questions on the process for add-ons can still be sent to Ada while Nikko gets up to speed. Nikko’s contact information will be confirmed in early April.

As well, with your AGM Notice, you should have received a copy of new policies (these are listed below if you need to refresh your memory). These policies were enacted to be more efficient in the way we conduct business.

Please come talk to me if you have questions on either of these items, or any other concerns or ideas you may have regarding the RFM. If you want to discuss anything, please send me an email at [email protected] or call 306-580-0206.

Respectfully,
James Holtom
President, RFM

New Policies 2015 (this was sent with your receipt)

1. The $200.00 Annual Renter Fee must be included with application to the Market. The fee will be sent back if the application is denied. The fee will be deposited towards your yearly Renter Fee if your application is accepted.
2. Member and existing Renter Fees will be paid by June 30th of each year, or you will be fined an additional $25.00 administrative fee. If your first Market is after the June 30th date, you may pay at your first Market without a fine. If you continue to be in arrears past December 31st, your Vendor Status will be revoked.
3. Vendors will pay a minimum of 3 Markets at a time and include their planned attendance.
4. If you do not contact Staff by noon the day before your planned Market to book off and do not show up to that Market, you will be penalized that Market’s fees.
5. You may buy a 10 Market purchase, with planned attendance, which offers a 10% savings on Stall Fees. A 10 foot booth example: $30.00 per Market x 10 Markets= $300.00-10%= $270.00 Total Fees. There is no longer an 11th Market free with this new policy.
6. Vendors who have not used all of their purchased Markets will be given a voucher for the paid footage owed. You can turn in this voucher on future Markets as payment.
7. You will get 10% off automatically for booking all of the Spring Indoor Markets or all of the Winter Markets. A 10 foot booth example: 8 Spring Markets x $30.00= $240.00-10%= $216.00 Total Fees. 10 Market purchases would then begin for outdoor Markets.

Approved Board January 24th, 2015

RFM Manager’s Message
December 20, 2014

Hello everyone,

Office Update: In case you haven’t been checking your e-mail or looking on the Members Only Page, the Market will no longer have Assistant Manager and Receptionist positions (please refer to President's Letter from last week for more information). The work will be separated into two Managerial positions working from home offices. The Board plans to post for an Operations Manager soon. We will also give up our office space with Regina Downtown although we will keep the address as our mailing address. I will be packing up the office over the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, I will be disconnecting the office phone and you should no longer be contacting Dee or Lee. Please phone me at (306) 581-7408 or e-mail at [email protected] for communications, until further notice.

Market Family: Dee and I will be collecting donations from you today for our sponsored family of four. Any little bit of help will be much appreciated by our single mom and her children!

Potluck: I hope you will stay for our potluck supper from 2:30pm until 5pm. It’ll be nice to get together and celebrate the end of another great Market season! Remember to take a chance to say thanks to Dee for all her work for us. This is her last Market. Thank you everyone! Ada.

President's Letter: December 2014

Greetings Market Members and Renters,

Before we wrap up the year, I wanted to let everyone know about some important changes to the way the RFM will operate.

Restructuring of our staff: Starting in the New Year, we will move from one full-time staff and two part-time staff to two full-time staff and some casual labour. The titles of the two new positions are Operations Manager and Marketing Manager. The Operations Manager will deal with internal relations, and the Marketing Manager will deal with external relations. The Operations Manager position will be advertised before Christmas, and Ada will move into the Marketing Manager position when the Operations Manager starts. More information will be provided at the AGM.

A small message from Dee to the RFM members: “I am moving on to other challenges. This job was wonderful when I was going to school but now I wish to work in my field of study. I will still come and visit Market throughout the year. Good luck in the future!”

Office Space: Related to this restructuring, the RFM will longer have a physical office space. Our two staff members will work from their homes. Meetings will still be able to be scheduled at the Regina Downtown office free of charge. Again, more information will be provided at the AGM.

Market Times: Market times have been tweaked a bit over the past few years, but we are settling on having ALL regular markets run from 9am to 1pm. This would mean all indoor and outdoor markets, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Special events, like Market Under the Stars would run at different times.

University Markets: Regrettably, we will not be proceeding with the University Markets anymore. This decision was made based on the small amount of vendors and customers, and to use our organizational resources more effectively. If any vendors would like to keep selling at the University, we can pass along the contact and something might be able to be arranged, just not associated with the RFM.

The following renters have been approved as members of the RFM since the last President’s message:

Jssel Blackmore – Sprout Catering
Sherry Telfer – H & S Lotions, Potions and More
Ron Appleton – The Earthy Artisan
Kim Phaneuf – The Flour Shoppe
Ashley Schmalenbers – Saltine Baking Co.
Ellen Wilson – Wilson Farms Country Market
Jim, Liz, and Anne Milton – Craibstone Cheese

The following are new renters that have been approved to the market since the last President’s message:

Floating Gardens
Oat Deal, oat based drinks
Rebecca Dooley, Children's crocheted hats

As always, if you have any questions about anything being done at the Board level, please feel free to give me a call or stop for a chat by the lift.
Respectfully,
James Holtom
President, RFM
[email protected]
306-580-0206

P.S.: Here is a list of Board Members and their current roles: James Holtom (President, Marketing Committee Chair)-SalayView Farm, Vance Lester (Vice President & Human Resources Committee Chair)-Living Sky Winery, Ledeen Lutz (Treasurer)-Rocky Acres Orchard, Laurie Kitsch-The Cookie Lady, Gail McIlwrick-Books and Blankets, Eugene Fletcher-Jean’s Beeswax, Meredith Schmidt-Last Mountain Distillery, Tim Shultz (Secretary)-The Green Ranch and Robert Barton-Golden Prairie Wild Boar

RFM Manager’s Message
December 6th, 2014

Hello everyone,

Please be aware that our bookings are getting heavier this time of year. You may be refused if you ask for extra tables or electrical for anything other than cooling food. We thank you all for paying in advance. We have been able to put up a map every night before Market on our website and place vendors who attend frequently into permanent spots. Please remember the policy to not pack up until 2pm. It gives the feeling to customers that it is closing time and they leave. Now that we are all used to the routine at the Shrine Center it feel comfortable as our new home! I like it!

Annual Seasonal Family: Every year we select a family to help. I have chosen a lady I have known for many years. We once served together on a non-profit Board. Dianne is a recently single mother of 3 children: Dylan-12, Aveline-2 ½, and Duncan-1 month old. Duncan was born with Fibular Hemimelia. This means he was born with 21 bones missing from his knee down, he will have to have an amputation before the age of one. While she has good family support and help from the father, there isn’t enough income for more than just

the bare minimum. She is a woman who volunteered for her community and worked in the challenging field of mental health support. Now she needs help. Dee and I will come around with boxes at the December 20th Market. Please consider donating to this worthy family. Last year we collected over $1000 in goods and cash for our family.

Potluck-Vendor Social: After the December 20th Market we will be having a social potluck from 2:30pm to 5pm. You can leave your tables up after the Market; we will reposition them, and serve a meal. Please let me know what you plan to bring so we don’t get many repeat food items. We will not have access to the downstairs kitchen for cooking so please bring something cold or an item for your own warmers. I will be getting a non-sale liquor permit for those that wish to bring alcohol. For my potluck item I will bring in some pop, clamato, and ice etc. I hope you can make it. It gets so busy in the summer that we never have a chance to get together. Thank you everyone! Ada

RFM Manager’s Message
October 24, 2014

Hello everyone,

I would like to thank all of you that came to a very successful opening Market at the Shrine Center. It was well attended by both vendors and customers. A few things to take note of please:
• October 25th is outside due to a previous booking. We will be set up in half of the SaskPower Parking Lot and also beside the Shrine Center. We have rented a generator so one area will be set up for electrical needs vendors. Please bring extension cords! Spots will be first come, first serve although set up will not start until 8am. Vendors will be required to park parallel and unhitch trailers to save space. Please bring your own tables and tents. Reminder that you will not be charged extra because of the outdoor setup.
• The November 1st Market will be back inside the Shrine Center. I have changed the layout so your spot may not be the same. More electrical outlets will be put in on the south wall by this point so non electrical users may be moved from this area. The very east interior stairs will no longer be used for vendors as there are now several dings on the walls. Only designated persons
• will operate the material lift for safety reasons. We are not allowed to transport people on this lift. Wawa has informed me that have sold most of their 3 x 3 tables. Please bring your own tables unless you have already arranged for 8 foot tables. You must not drag any items or tables on the floors in the Center.
• Building Accessibility: There is a Stair Trac system for those with walkers and wheelchairs in the front of the building. We have hired Kurtis to be our greeter, help customers with bags, operate the Stair Trac when necessary, help with strollers, etc. Please note that I was using the politically correct term when I described the washrooms at the Shrine Center as not being accessible, they are not accessible for wheelchair users. Atlantis Coffee has kindly offered their accessible washrooms for this purpose.
• Reminder that you need to contact us by noon the day before Markets if you are booking off. Ada

Listed below are links to a map and Downtown Indoor Market policies:

Click Here for Map of DOWNTOWN INDOOR MARKET SPACE: 2065 HAMILTON STREET

Click here for 2014 DOWNTOWN INDOOR MARKET POLICIES

RFM President's Letter

October 4^th, 2014

Greetings Market Members and Renters,

Hi everyone, I want to pass along some more information on our location change as all of the kinks have now been worked out. As we continue to plan the use of the space, I ask that members do not lobby Ada for "a good spot". Planning a new space takes many things into consideration and all members need to be treated fairly. As usual, we will be asking for collections in advance, as knowing when people will be in attendance helps us out greatly with planning.

We have a lot of requirements for our indoor space, and the one area that this building does not meet is accessibility. To resolve this issue, a mobile device that climbs stairs with an attached wheel chair will be made available, as well as assistance from Market staff and Wa-Wa volunteers.

One other item that has proven difficult to resolve is material loading. There are three entrances to the building, all of which have stairs. Two of these entrances are internal to the building and can be used for lighter loads. We will have a material lift in the back loading area, but I need to stress that it is for material handling only. There will be some safety checks in place to ensure this is operated in a safe manner. Ada will provide more information on parking and such at a later date. Everyone has a right to use the material lift, so please be respectful of others. If the lift creates line ups we may require those that have lighter weight goods to use the stairs with a dolly. There is a gate that has a clearance of just over 38 to 44 inches (depends on the spot), and the lift has a limit of 550 pounds, so please consider these restrictions when planning your material for the markets.

For those that wish to see the space ahead of time, it will be available to us on Wednesday, October 8th from 1:30 to 2:30 pm.

There is one unfortunate circumstance in that the venue is booked for October 25th. This will not happen in the future, as we get first right to book our regular time from now on. The parking lots have been secured around the Wawa and across the street. It was thought best to be outside the venue as announcements of the space have already gone out. You will not be charged above the fees you have paid in advance for extra space.

As always, I am inviting all vendors to come have a discussion with me to discuss any concerns or ideas you may have regarding the RFM. If you want to discuss anything, please send me an email at [email protected] or call 306-580-0206.

A list of the new Renters and map of the new space will be provided by Ada at the next Market.

Respectfully,

James Holtom

President, RFM

P.S.: Here is a list of Board Members and their current roles: James Holtom: Salayview Farm (President, Marketing Committee Chair), Vance Lester: Living Sky Winery (Vice President & Human Resources Committee Chair), Ledeen Lutz: Rocky Acres Orchard (Treasurer), Laurie Kitsch: The Cookie Lady, Gail McIlwrick, Eugene Fletcher: Jean`s Beeswax, Meredith Schmidt: Last Mountain Distillery, Tim Shultz: The Green Ranch (Secretary) and Robert Barton: Golden Prairie Wild Boar

RFM Manager’s Message
September 26, 2013

INDOOR MARKETS: Today is the last day to get your 4 Market purchases complete for University of Regina Markets. You will find a map, instructions for unloading and policies in your pouch today. As with all of our spaces a wide variety of products is more attractive to the public. Help us with these new Markets by trying out at least a few!

You have until October 4th to get your Downtown Indoor Markets advance payments in. If you have a current 10 Market purchase, that runs into the Indoor Market season, please do not pay at this time. We will use up these purchases first (prorated for footage of course) before collecting the remainder of the Indoor Markets. Please fill out the date you intend to attend for our map creation. There are a number of 3 foot by 3 foot tables that interlock together to form 6 foot length or 9 foot lengths etc, 6 foot round tables, and 16 8 foot tables are available as well. We may be able to manage without bringing in tables for a while as Wawa wants to sell them to buy plastic only. There are more than enough chairs so you will not have to bring one.

We have a comprehensive Marketing Plan in place for Indoor Markets. It is important that you hand out as many of the Indoor Market promo cards as you can. We have ordered 25,000 and we will be handing them out at the Indoor Markets as well. Signage has been ordered and will be up by Wednesday’s Market. A Frame and Flag Signage at each Indoor Market will be posted. Events are in the planning stages for the Downtown Market to create customer draw. We have already had two interviews from CKRM and Leader Post. We will be having a Press Conference after the October 8th Market at the Shriner Center. Please keep this date open if you are interested in attending to see the space for the first time. All vendors are welcome! The President will have more to report by next Market which will be communicated via letter, e-mail, and phone calls.

TARPS: You may have noticed that we have been inspecting tarps the past few weeks and handing out tickets to those vendors who do not have them under their vehicles on the Plaza. There has been an improvement but we have yet to have a perfect tarp Market. Just a reminder, if you have to go twice to the President’s booth to get a tarp you may be fined $20. Thank you vendors! Ada

Manager’s Message
September 16, 2014

We have found a new Indoor Market Location! The RFM has been at the same Saturday Indoor Market for seven years in Cathedral. The space has become too small for our growing Market. The WaWa Shriners building at 2065 Hamilton Street has been selected. Twice the size, Downtown location, great free customer parking at SaskPower, plenty of parking for vendors at the old STC bus depot, with the only drawback being some accessibility issues. We are currently addressing these issues with WaWa Shriners. The RFM President, James Holtom will be following up with a more detailed letter in a couple of weeks.

You will have more room to expand the size of your booth as the new space is 4500 sq. feet. There are sixteen 8 foot tables available for those that indicate they want them. It is not permitted to attach signage in any way to the walls. We suggest you consider a table banner or table sign for marketing purposes. Markets at this new location run Saturdays, October 18th to

December 20th, 10:00am to 2:00pm. An Indoor Market Collection Sheet for the WaWa Shriners will be included in your vendor pouch next week. Please book and pay for all the Markets you plan to attend by October 4th, 2014.

We will be launching our 2nd year of Indoor Markets at the University of Regina Research and Innovation Center on Thursday, October 2nd, 2014. You will find included a Uni Indoor Markets Collection Sheet. Payment for the first 4 Markets you book may be made to Dee Kitsch by Saturday, September 27th, 2014. The Uni Markets run Thursdays, October 2nd to December 4th, 10:00am to 2:00pm, closing for Student Exams and holidays.

We hope you’ll be as excited about our new Saturday Market location as we are!

Photography/Social Media Course: Due to lack of interest in next week’s course we will be cancelling. We will try for some November dates later. Ada

Manager Message

August 29th, 2014

End of Market: I will be reiterating a rule about packing up and leaving the Market. We noticed at the last Market under the Stars that vehicles were travelling before 9pm, which is closing. Packing up your booth before closing time gives customers the feeling that the Market is closed and they will leave. This became such a problem at the indoor Markets that we made a policy about it in the Renter/Member Rules and Regulations. If you are seen travelling on the street shortly after closing time we will assume that you have been packing up early. We will be monitoring this closely and you could find yourself up on a complaint if this happens again. You may obtain permission from the Manager to leave early for good cause, but otherwise abide by the rule.

Conflict Resolution: There may be time where you feel angry or concerned about something or someone at the Market. It is entirely inappropriate to raise your voice so that others can hear. It is more appropriate to privately take aside the RFM President, James Holtom on the matter, so it can be dealt with in a proper way. Swearing or yelling will not be tolerated. We are all on the same team with the same goals (the RFM Strategic Plan). The success of the Market is dependent on all of us presenting the Market in a positive manner. Speaking rudely to members of the public, fellow vendors, other events, RFM employees reflects badly on all of us. You also don’t know who you might be talking to or who might hear your conversation. It could be our partners, city employees, media, or someone we have a crucial relationship with. This could be potentially damaging! We expect better than that. When I asked the public what they loved about Market, they overwhelmingly answered friendly atmosphere. It is important to the public to have a wholesome place to visit. We must make the extra effort to provide a warm, welcoming Market.

Indoor Markets: We are currently working on some details about our indoor location. There is one item which needs to fall into place before we can make an announcement. We should have news for you by the September 17^th Market.

Mobile Phone Photography/Social Media Training: Good Marketing of your business begins with great product photography! Dee Kitsch will teach you the basic skills needed to take awesome photos and edit them right on your mobile phone. Ada Bennett will teach you the tenants of Marketing, strategies to connect with customers, and how to use social media to attract and retain relationships. Cost for each type of course is $10 each per person. The two courses are held on the same date at 200-1822 Scarth Street:

Monday, September 22^nd, 10am to 3pm –or- Thursday, September 25^th, 5pm to 9pm

Text Ada at (306) 581-7408 or email [email protected] to book the courses.

Manager’s Message

August, 2014

Shane Pretty, son of RFM Members Frontier Gardens has passed away. Please read the obituary below:

Shane, late of Silton, SK, passed away suddenly on Saturday, July 26, 2014. Predeceased by his father Don, and his grandparents, Shane is survived by his mother Marcy (Stepfather Lloyd) Anticknap; sister Chris (Henry) Haluk; brothers, Heath (Yolanda) Pretty and Lance (Chelsey) Pretty; numerous nephews, nieces and extended family members as well as step-grandparents Lloyd Sr. and Betty Lou Anticknap. The Saskatchewan Roughriders have lost one of their truest fans! Shane's heart of gold will be missed by many. A come and go Celebration of Shane's Life will be held at Luiggi's Pasta House, 470 Albert Street North, Regina, SK on Monday, September 1, 2014 from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. We encourage everyone to wear their Rider gear in Shane's honour. In lieu of flowers, those so wishing, may make donations in memory of Shane, to The Canadian Marfan Association, Center Plaza Postal Outlet, 128 Queen Street South, P.O. Box 42257, Mississauga, ON, L5M 4Z0. www.marfan.ca or the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Saskatchewan, 279 - 3rd Ave North, Saskatoon, SK, S7K 2H8. To leave an online message of condolence, please visit www.speersfuneralchapel.com.

A couple of notes for today:

• We have placed two sheets in each pouch. If you are staying for both Market you must pay for them as two separate Markets, and use both sheets. If you are only staying for one Market, Day or Night, ignore the second sheet.
• You might notice your spot is different today. We have designed the mapping to accommodate those who are staying for the Night Market (so they will not have to move) and so you may leave more easily after the Day Market is done.
• In your envelope is the July RFM President Letter. Please ensure you remove all communication materials and just leave the collection sheets and Special Event sheets in your pouch. The President may put out one more letter out but please be reminded to check the Members Only page on reginafarmersmarket.ca where all future messages will go. Click Members Only which will take you to a sign in page, type , password is membersareawesome. Note: this is a fake e-mail.
• Please pay all outstanding balances on your Members Fees and Renters Fees immediately.
•  

Thank you! Ada

Please click on the link below for the PDF of the President's Letter

July 2014 President's Letter

Manager Message

August 7^th, 2014

Regina Folk Fest Map 2014

In the link above is the pdf map for Regina Folk Fest Day, August 9^th, 2014. Click on the link to open and increase the percentage on the document to see closer if necessary. We are located on 1900 Block Scarth Street, 1900 and 2000 Blocks of 12^th Avenue to the east of the Plaza. Find your number and decide which way you will come to your space. If you are on the 1900 Block of 12^th Avenue it will be easier to come in through the Rose Street/ 12^th Avenue corner but you may also come to it from Hamilton Street/12^th Avenue corner too. All Scarth Street vendors should turn from Victoria Avenue onto 1900 Block Scarth Street.

Larger power users were located on the west side of 1900 Block Scarth Street where 15 amp power posts are. Most of those with smaller power users such as weigh scales, small fridges, etc were located near black light posts. The President, James Holtom, has arranged with SaskPower to have plugs installed at these black light posts. You will have to reach up to bring the cord down that has been moved up to prevent vandalism. Only one item can plugged into each of these as they are 6amp. You may notice that there are no booths in front of O’Hanlon’s and Copper Kettle as they have just completed a patio in front. There is no room for booths to be facing each other in this location.

How to park: You will be parking on the street and facing toward the vendors across the street from you. You will all be parking parallel to the sidewalk with your tents to the side of your vehicle. Please keep as tight as possible to the sidewalk and your tent directly up against your vehicle. We need as much room as possible for customers. The City requires that we keep the Hamilton Street & 12th Avenue intersection open to southbound traffic. If it looks like it is becoming unsafe for us and our customers it will be closed off then. We stay open until 1pm as usual although you may stay longer as we have the closure until 2pm. You must have your vehicle off the street by 2pm.

It is never easy to have big event moves like this, please be patient as it will take a longer time to get to your spot. We might be late setting up but we will manage fine and be back on the Plaza next week! Thank you! Ada

Manager's Message 

July 26th, 2014

Members Only Page: We have looked at Communication for the Market and discussed this with the President and Human Resources Committee. We have decided that it is not sustainable to try to communicate via e-mail as only a little over half of the vendors have e-mail. This means the other Members would have to be called which is time consuming. Some vendors may not check their e-mail frequently. During this time we have ensured all collection pouches get a Manager Message. We made a Members Only Page on www.reginafarmersmarket.ca. In the future, Manager Messages, AGM Packages, President Reports, and notices of cancellation of Markets will be posted on this page. If the weather seems questionable and you are unsure of a Market being cancelled you should check this page. You will go to the website and click on the Members Only words at the top of the website. This will prompt a login page. The e-mail login for all vendors is [email protected] and the password is membersareawesome. If you do not have a computer or access to the internet you are welcome to give this information to a trusted friend or relative to read them to you. Vendors that have not been in yet will be notified of the page.

Tent Raising Volunteers: We are still looking for volunteers to help us put up tents for the Market under the Stars on July 30^th. Please write on the back of your sheet if you are able to help us! Ada

Manager’s Message

July 23rd, 2014

Tent Raising Market under the Stars: We are looking for volunteers to help put up tents for liquor and chefs. Please write on your attendance/collection sheet if you are willing to help during the day.

Special Events Attendance: We noticed that the vendor booths got more traffic on Market under the Stars days when they offered samples through the whole street. If you are a food or vegetable vendor please try this as it makes the customers feel like they are being treated specially for this night. Also you will see a sheet for July 30^th & Aug 9^th to fill out. It is important that we have this information ASAP to get the map started. For the Aug 9^th Market we are moving to accommodate Regina Folk Fest. Vendors should bring in battery packs if possible and you will not be allowed to use crock pots that day. We will be moving to 1900 & 2000 Block 12^th Avenue and 1900 Block Scarth where power is limited. Please note this info on your Special Events Attendance Sheet. Ada

RFM Manager’s Message

July 12th, 2014

CORRECTION: On the last Manager Message July 8^th regarding the Regina Folk Festival-our Market location will be 1900 Block Scarth Street & 12^th Avenue from the corner at Scarth Street to ROSE Street. It was typed Rae and this was incorrect.

SOUTH SIDE PLAZA PARKING: Do not park closeto the buildings. You must be 6 feet away from any curb or building. Get out of your vehicle after parking and readjust if necessary. This is a handicapped bylaw and is also to enable people to get out of their buildings!

SPOT NUMBERS: Do NOT change or move your spot number with another vendor’s spot number. The Management Team carefully measures and knows which measurements of vehicles/trailers fit in the appropriate spots. Vendors are to place their vehicles where their numbers indicate. As more vendors are coming in and we spread further east and west along the streets it may seem you are not in your usual spot, but you are in the correct spot.

RFM KID’S CLUB: We have a Special Event running every Saturday during the summer. We provide free activites for kids and families. After they are done their activity they get a coupon for a selected vendor for a free treat. Our first one last week had 40 children attend. This event is held at the back of the middle of the Plaza 10:30am to 12 noon. Ada

Manager’s Message

June 25th, 2014

If you’re only attending the day market:

• You may find that your spot has been moved closer to the end of the street. This will make it easier for you to leave and for other vendors to move in for the night market.
• You must leave the Plaza by 1:30 pm so that the vendor using your spot for the night market has time to get set up.

If you’re attending both markets:

• You’ll find two sheets in your collection pouch. One to pay for the day market, one to pay for the night market. If you’re attending both markets, don’t hand in your payments until the end of the night market.
• Your spot has been selected specifically so that you don’t have to move in between the day and night markets. You will not take down your booth in between markets. You may sell to any customers that are there between 1:00 and 4:00. There will be security and workers on the Plaza during this time.

You’ll notice that the vendors along the south side of the Plaza are placed a few feet to the north of their usual spots. This is to make space for the Tasting Area that will be directly behind them. Tasting Cards are $20 each. You get 6 Tastes (for food and/or liquor) with each one. Support your fellow vendors!

RFM Manager’s Message

May 24th, 2014

Social Media Training: We are offering a training course for Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Pinterest, Marketing Basics & Product / Business Branding for $10 per person. As part of our Strategic Plan we recognize it is important for vendors to learn new ways to promote their brand and products. This session is offered as part of our Vendor Education Strategy. It should be noted that vendors who started a twitter account last year reported a 25% increase in sales. You will learn new ways of connecting, engaging, and keeping customers with the same type of service as you have at the Market booth. The session takes about 3 hours.

Listed below are three session dates in the next month to be held at 200-1822 Scarth Street in our RFM Office Boardroom. If you are interested in attending please write the date you would like to attend on the back of your collection sheet.

Sunday June 1st, 1pm

Thursday June 5^th, 10am

Thursday June 5^th, 5:30pm

Please bring a laptop, smartphone, or tablet as you can set up social media accounts right at the session. The fee for the session will be collected in the Boardroom. Thank you! Ada & Dee

Manager’s Message

May 9th, 2014

Ultimate Fighting Challenge, May 24^th, 2014: We have a plan for the UFC which is in the center of the Market and utilizes the stage. The set up will be completed in the two days prior to this Market. There will be some wrestling demonstrations on the stage, a beer garden, and UFC Swag. The event is done in partnership with Regina Downtown. This event is on the same day as the Cathedral Arts Fest Street Fair which is traditionally a slower day at Market. This should get some crowds out to our Market. UFC is asking if we can stay until 4pm that day and not leave at 2pm. I will be around to find out what the consensus will be today as well as completing the survey on White City and St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Market Items for sale: Contact: Lynn Lane by email: [email protected]. Prices are negotiable. Disposable food containers: cardboard (for poutine, fries etc) and styrofoam (takeout) type. Disposable cutlery (plastic). Adding machine (electric) Handcart with foldable handle...good for small cars. Heavy duty rubber mat for covering electric cords.

Freezers and utility trailer, for prices Contact Mark :

RFM Manager’s Message

May 7th, 2014

COLLECTIONS: A note that we are collecting $200 for Renter Fees. Once you have achieved Membership after one year in, this amount will be applied to your Membership Fees. It is important that you fill in your collection sheet, especially attendance. These sheets go to Lee who inputs them to an attendance sheet.   

E-MAILS: In order to communicate with you more effectively we need e-mail addresses. Please put your e-mail address on the back of your collection sheet if we do not already have it. We only have 55% of vendor e-mails.

WHITE CITY MARKET: I will be coming around to poll you on whether or not you would be interested in a new Market idea. White City has asked us to hold Markets once per week on Sundays, 9 to 1, June 15^th to September 14^th. Demographics are: no grocery available in community, high income levels, larger family and young population, with towns surrounding approximately 7000 people to tap into. This would be an outdoor Market with power available. The Marketing Committee is working on a Business Case for this Market idea. We need to gauge interest in attending these Markets for our case.

INDOOR MARKET COMMITTEE: We met with the Dean of the newly renovated St. Paul’s Cathedral. At this point they have a food program 9am to 12pm on Saturdays for the homeless and poor. We are trying to see if we can work out the timing. In the meantime we could run a Thursday Market in the Winter/ Spring from 3pm to 6pm at St. Paul’s. It would mean we could catch Downtown workers after they leave work. I will come around to poll your interest in this idea as well.