IVICLCUTHE AIUCTOUTTE Guest Contributor 4 UNBC Life Ak Day in the Life of a Market Manager Melanie Anderson Guest Contributor he job I love the most is my position as the Market Manager at the University Farmers Market. When I was looking at schools for my undergraduate degree, one of the pulls to the University of Northern British Columbia was access to a farmers market on campus that I had a goal to be involved with in one way or another. In my first year I volunteered every week setting up tables and helping vendors load their goods and became the volunteer coordinator. In year two I became chair of the committee and helped with everything from events to wearing a carrot suit when needed. Now in my 3rd and final year I have taken over as the manager and am putting my experience and passion to use every week. Though the UFM runs Tuesdays from 11-3pm during the school year, there are still lots of things happening before market day from organizing special events, to coordinating layouts, as well as finding new vendors. Here is a look at a day in the life of a market manager on a typical market day: 7:00- The mad dash begins as I catch the first bus up to the University to begin my day. My first order of business is to get to Campus in time for a quick shot of coffee from Degrees to get me through the busy day ahead. 8:00- As I was also the gardener for the summer, harvest time is still in progress. I arrive at the PGPIRG Garden as early as possible to pick and wash the week’s ripe vegetables to bring to sell at the UFM. 9:00- Set up begins in the NUSC event space that houses our weekly market. I arrive before volunteers and prepare the space for vendors to arrive. I deal with last minute cancellations and purposeful placement of each type of goods fighting it out with weekly special events for the ideal space. 10:00- As volunteers arrive to help we meet vendors at the loading docks and load their goods onto carts. Volunteers then head to the market and I assign them their table for the day. 11:00- The Market opens to the public! As eager customers begin to trickle in, last minute set-up is still going on. There are always a few late arrivals that need a bit of help getting going and I rush around the room to ensure vendors have everything they need to get through their day, be it small change, an extra chair, or even a coffee. 12:00- The rush hour is on and we see a few hundred people through the market during lunch. I make sure there is enough change for jams and kale and answer questions to people coming through. As it is my third year at the market there are a lot of familiar faces and I always try to say hello to everyone. 13:00- As the peak traffic time ends, a slower paced market atmosphere emerges and more people lounge in the chairs and chat with vendors. I take this opportunity to visit each vendor to collect weekly table fees and do my personal shopping at the same time. 14:00- If it is quiet enough and everything seems What is Food Security? Melanie Anderson Guest Contributor re you living off of Ramen and KD noodles right now? Don’t know if your budget will stretch to the end of the semester for food? Do you skip a meal sometimes or eat less to make do? You may be food insecure, but don’t worry because you are also not alone. Food security exists when “all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe & nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life” (World Health Organization). Food security seems to be a buzz-word in many of the classes I take but what does it mean and how does it affect students here at UNBC? In recent years there have been a growing number of food banks and assistance programs popping up all over the country at post-secondary institutions including our own. Rise in tuition fees and administrative fees, inadequate student loans systems and low paying student jobs contribute to the overall rise in student poverty. That is the basis for a research project being undertaken this month at UNBC. Dr. Annie Booth and I are conducting a campus wide survey to determine the extent of food security in our community. This research project will serve two purposes: it will first undertake the first comprehensive study of food security issues at UNBC, and as such, it will help the institution understand the extent of food security concerns, their impacts on individuals you work and study with, and to start to identify methods by which the institution could support individuals who experience food insecurity. A second purpose is to provide basic data to support UNBC’s development of a Sustainable Food Policy and Strategy. As UNBC is also Canada’s Green University this is a progressive step towards a sustainable food system that could include locally/regionally produced foods and foods produced in a long term environmentally sustainable fashion. Whether or not you personally feel you are food insecure, we would very much appreciate your thoughts and insights to be running smoothly | indulge in a 10 minute back rub from Kathy at Relax-in-chair. A guilty pleasure, which I have never regretted. 15:00- The second the clock strikes three the mad dash for carts to leave begins. Unlike the morning as vendors trickle in over an hour the exit is much more instantaneous. Volunteers struggle to get carts fast enough to meet vendor itching to get back to the farm or pick up their kids. Oh no! We find a cooler with sausages left behind by a vendor and call them straight away to let them know we have them and arranging pick up for the next morning. Sometimes if we are lucky someone leaves a sweet treat for volunteers to thank them for their much needed hard work that day. Other times I buy cookies to show them how much we love having them around! 16:00- Accounting is finished and we deposit revenues for the day at finance before they close at 16:30. Clean up finishes and we make it so it looks like the market had never happened. 17:00- At the end of a busy day I am always thankful the Thirsty Moose Pub is our neighbour. Once everything is tidied and the last of the tables are taken down I grab a chair at the bar and sip a local brew to finish out the day. As you can see it is a busy day full of challenges and there is never a dull moment. It is a happy place to work, a place full of good food, homemade crafts and lovely people. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. as a member of the UNBC community to help us build a comprehensive overview of the issue on our campus. The UNBC community will also see direct benefits through the identification of those at risk of food insecurity, the nature of those risks and the consequences for the institution as a result and potential solutions which UNBC can consider adopting. So please visit our survey (unbc. ca/surveys/food-security) and as a bonus there will be draws for gift cards for a few lucky participants. If you would like further information on the research & results, please contact: Dr. Annie Booth, Professor, Ecosystem Science and Management Program, annie.booth@unbc.ca (250-960-6649) or Melanie Anderson Research Assistant Undergraduate Student, Environmental Studies Melanie.Anderson@unbc.ca