it’s a bountiful life
Interview by Linda DuBois • Photos by Lori Fusaro
Farmers market manager Michi Ward makes her rounds at the Saturday market at Laguna Beach. Ward manages this market and four others in Orange County. ‘It’s a good feeling’
For many years, Michi Ward stayed busy working for her family’s Yasutomi Farms in Pico Rivera and selling its produce at area farmers markets. She enjoyed chatting with the shoppers, answering their questions and giving them tips on cooking her uncommon Asian vegetables. Trish Harrison, a longtime farmers market manager for the Orange County Farm Bureau, noticed Ward’s customer- service skills and suggested she’d make a good market manager. So, Ward applied to the Farm Bureau in 2007 and was hired to launch and manage new farmers markets. Over the years, these have grown to five: in Orange, Fountain Valley, Laguna Beach, Laguna Niguel and a brand new one in Brea. Longtime farmers market vendor now a manager
What are your behind-the-scenes duties? Mostly emails and phone calls and planning. I work with farmers and crafters and the cities. I’ll get applications from potential vendors and try to fit them in, especially if they have something unique. Like if a market doesn’t have any mushrooms and I find a mushroom farmer, I’ll try to bring them in. I make sure crafters actually make the items they bring. I’ll also visit the farms and make sure they’re growing what they say they’re growing and picking when they say they’re picking.
I take measurements and figure out how many farmers can fit at a location. You want to fit as many as you can but leave room for customer parking. What do you do on market day? I have to get there early to help set up and fix any problems. If the market starts at 9 a.m., I’m there by 7:30 to make sure it’s clear and there are no cars or anything that might be in the way. I have my phone with me and if farmers have a problem and can’t get there, they will call me. I measure to see the best way to fit the vendors in. I
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May/June 2022
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