Earlier this week, our intern Jasmine sat down with one of our vendors to learn about our unique business structure. Berea Farmers Market is a cooperative, but what does that mean? This is what Jasmine found out...
The Berea Farmers Market as cooperative means vendors working together and pitching in where they can. The Berea Farmers Market as a cooperative exhibits horizontal leadership rather than hierarchical. Vendors are focused on collaborating and cooperating in order to support each other as opposed to competing with one another. The way the cooperative is structured can serve as a model to some businesses because they are a member based organization where everyone has a sense of ownership when voting on important decisions. All of the people work together to make the Berea Farmers Market thrive and grow.
Here are just a handful of our Berea Farmers Market cooperative members and board members from left to right; Amber Flindt (community board member), Tabea Wolf-Fourman (vendor and board president), Xyara Asplen (vendor), Laurie White (vendor and vice president board member), Susana Lein (vendor), Julie Dalton (community board member), Faye Adams-Eaton (manager), Lynne Gagliardi (vendor) and Jasmine McClain our wonderful volunteer!