PNW Farm Barter Faire
Hello there! My name is Gryph (or Alecia if you prefer my legal name), and I started PNW Farm Barter Faire events at my place in Graham back in 2014. Since then, we have hosted many, many events throughout Pierce County and even in other areas! I wanted to take a moment to share some information that many have considered useful throughout the years!
PLEASE NOTE: THIS WAS ORIGINALLY POSTED MARCH 2017 IN THE PNW FARM BARTER FAIRE NETWORKING FACEBOOK GROUP
I repost this every so often in our Facebook group as a reminder. I have edited it somewhat since then, but the message is the same...
I've seen a lot of comments about people who are nervous about attending one of our events. I completely understand, and I wanted to share some of my experiences. I have a social anxiety disorder, and I'm the primary organizer and coordinator of these events. I put on a smile and force myself to follow through with these events and I'll be honest- it takes at least a week or two for me to recover emotionally and mentally from every Farm Barter Faire. That being said, I look forward to them even as I dread them. The people who attend as a general rule are, quite frankly, amazing. There's so much friendliness and camaraderie among the regulars (some of whom I only know by face or by their profile photo on Facebook) that I'm constantly amazed through every event. "Newbies" and strangers are usually greeted with open arms. Complete strangers greeting each other, wheeling and dealing- or, sometimes, not. You don't need to barter and haggle- you're welcome to come and buy if you're uncomfortable with the process of bartering and working out deals. Most vendors are good about knowing their values and even listing them prominently so you don't have to stress about it. I myself don't do much bartering, for two reasons. #1- I don't really have the time as I'm bopping around like a ping pong ball running the event. And #2- my anxiety tends to cut me off before I even start. People who have seen me at my events are often surprised when they hear that I have social anxiety because they see what I want them to see- the cheerful exterior that is as helpful as I can be. They don't see the gut-churning stress underneath. They are clueless about my sweaty palms and my pounding heart. Even among so many familiar faces on my own farm, my anxiety clings with sticky claws.
My point is, come. Come as a guest, even if you don't plan to shop or bring anything to swap. We have plenty of parking, and if you are worried about it, tell the parking coordinators (usually my son or his buddies in bright yellow vests at the front gate) that you'd like a spot where you won't be penned in. Come walk around, and don't fret about socializing. Hover in the background as we talk about farming, life, critters, families, and everything else under the sun. Watch for me in my bunny ears and feel free to come say hi or ask for a quiet place you can escape to for a few moments to collect yourself. There is never any pressure to buy or sell or swap. Never, ever. There's no pressure to socialize, although you are likely to be greeted with a lot of hellos and smiles as you walk along the vendors. It's not because anyone wants to pressure you to buy- it's because these people are just so gosh-darned nice that they really do sincerely want to say hello! I think it's because farmers are a breed into themselves- we nurture by nature, whether it's plants, animals, or yes even other humans.
The biggest goal of the Farm Barter Faires isn't the selling or the swapping; it's the networking. It's the finding out who has what, and where you can find this thing or those things, and collecting contact information or having a place to ask questions. It's finding mentors, and making new contacts, and maybe even making new friends.
My anxiety likes to stop me from doing a lot of things. And yet... here I am, more than a dozen events that I myself have hosted later... from starting out with 25 attendees at our first event to having more than 200 at some of our events... Here I am, looking forward to each one that follows, eager to see friends and new faces alike at every event. I don't regret a single moment spent planning, plotting, prepping or cleaning, and I especially don't regret a single moment that has happened at one of my events.
I hope you'll give us a chance to welcome you, too.
PLEASE NOTE: THIS WAS ORIGINALLY POSTED MARCH 2017 IN THE PNW FARM BARTER FAIRE NETWORKING FACEBOOK GROUP
I repost this every so often in our Facebook group as a reminder. I have edited it somewhat since then, but the message is the same...
I've seen a lot of comments about people who are nervous about attending one of our events. I completely understand, and I wanted to share some of my experiences. I have a social anxiety disorder, and I'm the primary organizer and coordinator of these events. I put on a smile and force myself to follow through with these events and I'll be honest- it takes at least a week or two for me to recover emotionally and mentally from every Farm Barter Faire. That being said, I look forward to them even as I dread them. The people who attend as a general rule are, quite frankly, amazing. There's so much friendliness and camaraderie among the regulars (some of whom I only know by face or by their profile photo on Facebook) that I'm constantly amazed through every event. "Newbies" and strangers are usually greeted with open arms. Complete strangers greeting each other, wheeling and dealing- or, sometimes, not. You don't need to barter and haggle- you're welcome to come and buy if you're uncomfortable with the process of bartering and working out deals. Most vendors are good about knowing their values and even listing them prominently so you don't have to stress about it. I myself don't do much bartering, for two reasons. #1- I don't really have the time as I'm bopping around like a ping pong ball running the event. And #2- my anxiety tends to cut me off before I even start. People who have seen me at my events are often surprised when they hear that I have social anxiety because they see what I want them to see- the cheerful exterior that is as helpful as I can be. They don't see the gut-churning stress underneath. They are clueless about my sweaty palms and my pounding heart. Even among so many familiar faces on my own farm, my anxiety clings with sticky claws.
My point is, come. Come as a guest, even if you don't plan to shop or bring anything to swap. We have plenty of parking, and if you are worried about it, tell the parking coordinators (usually my son or his buddies in bright yellow vests at the front gate) that you'd like a spot where you won't be penned in. Come walk around, and don't fret about socializing. Hover in the background as we talk about farming, life, critters, families, and everything else under the sun. Watch for me in my bunny ears and feel free to come say hi or ask for a quiet place you can escape to for a few moments to collect yourself. There is never any pressure to buy or sell or swap. Never, ever. There's no pressure to socialize, although you are likely to be greeted with a lot of hellos and smiles as you walk along the vendors. It's not because anyone wants to pressure you to buy- it's because these people are just so gosh-darned nice that they really do sincerely want to say hello! I think it's because farmers are a breed into themselves- we nurture by nature, whether it's plants, animals, or yes even other humans.
The biggest goal of the Farm Barter Faires isn't the selling or the swapping; it's the networking. It's the finding out who has what, and where you can find this thing or those things, and collecting contact information or having a place to ask questions. It's finding mentors, and making new contacts, and maybe even making new friends.
My anxiety likes to stop me from doing a lot of things. And yet... here I am, more than a dozen events that I myself have hosted later... from starting out with 25 attendees at our first event to having more than 200 at some of our events... Here I am, looking forward to each one that follows, eager to see friends and new faces alike at every event. I don't regret a single moment spent planning, plotting, prepping or cleaning, and I especially don't regret a single moment that has happened at one of my events.
I hope you'll give us a chance to welcome you, too.
