Volunteer basics for TBFM
Openers 12noon-3:30 crucial set up of curbside pylons to reserve vendor parking and monitor, set up the organizers tent(s), location clean up if required, misc tasks, help transport vendors’ product to their stall location as they arrive. Market 3-7pm tending info tent, customer service, misc tasks. Closers 6:45pm to 7:45 help wrap out vendors and organizers set up . Market is always once a week, Tuesday 3pm -7pm and operates rain or shine.
The TBFM Volunteer orientation is a must read for those considering.
update April: Currently we have paused accepting applications due to overwhelming response. Once we sort out schedule, see if there’s any gaps to fill and we’ll do a specific shift call out.
Apply here.
Depending on the volume of applications we may not be able to accommodate everyone, but we try to! Under 18? It is required to have the consent of your guardian and/or parent. Yes students can get community hours!
Thanks for your patience.
Volunteering for the market is a fulfilling experience and you become a part of an eclectic team of like minded community members that have an interest in sustaining market operations. You get to learn about where and how food grows in Ontario and spend some quality time outdoors in the park. It’s good old fashioned team work, we have fun and enjoy learning from each other.
Masks are not be required but everyone involved with the market are expected to respect individuals that want to continue to mask up. All should be welcome and comfortable coming to market. If you are unable to do this, do not apply to be a volunteer.
Volunteer expectations in brief, but not limited to…essentially if you are polite and considerate, that’s half the battle! 😉
- show up to your shift on time, let us know in due time if any changes.
- bring your friendly disposition and humour – leave your ego at home 😉
- help transport vendors product to stall location & reverse at wrap.
- we go rain or shine – dress appropriately for the weather.
- able to take instruction from the volunteer coordinators/manager for tasks.
- able to comfortably communicate with patrons if required.
Thank you in perpetuity to these generous community volunteers for their significant and/or continuing contributions to the farmers’ market:
- 2007 Scott Cinello – for partnering with me as co-founder to get this baby off the ground. He was instrumental in designing the market, it’s mandate and curated the original vendor line up. All of which continue to guide the market principles to this day.
- Kent Price – shelves/coat rack for the market shed and other ongoing handy stuff.
- Martha Malloy and Connor – x4 promotional sandwich boards (they are so solid!).
- 2015 Veronica Park – Illustrator/designer of our 10th year postcard – won the design contest & designed our 2018 buttons illustrations.
- Nadege Patisserie & The County General for letting us store our sandwich boards at their establishments between market days (pre-covid)
- David Ginsberg of the White Squirrel Cafe – who on his own initiative, rallied a handful of businesses to donate funds towards replacement our wagons and dolly that had gotten stolen from the old shed when it was busted into.
- David Johnston – our website master (who responds to my every self-induced backend panic)
- 2010 Nativity of the Mother of God – letting us store our equipment in their garage while we waited for our new shed. Water for our hand washing station & 2021 a few vendor parking spots.
- Claire Midgley & Ed DeSousa for painting our ‘Vendor Parking Only’ sign.
- 2016 Bob Pritchard – painting our ‘walk your bike’ sign.
- Dawn Rzepka our reliable and always pleasant off site musician coordinator.
- 2020 Amanda Pickup – our COVID volunteer coordinator extraordinaire.
- 2021 Tory Healy – full season COVID volunteer coordinator extraordinaire.
- 2022 Elio Weiss for the artwork that adorns our new little sandwich board sign.
- 2022 Jodi Lastman as our first post-COVID volunteer coordinator.
- And to the many returning volunteers who are truly the gifts that keep on giving!
Thank you to the City of Toronto, Parks and former Councillors Joe Pantalone, Mike Layton, Joe Cressy and the Friends of Trinity Bellwoods Park for their unwavering support.