I am not a social person. My children and husband often tell me, and others, otherwise, and compared to some of them, yes, I am more outgoing and enjoy people more. But overall, I am not a social person. I enjoy being by myself. I enjoy hiking, going to town, exploring new places, etc. all by myself, or with just my family (immediate or extended). When I am around other people I have to come home and just be quiet for a while. I used to get massive migraines after I’d been around large groups for hours, that is lessening as I get older.

It’s not that I don’t like people, I really do. But I like them on my own terms, when I am prepared to be around people. This is one of the things I love about the Farmer’s Market. I get to see lots of community members who I enjoy visiting with. I get to meet new people from all over the world, and I get to do it on a schedule so I can prepare. Then I get to go home and decompress. I get to be in my own space with my own people.

This year’s Farmer’s Market here in Willow is now in full swing. We have a lot more vendor’s than we have had in years past, so there is a much bigger variety of goods available. We have also had so many people from all over the United States already, as well as more people from around the world than I can remember in years past.

I decided to try something new this year teaching small watercolor classes at the market. I taught my first one on July 5, and will teach the second on the 19th, this Friday. I had two hopes in doing so. 1 – To draw people into my booth, as I am trying to sell my own products. 2 – To hopefully draw people into the market who might not have otherwise come, not just to benefit me, but hopefully so they’ll stay a while and look around. The more people we can get showing up, the more everyone’s sales will increase. I don’t know how well that’ll work, but the first class was fun, and I’ve had a lot of positive response for the next class I’ll be teaching.

Another change that I have been trying to make involves that social battery, or lack of desire to be hugely social. I find that as I am at the market I tend to sit in my booth and only visit with those strangers passing by, or friends that stop in at my booth. I rarely strike up conversations with my neighbors. In fact, in years past I had my tent walls up creating a somewhat “secluded” area for me, my cocoon of comfort I guess. This year I decided I needed to do better at getting to know all these different vendors, because most of them are local and are my neighbors all year.

So, I have taken the walls off my tent and I have tried to make it a point, when we have lulls in customers, to visit with and get to know the different vendor’s around me. I have learned about goat milk, goat cheese, and goat soap. I have learned about bird houses and crocheting. I visit with people who make sourdough products and kettle corn. The vegetable farmer from the other side of the valley and how his crops are slow growing because of the cool spring. I have learned about worm castings and so much more.

I still go home exhausted and ready to be quiet and away from groups of people. But the following week when I arrive, it’s not as much out of my comfort zone to say hi to the various vendors whom I now know better. I find that I feel like I’m imposing on people if I talk to them when they’re trying to set up. But I’m learning that most people are pretty gracious and willing to visit while they work.

I am excited for this year, for the new offerings at the market, as well as the opportunity to try something new myself. I am also excited for the many new people I get to meet and old friends I get to visit with, and hope to make more old friends by the time this market is over this fall.