After 12 years of running the Norwich Farmers Market, one of the oldest and most successful farmers markets in the twin states, Steve Hoffman has decided it’s time for a change. He’ll step down in June. Though summer is a busy time for the market, the schedule and the vendors have already been set, and he says, “I think this is the best time of year for the market to bring someone in. It’s clear sailing until September.”

Whoever takes over, says NFM board chair Geo Honigford, former owner of Hurricane Flats Farm and now the board’s community member, will be “stepping into a really, really strong market. Our business had been going up anyway in terms of dollars, and then Covid shot it through the roof. We have a great mix of vendors, a terrific mix of people.... Steve’s been a big part of all that.”

The manager’s position is part-time, but it’s grown over the years as the market has grown, from perhaps six or eight hours a week a couple of decades ago to 20 a week now. “It’s got to be someone who’s comfortable with part-time work, someone who understands the value of farmers markets, and someone who’s a diplomat,” says Peg Allen, who helps run Junction Fiber Mill, raises sheep, and is heading up the board’s search committee. “This is not a struggling farmers market. So it could be really fun to come in and say, ‘This market’s already rocking and rolling, can I do anything to make it go even further?’ The right person could have a blast.”

You’ll find the wide-ranging manager’s job description here.

— Rob Gurwitt

Full disclosure: For several years during Steve Hoffman’s tenure as manager, I sat on the NFM board. I left in 2018.