Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Missoula Farmers' Market records, 1972-2010
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Missoula Farmers' Market
- Title
- Missoula Farmers' Market records
- Dates
- 1972-2010 (inclusive)19722010
- Quantity
- 2.6 linear feet, (67 electronic files (2.08 MB))
- Collection Number
- Mss 788
- Summary
- The Missoula Farmers' Market was established in 1972 by Mavis McKelvey and Chinwon Reinhardt. The Market has promoted locally grown produce and serves as a social venue for its clients. This collection contains meeting minutes, correspondence, Market policies and bylaws, and photographic materials. The collection details both the challenges of maintaining a vital community organization over time and the broader impact of the Market on Missoula.
- Repository
-
University of Montana, Mansfield Library, Archives and Special Collections
Archives and Special Collections
Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library
University of Montana
32 Campus Dr. #9936
59812-9936
Missoula, MT
Telephone: 406-243-2053
library.archives@umontana.edu - Access Restrictions
-
Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of Archives and Special Collections, the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, and The University of Montana-Missoula.
- Languages
- English.
Historical NoteReturn to Top
The Missoula Farmers' Market was established as a non-profit corporation on June 7, 1972 by Missoula City Ordinance 1485. Mavis McKelvey and Chinwon Reinhardt were instrumental in the founding of the Market, which was granted space on East Railroad Street west of Pattee Street, which is where the Market still operates as of 2011. McKelvey and Reinhardt intended the Market to be a venue specifically for small local farmers and gardeners. The first Market was held on July 21, 1972. While the Market's board briefly considered expanding the market to out-of-state growers in 1977, the market has remained local. In the mid-1980s, the Market was given a boost by the influx of Hmong growers who initially moved to the Bitterroot Valley to farm pigs. Many in the newly established Hmong community became successful produce farmers and have been fixtures in the Missoula Farmers' Market for many years. Another change impacting the Market was the establishment of the Clark Fork River Market in 2005, as some of vendors left the Missoula Farmers' Market for the Clark Fork River Market.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The Missoula Farmers' Market Records contains documents created by the Market's Board of Directors for the administration and promotion of the Market. This includes documents establishing the organization and rules for the Market, meeting minutes, ordinances directly related to the Market, correspondence, and photographs and slides of the Market. The scrapbooks in this collection provide a strong overview of the Market's history, while documents such as the bylaws and minutes provide more detailed information about the Market's operations. Recurring issues that arise in these documents revolve around rules governing the Market, including what may be sold (e.g., crafts, bread, eggs) and who is allowed to sell. Digital materials, including governance documents and correspondence, are also contained in the collection
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
Researchers are responsible for using in accordance with 17 U.S.C. and any other applicable statutes. Intellectual property rights to this collection have not been transferred to Archives and Special Collections.
Preferred Citation
Missoula Farmers' Market Records, Archives and Special Collections, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, The University of Montana-Missoula.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
The Missoula Farmers' Market Records is organized into five series:
Series I: Market governance, 1.0 linear feet, 29 electronic files, 1972-2005
Series II: Correspondence, 0.1 linear feet, 20 electronic files, 1996-2008
Series III: Directories and lists, 0.1 linear feet, 13 electronic files, 1992-2010
Series IV: Miscellaneous, 0.1 linear feet, 5 electronic files, 1992-2008
Series V: Photographs and print media, 1.3 linear feet, 1972-2010
Preservation Note
Digital files require software that can open and read Portable Document Format files
Acquisition Information
The Missoula Farmers' Market Records were donated to the Archives by Mavis McKelvey in November 2010.
Processing Note
The collection was processed by Steven Bingo in 2011. Much of the collection was refoldered and reorganized into its current series arrangement. Applications for Market Master and Assistant Market Master were not retained, nor were their performance appraisals. The electronic files were processed in 2017 by Erin Baucom. The electronic files original file names were retained and the files were processed according to the series arrangement established for the paper materials.
Bibliography
The Mansfield Library holds the following item about the Missoula Farmers' Market:
Bradford, Kathryn E., "Building social relationships, building business : a case study of vendors at the Missoula Farmers' Market". M.A. thesis, The University of Montana, 2003.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Series I: Market governance, 1972-2005Return to Top
This series contains documents that establish the rules, operations, and rights of the Missoula Farmers' Market and documents about the general operation of the Market. This includes documents such as bylaws, policies, and minutes from public meetings and meeting of the Board of Directors. This also includes materials produced by outside agencies, such as ordinances and Articles of Incorporation, and insurance documents.
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/1 | Certificate of Incorporation and
bylaws |
1972, 1992, and 1995 |
| 1/2 | Governing documents |
1972, 1992-2000 |
| 1/3 | Farmers' market legislation and
bylaws |
1991-2003 |
| 1/4 | Guidelines and vendor lists
|
1997-2005 |
| 1/5-6 | Public meeting and board meeting
minutes |
1997-2007 |
| 1/7 | Meeting minutes |
1998-2007 |
| 2/1 | Meeting minutes |
2004-2010 |
| 2/2 | Mavis McKelvey's notes
|
1994-2005 |
| 2/3 | Notebooks |
2006-2010 |
| electronic_file | ||
| Electronic Folder | Market Governance |
2003-2008 |
| Box | ||
| 4 | Recordings of meetings on audio
cassette
Recordings from 1999-2002 on 15 mini cassettes. Recordings from
2005-2008 on 14 standard audio cassettes.
|
1999-2008 |
| 4 | Compact disc containing minutes,
agendas, and correspondence
This disc is likely a backup of Secretary Patricia
Ryan-Swindler's files and holds 1.6 megabytes of data.
|
2003-2008 |
Series II: Correspondence, 1996-2008Return to Top
This series contains correspondence dealing with a wide range of issues related to the Market's operations, such as vendor rules, police presence, and health code compliance.
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 2/4 | Correspondence |
1996-2007 |
| 2/5 | Outgoing correspondence
|
2000-2008 |
| electronic_file | ||
| Electronic Folder | Correspondence |
2004-2008 |
Series III: Directories and lists, 1992-2010Return to Top
This series contains listings of board members, employees, and vendors.
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 2/6 | Directories |
1992-2007 |
| 2/7 | Board membership and committees
|
1995-2009 |
| 2/8 | Directories and correspondence
|
2010 |
| 2/9 | Directories and market layout
|
2010 |
| electronic_file | ||
| Electronic Folder | Directories and lists |
2006-2007 |
Series IV: Miscellaneous, 1992-2008 and undatedReturn to Top
This series contains materials related to the hiring of various positions required to run the Market. These materials include job descriptions, interview questions, and applications. This series also contains feedback from vendors about the operation of the Market.
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 3/1 | Job descriptions and hiring
materials |
1992-2004 |
| 3/2 | Vendor surveys and comments
|
2002 and 2008 |
| 3/3 | Substitute Assistant Market
Master hiring materials |
2005 |
| 3/4 | Growers questionnaire
|
undated |
| electronic_file | ||
| Electronic Folder | Miscellaneous |
2006-2007 |
Series V: Photographs and print media, 1972-2010Return to Top
This series contains photographic materials, publicity, scrapbooks and published articles about the Market. The scrapbooks contain clippings and documents that provide a historical overview of the Market.
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box | ||
| 4 | Slides |
1973-1985 |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 3/5 | Photographs |
circa 1973-2000 |
| 3/6 | Published materials |
1984-2006 |
| 3/7 | Graphics |
1987-2000 |
| 3/8 | Clippings and brochures
|
1998-2008 |
| 3/9 | Publicity and signage
|
1999-2006 |
| 3/10 | Clippings and correspondence
|
2003-2006 |
| 3/11 | Clippings |
2009 |
| Box | ||
| 5 | Scrapbook |
1972-1979 |
| 6 | Clippings and scrapbook pages
|
1973-2010 |
| 6 | Clippings and brochures
|
1975-2010 |
| 6 | Scrapbook |
1980-1989 |
| 7 | Scrapbook |
1990-2005 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Cooperative marketing of farm produce--Montana--Missoula.
- Farmers' markets--Montana--Missoula.
Form or Genre Terms
- Photographs
- Scrapbooks
Finding aid prepared by Steven Bingo
(2011).
2011
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
