Dear friends and neighbors,
My name is Noura, and I’m currently a junior in high school. In January I started an internship with Be @ the Farm at Historic Wagner Farm. One of my goals was to learn more about how the gift shop is run at the Farm. I met with Carlin, the store manager, and learned a lot during my interview with her.
Carlin started volunteering at the farm in 2001. When the stored opened in 2006, Carlin was a programmer at that time, and another staff member was managing the store. After that staff member left the Farm, Carlin, with a degree in finance and math, was a good choice to be the new store manager. In 2008, managing the gift store was part of her responsibility at the Farm. Even though the gift shop is important, the gift store management is just a part-time gig for Carlin since her major role is hosting school children who visit the Farm.
Every April, the Farm staff does a formal inventory and counts everything they have on the shelves of the store and in the storage room. The whole staff helps with this inventory. They calculate what’s best for the Farm to sell. Their theme is to sell 1920s-based farm souvenirs, toys and books to educate people on how farms were in the 1920s compared to today. They also stock snacks, candy, and drinks. If you visit the Historic Wagner Farm gift shop, you’ll find it to be kid-friendly and fun.
As a Farm intern this spring, I will be helping Carlin with her goal to make the Historic Wagner Farm gift store a family friendly, 1920s-agriculture-themed shop. I will assist her in finding a new vendor for locally made candles. In April, I will help the Farm staff with the annual inventory, too. Come visit the Farm and stop by the gift store in the Heritage Center, buy something or just say “hi”!
Sincerely,
Noura
