Local Exchange Committee

Local Exchange Committee

Barter Fair April 2010 - Report

Wednesday, 07 July 2010 00:00 |

Barter Fair Analysis

Conducted in a Local Economy Network, Local Exchange Committee Meeting

April 29, 2010

What worked

The space—Olde Factory Antique Mall

Those who rented tables or table-space were satisfied with the value for the price, and the added benefit their tables gave their bartering.

The barters and agreements made on-site for promised goods and services: people did barter!

Kids enjoyed taking the free stuff that their parents allowed them to take. So did adults.

Many free cast-offs became new-found treasures, a good and unusual thing in the life of most “stuff” in our culture.

Diverse kinds of “stuff”—the diversity was part of the fun. People don’t know in advance what they’ll want so it’s good to have diversity in offerings.

Bartering for massages and other spa services.

One person totally unconnected heretofore with LEN came prepared with a book describing his services offered, with photographs. He offered child-related services, and financial services. (We need to interview him before next time about why and how he so “got it”! so we can apply this knowledge to our outreach to others who don’t already know when they first hear about it what a Barter Fair is.)

Several participants noted they had seen our ad in the paper, and the posters.

36 participants not including LEN members filled out forms and attended. More did not fill out forms.

We have a member exploring bartering for publicity with the Messenger more convincingly and feel this may indeed be possible in future.

Some of us felt that this Barter Fair showed signs that barter fairs could become an economic boon to our community if sustained over time.

Last Updated (Wednesday, 07 July 2010 13:43)

Local Exchange Committee Meeting Notes 6-15-10

Friday, 18 June 2010 14:48 |

Local Exchange Committee Meeting Notes

June 15, 2010

Present: Beth, Elise, Sandy, Carol, Tim

Notes by Beth; send corrections to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

This meeting’s purpose was to plan our Morgan County Fair booth. Our plan is to have two volunteers present at all times to greet and inform visitors to our booth, as well as our Barter Fair Theater (secured by Elise from her grandchildren, plus puppets); a registry of barterable services (created by Tim); a hands-on alternative energy example (from Mountainview Builders if we can get one); a laptop showing taped presentations if we have electricity (don’t know who would supply the laptop); LEN rack cards; a special LEN brochure, “Eating Local All Year ‘Round” (written and designed by Elise, actual title TBA), and a large inflatable carrot or credible substitute (sought by Sandy).

The registry will be designed to be poster-sized. Our volunteers will know how to coach people to use it. Use will be both signing up to barter services, and taking down on an index card (cards to be offered on-site by us) information others have posted on the registry about services they are offering for barter so that visitors can follow up and barter on their own.

At times to be posted in the booth we will also offer:

barter enactment theater (script or improv to be designed by Sandy and Carol with contributions from others they hope to rope into this)
a Self-Healing committee demonstration, talk, or other presentation (to be identified in discussion between committee members and Beth)
an Ag/Gardening committee demonstration, talk, or other presentation (to be identified in discussion between committee members and Beth)
an alternative energy demonstration, talk, or other presentation (to be identified in discussion between Beth and Mountainview Builders, and centered on our creative use of the energies of their summer interns)
a talk on eating locally (by Elise) highlighting and discussing information in the brochure, “Eating Local All Year ‘Round.”

Beth will speak with the Extension office (coordinators of the Fair) to ask them our questions: do we have electricity? what are the hours during which our booth needs to be open? and communicate the answers to the committee.

Our next meeting is at the Fairfax Coffeehouse June 29^th at 9:30 am. One additional item will be discussed beyond final Fair booth planning: Carol will present what it will take for us to produce a Barter Fair on August 28^th for us to discuss whether we think we can pull it off.

Last Updated (Friday, 18 June 2010 14:50)

Local Exchange Committee Meeting 5/24/10

Sunday, 30 May 2010 14:17 |

May 24, 2010
Present: Elise, Sandy, Beth, Carol, Kris, Tim

THE START OF THE STORY-- From Beth

Carol and Tim have applied to the Ag Extension office on behalf of LEN/LEC for a 20' x 20' booth that will be "outside." Carol may speak with Glen Ryburn to advocate for a particular part of "outside"! We identified we have enough tents among LEN members for this entire space: Carol has a 10x10, Abby has a 10x12, and Alaria has one or two 10x10 tents.

Beth suggested we timeline what we needed to do in the two months between today and the July 24-25 Morgan County Fair itself. We noted that July 1 is the cut-off for applications to the Fair (so we may not know where our booth is til after that date.) We also asked one of us to stay in touch with the Fair Board to ensure they keep mentioning LEN/LEN in their promotion of the Fair, and Tim volunteered to do this.

Sandy asked us to talk about our purpose in doing this BF at the Morgan Co Fair: encouraging people to barter services, excess garden produce, and any things they could be encouraged to bring.

Then we began thinking about using the booth to promote and "do" LEN in front of a new audience. We realized that we needed to "grab" people much more than last year and that bartering may not be most of what we use our booth space for. We brainstormed that

*the Local Exchange Committee itself could do (1) a "barter enactment" (Carol's idea, we liked Sandy in the role of one of the barterers); (2) put on a talk, "What is barter?", and (3) offer a table of barters listed on a poster or paper which people could come up to and sit at and note down for their own off-site bartering of services and goods.

The Health Committee could offer demos and massage, including a demo of how to do a simple shoulder massage.

The Gardening Committee could give a talk, "What is soil?" (Leslie Milbourne of Wind Dance Farm, Beth to ask her); "how to grow greens all winter" (Elise); and how to grow Fall vegetables (Elise or Kris).

And we could let those who come to our booth know we we're having an actual Barter Fair at Berkeley Springs State Park in August (Elise's idea) rather than trying to do an actual one in the booth.

[This was where I left the discussion.]

Last Updated (Sunday, 30 May 2010 14:23)

Local Exchange Committee Meeting Notes 3-24-2010

Thursday, 25 March 2010 09:01 |

Local Exchange Committee Meeting notes 3-24-2010:

Next meeting, April 6 at 11 am after the Len general meeting.

We decided to allow people to walk from the barter fair through to the antique mall. Tim will buy yellow tape to rope off an entrance area for the fair.
Beth asked Bill Lands for $500 for operating expenses for the fair.
She also contacted John Douglas at the Morgan Messenger and offered her typing and other literary services in exchange for credit to buy ads.
Kris met with the BS girl scouts and they are very interested in arranging for girls to hold signs on 522 the day of the barter fair.
Leaders will get back to Kris or Beth later this week regarding how many girls, etc.
We decided the girl scouts should use the barter fair as the spot to be dropped off and to pick up their signs. Kris suggested asking Soupity Salad Works if they might want to provide snacks and an alternative refuge for the girl scouts since they will be advertising their restaurant at the barter fair.

Tim, who is in charge of all forms and handouts for the barter fair
presented the forms he has worked on to date. The group edited them,
and Tim will make changes and send to the committee for final approval.

It was suggested that Linda Wagenbrenner who is going to be the MC at the fair, help out at the entrance at the beginning and direct people to the sign up tables, where to set up etc.

Later on, she will be cruising the fair and talking up barters, exciting items etc.

Kris made a lot of signs and had posted them around town.. She will make some more and hang them in Hancock. She is also going to make large signs and was thinking she would try to make permanent ones out of plywood. Several at the meeting said they would look to see if they have pieces of plywood at home they don't need.. Kris will also make some flyers and or rack cards--as many as she feels like doing.

It was decided to take out two ads in the MM--one a week before the event and one the week of the event. Kris and Carol will work on the wording for the ads. We will put the ads in both the MM and the Hancock News for a cost of about $45 .00 for each week.

Tim suggested that he send the list of places the plant fair posted signs to Kris.

Elise suggested asking Susan Waugh of the extension service to send out a mass email promoting the barter fair

Carol is going to find out about having announcements about the fair made on the local radio show.

All the members will try to promote the fair through their personal email lists ,and LEN's email list will get another announcement regarding the fair.

Kris, Carol, Elise, and Beth are the Barter Masters-people can go to ask questions.

Signs are needed for the free area, and the children's area.

The layout for the fair was worked on.

And... we all agreed, even with all the planning and discussion, we really don't know exactly how it all is going to work out!

Barter Fair Planning Meeting

Monday, 15 March 2010 18:13 |

Barter Fair Planning Meeting March 11, 2010

Hours of barter fair are changed to 10 am to 2 pm, April 17.

We will use the north end of the antique mall. Carol will ask Matt:

1.will the trash and junk be remvoed from the center of the space?
2. Will they have an employee stationed at the south door adjacent to our section so their stuff can be watched to prevent their stuff migrating to the barter fair.
3. How many chairs and tables can they provide.
4. Can be begin to move in that day at 8 am for set up. We will need to tell traders with tables where to set up.
5. Will he rope off the south end so our people don't get confused and not forget to pay their $1.00 entry fee?
6.Are there any electrical outlets in the space we can use for sound system, etc?

Carol will make an appointment with Matt to show him jewelry and other stuff he might want to barter for in lieu of the $125.00 rent for the day.

Kris is in charge of signage and will make two banner type signs to hang in advance of the event. Beth will help with this.
WE will also need posters/signs to be hung that day directing people to the correct door of the anitque mall. Kris is gong to make some posters soon and hang them.She is also going to ask Soupity Salads if she wants to provide flyers at the event directing people to her shop for coffee and snacks.

We have decided we do not need tickets. Tim and Sandy will be at the entry/check in table.

It was mentioned several times that we need signs for inside the mall reminding people to take all untraded stuff they brought in away with them. the pack up people--Elise, Bobbie Rohn, Abby, and possible Beth will take the responsibility of taking any leftovers in the free area to a local thrift store. This will not be a dump zone.

We will have a free area, perhaps in the center, will chairs surrounding. People can take what they want

The children's area might be on the the stage.

The committee will wear aprons that day to indicate that they are
"barter masters." (and their LEN badges) Carol will bring two.
HOpefully the rest of us will find one somewhere.

Kris will bring two tables, Carol will bring one, Alaria has volunteered 2 tables. Most of us said they also have chairs they can bring, and I counted 16 volunteer chairs.

Beth will bring construction paper/ markers, scissors and yarn to attendees can make their looking/trading signs to wear around their necks. Some of us also said they would bring paper, etc.

Layout for the event was discussed, but no final plan was made.

We hae decided not to be anti dollar police, but we will encourage non dollar trading for stuff.

We are planning to have the "check parcels area" behind the check in table. Carol will bring a tarp for this.

We will encourage people to come, even if they don't have anything to swap just to get them used to the idea of the barter fair.

Next meeting is Wednesday March 24 at 10 am at the coffee shop.

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