Miranda Maslany Moss Street Market Coordinator

Miranda Maslany, 20, is a third year student with a double major in Sociology and Environmental studies and a minor in Business. Her part time co-op has her running a Fairfield institution, The Moss Street Market. Located at Fairfield and Moss in the Sir James Douglas Elementary school grounds, the Moss Street Market is in its 20th year of operation, and runs very Saturday from May until November from 10 am until 2 pm. The market attracts vendors and farmers alike who have an interest in environmentalism and organic living.  Running the market is not only great career preparation for Miranda, who wants to be an environmental consultant, but also gives her an opportunity to be involved in her community.
  
HC UVic: How did you get involved with the Moss Street Market? 
 
I started working at the market four years ago. I offered to volunteer. They had a job opening at the time and I basically got the job the day I interviewed and that was that. The first two years I worked various positions , from the kid’s tent to the coffee cart. Then this year I moved to assistant coordinator. When our last coordinator left in August I took her spot and I was able to turn the job into a part time co-op so it worked for school.
 
HC UVic: How has this co-op with the market influenced your learning?
 
It builds on what I’m learning, and I would say it helps me more with how to deal with people. If I want to create change and have sustainable initiatives I need to know how to work with the people that can make it happen. For example, if I want to approach the Board of Directors with an idea I need to have a really good idea of what I want to happen, and who is going to be responsible for making it happen. They [Board of Directors] have a lot of responsibility so they are not usually willing to take on the tasks themselves.
 
HC UVic: How is the market an environmental business?

In terms of their environmental focus a huge thing is promoting environmental practices and local foods. If you want to sell at the market there are very strict regulations on how you grow your produce. It doesn’t have to be organically certified but you would have to follow the same certification practices that someone with certification would.
 
HC UVic: Your minor is business so do you have a dream to open an environmentally focused business of your own?
 
One of my ideas was to go into environmental consulting for small businesses. I recently met someone who runs a business like that, so I know that there are opportunities to go into something like that in Victoria.
 
HC UVic: How does environmental consulting for small businesses work?
 
They would probably hire you on a freelance basis. They would say, “This is our budget, this is what we want” and you would say “Okay, this is what you can achieve within this time, and these are your options. You would help them get going and help them know where to start sustainable initiatives. Maybe it’s buying more energy efficient lighting, if the business has a lot of lighting, or low flush toilets, or it could be their packaging. Whatever makes the most difference with their budget, but the bigger they are willing to go the better.
 
HC UVic:  Would this only apply to environmentally focused companies?
 
Usually environmentally focused companies are already in that mode but for say a small grocery store, who wants to become more sustainable because they recognize their costumers are looking for that, environmental consulting can help. They would approach a consulting firm that understood the best ways to go about doing that.
 
The Moss Street Market has now completed its season but a fabulous Holiday Market will take place Saturday December 10^th. For more information visit: http://www.mossstreetmarket.com/ or check out the Facebook page Moss Street Holiday Market! http://www.facebook.com/events/161976967228861/