Legacy Binder

Why does my market need a legacy binder?

A legacy binder is a set of resources and materials created in the process of succession planning that can be passed to a replacement staff person or volunteer to facilitate a smoother transition.

Creating (and maintaining!) a legacy binder offers many benefits to you and your market:

• Freedom: it can be used to train other staff members to operate your market while you take time off, either for a planned absence or an emergency. 
• Clarity: By physically writing out your job responsibilities, you may be able to validate what you like about your position when you’re feeling uninspired. If you’re overwhelmed, a legacy binder can help you clarify what duties could be delegated to someone else and help you formulate a volunteer, intern, or other staff position description.
• Planning: it can help you plan to transition out of your job if necessary. A legacy binder gives your successor access to history, context, and procedures for onboarding, while also helping you with resume building. A well-maintained legacy binder also functions as a list of all of your responsibilities, skills, and the impacts of your work over time.

How to Use These Resources

There are two main ways to create and maintain a legacy binder: digital and print.

The benefits of a digital legacy binder is that it can be shared more easily with multiple individuals, can be easier and quicker to update more regularly, and it can be stored in multiple locations for ease of access. Digital files can be encrypted for greater security, keeping sensitive information more secure. Depending on the file format, you can also search for keywords within the files to find specific information quickly. Other files can easily be included, such as your market’s logo, designs for print materials, or clickable links.

However, in the event of a power or Internet outage, poor signal, or device theft or damage, you may be unable to access the information. If your market does not have dedicated mobile technology, like a laptop or iPad, you could only access it through your personal devices. Digital files could also be hacked or more easily be accessed by unauthorized individuals if files are not stored securely.

With a printed legacy binder, you can fill out the resources either digitally before printing or by hand. By storing them in a physical binder, information can be reliably accessed at the market regardless of internet or electrical access. It can be easier to add notes in the moment by jotting them down on the appropriate page, instead of having to recall the notes and remembering to do so after the fact.

Unfortunately, printed legacy binders are also susceptible to damage due to weather, spills, or other accidents that could render them unusable. It’s also more time intensive to create a backup copy for others to access in an emergency if you are unavailable or others do not have access to the location where your binder is stored. If only one binder is kept, all it takes is one incident to lose all of that institutional knowledge.

A third option would be to use a combination of the two: have a printed copy of the binder, but make updates regularly to a digital copy of the binder and print new copies of the updated sections a few times per market season. Set a reminder at regular intervals throughout the market season to review the information in your binder and ensure its accuracy.

Remember that any information recorded is better than nothing. Starting with a few resources and adding as you go puts your market in a better position in an emergency situation.

Other Resources

In addition to the fillable PDFs listed above, there are many additional resources available that you may wish to include in your legacy binder for reference or record keeping.

MIFMA Resources:

• Data Collection Toolkit

Farmers Market Coalition Resources:

• Farmers Market Legal Toolkit
• Anti-Racist Farmers Market Toolkit
• Farmers Market Insurance Fact Sheet