Varied Distribution

Last year, my marketing plan was simple.  I farmed one acre.  I had 27 CSA shares.  I figured, CSA comes first and then, whatever is left-over, goes to farmers’ markets.

I didnt’ have enough for supermarkets, and, therefore, no interactions with produce managers took place.

This year, we earn as much from supermarkets as we do from farmers’ markets and CSA.

This brings a new level of reponsibility, organization, phone calls, and, yes, quality.  It is quality of a different sort - the kind that can hold on a shelf for a few days.  If we bring a squishy tomato to the farmers’ market, we are responsible only to ourselves.  We can simply throw that away in the compost bucket.  However, that doesn’t work with the supermarkets - our squishy tomato is their loss.

It’s a bummer for everyone when the produce doesn’t hold up.  Invariably, it happens.  Some managers understand better than others.  

It’s hard to please everyone.  The more we put ourselves out there, the more we realize there are many standards to conform to. We do our best to make sure our CSA members, market shoppers, friends, land owners, and produce managers are happy.  It doesn’t always work out.  That’s business. And, also, it’s my second year.  I have a lot of learning to do.  By year 10, I expect to hear mostly positive news.   

I suppose the last two years have taught me to roll with critical commentary as much as they’ve taught me to grow veggies and keep the books.  I do my best.  Sometimes it gets me down.  Not as much now, though.  I think I am callusing myself to all sorts of feedback - positive and negative alike.  I just try to learn from it the best I can.

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