Sigrid Blom

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since Sep 26, 2019
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Recent posts by Sigrid Blom

Your spread looks good for your first time. I've marketed my own veg/fruit/products at farmers' markets as well as have been a market manager for a few other larger farms.

Market day is a slog and goes really well if you're prepared for it to be a hella long day and you're well organized and willing to talk to a lot of people without making money. Especially for crops that aren't in a general rotation at a grocery store. Folks just aren't used to having the diversity of foods that exist outside of a grocery produce department. Recipe cards and samples have always worked really well for me. Sacrifice a bag of mint for people to fondle, smell, taste.

Gardening books and cookbooks from your own collection available for customers to glance at to get ideas and confidence (make sure you mark your books and communicate that they're from your personal library and are not for sale, because they will grow legs otherwise).

The more willing you are to socialize over the foods and about the foods, the better your sales will be. Also, talk to other farmers about their best marketing practices. But beware, not all farmers are neighborly and will be willing to have collaborative competition over the indoctrinated capitalist kill-or-be-killed mentality. It depends on your area. I've seen a real mixed bag in attitudes at all the markets I've been to.

Insofar as keeping your greens from wilting, as others said, keep them out of the sun. I've found keeping a spray bottle with cool water to spritz them and keeping most of the greens in a cooler and only stocking a few at a time is helpful. Be sure anything that you purposely keep a low stock visible that folks know you have more. You wouldn't believe how many people will pass up buying your kale when they only see 3 bunches out because they thinking they're being nice to the "next people who might want it." Let them know you have enough to go around and they wouldn't deprive the next customer if they wanted kale too.

Also, not sealing up your plastic bags will help the longevity of your greens. Those ziplocs are like little greenhouses and can heat up and cook your greens in minutes, even when they're not in the sun. Allow some air to flow.

Anyway, those are my initial thoughts. I may be able to offer other insights if you're interested or have questions. Feel free to hit me up.
1 year ago
Hi John, welcome to Permies!!

Making elderberry syrup is one of my annual autumn prep for winter chores. My family and friends love that time of year. Because they love getting some of my syrup. We've lived on our homestead for 7 years and have been steadily adding more perrenials. Our orchard is really beginning to take off finally (started planting right after we moved in). I'm hoping we'll get the figs and elderberries into the front yard as soon as the soil amendments have enriched enough of the dirt that was laying here when we got here. I want to cover a BUNCH of my property with elderberry.

In your book, do you talk about the cultivar that is native to North America as well as the European cultivars?

With "alternative" medical "testing," I've learned that elderberry is a superfood for me and I have been scrounging furiously for recipes and ways to get those scrumptious little berries into my body!

Whether I win or purchase, I'm sure your book would be an invaluable reference in my permie library!

4 years ago
Hi John,

I want to cover a BUNCH of my property with elderberry. With "alternative" medical "testing," I've learned that elderberry is a superfood for me and I have been scrounging furiously for recipes and ways to get those scrumptious little berries into my body!

Whether I win or purchase, I'm sure your book would be an invaluable reference in my permie library!

Cheers,
Sigrid
4 years ago
I always found a whisk to be too messy for me (but I've been told I'm a special case when it comes to some things...).

For special cases like me, a fork works really well too. Especially when it comes to getting the stuck nut butter in the inside edges of the bottom of the jar.
5 years ago
Oh yeah! I've ordered from this guy before. If I recall we didn't get anything out of those slips. But almost certain that was because of something on our end. If I don't find anything local, I'll likely get from him. Thanks for the reminder!
Planning our gardening for next spring (already!). Does anyone know if there is anyone in the Albuquerque area who will be selling organic sweet potato slips in the spring?