Our Passion

Our passion is farming and we love to grow great vegetables for our customers. You cannot be a leader in your field without a passion for that activity, its technologies, and the result. 

Passion causes us to move towards our goals and it creates leverage or a force multiplier to our efforts. It keep us going when the days are long. The market and face time with our customers is a catalyst for this passion.

For example:

Are You Invested

I was talking to one of the leaders in our church last Sunday and he was talking about the potential for certain demographics (age groups) to leave for altrnate venues if they aren't invested in the church.

I could see the same thing happen with the farmers market customers. When Trader Joe's opened or the Food Coop moved there was a tendency for people to try the new thing. Don't get me wrong these are good stores and they have many products you can't get at the farmers market, so we support them too.

But how can you get your customers invested in the farmer's market. We have some dedicated customers that would come to the market even if it was pouring rain (and they do).

Can You Help Me Accessorize My Tongue

One of our regular customers, a young lady, came up to me today at the farmers market and asked if I could help her accessorize her tongue.

We occasionally get weird questions at the farmers market, but this was the most unique request in a while. The tattoo and piercing shop is down the street a bit. This is a very conservative lady and it is unlikely she was talking about that type of accessory.

Here is the answer to the riddle.

A Servant's Heart

Service is at the core of our farm and business philosophy.

Service permeates all that we do.

It gets a little personal, but here is our top ten list of how we serve:

A Passion for Farming

Our passion is farming and we love to grow great vegetables for our customers. You cannot be a leader in your field without a passion for that activity, its technologies, and the result. Passion causes us to move towards our goals and it creates leverage or a force multiplier to our efforts. It keep us going when the days are long.

We care deeply about what we grow, how we grow it and who we grow it for. For example:

Our Customers Are the Best

Our customers are the best; we see them week in and week out during the growing season. They are the most dedicated and friendly group that a farm family could ever wish for. Some times I am working to restock the tables with my back turned and I hear a friendly voice and I know exactly who that smiling face will be.

Just this last week I had a mom bring her daughter and fiance around to introduce me, I felt very honored when they didn't see me working the tables and took the time to look in back where I was bagging up some carrots.

The dedication is never more evident than when it rains all Saturday morning long and we still have 400-500 customers stop by and do their shopping. You know they really want to be there when they are willing to shop with an umbrella in one hand.

I really like to watch the parents that are being intentional about teaching their children to buy
produce. Often these same parents are helping their children learn food preparation as well. Once in a while we run into a youngster who isn't quite sure they will like what mom or dad is buying and my teenagers often step in to promote a sweet leaf of spinach or a scrumptious carrot.

I also like to encourage the young men (boys) to help mom carry their produce. It gives me some rapor with them and encourages a little chivalry, which isn't dead (only sleeping) in our society. This may be one of the few male influences these children have, so I'd like it to be a good one. Reed our 15 year old son can also help with this.

Our customers are also very honest and patient with us. If we mess up on the change we ask their forgiveness and fix it. If we give them back to much, they retun the difference. Pretty cool. We also take checks and I have had only one time in 17 years that we didn't get paid.