8-26-10

JUNIPER HILL'S STAND AT THE NORTH CREEK FARMER'S MARKET

MELODY SLICING SAMPLES

I'M STRONG TO THE FINISH 'CAUSE I EAT ME SPINACH...

ERNEST AND TAMMY TAKE A FIELD TRIP

NORTH CREEK TRAIN STATION

Jen spent the afternoon with Melody at the North Creek Farmer's Market. This market is one of the five Juniper Hill currently sells at and it was fun to go help. After working hard in the fields it is a real treat to experience the another side of farming and to watch consumers sample and ogle the fresh produce we are providing. Obviously after a summer of market after market, Melody has her system down. The way she sets up her table is very clever, putting boxes on angles, ensuring the color of the tablecloths contrast with the food on the table, and using unique holders such as old bicycle seats and fun baskets, guaranteeing everyone who visits the market will stop by her table. Fighting high winds and traces of rain, we held down the tent, literally, and sold nearly everything we brought to market.

The North Creek market is small, with only 10 vendors. There was only one other vendor selling vegetables, while others sold meats, chocolates, jams, cheeses, and locally baked goods. Adam and Melody are doing alright, but they are killing themselves to sell their produce and flowers at five farmer's market each week, on top of having a CSA and selling produce wholesale to restaurants. What they are producing is outstanding and if they were in a larger market, near a larger city, they would sell out of everything in no time at all. Instead, with such a small community and population in the surrounding towns, they are struggling. Almost their entire annual income is based on the two to three months. They harvest and sell their produce and flowers almost exclusively in the summer when tourism is at its peak and there are more people in town at these markets to purchase their offerings. It's incredibly inspiring to watch people younger than us running a large operation so well, and it gives us hope that one day we could actually have a farm too. But watching them work 15 hour days, six or seven days a week reinforces the need to live near a large city where there are plenty of people willing and able to pay for good, nutritious, organic goods.