Hidden Surprises In Richfield

I've been wanting to go to the Richfield's Farmer's Market since I saw their website that advertised that they were "third largest in the Twin Cities." They also had been rated Best of Burbs by Minneapolis-St. Paul magazine. Needless to say I had some high expectations for this place.

I knew the address by visiting the Richfield website, but otherwise I may have missed this location. I probably was not the first to miss the fact that it is in Veterans Memorial Park because there were a plethora of signs by the road signaling that the farmer's market was in the park. Nice job on the signage attracting me to the market!

When I made my way into the park there was quite a bit of traffic for such a small location. I just had to follow the trail of people with reusable bags to figure out where I was going. 

When I made my way to the market I was impressed that the market was under a picnic shelter. This location really gives some versatility to the market if there should be issues of rain or excessive heat. It also really helps that the canopy is right next to a children's playground. Much like we raved about Apple Valley's friendly atmosphere, this was can match it well. 

When I got under the canopy though it was dark, real dark, too dark for me to realistically take pictures with my camera. Underneath the shelter though was some music, some buzzing commerce, and the smell of fresh coffee. I took my usual two laps of the market and settled first upon a vegetable stand. The stand was nondescript like the rest of the markets I had seen selling produce. Some basic signs labeling what food they were selling and prices. I was attracted solely by one item that the seller had, cabbage. I had been pondering items that Ryan and I could start cooking using what he and I would find at the market and today I decided I would be on the hunt to cook cabbage. Later in the week I will include a synopsis of how well cooking it went for me. 

Second, I stopped at Deena's Gourmet Hummus. I had not remembered seeing Deena's at other markets I had visited and with good reason, it looks like from the website, you have made it as a fresh food market if you are hosting Deena. Kudos to Richfield for attracting her stand.

Deena's stand was well set to sell. She had four different types of hummus and they were all ready to be tasted with a sales associate that was more than knowledgeable about the product at a fairly reasonable price, $4. This week I plan to make or buy some flat bread to go along with the hummus.   

Other things that I noticed were the usual suspects of Great Harvest, Eichten's and Caribou Coffee. It was wonderful that the market was able to pull down some familiar names to attract shoppers. As I was stumbling out of the market I noticed a picnic table in the center of the market with some flyers and magnets. I asked the woman attending them whether they were for the taking and she told me they were. It was great literature about the market, the Minnesota Grown Directory, and a magnet with tips on how to shop. I really would've liked this to be a stand with some good signage at the very beginning of the market. Instead, it was just nonchalantly there. 

This brings me my point about this market, it has much potential. Going to this market was like seeing a band that with some more polish and some more publicity could really hit it big. This market already has good attendance, good variety, and good ambiance. To make this a great place to be in the Twin Cities I think they need to make the atmosphere around the market more vibrant.

As I said before I would really put a stand first and foremost that attracts people to eat healthy, eat local, and buy at the Richfield market. Next, I would work with sellers to make sure that they are in it for the active sell and not the passive buy.

This is a problem that seems to plague every market to a certain degree but realizing it could really help Richfield who has limited space which is becoming crowded and cluttered. I would use that beautiful space wisely with signs and proper placement of sellers. Some additional lighting would be a good help also. Last, it may help to have events that accompany the selling of food like cooking. 

I have yet to see live cooking at any of the markets and I feel like this would really give this market a real edge. It would be even better if it was the center piece of this market that clears out an anonymous picnic table or two in the middle. 

Guest Blogger: Joe Kuo Talks About Madison's Capital Square Market

When I first arrived in Madison, WI I was disappointed by the littleness of this dinky town with most stores being closed at ten pm.  That was soon to change.  After being here for seven years and still counting, I am always mesmerized by numerous outdoor activities found across the isthmus.  My very favorite was actually a walk around Dane County’s Farmer’s Market On the Square every summery Saturday—rain or shine.  Reported as the largest producer-only farmer’s market with around three hundred vendors in the United States and located around Madison’s landmark—the state capitol, Dane County’s jewel has become a place for Madisonians to introduce to out-of-towners with a potential travel speed of one small Japanese step per thirty seconds...However, there is always something exciting every Saturday: tasting a new vegetable or fruit in season, hearing an interesting conversation from passersby, and bumping into a familiar face over the counter or while walking.

June and July are two wondrous months for strawberry lovers.  Numerous vendors would display pints and quarts of freshly harvested strawberries.  A quart usually costs $3-4 and buckets would be sold in selected booths.  These strawberries, although are smaller than the ones found at Trader Joe’s or Costco, are brilliantly red and sweet that joy could be found in each red gem.  One tip: make sure to wash every strawberry before ingestion in case of E. coli outbreaks

The summer time is also a season of flowers.  Two of my favorite stands to shop for flowers are (1) Snug Haven Farms (and this place has the best spinach in town that are even used in the acclaimed L’Etoile Restaurant) since the lady with glasses and ginger hair used to fix my tie during the good ol’ days at Choral Union and tossed me an apple when she first spotted me around the farmer’s market a few years ago…and (2) Lewiston Perennial Farm with a wide variety of beautiful and high-quality flowers that sell like hotcake within the past twenty-five years and more.  My friend Michael brought a stem of lilies from the Lewiston Perennial Farm stand for his girlfriend, and the stem lasted for two weeks and a half!  You would also spot brides-to-be and bridesmaid shopping for wedding flowers! 

            Due to Wisconsin’s fame as being America’s Dairyland, cheese products can be found across Capitol Square.  While entering capitol square from State Street, folks would hear bakers promoting “hot-n-spicy cheesebread” and smelled pastries fresh out from the oven.  The stand, occupied by Stella’s Bakery, has been a favorite for many market goers.  The bread is mostly dense with flower and pepper, and cheese could be found at around a quarter of the bread.  The price of the cheesebread has also noticeably increased from time to time, but it is still a popular breakfast item to share.  The pastries, such as the strawberry rhubarb Danish and muffins, and other savory treats from the stand are amazing and worth trying. 

            Another stand with great baked goods is the Pilgrim’s Pantry.  This stand is easily noticeable with the friendly Amish family standing behind their baked bread and pies.  The booth does not have an elaborate sign, but their Dutch apple bread ($5) is a must-try.  After bringing the Dutch apple bread to parties and cook-outs, many folks would tell me that the bread is their favorite dessert since it is moist in the inside—contrary to most apple breads that are crumbly on the outside and dry in the inside. 

And who would forget about cheese curds?  Wisconsin is definitely known for cheese, and many artisan cheeses can be found throughout capitol square.  The best cheese curds, in me and my friend Dean’s opinion, are produced by Forgotten Valley Cheese.  These white curds are a bit healthier than the average cheese for health conscious like me and are nice items to share with friends.  These curds are sold in 3/4 pound bags for $4.

For meat lovers, D&G Custom Meat Processing is the place to go.  With over thirty years of service, this place maintains high quality in its products.  I brought summer sausages (around $5 for a large one) from the stand to picnics in the past, and the sausages have always been a highlight of the picnic due to the wonderful flavors and the gorgeous meat quality.  Beef sticks are also sold as snacks at a decent price. 

My tour ended with an exploration of maple syrup.  Not known to many, Wisconsin as a state produces tons or gallons of maple syrup per year.  The products shown, produced by Krause Farms, looked similar to other stands that sell maple syrup.  Not being a connoisseur of maple syrup and not loving it enough to drown my pancakes into a pool of brown, I purchased a bag of maple syrup candies for $1.75 and shared it with my German friend later during the evening.  The candies were rich in maple flavors, which are more intense and enjoyable than the maple suckers I tried before.  These candies actually have the texture of mini-cookies or cakes, for everything was densely packed.

            The Dane County Farmer’s Market has lots to share with the community.  During the winter, the market would be indoors in a senior center or at Monona Terrace.  Many stands also allow visitors to stop and taste the product, including one cherry from Door County or goat cheese.  In here, I have introduced some of the best items I had during my residence in Madison…and I know that there are more for me to discover! 

This post was written by Joseph Kuo on July 7 pertaining to a visit on July 2. 

Feeling Holy and Hot at Roseville Farmer's Market

This past Monday I attended the Roseville Farmer's Market at the Corpus Christi parking lot. It was a nice location for a small market. I was impressed by the diversity present for such a limited gathering.

I walked the short strip of sellers twice taking a look at signage and representatives at the booths to see which I found most appealing. Much like the Apple Valley Farmer's Market, Roseville was also anchored by Great Harvest bread company. It is good for farmer's markets like Roseville and Apple Valley to have a well known company that can attract customers to the market.

My first stop was at Eichten's which attracted me with their unique products and excellent branding. Each of the products I saw had their brand and some information about the product on it. I thought that the Port Wine cheese spread was unique and so I grabbed one for purchase. When I brought it to the counter the representative gave me a colder one from a refrigerator. It was nice that he retrieved the freshest product possible. While I enjoyed my experience at this booth I felt neglected by the seller. He was just turning product when I got there. I thought he really had some special products but you would not know that because he did not play them up as important. When I stopped at the Snappy Dog I got a completely different presentation.

At the Snappy Dog booth the creator and seller of these salsas was soliciting people to try some of his salsas. He allowed me to try them all and as I did he discussed them with me. I usually hate spicy food but I couldn't help but try his extra spicy which had X's on the top. It was like trying something forbidden. He also had a rhubarb which had a unique flavor that felt mild on the front end but spicy on the back. In the end I decided on buying the hot salsa which had the richest flavor. He had pointed that fact out to me when I was trying the different salsas. I really appreciated the time that the salesman spent with me and would be happy to revisit Snappy Dog at a later time.

As I headed back to the car I felt like I had gotten so much out of a market so small. I was not alone in my patronage of the market as it seemed that there were a good number of people there that morning - while most of them were older they seemed rather loyal. I could easily see myself wandering back to this market especially since it it close in proximity to where I live.

Fresh Idea: Ping Your Customers

When I bought soap for my girlfriend at the St. Paul's Farmer's Market the seller gave me a loyalty card that would entitle me to $7 worth of merchandise for every $40 I purchased. On the back was her information so that I could contact her with any questions that I had about the product. The card reminded me that it is not enough these days just to concentrate on the current transaction, but a seller must be thinking about ways to bring their customers back for more of their product as soon as possible.

Building a long term relationship with the customer can be as easy as having an easily identifiable brand that customers can associate with and feel comfortable with. Within that brand it can be important to have variations that are consistently changing and making the customer aware of it. This is one of the attraction points of a market - products change with the season.

At the market level, it can be really important to have some type of consistent communication with your customers. In the book I am reading right now, Never Eat Alone, the author calls the concept "pinging." He says that you can build relationships with customers by constantly staying in communication with them. I have seen a mix of different ways of doing this including newsletters, news feeds, and twitter feeds. The best I have seen have been those that alert you or even entice you with potential deals. I like those markets that keep in touch with me and tell me what I can expect at the market. Relationship alone is not sufficient for me to return to a market - I want to know that I will be seeing fresh things there.

I would love to hear what your area market does to stay in touch with customers like you. What are other things you would like to see them do?

Resources That Will Be Used During the Blog

We will be referencing a couple of books throughout the blog that I wanted to make mention of.

First, New Directions in Marketing for Farmers' Markets by Kristin Krokowski and Terry Gaouette - this book will give us a framework for understanding what things to look out for at farmers markets and what are techniques that we have seen that book may have touched on but did not go into greater detail.

Second, Clean Food by Terry Walters - the book is a good starting point for learning how to eat closer to the source.

Third, How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman - as my roommate and I are just starting out we will be a novice at knowing how to cook but luckily Mr. Bittman can be more than capable at helping us out

~Joe

Welcome to Our Blog!

My roommate Ryan and I are in school in the Twin Cities. We had the great idea that we wanted to get on the band wagon of going to farmer's markets in the area and blogging about it. The blog will feature:

(1) Marketing Techniques - We will talk about the ways that we heard about the market, what made us go to the market, what attracted us to the different booths, and other devices that helped get us to the food.

(2) Cooking - My roommate and I are novices at cooking. We will not only be figuring out to shop at farmers markets but how to cook it. We will have a supplementary youtube video series to complement this blog.

(3) Interviews - My roommate and I potentially want to reach out and talk to people about their vibes on certain farmers markets.

We really want to make this blog a discussion and welcome your comments about our content.