I participated in this month's RHS Farm Day after school on November third. Before participating in a farm day, I took for granted how difficult it is to sell vegetables, flowers, herbs, and other crops to high school students. I learned that you must be flexible, enthusiastic, and well informed about the crops you are selling in order to attract potential customers to the farm stand and to convince them to make purchases. For example, most of our customers were unfamiliar with bell bean leaves and skeptical of the Jerusalem artichokes. After I informed them that bell bean leaves are a substitute for spinach and that Jerusalem artichokes are prepared and eaten in the same manner as potatoes, we were able to sell several of them and introduce our customers to some new, nutritious, and tasty vegetables.
In class on Friday before the farm day, we harvested and prepped as many crops as we could find on the farm that were ready to be eaten. All of the rutabagas in my group's bed (A3) were ready for harvest, so we cleaned and weighed them and tied them in small bundles to sell at the market. I made sure to inform the customers that rutabaga leaves can be cooked like kale to make sure they wouldn't be wasted. Other crops that we harvested and sold at the market were cucumbers, basil, squash, mint, oregano, peppers, and potatoes.
Overall, the market day was a fun, informative, and enriching experience that taught me to appreciate what goes on behind the scenes and on the sales end at farmer's markets. I look forward to working at it again in the future.
- Grace McNally
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