Another Conclusion

It has come to me, in subtle and unexpected ways, that figs are tied into many other topics my students are investigating this semester. In a surprising turn of events I found figs mentioned in a rare manuscript about Aesop's Fables a few days ago.

This strange little fruit, growing in my back yard, that ripens in a blink, is part of a long and varied heritage. Now is it winter and the snow is on the ground. My fig bushes (now tree height) are bare and pointed against the winds blowing against the house. It is fun to think about from whence they came.

Aesop and the Gardener

A Conclusion

Farm markets are a community's way to encourage the local economy and build civic interest. Since everything from produce to civic groups gather and sell their wares, farm markets are the perfect gathering place to promote a new product such as figs. The customers are already interested in local produce, want to try new products, and are open to building community spirit from year to year. By propagating new fig plants from my existing backyard plants, local figs can be an exotic treat in an area unfamiliar with the Mediterranean delicacy. Although the shelf life of figs is short, the variety of products can extend the selling season before and after harvest to inspire repeat customers from year to year. Growing and promoting figs as a farm market product is a matter of growing ample amount of product and encouraging strong customer recognition to grow sales.


Essential question: How can figs be produced and promoted at a local farm market to encourage sales?

Answer: use the existing community of shoppers to build a sub-community of followers

Implications:  grow enough figs and develop a line of products that extend the fig harvesting season before and after the harvest

Getting Ready

This blitz box looks easy to make.
It's from cakechooser.com.

It's getting colder and time to think about next spring and summer!  I am thinking about my figgy future! My to-do list includes business cards, some figgy greeting cards, fig buttons, a new tent, and boxes to put the figs into...I'm going to make origami boxes out of fig wrapping paper!  It's a little pricey, so I may consider making my own. But with something special, I can make boxes to hold the figs or fig cookies.

Fig wrapping paper!

An idea would be to use the type for the business card on the paper for the box. OR, make a stamp out of an eraser and stamp the side of the box with a figgy image of some kind, or perhaps a fig quote? I'll have to investigate. Most of the fig quotes I know are kind of negative like "I don't give a fig."  There is the admonishment, "Get figgy with it!"  this needs further thought. Each additional step to the box makes it a more expensive piece of the product. The origami aspect is done to make it cheap and fast to produce as needed.  

Figgy Data

My small survey asked about figgy experiences. Of the 26 responses, 85% said they had eaten fig newtons, with a similar percentage having eaten fresh figs. Am I to believe that? The survey leaves many questions unanswered and begs for follow-ups. 

For example, what do people think of fig newtons compared to the fresh fruit? Were the Fig Newtons they eaten the brand name (as the capital letter indicate) or were they homemade fig newton-y cookies? 

A little more time and patience would have given me
the wisdom to ask the right questions
for the answers I needed.

In hindsight, it would have been better to get some retrieval information under my belt before I prepared the survey because the questions I have now are not the ones I began with, so the survey reflects a different time in my thought processes. Additional data points should have included a questions about ranking fig newtons among other cookies/treats, ranking figs among other fruits; local fig availability; buying habits; gender.

So much figgy stuff to say!

It has been a figgy time talking to market masters and shop owners about figs, figs growing, and fig products!

Sandwich boards are a quick way
to get a message out, and
update it frequently.

First, I found out figs may be an odd commodity at the local farm market at first, but once customers find out they are available I would have a following. Farm market customers are looking for the products they cannot find at grocery stores. Figs have a short shelf life, so I'd need to post a sign notifying folks that harvest is coming, please check back. Perhaps a sandwich board would work -- that way it can be stood near the road alerting passing cars that figs are coming!

I cam probably make one with what's in the garage, so that will be a winter project to get ready for next farm market season.

Second, I discovered through my farm market manager friends the more exotic a market commodity is 1) the more I can charge and 2) the fewer customers I'll have at first until I get established. That's a mixed blessing I suppose. I want to be considered a farm specialty, but I do not want to price myself out of business. The figs I do not sell have be processed to sell another day as jams, jellies, cookies. That by itself is not a bad thing except it takes time to process fruit instead of selling it outright.

Until harvest, selling last year's jams and fig image products like coasters or buttons will promote the upcoming season, and gain recognition before the sandwich board goes up announcing the figs are in.

A Figgy Survey

In effort to project interest for figs and fig products at a farmer's market, I am considering doing a survey of people who frequent farm markets on a regular basis. That's a little difficult at this time of year when the market I attend as a vendor is closed. Another option would be to interview someone, and I know just the person. Mrs. Haskins, a former fellow vendor and mother of one my GAP students, is now the Market Master for a large market near DC. She might be the perfect person to interview about customer preferences and seasonal tastes (literally and figuratively). The best part is that even though she works near DC and its urban clientele, she lives with her family right here in the area. She'd have a unique point of view for customer interest for this area.

Mrs. Haskins, what do you say?

Taking Cuttings from Fig Trees

Late winter, early spring. My time has passed by 2 seasons.

I could try, but it may be a waste of time and good fig materials.

Bummer.

Frost on the Fig

There have been a couple frosts this week, and the leaves on the fig trees are starting to turn yellow and fall off. I am wondering whether or not I missed my chance to take cuttings and start new fig trees indoors. I really wanted to have fig trees ready to plant next spring, but if I REALLY wanted that perhaps I should have acted sooner.

Preparing for Next Spring/Summer Market

Thinking small, I am considering getting a new tent that is small and less intimidating than the 10'x10' tent. I have no evidence, but I bet the uniqueness of a different size among all the same-sized tents would be an attraction. There are EZ Up 4'x4' tents for sale for small displays. There are two designs I think would be suitable: gable and marquee. The gable would allow space to put a fig image on the ends, but the marquee is so unique among tent designs it would be more eye-catching.



   These would be big enough for a small table and a high chair. If it rains, there would not be a lot of protection, in which case the bigger 10'x10' tents I already own would be pressed into action. But, since I park and sell out of the trunk anyway, this would be an extension of the car (and hopefully quicker to put up and take down. $215. Yikes!

The 4th Arm of Marketing Concepts

#4 -- Relationships. People like talking and sharing communal time. That is some of the fun of going to a farm market: meeting neighbors and friends, and being around familiar faces. Building relationships and building customer trust is what will build a following for figs in an area where they may seem exotic, or certainly obscure.  But, by doing that how fabulous I could become The Fig Lady!

What a joy to one day
 be The Fig Lady photographed
by Kelly Morris!

Third Concept -- Build Recognition

This preserve has a distinctive packaging.

This is a big concept -- building a brand recognition (#3) that customers will remember and seek out among the other vendors. Consistency would be vital with this, so the business card, handmade signs (or printed), table coverings, maybe even the tent, needs to be a consistent color or with the same image or have some common visual thread so customers can recognize my vendor space among the crowd. This is where several yards of figgy cloth might be handy, or figgy wrapping paper to make bags or a table covering, and labels...I'm not sure what as of today, but I know consistency is vital.
                                                 

                                                        

2nd Vendor Concept - Start Small

2) Start small, that's the deal. Begin the season with some fig products that can be used any time through the season and a sign that says 'Coming Soon!  Figs!'. Some anytime-items could be hat pins with a catchy phrase like Have a Figgy Day!, possibly some Figgy Day coasters and greeting cards, and certainly some figgy food like fig cookies.

Signs can be a charming part of the farmers' market shopping experience.

1st Vendor Concept -- Know the Market/Niche

1) I understand my area to be a rural, meat & potatoes, population. There are people moving in from more urban areas, and there are upscale restaurants exposing locals to more exotic fare. Figs, although known through the ubiquitous 'fig newton', are not particularly well known as an eating fruit or a cooking fruit. Figs would be considered exotic and educating the local population may be a steep climb.

Experienced Farm Market-eers say....

There are many websites giving beginning farm market vendors advice. Most of the advice circles around 4 concepts akin to 1) know your market/niche, 2) start small and build, 3) establish a recognizable brand, and 4) build relationships. Basically, if I keep these things in mind, and be consistent, I can build a fig following. Specifically, I need to consider how these 4 concepts apply to me and my figs. They follow many of the guidelines I used to build the gourd and gourd art business....it will be like sketching out a plan.

Figs as a Market Product

Many people will buy candy at a farm
market, but the one I attend is during
the summer when chocolate bars and
chocolate dipped fruit would
not survive the heat. 

In addition to selling figs at a farm market, there are many products that can be produced from figs. The obvious ones (jellies and preserves, cakes and cookies, perhaps bread) are basically adaptations of products already sold. Fig candy is different, and may be worthth considering if it is a boiled hard candy like a Jolly Rancher, or lollypop-ish type candy.

There are also ancillary items that could be used to promote the main product, figs. Fig t-shirts, or fig pins, fig coasters, fig greeting cards? This would be building a fig culture at the farm market.

After all that promotion, getting ready for the fig harvest, I would really have to be prepared to produce FIGS!! The trees would have to produce a harvest!

Coaster with fig images.

T-shirts for the figginista!

Cats Are Not Figgy

Chicken wire can be used
 for many purposes!

Preparation for the potential fig grove began in earnest. All the neighbor cats have been warned to stay out of the area with the new dirt by placing a 'lid' of chickenwire across the row that will become the line of fig trees. Nothing says irritation more than trying to squat while balancing on the thin wires that shape the hexagons of chicken wire. Already I have seen disgruntlement among the local dumpers.  I might do that for all the vegetable beds too!

Propagating Fig Trees

This is what I should have
next summer. I think I have
pots in the shed.

A bit of information from the Alabama Cooperative Extension agent, Tony Glover, has led me to understand I will not be propagating the new fig trees until next late winter or early spring.  Therefore, if all goes well and the plants get into the ground next spring and summer, I should have figs to sell the following year. However, there will be a GROVE of fig trees!

Awesome that my fig trees could
ever look like this!

Definition:  grove - small wood, or group of trees...so yes, I'll have a grove of fig trees.

....eventually.

Gettin' Figgy With It

Today, while driving through Mount Crawford on the way to the Green Valley Book Fair, I passed Figgins Auto Sales. It had never occurred to me that fig would be a part of someone's name! 

Principal Figgins from Glee. 

 Figgins is a Saxon name and has been spelled many ways, Fig, Figg, Fygg, Figgess, and Figgins. Many notable Figgins include a type designer, an archaeologist, a winemaker, baseball, and most recently the comedic actor on Glee, Principal Figgins played by the actor, Pakistan-born Iqbal Theba.

No where does anything have anything to do with figs!  

1st day of research - History of Figs

Today the research for my essential question starts in earnest: How can figs be produced and promoted for  local farm market sales?

First, the basic question is How long have figs been in existence?  Science Magazine, June 2006, has an article providing proof that figs (although thought to be 6,500 years in existence) may have been around for 11,000+ years -- that's about 1,000 "before cereals", which I take to mean grains. The evidence is found in the Lower Jordan Valley.  This inspires the next question which is Where is the LJV and what is its significance to figs?

The Lower Jordan Valley is the stretch of land between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea called the Rift Valley....about 25 miles. This leads me to ask, "Are figs considered a biblical fruit?"

Figgy Fair Use Laws

The skin of this fig is Fair Use Laws
that separates the interior 'protected' pulp
from the outside world.

Using someone else's work is plagiarism. Copyright protection happens upon creation.  However, there are instances when copyrighted information can be use without purchase or permission. These are instances are covered by Fair Use Laws. Fair Use Laws are the legal line between the public domain, copyright-free works and protected copyrighted works.

Much like the skin of a fig where the thin skin separates the interior, protected pulp from the outside, wild-and-free world.

Fair Use of copyrighted material include times when it is used for
1) educational purposes,
2) a limited amount of time,
3) critical review or comment,
4) as parody, or
5) oh drat...what's that other one? NEWS, right!...used as a news report.

Plagiarism

Global Plagiarism -- taking it all!

Plagiarism is from the Latin word plagiarus which means kidnapping -- taking someone else's property. There are three types of plagiarism: global, patchwork, and incremental. Global plagiarism is kidnapping the whole piece of work, lock-stock-and barrel. This would be if I gave a fig research paper done by a botanist to my students and told them it was my work.

Patchwork plagiarism is kidnapping done in pieces -- a little bit here, a little bit there, much like a patchwork quilt. It would be akin to me using pieces of the botanist's paper and weaving them with my own thoughts.

Oops, I forgot!

Turned upside-down, this heart would look like a patchwork fig. When working on a big project, it IS tempting to take short cuts to get done faster but other people's work needs to be sourced, even if it takes extra time to do so.

Incremental plagiarism is the one most students do, even innocently. It is using work without citing. This is done through forgetfulness or in thinking Fair Use Laws are in place. In any event, citing anything someone else has generated saves a figgy person from going blue in the face from embarrassment.

Common knowledge information? That is information so well known in the general population that it does not need to be cited.


Practical tips to avoid plagiarism:

 1) Create a distinct sentence structure,  

2) Check the paraphrase against the original text 

and 3) Acknowledge the source.

Boolean Online Searching

Boolean is a mathematical way of using words to search for online information. First, keywords are vital - they are synonyms and/or related terms. Since search engines and databases give you what they have based on what they think I want, changing a search words can open up new areas of information not previously recognized.

Boolean operators (and, or, but, and not) expand and narrow my figgy search. Since there bands with 'fig' in their titles [The Fig Band and Fig Dish], I need to include not in my search to exclude those bands from the results I get. However, it I wanted to include as several fig foodie items such as pudding, cakes, and cookies, I would add and between the keywords.

Using a Venn diagram illustrates how operators
include or exclude keywords.

As in algebra, parenthesis group words together so they are searched as a unit first, before the rest of the keywords are sought.

Truncating uses a wildcard to help retrieve variations of the same word. For instance: fig* could result in figs, figgy, figging.

Search Engines vs. Databases

Databases are reviewed and recommended. 

Databases are Purchased.

When pursuing fig information, databases will be the best place to find scoop. Databases are purchased, reviewed and recommended by librarians, organized, and stable (they do not change).....unlike search engines which have the exact opposite characteristics. Good advice from a PRISMS student says to use the mnemonic PROS for databases: purchased, recommended (reviewed), organized, and stable. Brilliant! In this post, the PROS concept has been put into illustrative from by using fig images for each piece of the mnemonic. In this way my topic is connected to the lesson!

Databases are Organized.

Databases are stable, and not changing.

Web Wisdom and Recognizing Legitimacy

Anyone can upload a website, scholars and scammers alike. Some signs to look for when making judgment calls about the credibility of an online source:

Author

Date

Workable links

Information can be cross-referenced

For an overall perspective, consider who is funding the website. The old cliche "Follow the money." has persisted over time because it is true...money is the source of most information and many actions in our world.

Be careful what you bite!

3 Truths of Search Engines

Search engines are not mind readers, although that would interesting if it could be done! Search engines can only offer results for websites it has collected and indexed and because of the indexing will only offer results based on what they think the keywords in the search box mean. Because search engines collect their own list of websites, without conferring with other search engines, there is very little overlap between their results.

These 3 reasons come together to explain why, when getting a "No Results Found" message after a search, a researcher needs to 1) alter the keywords or arrangement of keywords and/or 2) change search engines. Bottom line: make a change!

Change it up with different synonyms and/or related terms, and/or change search engines.

Figs as a keyword is pretty straight forward. However, synonyms could be exotic fruits, biblical fruits, Mediterranean fruits. Related terms fruit harvest, fruit trees and propagation, and perhaps Newtowns. Search engines to consider might include

Some of the search engines available online.

Research Partners project description

With the advent of Research Partners*, a whole new area of source possibilities are open! As a trial, it is unknown how well the website will work but just the chance someone may know information needed for this fig project is worth the effort to explain what I need. This is what I will say:

Collaboration makes ideas better!

"The figgy project surrounds the essential question of How can figs be produced and promoted for local farm market sales? This question leans toward two areas: producing enough figs to sell at a market and promoting enough interest that there will be sales once figs have been grown and are ready to sell. Finding someone knowledgeable about growing fig trees would be helpful, and then finding information about farm markets business practices."

Hopefully, someone will offer some advice.




*a PRISMS resource site where our Gifted Academic Program community circle can offer suggestions and ideas about projects

Essential Question

An Essential Question is the main, over-arching question that drives a research project. It is a higher order question of Evaluation that inspires all the other questions. I began this project thinking I was interested in the factors that promote  a personal preference in the backyard garden as something local folks would prefer as well. Since I sell at a local farm market, I want to increase interest and therefore sales of this somewhat obscure fruit. So, my question needs to incorporate two things 1) garden knowledge and 2) marketing strategies.

My essential question will be 

How can can figs be produced and promoted for local farm market sales?

From this question, all my other questions will erupt -- producing enough fig to sell and marketing strategies to build a client base desiring figs.

Selling figs -- a different skill than selling apples!

Figgy Poem -- First Fig

First Fig, a poem by Allison Elrod, is about the first fig that ripens and the delicious moment when it's picked and eaten. Yum!

Yummy is the only word to describe
the first fig of the season.

Sources for Figgy Thinking about Figs

This figgy brain is investigating sources I can access for my topic figs. Looking for information is like waiting for a fig to ripen. Figs ripen suddenly so when they are green and hard, the flesh is bitter and the ripening seems far off or impossible. However, checking each day...each day..each day..and one day suddenly, the color has changed and the flesh has softened. Ripening is now in sight! Within a couple days, they are ready to eat. Another couple days and they turn super sweet before falling off the tree and rotting.

That's the same with research. The search for information can seem far away, in fact, where is it? The suddenly a lead, or a set of keywords, or just the right person shows up, and there's a break-through! After that the research gets fast and information that once seems obscure becomes obvious.

These stepping stones look like figs
in puddles of water, no?

To start the research process in earnest, brainstorm some sources as the beginning stepping stones. 



Using a quick online search, I found some sources that may help initially. A quick phone call or email might get a couple leads for additional questions.

Primary Sources: 
Alson H. Smith Jr. Research and Extension Center, 595 Laurel Grove Road. Winchester, Virginia
540-869-2560 
Dudley Rinker, Rinker Orchards, 1156 Marlboro Road, Stephens City, Virginia 22655

540-869-1499

Secondary Sources: 

Locating newspaper articles about selling figs in Virginia may help. A good place to start may be newspaper archives. OH my! Library of Congress has an article from the Richmond Dispatch (Aug. 20, 1911) about big money in Mediterranean fruits such as figs and dates being grown in the US. That may warrant more investigation. 

Tertiary Source:

Since figs are plants, a plant catalog specializing in fruit trees would be helpful: Stark Bros. looks promising. It lists several kinds of fig trees for sale. However, since I already have fig trees, maybe I can propagate from what I have? A quick search gets some information from the Alabama Cooperative Extension about how to propagate fig trees which includes a list of other resources.

So, WOW!...a solid start! Ask some questions and start nibbling on some figgy information! 

Types of Sources

TJ Garden Book

When looking for information, the sources play an important role in legitimacy of a research project. There are three types of sources: primary, secondary, and tertiary.

Primary sources are first-hand pieces of information. For example Thomas Jefferson's garden book that kept records of his plants. His original garden plans or letters of gardening advice would be primary. Did he have figs?

A book about TJ's Garden Book

Secondary Sources are second-hand pieces of information. They review or report about the primary sources. An author who writes a book about TJ's garden, or TJ's garden book would be generating a secondary source. A newspaper who publishes an article about the contemporary TJ garden at Montecello today would be secondary source. Maybe the garden has figs today.

Seed catalogs have lists
of garden books

Tertiary Sources are lists of the sources...manuals, guidebooks, catalogs. A mail order catalog of all the gardening books available from a publisher would be a tertiary source because it would be a list. Different publishers would have different list of course.





Researchers try to get as close the primary source as possible.

Dewey Decimal System and Figs

Books arrange by color.

Books can be arranged by color, or many other organization strategies but the most efficient way is with  decimal numbers because decimal numbers are infinite -- so the number of books, in theory, could be infinite. They were arranged by subject, title, and author in card catalog cabinets (see below) at one time. Now they are arranged in the online catalog by subject, title, and author. That way a book can be searched using whatever piece of information that is already known, in my case the subject  figs.

Card Catalog Cabinet

A search in the online catalog would help find out if specific titles for the figgy topic exists at this particular library. For the purposes of this post, the answer is yes, books exist in this particular library for figs. Fig cooking would be in the 640s, and fig planting would be in the 580s. When arriving at the area for the broad decimal category for the subject of figs, a specific book can be found by looking at the spine. Each spine has an identifier called a call number. It is made up of the Dewey Decimal number and, under that, the first two letters of the author's last name.

Shelton Public Schools uses this diagram to explain call numbers.

Libraries!

The word library carries two meanings: a structure and a collection of books. There are several libraries in the Frederick County area that may have books about figs--Handley, Bowman, Lord Fairfax Community College Polk Library. I have several personal libraries but neither one has figgy books. The ones in my offices are books of old fashioned, quirky information collected from the discard piles at both schools. At home, my libraries include bookshelves of studio clip art and a wall to wall, floor to ceiling library of cookbooks and typography books. There are recipes for figgy puddings and fig preserves but nothing about propagating fig trees and selling them..

When information is needed beyond what exists in these libraries, like a bunch of figgy stuff,  I go to a library and see the reference librarian who makes it her/his job to find information....like an information detective.

Guiseppe Arcimboldo's version of a librarian called The Librarian.

Accidental Discovery

While looking up figs and embedded citations, I came across this list of plagiarists. It makes me want to find out what was the lifted part in their work, you know? Mr. Purrington shows the reasons in his explanation of plagiarism (see #5 in the article)

colinpurrington.com

2 Ways to Paraphrase using In-Text Citation

In-text citation is including a small bit of a whole citation along with information that has been paraphrased so the reader can use that piece of source and find the whole citation on the reference page for further reading. It can be done in 2 ways: embedding and referencing.

For example, let's use a book. This is the full citation using Son of Citation Machine:  Van Allsburg, C. (1993). The sweetest fig. Boston, MA: HMH Publishers for Young Readers.

Embedded citing is done when the source is part of the paraphrasing such as According to Van Allsburg (1993), figs can be magical and eating them changes a person's life.  See? The source for the book is part of the paraphrased information.

In a referenced citing, the paraphrasing information would read Figs can be magical and eating them changes a person's life (Van Allsburg, 1993). With referencing the in-text citing happens after the paraphrasing is stated. Notice how the in-text citation comes before the period.

Embedded....citation is part of the paraphrasing
Referenced....citation comes after the paraphrasing

Making Notes

Research revolves around questions and the answers that spring from them. The process of taking notes is actually Making notes...reading information, and summarizing it in original words. Index cards are used for notes, and now spreadsheets. Sources are given a code and that code is used for each note made from that source. This is done for two reasons: to keep order and to avoid plagiarism. A note is anything that answers the question.

Sources and notes can be coded on  a spreadsheet, which makes it easy to cut and paste notes into a paper later on IF THE NOTES WERE PARAPHRASED AND IN-TEXT CITED as the notes were made. Notice how my source was coded with a capital A, and all my example notes are linked to their sources with the same code: A-1 (for the first note), A-2 (for the second note), and so on.

Citation machine expedites the process of preparing the citation and in-text citation. Make sure to use APA format!

readingteacherct.blogspot.com

Active Voice in the Fig Orchard

Active voice is a way of writing that is direct and to-the-point. It is clear and free from unnecessary words that do nothing to clarify the meaning of a sentence. Unlike other ways to write taught in English classes, such as narrative and expository, active voice is used in scientific writing. Examples of writing converted to active voice:

In the research for figgy pudding, you can easily see that puddings are made the way you make fruitcakes. Your oven setting is the same, your ingredients are similar, but the container you use is different.

Active voice: In the research for figgy pudding, it appears to be made much like fruitcakes. Ingredients and oven settings are similar, but the baking container is different.

Differences: you's are deleted, number of words went from 36 to 26, the meaning is clearer and more direct.

talentmechanic.wordpress.com 

Thank You Notes

A well-placed note of gratitude will pave the way for future good will and assistance. Researchers rely on the kindness of others, sometimes more than once. Expressing appreciation is part of the authentic data packet because it is a professional courtesy that pays off in the long haul.

How to do it? Begin with an acknowledgement of what the person did that was helpful.

Briefly explain how he/her efforts was a benefit.

THEN say thank you. It is important to lay the foundation of the thanks before you say it --that's why the previous sentences come first.

mentalfloss.comNotice how the Thank you. came at the end....it has more impact.

This one starts by celebrating the party, and the hostess' efforts to make a special event. Again, Thank you. comes after the foundation for the gratitude has been established. Learn this skill, ply it often, and life will be smoother!