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.