A few weeks ago, I reached out to several local food writers and tastemakers and asked them to test out the cart at their local markets. The help and advice from local experts and farmers market pros was the next step in getting the design right, but also to test out the cart in different environments. As you'll read below, this was extremely valuable at Temescal. I received several responses, some very enthusiastic, and made connections to put the cart into expert's hands. By way of introduction from Cheryl at Edible East Bay, the first person market pro to try the cart was Peggy Kass of Kassenhoff Growers in Oakland. Peggy and her partner Helen run a nursery and they...
After months of design and weeks of testing locally at markets and grocery stores, the cart made her maiden voyage at the Davis Farmers Market, a Saturday morning affair in downtown Davis, California. This is one of the oldest, most notable, and largest markets in California. It serves 500,000 shoppers a year and in 2009 was voted Americas best farmers market. About 2 years ago I went the Wednesday evening market, with great food and live music, but this was my first time at the Saturday one. I was surprised by the size, quality, and friendliness of the market vendors and shoppers. Despite being the middle of winter, and in a pandemic, the weather was perfect everyone was cheery. Davis...
It’s been two months since I started working with a product design and manufacturing team building a farmers market cart. In that time there has been so much progress and I'm excited to share the updates. For those who don't know the back story of getting this cart started, or want more details and silly photos, check out the previous post on the early story of creating a farmers market shopping cart. Working with professionals Since late November I've worked closely with a local design and manufacturing firm to build a legitimate prototype. We covered a lot of ground in a short time and worked through some interesting design challenges. Plywood and hardware selection, optimizing for CNC manufacturing, assembly options, and...
Shopping at the farmers market takes work and a little practice, but the reasons why we love it far outweigh any challenges. To make the market experience as smooth as possible, we've put together this quick list. 1. PreparationBe ready for your trip with the things you need before you arrive. The market is very BYO (bring your own). Bring some cash, a few reusable grocery bags, and a list of items you actually need to purchase. Vendors will exchange the cartons, baskets, and or bottles you bought last time so make a habit of bringing those, too. Many vendors take credit card now, but it's often faster to pay in cash and there are no card fees for you or them. 2. Time...