You Want It LOCAL???
by briarcliff, June 4, 2009 | Permalink
If you know me at all you know that I am a huge fan of farmers. I am amazed and awed by their work and genius. I go to as many farms as possible and steal as many ideas as I can for my own little back yard experiment/operation. One of the things I love about being with Whole Foods Market is the ability to work with the farmers who produce the food. I met Nicolas Dunck of Crystal Organic Farm a few years ago, and I have a great respect and appreciation for what he does and how he does it. He is a great farmer as well as an honest and respectable business man. His produce is something VERY special and highly respected in the restaurant and foodie circles of this town. I first discovered him and his wonderful mother, Helen, at Morningside Market and immediately noticed the way he meticulously merchandises his tent and the kind, inviting way that he interacts with his customers. He is truly appreciative of the folks who want his products, and he is willing to spend time giving them every bit of information they desire and need.
Well, Nicolas and I have continued to talk off and on over the years, and I have seen him and his lovely wife, Madeline at many special events partnered with Whole Foods Market, and I never asked him if he would sell his produce at our store, but when we invited him to our farm to table anniversary celebration here at Briarcliff he was gracious enough to provide us with produce and come to the event. Somewhere in the delivery process I just came out and asked him what he thought of us setting up a special space in the store and dedicating it to Crystal Organics produce. I was a bit surprised to hear him say “we could give it a try.” Well, just like that the Briarcliff store raised the bar even higher. I somehow kept my excitement somewhat at bay and proceeded to work out the details in my head and then through phone conversations with Nicolas. So, as of about 1:00 PM today (June 6, 2009), we officially have Crystal Organics Produce in our store. We set a special section in our wet rack for Crystal’s awesome baby leeks, beautiful torpedo onions, tall and luscious fennel, and the most wonderful heads of red oak lettuce that I have seen in my time. I cannot tell you how excited our team members were as we were opening the boxes and handling the goodies. We are like kids in a candy store around here. We have topped off the section with a growers profile about Nicolas and the farm so everyone will know the story and put a face with the product.
As the season moves on and the earth produces more, we will continue to dedicate more space to this farm’s wonderful creations. We are truly honored and excited about the relationship that we have built with this farmer and are totally committed to growing it and supporting it for as far into the future as we can see. Nicolas, if you are reading this, thank you; we appreciate what you do, and we are excited that you have fit us into the circle that you have created.
To all of our customers, if you want it LOCAL, come and get it! We look forward to serving you!
To learn more about Crystal Organics farm please visit out Farm to Market Slideshow: http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/2009/01/crystal-organics
Categories: Thoughts from a Store Team Leader
2 Responses to “You Want It LOCAL???”
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June 5th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
Good news. Thanks for bringing Cystal Organics in the store. Look forward to it.
June 17th, 2009 at 12:20 pm
Thank you for this. It is really good read.
I love to read wholefoodsmarket.com.
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