The Evolution of a Granola Girl ~ from law to the land: the hesitant loyalist......

So we just came off the first full weekend of farmers markets for the 2014 season….WOW what a mixed bag of emotions that was! It’s always a big deal…for me at least….of course not everyone is a type A perfectionist like me that ultimately just needs to chilllllllll-lax…ya, k…I know...and maybe one day I will….but in the meantime lets get this party started! ...hmmmm, how many balls can I juggle at once?

I always like to do something new each year and besides a new delicious flavour of CHILI & LIME chicken jerky…and a sticker line promoting Earth conscious farming......I also pulled some custom t-shirts out of my bag! BOOYAH!

enter MARKETING 101….

That's right.....in a stroke of brilliance I decided we needed to be....THAT family….you know, the one you can pick out of a crowd wearing matching t-shirts...usually at an amusement park…..you know who I am talking about....yup that’s us!! …. LOUD AND PROUD…. it's actually quite funny because I always mocked my mother for dressing my brother and I in matching outfits…. OH WOW... OK.... here ya go folks.... and it's not even Thursday…. 1978…..my older brother and I are both dressed in matching handmade brown velour one-piece jumpers…I kid you not!

SEE ~ told ya!...thanks for the pic mom

In an attempt to break free from that 'image'....not of us cuz we're pretty friggin' cute... and the potential mockery later when the children inevitably discover we aren’t the coolest people on Earth… I reinvented the 'theme' in a cool tie-dye kinda way (think marketing....)...our shirts are all unique designs but with matching gold, green and blue tie-dye!! The idea seemed super cool from a marketing standpoint ~ we printed on catchy phrases like, “grass isn’t just for rolling in” and “know your food ~ ask my dad” for the kids and “know your farmer, know your food” for us…..we asked an amazingly talented tie-dye artist (Goodies by Maryse) to custom make our shirts and they turned out amazing!!! ..... I mean awesome right?! ...in an eye-catching, attention seeking, living in a fish bowl kinda way... LOCAL, LOUD AND PROUD!!!…. right?….. um ya!…. riiiiight….. okay…. I need to confess something…. getting ready Sunday morning with everyone dressed in matching shirts made the introverted me wonder if I could actually commit to this attention….you see, I couldn’t help but feel a wee bit weird about wearing them….don’t get me wrong! I’m totally proud of the farm and the marketing opportunity of this endeavour has certainly not gone unnoticed....and the kids and Farmer Luke LOVE wearing them ….but I have to admit…I was hesitant donning my shirt for the market….why you ask? …. Good question! … am I not a team player? ….don’t I want to shout out to the world that we’re on a journey to feed our community and we need you to come along for the ride?....wasn't I loyal?... OK....it really wasn't that philosophical.....it's just... I couldn't help feeling….. a bit like….. the Griswolds of the farmers market…

meet the Griswolds - 1983

I know my 80’s sentimentality was getting the better of me and there was nothing to be embarrassed about…..it's just the image of us in my mind and perhaps some residual subconscious insecurity from around 1978 (love ya mom!!)...left this nagging feeling in me...

BUT you know what?!….. IT DIDN'T LAST LONG.... after hanging with the fam all day talking about the farm and being able to easily spot Ms. Rea and Mr. Fab Finn out of the sea of peeps at the market as they ran back and forth from our booth to the kid zone …. (cue "aha!" moment and instant kinship with THOSE families at the amusement park...I get it man ;) ...OH and informally winning the best mother/daughter outfit of the day…. I have to say I AM PROUD to be a Griswold and YES, you CAN spot us out of a crowd in our tie-dye uniforms of gold, green and blue….and in the end...I guess that’s kinda the point!

MEET THE GRISWOLDS