Small Bites September 1, 2021
dedicated to creating opportunities to promote &
sell more VT products to more buyers
At the Brattleboro Coop's VT Sweets end-cap a shopper chooses Rabble Rouser chocolate over all others.
Running on Collective
"Low Blood Sugar"

Without exception, it's been hard. We all know the lived experience the past 18 months have been for businesses & each & every employee.
 
You are all tired. It's been hard. Employee issues seem to reach a new challenge with students back to school & working parents back in the grind with new Delta variables.
 
Unlike last week- with some big system overtures, this week we dial back a little with a few product highlights, tips, special links & tools to help you along. You are living the supply chain uncertainties, the employee quandary & distinctive variables to your unique business. September is here. There is always a change in the air. Here's to trying to be okay in this uncertain time.
September is peak pepper month in Vermont. Buy local peppers from your producers. This includes "lunch box", hot, & the full rainbow of colors. Make the decision to bring in these premium products so fresh & so flavorful.
 
Tap into the pepper promo ideas from the Harvest of the Month resources through GMFD! 
Utilizing the Farm to Plate resources, stores can learn about purchasing & onboarding new vendors & vendor relationship building tips. The tools are designed to guide processes & procedures to expand local food sales through sound operations & management. 

Build your knowledge to on-board new local food vendors with a values-based purchasing strategy. We share these links to explore how some stores use their websites as a starting point to build their VT products inventory. 
A reminder from VAAFM: When promoting local foods, be aware of the Vermont definition as enacted by ACT 129. Check out the fact sheet so that your purchasing values-based strategies & promotions comply.
Goodwill & Community Partners

Through creemee sales, Sweet
Clover Market raised $545 for Migrant Justice; $3315 was raised at Middlebury Coop for ACORN's
Farmacy Project; the Brattleboro Coop currently has a round-up option currently benefitting Food
Connects. Meanwhile, the Putney Coop & the Putney General Store are "filling the food shelf" with their collective food drive campaign with online or in-person ways to
contribute. With each sale, Saw Dog Coffee donates to Cafe Femenino helping Peru's women farmers. All these gestures connect shoppers with the values inherent to the businesses. 
The Brattleboro Coop new crop of local apples are displayed front & center upon entrance. Dwight Miller & Champlain are two of their favorite local brands to meet their
customer needs. They are delivered to the store direct (DSD) on the trucks owned by the orchards making for a super short supply chain. Drivers deliver the personal touch while receivers build relations with the local companies at the receiving dock. 
Signage has a huge impact on sales when onboarding new or seasonal products. Use this Farm to Plate tool to facilitate internal store communication for signage
& new products. It simplifies the process of reintroducing seasonal or new products. At the Brattleboro Coop, they have clear signage that helps customers learn about fresh milk
deliveries so they can plan ahead.
Seasonal Tip for Produce Buyers
It’s time to really watch your orders for Mexican & western squash. It is time to begin to drop orders from distributors for them. Early varieties for local squash are coming on. (Notice the orange acorn squash above which indicates a long time since harvest). Delicata is one of the first early varieties & you will want to have fresh ones, not ones traveling long distances which arrive dried out & with little flavor. Plan ahead now & speak with your local farmers about their expected delivery times. To reduce shrink, refrain from ordering those squash from away.
Vermont Product Highlights

Saw Dog Coffee is a micro coffee roaster based in Burlington Vermont & servicing stores, farmstands. For retail sales contact them them for details.
Sherpa, a premium VT brand to round out your perishable department. The traditional Napalese dumplings & sauces can help you meet many of the characteristics you seek. Join the stores across Vermont stocking their range of products. Read about the growth of this fabulous company in this 7Days article.
 
Freshly baked bread from Trent is a hit at the Jericho Center Country Store. Like at many general stores, locally baked bread is a window into the soul the community. Trent has an efficient delivery route-
A short supply chain can be so advantageous. Sweet potato season begins at Laughing Child Farm
Supply Chain: From the Harvest to the Store

Right now, the headlines are bleak. Fires in California are impacting harvest, packing, shipping & distribution. Climate impact & intense heat is becoming a topic for farm worker safety. Across the country, entire highways are periodically shut down due to hurricane factors, storm damage, flooding or smoke. These impact distribution.

Our global supply chain upheaval is surreal & unprecedented. Rates for transporting food has increased with labor, fuel & embedded costs continue to rise. All of this is disruptive to how we "expect" things to be. How food gets to our stores is anything but calm & predictable. 

The impacts touch us too. It's not just international or national capacity or disruption issues. Right now, at Laughing Child Farm in Pawlet, the sweet potato crop is getting started. The farm has a harvest & sorting crew & drivers use the farm’s own trucks operating efficient delivery routes. The quality of LCF sweets is renown making them highly sought after by buyers; a major bonus, having reliable delivery which really matters right now for stores. Selling close to home helps the farm's viability & manage some of the issues of production & distribution.
 
Creating an efficient harvest system is only one of the ways LCF is streamlining cost savings in these weird times. Well-designed delivery routes, inventory management, & tracking accounts receivables are all part of their operations. Streamlining them helps them satisfy orders at stores across the state. And yet, uncertainty is present.
The calm before the Ida storm
September is Orchard Season

Orchards are cranking & open for business. That can only mean that the official start of cider donut season has begun! At Mad Tom in East Dorset, which opens September 4th, they are full on cranking to get things ready for a fabulous apple crop. Every year demand for their donuts is on the verge of outstripping supply. We shall see how 2021 shakes out.
 
Despite potential damage from hurricanes hitting southern Vermont, every week we will have new apple varieties. Store buyers need to weed out "western" apples to make room for the rich, flavors of autumn in Vermont. Direct to consumer, PYO & farmstand sales are expected to be high again this year. You will recall, in 2020, we had fabulous weekend weather, & everyone was out picking apples, buying donuts, & a Yate's specialty Dreamees (legendary warm made-to-order donuts topped with maple creemees !!OH MY!!)
Fresh off the production line at Clifford Lumber in Hinesburg, a pallet of new apple crates for Yates Family Orchard.
Local Donut sharing the love of all those who helped them build their business, including many readers of Small Bites. With a distinct delivery route, they have created repeat
business through relationship building. They have a fan club for their
wonderful donuts which differ from the cider donuts available at orchards
around the state.
Merchandising for All:
ADA Compliant

By law, displays cannot infringe on ability for all to shop. According to ADAAG, there must be a minimum of 32 inches of clear space between the face of the door & the opposite stop when a door is opened 90 degrees to allow for customers who use wheelchairs, crutches, & other similar devices to enter your retail store.
 
Improve the functionality of your aisles & sales areas for disabled persons by placing heavy items on lower shelves & light items on higher shelves. Lowering a heavy object from a high height can be difficult even for able-bodied persons. Rethink product placement & consider lowering the height of your top shelves.
Colorful displays, cross promotions & producer info draw the customer in at stores & farmstands.
Resources for stores & farmstands from Farm to Plate
Attention Store Buyers

For September & October, VFN affiliate sponsor Farrell Distributing is working with Eden Specialty Ciders for a "give back" program to the Vermont Fresh Network. For all 4 packs of Harvest Cider Cans (Peak Bloom, Brut Rosé and Deep Cut) sold retail, Farrell will donate $1 back to the network.  
Contact your Farrell sales rep to place an order of Harvest Cider Cans to help make this program successful. For those who don't currently carry Eden Cider, consider adding it to your beverage selection! For more information, for more info: 802-864-4422 ext. 1176