Editor’s note: The following article is reprinted with permission from Novii Sadovod i Fermer (New Gardener and Farmer), the Russian-language magazine published by the Rodale Press. The translation was provided by the author, George DeVault, who is editor of the magazine. George, his wife, Melanie, and their adult son, Don, grow vegetables and flowers at their farm in eastern Pennsylvania and sell through a 75-member CSA, at several farmers’ markets, and to natural food stores. Here, George describes a new marketing idea that might work for growers elsewhere, in Russia and in the U.S.

Last issue, Russian Editor Nina Pshenitsina wrote in this space about how wonderful it would be to have farmers regularly stop by our office in Moscow with farm-fresh foodstuffs for sale.
She wondered why more farmers don’t seize the opportunity to sell directly to the hundreds of thousands of workers concentrated in offices throughout the capital and other large cities in Russia. She’s not alone.

Believe it or not, many of my friends and colleagues at Rodale, Inc., have been having similar discussions about establishing direct relationships with farmers in the United States. Everyone, it seems, craves fresh, wholesome food, right from the farm. I’m delighted to report that the concept works wonderfully well, even in a small town such as our hometown of Emmaus, Pennsylvania, population 12,000.

It all started with a note from Cheryl Long, senior editor at Organic Gardening, our sister magazine in America. A champion of organic farmers, Cheryl constantly urges Rodale to stress making organic food available to its 1,300 employees. “The goal is supporting local food producers and fostering employee health by making fresh, LOCAL, organic food available to staff and their families. Also, developing a model on-campus farming project that could be promoted to inspire other companies to follow Rodale’s lead. creating a new meaning for the phrase “corporate farming.” Cheryl’s note was addressed to Organic Gardening Editor Maria Rodale. “Why not?” Maria replied. “I think that’s a great idea!”

Cheryl relayed the message to our 23-year-old son, Donald, who is farming through the winter in our 560 square meters of greenhouse space. Don then called Maria. “Maria Rodale,” she said on the second ring.

“Hi, Maria Rodale. This is Don DeVault …”

Don told her all about the many good things he was growing, how he might sell them to Rodale employees, and the market was a go.

Therese Ciesinski, Maria’s assistant, quickly posted the following notice on Rodale’s company-wide internal computer network: “Opening Oct. 6: An Organic Farmer’s Market Comes to Rodale! Come to the Second Street building on Friday, Oct. 6 from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. and buy delicious organic produce from Pheasant Hill Farm.

“Everything is grown in three NOFA-certified organic greenhouses by Don DeVault, son of George and Melanie DeVault. The weekly selection will vary, but will include: baby artichokes, basil, baby beets, broccoli,Brussels sprouts, baby carrots, chard, collard greens, kale, leeks, baby kohlrabi, parsley, five kinds of salad mixes, scallions, soybeans, spinach, sugar snap peas, tomatoes and garlic!

“This Farmer’s Market will be held every Friday from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. in the reception area of the Second Street building. First come, first served. Weekly selection will vary. Bring your card key; the Second Street front door is always locked.”

Some 50 people work at Second Street, which houses Organic Gardening magazine and the new Organic Living Division. “I would start small,” cautioned Maria. “I have no idea what sort of crowd to expect.” Neither did we. But it seemed like such a good idea that we decided to give it a try.

The reaction was simply incredible. Rodale book and magazine editors from throughout Second Street and other Rodale buildings around town were lined up long before the market was to open at noon.

Diane Gilroy walked over from the Marketing Dept. in the Main Building three blocks away. She brought two friends with her. Tim Grube drove all the way across town from the South Mountain Building. He was ready and waiting, money in hand, 15 minutes before the market opened. “I love it!” says Tim. “It’s so convenient. Everything is so fresh. There is no comparison with the food in the supermarket.”

Editor Nancy Moffett says, “I plan to make it a regular stop. Your son is a nice young man and the produce is great! This is another of those perks that makes Rodale a great place to work.”
It was a feeding frenzy. Don sold about $200 worth of produce in the first 20 minutes!
Thankfully, Cheryl Long was also there. She helped Don handle the flood of money. She also added to the excitement, encouraging shoppers to, “Try this! Try that! You have to have some of these Edamame (green, vegetable soybeans).”

Everyone was happy. Everyone, that is, except for the many people in the other Rodale buildings who missed the Second Street market that first day.

And so it was decided that another market location was needed. Maria gave the go-ahead for Don to hold a second market in the spacious cafeteria of the South Mountain Bldg. where three times as many people work. Word was a little slower to spread at South Mountain. There wasn’t the mad rush for produce. But sales were steady, certainly enough to keep Don coming back week after week with a van full of produce.

Timing of the market still needs fine-tuning. South Mountain was open from noon to 2 p.m., with Second Street being moved back to from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Turns out that many employees at South Mountain go out for lunch on Fridays, especially on payday every other Friday.
On the whole, it’s a minor detail, a good lesson learned that will come in handy as Rodale encourages other businesses in our area to open their doors to local farmers.

Cheryl would like to see area businesses go even further by converting some of their high-maintenance lawns into food gardens tended by beginning farmers with no land of their own.
Why not? As Nina rightly pointed out: “The demand is there, and it is likely to grow, as people find it hard to return to a mean and stale diet once they have tried the good and the fresh.”
A direct link with farmers is something that many Russian consumers have wanted for a long time. In fact, residents of Dubna were pleading for contacts with local farmers when I visited there nearly 10 years ago.

One of my resolutions for the new year is to work even more closely with local consumers. You may want to do the same. I have a hunch it will make this new year better than either of us ever dreamed possible.