Who Moved My Samples?

This is one of those brutally candid conversations I may regret later.  But some things need to be said.
Those of you who have seen us for the past two seasons at the Downtown Cary Farmers’ Market have noticed some changes recently.  Less inventory.  Fewer Selections.  No more samples.  Teenagers running the booth.  What kind of [...]

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Western Wake Farmers’ Market = Success!

Asses and elbows.
I just don’t know how else to put it.  That was the scene Saturday morning at the opening of the new Western Wake Farmers’ Market.
And it was wonderful.
Mia, Jennifer, Pali, Natalie, Amy (both Amys), Teri, Cindy, Heidi and Juliann have done a great thing for West Cary.  These women decided a year ago [...]

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Fire in the Hole!

<Read this post in your best Anthony Bourdain voice and I promise you it will sound better>
Tonight I made my first fired tea.  In several batches.  It was harder than I thought it would be, and it didn’t come out exactly right each time.  In fact, it came out exactly right only once, [...]

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Old School: That’s How They Roll

I’m talking about my parents, of course, and how they make coffee.  No method is too labor intense, no device too archaic.  And, not suprisingly, the apple has not fallen far from the tree.
We visited the folks at the Pennsylvania farmstead in between Christmas and New Year’s, as those of you who
placed orders that week [...]

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New Shop Hours

Starting this week, we’ll be keeping some regular shop hours.  We’ll be keeping just a small amount of finished goods inventory, so if you want something specific we still recommend you order ahead.  We will be able to make up gift baskets from inventory on Tuesday and Thursdays.  They are great for teachers, grandparents, or [...]

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Attention Espresso Geeks

Are you engaged in the eternal search for the God Shot?  Do you think about whether espresso blends should be pre or post-roast blended?  Do you own multiple grinders for different styles of coffee preparation?  If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be interested to join me as I begin to [...]

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Good Is The Enemy of Great: The Central European Coffee Scene

As a foodie, I remember a time when I would look forward to going to Europe – great food, great wine, great coffee, far better than what could easily be found in the States.  That was maybe twenty years ago.  A lot has changed in two decades.
Yesterday, I stepped off a plane from Europe, having [...]

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Cary Farmers’ Market Survey

As part of our continuous improvement efforts, the management of the Cary Downtown farmers’ Market has put together a survey.  If you shop any regional farmers’ markets, even if you do not shop Cary, we would like your feedback.
The goal of the survey is to identify what you like, and more importantly what you would [...]

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Lamb, anyone?

This one is a little different.
One of my customers is a farmer in Orange County, NC, where he and his wife, who is a vet, raise sheep. He told me yesterday he has 42 lambs that will be ready for market in about 6 weeks. The drought last (and this ) year has [...]

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Thanks for Coming Out

The Cary Downtown Farmers’ Market opened today, and we were there. The night leading up to opening day was quite wild, with wind, rain, thunder and lightening, so we wondered how the attendance would be, or if we would even be able to set up. The weather had cleared, more or less, by [...]

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