Page 78 - December2018
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NEW YORK FOOD SCENE
can be dif cult for local farmers because they frequently can’t meet the minimums, says Dailey. Logistics also pose a chal- lenge, as most don’t have access to a suit- able delivery truck. Fortunately, she says, there’s been an upswing in the number of distribution companies stepping forward to represent local farmers. That’s enabled the store to better meet its goal of selling primarily locally grown produce,  lling in the gaps with organic product from other locations “as little as possible.”
Dailey relies heavily on signage to educate Greene Grape’s clientele about the farmers who produce their offerings and whether a given product is local, organic, or IPM. Of course, dealing primarily with smaller farms means prod- ucts may vary in size, appearance or availability from one week to the next. It’s incumbent on Dailey and her four-man produce crew to educate customers about the variability of locally grown offerings and the fact that produce carries the same
nutritional value, even when it has some imperfections.
“We know our farmers’ agricultural practices, so we feel comfortable saying, ‘We put thought and intention into choosing this product, so you should feel good about purchasing it,’” says Dailey. “The level of trust our customers have about our purchasing decisions is really important and it shines through the prod- ucts we sell.” pb
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