Market Season Reflection

When I disrupted my entire house to start Granola Girl- ingredients and packaging all over our kitchen table - my kids often complained. When we sit around the table as a family, my youngest sometimes says, “Why do we always have to talk about Granola Girl? Can’t we talk about something else?”

But a funny thing happened. 

She came home from school a couple weeks ago with a story. She had just started at a brand new school, and knew no one. 

Yet a girl came up to her and asked, “Are you the Granola Girl?” 

It sounded impossible, and I questioned her story. How would an elementary school girl recognize my daughter as the Granola Girl? 

Yet here I am, refilling an empty tube of Coconut Cashew that my daughter brought home from school today so I could send it back full. 

Also Wild. 

This same week my son got a call from his friend in Ogden. The story was the same. I love your mom’s granola. Wait, what? Turns out his friend found us at the Ogden Farmers Market.

I always say that I started Granola Girl because I wanted to become a part of the Farmer’s Market community. Never in my wildest dreams did I think it would bring me this much joy. 

From the child who begs his mom to buy more Cinnamon Lovers at Wheeler Farm, to the woman who has hunted me down at three different markets for refill bags of Coconut Cashew. There are so many of you that make me smile when you show up at a Granola Girl booth.

I was talking to Tyler the other night, reflecting on this summer as he returns to his day job after a six month sabbatical. And we both said the same thing… when you walk up to our booth, we just want to sit and chat and hear about what’s going on in your lives. We’re no longer thinking about the missed sales that might be walking by while we pause our sampling to hear about your daughter that’s in med school in New York, or the recent trip you just took to the Tetons. 

Meeting you, connecting with you.. was the whole point. 

I’d love to sit here and say that when we decided to create a refillable product that we thought through a smart and strategic business plan. The truth is, it all goes back to one late night in our living room, the walls covered in flip chart paper. 

We wrote down these words: relationship = receive + give back. Underneath that we wrote relationship with body, self, earth and each other. Nothing felt more authentic until this exact moment. 

So many people have asked us, “Are you in any stores?” The answer has been, “Not yet.” The reality is, I’ve been afraid. I’m afraid to lose the magic of the markets. To sacrifice the relationships I’ve been building with the people who show up week after week. To not have the opportunity to tuck a handwritten card in your online order. To subtract myself from the equation. 

The summer and fall market season has come to an end. I know we’ll likely see each other much less until next summer. The magic of this year may fade and I’ll likely lose some of that personal connection. 

But if there’s something you’ve taught me, it’s that if you want your granola… you will find me. And I love you for that. 

We’ll be running a little promotion through November 15. We’re calling it “Fall 4 Granola Girl.” We may be moving towards a small break from our in-person meets. So enter the discount code ‘Fall4GranolaGirl’ and you’ll get free shipping on one order over $45. 

Because I’d love to keep the personal connection going as long as I possibly can.