0816_TOEFL-Test-and-Score-Manual-1997

Marketing Strategies ● 151
John Bunker, a rare apple expert, author, and grower who runs the
CSA, said dropping off apples at the cookbook store is a great idea. Bunker,
who has spent the past 30 years studying and propagating apples, grows
about 150 varieties of apples on his Super Chilly Farm in Palermo, Maine.
Growing heirloom apples is part of a growing consumer movement
toward eating locally raised food and produce. CSA members like Stephen
Berenson really enjoy trying new apples.
“My wife and I are fans of heirloom apples,” said Berenson, who was
interviewed by phone when he stopped by Rabelais to pick up his weekly
supply of apples. “We came to an apple tasting last year and tried 30 to 35
varieties of apples. It was amazing.”
Throughout the summer months, Portland-area tomato lovers also
headed to Rabelais to collect tomatoes and basil grown on the Small
Wonders Organic Farm. The four-acre farm is in Bowdoinham, Maine,
north of Portland. During 2010, Sarah Trask and Pete Engler grew 30 different
kinds of tomatoes, including rare ones like Costaluto Fiorentino and
Paul Robeson.
Trask said about 25 CSA members paid $100 for six weeks’ worth of
tomatoes. “This was our first year farming and we planted a ton of tomatoes,”
said Trask. “We needed another way to sell all our tomatoes, other
than selling at farmer’s markets. It was such a good idea to have people pick
them up at the cookbook store in Portland.”
The CSA movement is growing every year, according to Local Harvest,
a group that promotes local agriculture. Tens of thousands of people belong
to CSAs. While no agency keeps track of how many CSAs exist, Local
Harvest (www.localharvest.org/csa) estimates there are at least 2,500
around the United States, and the number is increasing every year.
Tips for creating your own cross-promotion:
• Look around for businesses in your area that also serve your
customers.
• Contact the owner to discuss ideas. If you own a clothing boutique,
how about offering discount coupons to a local dry cleaner? The dry
cleaner can offer discounts for purchases at your store.
• Start small and test your idea before expanding.
• Ask your customers to recommend local businesses to connect with.