North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Road's End Farm <organic87@frontiernet.net>]

On May 21, 2011, at 8:53 PM, Stephen Sadler wrote:

> How do you [ . . . ]  sellers of produce feel about tasting and  
> walking away?

I can't speak for everybody; but I have no objection to it. A customer  
who goes all around the market tasting everybody's strawberries, and  
then buys from somebody, is fine with me; even if it isn't my  
strawberries that they wind up buying.

The only taster I've ever had a problem with was one person who wanted  
to stand there and eat all the strawberries I put out for sampling. If  
I refilled the sample box, he'd come back for more. I eventually had  
to tell him, quite firmly, "One per variety to a customer." But that  
was one customer, over what is now nearly twenty years of farmers'  
markets. -- though I do remember the woman who got angry because her  
strawberry was juicy.

I've had plenty of people taste and not buy. I don't expect every  
sample berry to bring in a customer -- but some of them do; more than  
enough to make it worth my while to put them out.

How much attention I give the taster may depend on how busy the stand  
is at that moment. And I'm one of the ones who prefer honest feedback.  
I have noticed, over the years, that not everyone prefers the same  
thing; and customers who ask me which one is best are liable to be  
told that not everyone agrees on that, which seems to disconcert some  
of them, but it's true. I will tell them which is my personal favorite  
when I've got one.


-- Rivka; Finger Lakes NY, Zone 5 mostly
Fresh-market organic produce, small scale