Williams says, adding, “it’s basically 100% satisfaction guaranteed.” He says Chinchiolo’s direct-sales business has opened his eyes to what people are willing to pay for specialty products such as cherries. Williams says if people pay a high price at the store for fruit that doesn’t taste very good, “they feel like they didn’t get their money’s worth.” Chinchiolo’s customers have shown that “people are willing to pay a premium as long as you send them fruit that merits the premium,” he says, adding that he hopes the farm sets a new trend. Customer White says she thinks there are more people like her. She points to people who learned to cook during the pandemic “and who figured out that the better and fresher the ingredients are, the better
your recipe turns out.” She says she thinks selling directly to customers is “a viable way for smaller farms to get their produce to people without having to deal with wholesalers”— and it would allow farmers to get a better price for their crop. “I want to get the best ingredients I can possibly get for my money,” White says, “and if that means buying directly from a family farmer, I don’t mind doing that, especially if the money is going into my local economy.”
Ching Lee clee@californiabountiful.com
10
Spring 2024
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