Hello CSA members and farm supporters!
As you know, we are starting a new retail store in Whitefish this summer. If you didn’t know this, you can read about it at this link.
As I mentioned in some of my posts, the goal of this store is to improve the access and convenience of local, nutritious food to our community. But a big part of that is taking control of the narrative around local and organic food. As we set out to name our store, we had initially settled on Harvest. Then we added Farm Collective to it to convey the fact that this is a collaborative effort with many farms in the valley. So Harvest Farm Collective was the leading candidate because it is safe and accurate.
But, for those of you who know us, we view farming as both advocacy and activism. And lately, we’re felt rather fired up about the food system….all the greenwashing, the lack of transparency, the appointment of Tom Vilsack to run the USDA….it’s all a bit troubling. So, we’ve been re-considering our second choice for a store name, which is The Farmers Stand.
This name has a double meaning. It might make you think of the physical display, the farm stand at a market. But it also has the second meaning of Farmers making a stand for what we believe in. And that is really the essence of this store, for us to take a stand for what is right.
The four partners in the store have batted it around long enough, so we’d love to throw it out to all of you for your opinion. Should we play it safe? Should we have a bit more edge? I’ll even give you the 3rd option of offering up your own name.
If you’re willing to help us, please click on this one questions Survey Monkey survey, which will help me track responses. Much appreciated!!
Todd
I really like the name, ‘The Farmer’s Stand.’
Or, maybe another play on words…’The Root Seller’
Hi Todd and Rebecca
My vote went to Farmers stand in the survey over a harvest collective because HC does not sound as much like a fresh food store ( what’s the chain store in Ronan?) I like the word food “Farmers Food Store” a Field to feast collective Of course I love FTP -Feed the people , but may be one for our food security work .
I like “the Farmers Stand” but I voted against it because it really needs an apostrophe at the end if you mean multiple farmers, possessive. That may sound picky, but it will always look a little funny without it; note that Pete added one in between, signaling singular, possessive. Sorry to be like that…
First off — I love that this store is happening!! Such an awesome idea, and so exciting. Initial naming thoughts:
I agree about the apostrophe issue, people will constantly misspell it, though whether that matters, not sure. I also think The Farmers Stand (from a marketing perspective) would lead to a lot of confusing summertime conversations: “I’m going to the Farmers Stand”, “You mean the Farmers Market?”, “No, The Farmers Stand, which isn’t a stand, it’s a store…”
Secondly, Harvest by itself does make me think either wheat or some other dried crop, or that grocery store in Bigfork, which is a standard grocery store. So I submitted a third idea, “Fresh Harvest Farm Collective” in which Fresh Harvest is the primary name and Farm Collective is the subtitle. I think Fresh Harvest rolls off the tongue and conveys the freshness of the food that will be found there.
Bottom line, I will shop there whatever the name is!! 🙂
Have you thought about running it as a co-op with shoppers as member owners for more funding? More complicated, but I’ve always wished we had a co-op here.
Love the Farmers Stand! Don’t think it’s confusing, and it doesn’t need the apostrophe for the second (action) meaning. It’s much more down to earth and memorable than the Harvest Collective one.
I can’t wait to shop there as parking at the farmers’ market is a pain.
Farmy McFarm Face! j/k. I love the “Farmers’ Stand” And I am very excited about the store front. I agree with you that making it easier for people to buy local organic food hopefully means more people will do it.