Anticipation of Abundance
I was talking to a relatively new member family yesterday who has recently joined our partnership and they shared how our appeal of a few weeks ago transformed their relationship with Farmers To You. He described to me how when in the past we have asked for help in spreading the word about Farmers To You, he and his wife had been willing to share our postcards and $35 gift with others, but they never felt a sense of purpose or understood the collaborative nature of this partnership. Typically they found their enthusiasm and willingness waned. This time, however, he shared that our letter really struck a chord for him and his wife. The food we send each week to them from our partner farmers had really become part of their family life, and they also realized how much they actually talked about it with many of their friends. In short this had become an important part of their lives. He told me when the letter came they thought about what it would be like to have to hunt down similar or comparable food each week and realized that short of heading to Vermont each week, it would be very difficult.
So he concluded that they wished to do their part by both investing (buying shares in Farmers To You) and spreading the word by giving away the gift cards to all the people they know in their building in Cambridge. This was really a wonderful bit of news today – especially after this weeks orders slumped a bit (normal in the middle of any appeal for growth). There is always so much excitement and participation in the beginning and it certainly did start strong with 100 new families ordering – 751 orders, higher average order, and strong interest from many of you about investing.
However, as typically happens life distracts us as it should, and we go back to our routines. This week orders were just barely 700, and the average order slipped, while interested investors have been slow to get back to us with commitments. But! Nothing motivates like a deadline, so I’m here with one today.
This is what we need in the next week and a half – and I think it is entirely possible:
- Another 100 new families ordering each week.
- Increase the average order to our goal of $90 – this translates into $15 per family, or three items you switch from the supermarket list.
- And the $150,000 in investment we need to keep the lights on. We currently have commitments for about $70,000.
I do also want to thank everyone – especially folks like the family in Cambridge I mentioned above – who are really taking ownership of Farmers To You as their own solution and answer to bringing healthy food into their life and family. This is very much a collaborative effort – we here in Vermont and our staff in Boston cannot do this alone. We really need your full participation.
Please join us now in the next week to make this all work before everyone heads off for the summer break. We have all worked far too hard to have gotten this close only to come up short in the end.
Together – one family at a time, one farmer at a time – we are all a unique and healing solution that has the potential to change the way we farm, eat, and our entire relationship with food.
With true gratitude,
Greg
