The kitchen garden at The French Laundry:
Perhaps that explains why after five years of roasting coffee, and after many years of developing recipes and baking for custom clients, and a couple of years at Farmer's Markets, I stopped the day after we got back at one of my favorite on-farm locations, The Bradford Store on Highway 73. If you haven't been there, well, it is the quintessential country store, established in 1912, with a modern edge. To the soft wooden floors and the creaky screen door, add organic produce grown in the surrounding fields. Local cheeses, and meats, my friend Kelly's bread baked fresh that morning. . .its a dream, really. (www.thebradfordstore.com) The picture on the website does not do it justice. Picture it surrounded by a cottage garden, a cabin selling antiques across the way, and behind it, a blacksmith shop and place to get organic supplies for the garden.
Anyway, while we were in California, a big storm blew out our Apple router, so no internet connection, a critical communication feature at our house. This meant a trip to the Apple Store which took us right by The Bradford Store, and I needed to check with Kelly anyway because the coop to which we both belong was delivering that week. While we were there, for some reason, perhaps only because it was time, or because I had been to San Francisco and "anything seemed possible", I asked Kim Bradford if she was still interested in a trial run of Briarpatch coffee. She and a local farmer were busy unloading some beautiful ears of corn, but she looked up and quickly said yes. We had talked about this a couple of years ago when we were both selling at the Huntersville Farmer's Market, but until now, I haven't felt well enough physically to make the commitment (hooray for getting one's thyroid function where it needs to be - another subject entirely.)
I don't know if you have ever done this, but it was as if my mouth flew open of its own accord. I'm a planner, I mean a real planner. I am never happier than when charting with a ruler and colored pens, making all manner of lists. I don't always follow these plans, you understand, but that isn't entirely the point. The making of the plans is where the real enjoyment lies. Well anyway, my mouth flew open and asked the question, and there was no plan.
None. I had not done an inventory of the green coffee supply. I have been hand labeling the bags. I had not thought about marketing, as I've had all the business I wanted through word of mouth. Suddenly, only after initiating all this, did the realization dawn: Oops, I've got some catching up to do.
So, to make a week of focused activity short: despite years of disdaining same, Briarpatch Bakery and Beans now has a facebook page: www.facebook.com/BriarpatchBakeryAndBeans, through which I've already gotten all manner of encouragement. Thanks to Archana there is a website in the making. I'm working on a new design for the bags. . .
God willin' and the creek don't rise, The Bradford Store will have Briarpatch Coffee tomorrow. . .all supportive incantations appreciated!
P.S. Meanwhile, Mama has new hearing aids, and despite the fact that "the Queen" (Mom parlance for the director) showed up at her door with a a delegation of fellow residents to let her know she had hurt their feelings ("couldn't have been that bad," Mom said, "some of them were smiling, a little"), she seems to be doing better. She did refer to her current digs as "the hell hole," but only a few times and that is an improvement.
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