This weekend, tucked away in a basement commercial kitchen, our farmer’s market soup entry will be crafted, as part of a multi-disciplinary collaboration in the very best example I can think of that illustrates the letter and spirit of Coopetition as taught at Yale, by Co-Author Barry J. Nalebuff.
-The initial collab is amongst the 4 vendors who ordinarily compete with one another for your attention-span at the market, who donate all the freshest farm-grown local ingredients, grown with heaps of love, and plenty of compost (aka nature’s gold) too.
More about them and their goodies in the next section..
-Then, the collab continues with 2 Chefs from the market, Brian of @B&B Culinary, and our very own Market Manager (oops, Me!)
-Finally, the collab heats up between all the local businesses whipping up their favorite soups all coming together to boost the impact of this successful annual fun(d)raiser to help stamp our hunger in our backyard.
In the true spirit of “Co-opetition”, we combine all the advantages of competing and collaborating for the greater good.
-Vibrant, hearty Greens and Squash grown on a Waynesboro farm by farmer Adolfo and his family, of @singingearthproduce.
-Nutritional powerhouses of biodynamically raised Garlic, Turmeric, Rosemary and Onions, all of which have bonus healing-benefits, raised by our biodynamic Farmer, Mitch of @Paradoxfarm
-Colorful potatoes from @hearthstonefarm who have the most unique distinction I’ve ever come across because nobody, but nobody can also say they are 11th generation potato farmers!! If anybody knows how to nurture and grow THE most perfect spud, in many colors which means all those extra vitamins form the blues, the pinks, the reds, the golds, the fingerlings- you name it, they got it! PS: spoiler alert – these are thin-skinned taters and need NO peeling, just rinse or scrub *IF* even ever needed. Between you and me, I doubt anyone ever sleeps at this farm, because their produce comes to market already clean and needing minimal soil removal (if any, and hey, it’s NOT “dirt”, it’s “SOIL”, but that’s a post for another time), in addition to all the spuds, herbs, gourds, veggies, greens, eggs, quiches, frozen, non-GMO poultry, chicken pot-pies, preserves yeasts/quick and loaf breads, muffins and MORE (GASPIMOUTOFBREATH), they’re kind of a one-stop-shop of a farm stand on their own, and truly a friendly backbone of our market.
-One of our canners-extraordinaire comes out “Natty-B”…or Natural Bridge, if you’re not in the know. That homestead is run by Victoria, of @Mountaineermunchkinshomestead and covers FIVE little hoomans, AND countless poultry, including pheasants, quail, turkeys, chickens; donkeys, mule horses, goats and cows, rabbits, and pigs (yes, all plural), and spends all season putting up the surplus veggies they grow. Primarily they grow all this to support their farm animals and their own family, so just imagine how much she’s managing to even HAVE ANYTHING LEFT TO SELL!! Lucky for our shoppers, they can enjoy a taste of summer year-round from her canning efforts. Come taste her tomatoes as part of our soup.
WE THINK WE HIT THE GRAND TRIFECTA WITH THIS ONE COLLAB, TRULY A JOYOUS EFFORT!