(Hamilton, Leonardsville, NY – July 2011) It may sound like the title of a fairy tale, but it’s for real: two local specialty food producers have joined forces to market their products directly to the public.
Renate Nollen, owner of Dutch Girl Cheese in Leonardsville, and Owen Tallman of The Imaginary Farmer in Hamilton, have started marketing their products together. Nollen makes aged raw milk cheeses from goat, sheep and cow milk. Tallman grows gourmet mushrooms, including his own oyster mushroom strain named Hantana Pearl, and also sells mushroom-growing kits.
The pair found themselves working some of the same farmers markets and got to know each other. They found they got along and admired each others’ products, so they decided to try sharing space at two Saturday farmer’s markets – Hamilton and Cazenovia – selling each other’s products.
“It’s almost as good as being in two places at once,” Nollen said. “We both have loyal customers in Hamilton and Cazenovia, so this way we can serve them better. We each just had to learn about the other’s products so we can represent them faithfully.”
Despite the unusual nature of the arrangement, the managers for both markets were receptive. As a result, both producers can spend time in both markets and serve many more people. Everybody seems to think it makes perfect sense.
“Farmer’s markets help small local food producers sustain a very personal kind of business,” Tallman said. “We like to deal with our customers personally, and they like to know the people who produce their food.”
The Cazenovia and Hamilton markets both start 9 a.m. Saturdays through early November. Both vendors’ products are also available through the web store at TheImaginaryFarmer.com.
For more information contact Owen Tallman at 315-520-3989 or owen@TheImaginaryFarmer.com or Renate Nollen at (315) 750-5152 or DutchGirlCheese@gmail.com.
