refnotes.doc
proposal_plan2.doc
reference_notes_home.rtf

We went to the Blacksburg Farmers’ market this morning around 10:00. It was way busier than any other time we’ve gone, but it has been over a month since we’ve been. They had live music and a covered tent for folks to eat and ready-to-eat-type food with a HUGE line. All the permanent spots were full, and there were folks also set up on the other street side of the parking lot the market is held in.

The people there seem generally younger than the Roanoke market, and there seemed to be more regulars v. touristy types. There were a few families, but not many. I think I saw two. The sellers were all healthy looking, except one of the baked-goods people who was an older heavy woman. Most of the sellers were tanned and had a slightly hippy aura to them. There set ups ranged from bare minimum (cardboard boxes, sloppy signs, bare tables) to all out (table clothes, fancy baskets, fancy written signs, matching umbrella). One of the baked good sellers was very hip and trendy. She had samples of her lemonade and even the little trash can for putting the cups in matched her set up.

Those sellers who had a permanent spot seemed to all have a big umbrella to go over their stuff. The ones along the street had the little tent things. Perhaps the little tent things don’t work so well in the permanent area.

In addition to edibles, there was soap, essential oils and that sort of stuff, wooden bowls, postcards / prints / magnets, and a older girl with a few beaded things.

I liked the feel of this market better than the one at Roanoke. It seemed more small town but still successful. There didn’t seem to be much space for new sellers, though. I do recall reading something somewhere about the market wanting to build a bigger site.

Prices of stuff (not everything…it was hard to write notes)
Cucumbers: 2.25 lb; 1.50 lm; 3/1.00 (pickling)
Squash: 2.25 lb; 1.60 lb
Swiss Chard 2.00 lb
Salsa: 4.00 / 8 oz
Onions: 2.60 lb; 2.00 lb
Black/Rasp Berries: 2.00 half pt; 4.00 pt
Basil: 0.50 lb; 9.00 lb; 10.00 lb
Tomatoes: 3.50 lb
Herbs: 1.00 bunch
Green Beans: 3.00 lb; 3.25 lb
Blueberries: 3.00 pt
Garlic: 0.75 a head; 5.00 lb
Lettuce: 2.00 a head
Eggs: 2.50 a dz
Honey: 6.00 pt; 6.50 pt

Worked a bit on getting bibliography assembled. I got distracted and started searching VT’s online catalog for other books or journals. I didn’t really find anything new, though.

Forgot to work on my project today.

Found this flier on my windshield after work yesterday. The scan is a little hard to read, but the back has coupons and a list of items. Pretty neat.

Read Small Business Survival Book (Barbara Weltman and Jerry Silberman) for about 15 minutes. Interesting stuff on marketing plans. I think I’ll have to reread this book. It’s a pretty quick read and though some of it doesn’t pertain to a _really_ small start-up business, the majority of it is at least interesting if not useful.

Also spent a little bit of time working on the proposal. It’s been a while since I’ve had to do something like this, and I’m a bit rusty. I think I have the time line and the deliverables section pretty well ironed out, but that’s the easy part. I need to get the problem definition and solution sections going.