By Lola Milholland
On Saturday at the Hollywood Farmers Market, we at Umi Organic tried something I’ve wanted to do for a long time: Sliding scale pricing. First, I want to say: We are so used to farmers markets at social events, but right now, in this moment, the market is a streamlined place to get food directly from producers. In the open air. At a safe distance. The market did an excellent job enforcing rules to keep people safe including social distance, no eating onsite, no lines, sanitization stations, and more. Right now, we are all being encouraged to stay home to save lives. We absolutely support that pronouncement. If you are still venturing out for grocery shopping, we encourage you to make the farmers market one of your few planned stops this week. (See the market’s plan for a safe market.)
We got the first local lettuce we’ve seen this year at the farmers market last Saturday!
So back to where I began: We decided to make ramen kits people could purchase that would have everything they needed for a meal for three people: noodles, broth, eggs, veggies, pickles. The price point we were aiming for was $36, but that felt really steep for some people, and possible low for others. So at our Umi market booth, we let people choose their price, sliding scale, from $30 to $42. We got some very sweet confusion. A man with a large family said to me in disbelief, “we get to decide what this costs!?” His partner added, “well I have $30 so let’s go for that!” Because the answer was “Yes!” You know whether you are in a position to pay more or less, and we are trusting that you will make the decision that works for you. The result was that we did average exactly where I hoped we would, and people selected in both directions.
This is the same idea, writ large, that we are trying right now through our online store. We continue to offer free noodles to Portlanders threatened by hunger. So many people find themselves without work. If you are in need, we will deliver noodles to your door for free within the Portland area on Mondays. Enter the code “HANAMI” at checkout for an order of 3 bags of Fresh Organic Ramen Noodles. At the same time, we are asking our community who can afford food to also make online purchases and buy our products from groceries and the farmers market. As quickly as we could, we launched a robust online store. Your purchases help us stay active and afloat. Please consider making a purchase to get noodles and sauce into your freezer. The balance between these actions is what evens the ride we are on.
To date, we’ve delivered 14 free orders of noodles to Portlanders. We are able to deliver up to 100. We’ve gotten responses that fill my heart:
“I want to thank you for supporting all of us out-of-work service workers right now. I’m waiting to see if my unemployment provides enough for me to pay my bills and rent and knowing there are companies out there willing to help in the meantime makes a huge emotional difference.”
“You’re performing miracles in these trying times. I hope to pay it forward nutritiously.”
It was wonderful to see friends from a safe distance loaded down with great food at the market.
“We received the noodles! Thank you so much. My girlfriend and I have both been out of a job for a week now and this means more then you know!!!”
Please let your friends in need know.
The whole experience feels like an example of when our society does work, even in times of duress. The market became a microcosm of the world we want to see: based on real relationships, care, and respect.
The market was a cathartic experience overall. It was powerful to watch everyone following the rules, keeping their distance, while also loading up from local producers. We sold out of our yakisoba and sold lots of noodles and sauce to people who find themselves cooking at home every night and looking for something new. I got the first lettuce of my year, from Gales Meadow, and completely gorgeous greens from Flying Coyote Farm. I saw some of my favorite people, from a distance, loaded down with farm-direct groceries.
On Saturday, March 28 we will be at PSU Farmers Market along with an incredible number of local producers. The first half hour, 8:30 to 9 am, will be reserved for shopping by vulnerable populations. Our booths will be spaced apart, none of us will touch your credit cards, but all of us will have food lovingly grown or made to feed you and the loved ones you may be sheltering with. Umi is taking pre-orders if you want to assure your product is ready for quick, easy pickup. More than ever we feel the importance of the direct relationship between people who make and eat food. Thank you as always for your support.