Farmers' Market Season Begins!

Farmers' Market Soap

She sells soap too!

My treat from the market

And so it begins! I have started my farmer's market season. I have now worked 3 Wednesdays at the Tigard Farmers' Market from 3-7 p.m at the Grange. It has been a slow start, but lots of fun. I am gaining confidence setting up shop with baby Rosalie in tow. She has been the perfect selling partner, rarely fussing and always engaging with customers. Plus, she's darn good company.

I also love meeting other vendors. I get a delicious BBQ dinner, beautiful flowers, fresh bread and I can't wait until the fresh produce is ready to be sold!

I will be selling at my community's largest farmers' Market, the Beaverton Farmer's Market, every Saturday, starting May 1st. I am ecstatic for this opportunity and have high hopes. Also, since Beaverton is my hometown, being a part of this market holds a special place in my heart.  My fingers are crossed that this will be a successful market for me.

So far, my biggest seller of the season has been my Farmers' Market soap. Is this good marketing, or is this soap really just that great? It is a new scent for me, Bramble Berry's Kumquat, and I adore it!

When I first started markets and bazaars, I was so anxious and tense about sales. I am finally at the place where I can take a deep breath and relax when sales are slow. I love being content knowing that my product is solid and that when I have a slow day, it isn't because my soap is inferior. I just try to enjoy the slow sales days for what they are: an opportunity to spend alone time with my baby, a chance to chat with fellow vendors and customers, being able to hand pick local goods and support my fellow vendors. It's alwats a good day at the Farmers' Market!!!

The Winner is announced!

Thanks to all who entered the 2015 Bramble Berry S.O.A.P. Panel contest. I randomly assigned numbers to each entrant and then used a random # generator to pick the winner. The winner, Emily Fehrenbach, entered the contest twice, and her perseverance paid off!

The results are in!!!! Contest!!!!

Boy was this fun! I loved being a tester for these mystery fragrances that may become part of the amazing fragrance collection from Bramble Berry. After so many years of soap making, I know what I look for in a fragrance oil, so I will report about my personal experiences and impressions of each oil:

1. Discolored to medium brown. Easy to work with. No noticeable acceleration. Scent is chocolaty with a hint of mint.
   Name Choice: After Dinner Mint
2. Discolored to a medium brown. Easy to work with. No noticeable acceleration. Bakery-type scent. Hints of spice, perhaps nutmeg or cinnamon. Super yummy.
   Name Choice: Biscotti
3. No discoloration or acceleration. This scent was the most intriguing to me. It smells of jasmine rice and a soft floral. To me, it's an Asian inspired scent.
   Name Choice: Japanese Garden
4. Discolors to light tan. No acceleration. Smelled chocolaty OOB, but smells more like a light chocolate and hazelnut mixture after it is used in cp soap.
   Name Choice: White Chocolate Delight. 
5. Discolors to medium tan. No acceleration. This is another bakery scent. Smells like
   Pecan pie.
   Name Choice: Pralines and Cream
6. No discoloration or acceleration. Very fresh and clean...like a clean shaven man. Could market this as a spa scent as well.
   Name Choice: Barber Shop or Clean Shaven
7. No discoloration or acceleration. This scent was the most intriguing to me. It smells of jasmine rice and a soft floral. To me, it's an Asian inspired scent.
   Name Choice: Chinese Garden
8. No acceleration or discoloration. Smells fruity, like grape candy. I am guessing this would be a big hit with little girls.
   Name Choice: Grapes and Giggles
9. Very slight discoloration to cream. No acceleration. Very masculine, in a fresh and green kind of way. This smells like a fresh, crisp mountain air kind of day.
   Name Choice: Mountain Fresh Air or Mountain Mist

The real winners for me are #5,  #6, and #7. I am really intrigued by #6. This one baffled me the most and although I like it, it may not be a good seller for me. I feel that #3, #5, and #7 would be big sellers. I would market #3 toward men. It smells fresh and clean, like shave gel. #5 is a delightful bakery scent. I personally don't use these fragrance oils because I don't like brownish soap and but I do understand their appeal. #7 would be a big seller with the younger girls. It smells so fun and fruity.I had an amazing time on the 2015 Spring S.O.A.P.  Panel. What an honor it was to help take place in this testing process!

Please leave a comment below to be entered to win all 8 of the soaps I tested, and then you can judge for yourself!The contest ends Sunday, April 5th at midnight PST.