Seed to Sales: Marketplace

By Ron Roberts

This year’s Willy Street Fair had four stages with bands performing and numerous vendors, including Chrysalis Pops. I actually worked a shift selling those delicious pops. So, I’m writing this from a more hands-on perspective than I did with the garden and kitchen posts. 

Despite the occasional rain and slightly chilly temperature, the Pops sold rather well. The four flavors sold well. I tried a Sweet Corn Pop for the first time and thought it was very similar to eating vanilla ice cream! The corn is subtle, though definitely adds a flavor all its own, and adds an intrinsic sweetness you may forget comes with corn. After all, high-fructose corn sweetener is made from, well…corn! But this sweetness is nothing like that laboratory-built Frankenstein ingredient. It comes along with the whole food itself as nature intended. I explain in my post about the kitchen trip just how well the whole ear of corn is used in the recipe. 

I was most impressed with how many people buying the Pops already knew about Chrysalis and Pops and had enjoyed a pops in the past. Someone even stopped me while I was walking to the bathroom and told me how grateful he was for what we were doing. I was confused until I remembered I was wearing the Chrysalis Pops T-shirt. Repeat business and recognizability–I’d say these are very positive signs that Pops is highly successful in its fourth year!