「今年も来たぞ、端境期。」

September. The fields of Tokyo are experiencing a ``hazakaiki'' period, when the harvest of agricultural products decreases.
During this period, when we are nearing the end of the summer vegetable harvest and until the fall and winter vegetables begin to appear in earnest, we look out over the front of our direct sales store (Shunkashunka, Nokaru), which sells vegetables from local farmers. Honestly, even if you look at it, the lineup of vegetables has decreased and it feels a little lonely.
Even under these circumstances, we need to take various measures to ensure that we do not disappoint the customers who visit our stores every day.

In this fourth installment of the series, I would like to introduce some of the ideas and initiatives that the staff and stores are doing during this period of transition (well, because it is a period of transition!).

It will take a year to prepare for the off-season period.

We asked Mr. O, a staff member at Emarico Kunitachi who is in charge of coordinating orders and collecting goods from farmers on a daily basis, about his ideas for the off-season.
``I don't want to say, ``I want you to serve more!'' only during the off-season when vegetables are scarce, and it's difficult to say so. In order to encourage farmers to sell their produce to our direct sales office as proactively as possible even during the off-season, we try to build a relationship of trust every day by trying our best to stock the quantity even if it's a bit of a stretch when farmers want to sell a lot, such as during peak seasons. I place importance on accumulating things. ”

Because we work closely with farmers, it is very important for our business to build good relationships so that we can continue to interact comfortably with each other.
During the busy season, there are some vegetables that are produced in quantities that cannot be shared among multiple stores. In such cases, we all work together to sell our products to farmers in a way that prevents them from saying, ``We can't buy any more,'' such as by holding limited-time sales and trying to get more customers to eat our products. . I feel that the accumulation of small efforts like this will come in handy in our interactions with farmers when we reach a turning point.

Connect with farmers in other regions

It's been 10 years since the direct sales store "Shunka Shunka" opened, but compared to when it first opened, the situation of "I don't have anything to sell!" has gradually improved.
One reason is that the number of local farmers doing business with us has increased. Even within Kunitachi City, each farmer cultivates different items, and some farmers choose to slightly shift the planting season.
Another reason is that we are now able to connect with farmers outside of Tokyo.
For example, in September, when this column is published, apples from Nagano Prefecture start arriving. This is the time when the variety relay, which both customers and staff look forward to every year, begins.
In addition, a lot of corn from Yamanashi Prefecture arrived in August. Even though locally grown corn had already run out, there were many people who said, ``It's still hot and I want to eat delicious corn...'' and the corn was very well received.

At Emariko Kunitachi, we always value direct connections with local farmers, and this does not change when we purchase vegetables from other regions.
Our staff travels to the production areas, talks with farmers face-to-face and tours the fields, and only begins selling after understanding the background. In this way, even when selling vegetables from other regions, we strive to build face-to-face relationships and communicate the names and details of the farmers while selling them to our customers.

Actually, I was hesitant about selling vegetables from other regions for the first few years after I opened my business. Even though it's a shop that sells local vegetables, I wonder why they also carry a variety of vegetables from other regions. Will the shaft shake? This is because there was a concern.
Now, we believe that the best thing is for our staff to be able to confidently say, ``This is delicious!'' by delivering vegetables to our customers and making them happy.

Replenish your energy by taking a break once in a while

Staff member M also says, ``I consciously give my body a little rest after working so hard during the busy season.''
Anyway, let's sell vegetables! The transitional period comes after a busy and sweaty summer. The staff seems to be conscious of creating a pace that allows them to work comfortably while adjusting their work to match the seasonal seasons of vegetables.
Also, it is unique to the off-season period, when there is a little bit of leeway, that you can take your time to work on various things surrounding ``selling vegetables.''
We took another look at our store, remade the POP beautifully, and created a video to play on the store's monitors. Other than that, I went to farmers for training (under the name of ``Enno'', they taught me how to farm properly), and I tried to learn more about the processed food manufacturers that handle them.
This is also an important time for staff to carefully improve their skills while devising ways to spend their time in line with their own awareness of issues and interests. I believe that by making the most of this time, we will be able to give back in a positive way to the customers who come to our store and the farmers who support us.

The ``interval period'' is an inseparable part of our business.
It is an important time for farmers to prepare for the next season, planting fall and winter vegetables and tending their fields. We, who work with vegetables grown by such farmers, are reminded that we should follow a similar rhythm as much as possible and carefully prepare for the next season.