Seedlings at Ōmishima’s Michi no Eki Farmer’s Markets

Our first little plant babes have arrived at both Michi no Eki Farmer’s Market locations on Ōmishima island. Fun! This is a milestone we’ve been looking forward to for a very long time.

The first product we have ready is seedlings: celery, bee balm, hyssop, and sage. We’re planning to offer primarily pollinator plants and herbs. All of our plants are grown pesticide-free, with no chemical fertilizers, using our own composted soil. We’re starting off with an experiment to see what kinds of plants are most popular. We also need to determine what price range work for us and our buyers; we need these items to make profit after the market fee and taxes, while also being affordable for the customer.

We built a cute little display with mostly wood and metal, consisting of some trays and wooden boxes found in our ‘akiya’ abandoned house. Our goal is to eventually use zero plastic, but for now, these plastic pots were gifted to us, and have already been reused many times. Once our stash of plastic pots is gone, we will have a replacement figured out, perhaps terra cotta pots or something compostable. Let me know if you have any suggestions!

We made a little sign with our Benton Homestead branding displayed. Hani-san, our cute little honeybee character, tells customers that “bees love it!”. What do you think of the display?

Eventually, we plan to sell honey jars, honey comb, vegetables, plants, and cut flowers. But we’re starting step by step, and will introduce one product at a time. Next up: honey jars.

If you’re in the Shimanami Kaido area, please feel free to visit the Michi no Eki locations on Ōmishima. One is located in Kamiura neighborhood, at the foot of Tatara Bridge, as part of the welcome center bicycle station. The other is located in Miyaura neighborhood, near Oyamizumi Jinja Shrine. Both markets have a totally different feel, and carry different local items. They’re both unique and worth a visit!

Our YouTube video, which shows our first displays at each Michi no Eki Farmer’s Market on Ōmishima ⌄

Thanks for reading,
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