Brenda takes a break during an extremely busy vending day at the Market on the Mountain on August 5, 2018.
August 2018 will probably be remembered as another extremely busy month for us. A lot of things happened that not only increased our exposure, but we also had a lot of new products come out of the mix. I’m going to try to review it all for you as best I can.
Market on the Mountain
We were invited to the fifth annual “Market on the Mountain” on August 5 at the public rest area at Anarchist Mountain on Highway 3 about 20-kilometres east of Osoyoos. We had no idea what to expect as we had never been to this venue but we were looking forward to adding another outdoor event to our already busy schedule. I had also managed to invite the local radio station to participate and the day turned out much better than George and I expected. Not only were there a lot of vendors – about 35 in total – there was a lot of traffic. By the end of the day we had set a single day sales record for 2018. Needless to say, we plan to be there again next year.
Outdoor Canning
The method I have been using all along for processing JamBusters! products in our home kitchen took a new twist during August. I ended up purchasing an outdoor cooker. The frame and burner were put together by George and our neighbour, Dave. Dave even helped me with picking out the right propane tank and accessories for the job. They put the burner on cement blocks for me just outside the back door in the shade of our house. I’ve used it a few times already and love being able to can JamBusters! products outside keeping the house free from the heat and humidity.
New Products
Another really interesting item from the month I have to mention is that we have been able to access a lot of fresh fruit lately. We have been able to access fruit grown by some of our Oliver contacts. This has not only allowed us to keep some of our popular items in stock, it has given me the ability to introduce some new items to our product line. A few of the new offerings include Spicy Peaches, Spicy Plum Jam, Boozy Spiced Plum Jam, Concorde Grape Jam and soon I’ll be reintroducing Hellish Relish (Relish aka Hellish or The Relish Formerly Known As Hellish). As the harvest season progresses, we will have additional products available.
George Goes Solo
Because the volume of fruit is extremely high at this time in the season, I have had to cut back on some of the additional mid-week vending events JamBusters! was committed to. George has stepped up and in August attended two different “Make It, Bake It, Grow It” markets in Princeton (hosted by the Princeton & District Chamber of Commerce) on his own. He loads the car with the outdoor set-up, selects the products he intends to sell and goes. He says he really enjoys the venue and has sold a few products each time he is there. I think what makes it most attractive to him is that the Chamber Market is located just one kilometer from our home.
First Anniversary
I can’t discuss August without pointing out that mid-month we celebrated our first anniversary of regular vending of JamBusters! at the Oliver Indoor Flea Market in Oliver. We had originally planned on vending there for a season, then it got extended to the Christmas season, then to spring and eventually for a year and we would then take a look at things to make a decision as to whether or not it was worth continuing. Well, we vend in Oliver next to some very nice people we have gotten to know and truly feel a good fit at that market still to this day. Although sales figures there do fluctuate, this past week saw us set an all-time sales record at that venue. I guess you can say we have found a good place to be on a regular basis.
There’s Probably More
I’m sure I’m forgetting something, but needless to say, August has been a very active month for both George and I with JamBusters! I expect September to have some highlights as well knowing that our single biggest sales event is coming up in the middle of that month. That’s one reason why I’ve been working so hard the past few weeks to increase our inventory in order to be prepared for that single day activity.
Market on the Mountain
We were invited to the fifth annual “Market on the Mountain” on August 5 at the public rest area at Anarchist Mountain on Highway 3 about 20-kilometres east of Osoyoos. We had no idea what to expect as we had never been to this venue but we were looking forward to adding another outdoor event to our already busy schedule. I had also managed to invite the local radio station to participate and the day turned out much better than George and I expected. Not only were there a lot of vendors – about 35 in total – there was a lot of traffic. By the end of the day we had set a single day sales record for 2018. Needless to say, we plan to be there again next year.
Outdoor Canning
The method I have been using all along for processing JamBusters! products in our home kitchen took a new twist during August. I ended up purchasing an outdoor cooker. The frame and burner were put together by George and our neighbour, Dave. Dave even helped me with picking out the right propane tank and accessories for the job. They put the burner on cement blocks for me just outside the back door in the shade of our house. I’ve used it a few times already and love being able to can JamBusters! products outside keeping the house free from the heat and humidity.
New Products
Another really interesting item from the month I have to mention is that we have been able to access a lot of fresh fruit lately. We have been able to access fruit grown by some of our Oliver contacts. This has not only allowed us to keep some of our popular items in stock, it has given me the ability to introduce some new items to our product line. A few of the new offerings include Spicy Peaches, Spicy Plum Jam, Boozy Spiced Plum Jam, Concorde Grape Jam and soon I’ll be reintroducing Hellish Relish (Relish aka Hellish or The Relish Formerly Known As Hellish). As the harvest season progresses, we will have additional products available.
George Goes Solo
Because the volume of fruit is extremely high at this time in the season, I have had to cut back on some of the additional mid-week vending events JamBusters! was committed to. George has stepped up and in August attended two different “Make It, Bake It, Grow It” markets in Princeton (hosted by the Princeton & District Chamber of Commerce) on his own. He loads the car with the outdoor set-up, selects the products he intends to sell and goes. He says he really enjoys the venue and has sold a few products each time he is there. I think what makes it most attractive to him is that the Chamber Market is located just one kilometer from our home.
First Anniversary
I can’t discuss August without pointing out that mid-month we celebrated our first anniversary of regular vending of JamBusters! at the Oliver Indoor Flea Market in Oliver. We had originally planned on vending there for a season, then it got extended to the Christmas season, then to spring and eventually for a year and we would then take a look at things to make a decision as to whether or not it was worth continuing. Well, we vend in Oliver next to some very nice people we have gotten to know and truly feel a good fit at that market still to this day. Although sales figures there do fluctuate, this past week saw us set an all-time sales record at that venue. I guess you can say we have found a good place to be on a regular basis.
There’s Probably More
I’m sure I’m forgetting something, but needless to say, August has been a very active month for both George and I with JamBusters! I expect September to have some highlights as well knowing that our single biggest sales event is coming up in the middle of that month. That’s one reason why I’ve been working so hard the past few weeks to increase our inventory in order to be prepared for that single day activity.
RSS Feed
