One of the ways I seek to help farmers and food entrepreneurs is to help them distinguish their products from what the rest of the market is doing. News about farmers growing something different therefore always catches my attention.
These growers in California are off to a great start. Several years ago, they imported some lemon cultivars from Italy that are a breed apart from the strains grown predominantly in the US since the late 1800s. These newer orchards are coming on-line now in significant quantities.
The lesson is obvious but I will say it anyway. If you grow whatever everyone else is growing, you will get paid whatever everybody else is getting paid. If you grow a compelling and distinctive product, you can make a step toward commanding your own price.
