We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Adrienne Logsdon a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Adrienne , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you in your professional career?

I’ve mostly learned from working with younger generations about knowing my “worth” in getting paid enough for my efforts. I have worked in many restaurant type jobs and started young. I’m from a working class background and if I wanted money, I’d have to get it myself. I started at 8 years old, selling necklaces I made to Mom’s restaurant coworkers, then babysitting until legal working age. Twenty three years ago, In Shiatsu bodywork school, the seed was planted when a teacher asked us to ask ourselves what we wanted to get paid and then ask for it. I didn’t have the full grasp of that then, but I’m now much closer to asking for the amount that sustains me. In recent years, overlapping with my Fermented Veg business, Kiss My Cabbage, of 12 years, I co-managed a Certified Naturally Grown Vegetable Farm for 7 years. Co-managing freshly (college) graduated Seasonal employees, some of whom this was their first job, was very confusing and challenging for me to experience. This is where I started to see first hand that physical labor wasn’t something everyone was exposed to. In the years after this grueling experience (and very rewarding and illuminating in other ways of course), I started to slow down and raise my prices without apology. It’s been a journey of many affirmations and self talk. Btw, Regenerative Farming is not a job you do to get paid a livable wage overall, which I believe needs to change dramatically and involves a lot of restructuring macro/micro in our orientation/relationship to growing food. Part of the integration of this lesson of self sustaining is running my business according to my values and moving ever towards regenerative practices. In a capitalist system, I’ve witnessed, there are many ways to start sacrificing those values, because you need to make a profit. I prefer to know the farmer I buy directly from, so they get paid more and I know how the soil is being tended to. Learning and bringing awareness to the intersectionality of societal/ecosystem oppressions/destruction is my jam.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m definitely someone who follows my passions in life! In my childhood, my parents were slowly becoming ex-hippies as my dad became a union truck driver and mom a restaurant cook/pastry chef to pay for the three strong personalities (kids) they brought into this world. There was an emphasis on free expression and no training on who they expect me to be as an adult. “Just be yourself!”. Astrology was the only “religion” they talked about.
Upon reflection, everything I’ve been driven to learn about/be a part of: workers rights/womens rights/water rights/anti colonialism movements, Shiatsu bodywork, qigong moving meditation, cooking, energetics of food, acupressure for animals, regenerative veggie farming, lacto-fermenting foods, western (local) herbalism, natural earth building, vibrational astrology, end of life doula, trauma healing are tools that are very strongly oriented around being in harmonious relationship with our eco systems. While currently a full time veggie fermenter selling directly to consumers at farmers markets and part time bodyworker, I’m currently working on integrating more of these interests/skills into my practice to help facilitate self empowerment for others.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Selling at the Farmers Markets who’s mission supports small businesses with an emphasis on sustainability and supporting farmers directly.

Starting out as a Farmer who was selling vegetables at the same market previously.

Showing up consistently every week with a quality product for years, local press writing about my business, social media, word of mouth.

Selling wholesale to local food co-ops for years.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Quality ingredients, delicious flavor combinations, high traffic supportive markets.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kissmycabbage/
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/KissMyCabbage

Image Credits
Laune Bread Jeanine Webster