Field Notes
Building a berry company in public.
Harvest data, product experiments, failures and the AI systems running behind the counter. Article pages are coming as each note is published.
Autumn olive
So what the hell is an autumn olive?
A tart, speckled red berry from a shrub that spread across Virginia without anyone's permission. Here's how it tastes and why it works in a jar.
September 2026
Harvest
What one afternoon of picking actually yields
Measuring pounds per hour by hand, and what that means for how many jars a single release can honestly hold.
September 2026
Product development
Why the mashups came first
Asking someone to try an unfamiliar fruit is a big leap. Strawberry, blueberry and apple make it a small one.
August 2026
AI
The forecast that told us to make fewer pies
Our first demand model disagreed with our optimism. It was right, and it saved a weekend of wasted fruit.
August 2026
Building in public
Every number from our first market day
Revenue, best sellers, what people asked, what confused them, and what we changed the following week.
July 2026
Virginia agriculture
Doing this the regulated way
Working through permits, exemptions, labeling and the handling rules that come with a Tier 3 noxious weed.
July 2026