"Yes. Her high school art teacher and mentor, Jessie Winters, encourages her to sell her art. I just wish there was more of a market for it around here." Alice pointed to other paintings that had a different style—but were no less incredible—with the initials J.S.W. in the bottom corner.
"Me too." Eden said quietly. "She's very talented."
They both were, and they deserved to have their work seen and appreciated.
On the ride home, Eden finally asked Alice if she was interested in selling her jam online. She explained how she'd posted a picture of the jam they'd made last night and the overwhelming responses she was still receiving.
"You mean people want to buy our jam?" Alice asked as she parked the car in the garage but made no move to get out.
"There are people out there who avoid the big conglomerates at all costs and are willing to pay top dollar for organic, homemade products."
"But...my jam?"
Eden opened her phone and leaned an elbow on the center console to show Alice all the likes and the string of comments requesting jam. As she did so, likes and comments started showing up on the other posts she'd made while at Hattie's.
"See, people love this kind of thing and want to support the little guy."
Alice sat back and stared though the front windshield for a long moment. Finally, she shrugged. "We have a lot of jam right now, and it's still early in the strawberry season, so we'll be making more. I suppose we could sell some, but we'd have to figure out how to ship it."
"Don't you worry about that. I'll figure it out."
Eden's mind raced as a lightness filled her chest. She couldn't wait to get her computer and start doing some research.
"I'd have to buy more canning jars. That could get pricey."
"We'll price the jam accordingly. Maybe we could offer some sort of discount on the next jar if they ship the first one back." The idea sounded crazy even as she said it, but Eden loved the challenge of figuring out how they would make this work.
"Do you really think we could meet that kind of demand?" Alice looked at her with wide eyes.
"Probably not year-round, no. But..." Eden hesitated, fearing she was pushing Alice to do something she didn't want to do.
"But every jar we sell would be one less jar sitting on my shelf, collecting dust."
Eden grinned. "I don't want your family to go without. Maybe we should figure out how many you can afford to sell, then I can say that it's a limited time offer and when supplies are gone, they're gone."
"That's a good idea." Alice finally pulled the keys from the ignition.
They talked as they went into the house and fixed sandwiches for lunch.
"Do you think there would be a similar interest in raspberry jam next month and maybe even blackberry? Of course, they are a lot more work, because of the seeds. I try to get out as many as I can." Alice turned to Eden, her face thoughtful. "Would people like jellies and syrups?"
"I think I've created a monster." Eden laughed. "I can post pictures of some of your jars from last year and see what kind of response we get."
They continued to discuss the possibilities as they ate, and a steady stream of notifications continued to hit Eden's phone. Hundreds of likes streamed in within an hour and once again, people wanted to know where they could buy these things. Several asked for the link to her Etsy shop.
"Do you think the artisans who bring their wares to Miss Hattie's Craft store would be interested in selling them online?" she asked Alice as they tidied up the kitchen.
"Artisans?" Alice laughed. "That's a fancy word for people who craft." Then she tilted her head, and a slow smile covered her face. "I think if someone is willing to help them figure out how to go about it, they should be given the chance."
Eden's heart rate kicked up a notch, and her breathing came a little faster. She had never sold anything online, but she was a smart woman, she could figure this out. It couldn't be much harder than buying things online, could it?
"I can help them figure it out, but do you really think they'd be interested?"
"Let me tell you a little secret." Alice paused in the process of wiping off the counter. "People from small towns have big dreams, just like everyone else. Whether it's making money, finding a little fame, or creating a name for themselves. If you're willing to help do the hard work, I think you'll find a lot of people interested in selling their goods."
Eden wanted to do a little dance, but she settled for rocking up on her toes. She didn't know why she was so excited, but she loved the idea of helping these people recognize their potential.
As she drove back to Miss Hattie's, she realized helping these artisans find success wasn't all that different from what she used to do working for her dad. But it felt different. And for some reason, it was extremely important to her.
