I’m honored when people see a food product and think of me. Such was the case when I received this email from my buddy, Ara Kassabian from Los Angeles.
He wrote:
“Robyn, Have you tried the artisanal preserves from Harvest Song ventures? I ran across one in a local store the other day and it is amazingly yummy. They apparently won a bunch of awards as well. I think they are funded by the Tufenkian Foundation. I immediately thought of you when I tasted it.”
Thanks, Ara, that’s so sweet (literally)!
Naturally, Doug and I set out on a journey through western Palm Beach county to find a local store that carried it. Before leaving the house, I called several stores to see who sold it; after all, no sense in wasting gasoline!
Our local Williams-Sonoma said they didn’t have it, but suggested I try Whole Foods. Happily, Whole Foods said they had Harvest Song Preserves in stock.
Off we went. Once in the store, I made a bee-line for the preserves section; alas, no Harvest Song! I went to the customer service counter for assistance. After several calls to various departments, the clerk led me to the display, which was cleverly located in front of a selection of French dark chocolates.
I was surprised to see clearance signs for all of the Harvest Song products. As the consumer, it was a great for me, but I was wondering why Whole Foods would drastically reduce this highly-regarded Armenian product.
“Not a big seller?”, I asked. The employee said, “It’s not that. A discount store is going to sell Harvest Song, and once that happens Whole Foods won’t carry it anymore.”
A discount store? Which one?, I asked. He seemed to think it was TJ Maxx. It sounded odd to me, but figured it was worth checking out.
Once we purchased our jar of Armenia’s Harvest Song strawberry preserves and a chunk of French chocolate, our next stop was TJ Maxx which is combined with a Home Goods store.
Doug and I combed the shelves, but found no such product. Perhaps the Whole Foods employee was right and the discount stores just aren’t carrying it yet, or maybe he just didn’t know what he was talking about. The folks at TJ Maxx and Home Goods certainly weren’t any help. We’ll keep on checking, however.
In the meantime, if you can’t find Harvest Song preserves in a store near you, you can ALWAYS order it from their website; it’s definitely worth it!
Harvest Song sings to me as well. I gave their cherry jellies for Christmas two years ago. They were gift wrapped at Norm thompson where I also found Liberty Orchard products. Both companies have a great product. Andy
Hi Robyn! I was checking out a new local shopping center in Florida yesterday, and found Harvest Song on the shelf at a "Tuesday Morning" store. Some jars were nearing the expiration date, others had no dates, so I didn't buy any this time. But I'll check back there occasionally. Carol
Thanks for the tip, Carol. I'll check it out.
I came across a jar of walnut preserve in Kroger supermarket in a small town in Ohio. It was Harvest Song product. Didn't even realize it was an Armenian product. I am possibly the only Armenian in this small town. Imagine my excitement when I learned about it. When I tasted it it took me back to my childhood days in Yerevan, Armenia. Hope Kroger keeps carrying Harvest Song preserves
How wonderful that you found an unexpected taste of home in your local supermarket! You must make sure the store's manager is aware of your desire to keep Harvest Song in stock.