Some retailers wanted to incite excitement among their customers and help them have an experience that extended beyond the mundane necessity of food consumption but instead that created a worthwhile, enriching experience for body and mind. R10 noted: “[Our store] creates a very proactive atmosphere for someone who is interested in shopping with vigor…and they are not just trying to hit their budget and get in and get out…they’re here to see some stuff, taste some things, have some interaction with the deli…that’s where the well-set staff is there to guide you.”

Part of creating this excitement about what people are eating requires illuminating a more of the story behind the food. R9 views this is a crucial component of consumer education: "We are absolutely transparent in revealing all of our sources and we want people to learn to shop and cook the way that we do.”

R17 explained:“Oh yeah, they love it…they love getting stories. They love having that story evolve. If they know more about your farm, what’s going on at the farm, if you share that with them, they love it!…One week he [a farmer] forgot to bring eggs and so he told the customers when they asked for eggs that ‘oh the coyotes got the chickens…’ and the people were totally excited they were like ‘oh that’s so…real!...Some farmers do really well with but others don’t get it...The stories make a big difference where people are willing to spend and what they are willing to buy.”

A few retailers spoke about their position in the food chain as a matchmaker, trying to appropriately reconcile a variety of needs and create the best outcome for all the people involved in the interaction. R18 elaborated: “We've always felt that we're not just selling the food, we're selling the information behind it…It's building that farm intimacy, we're trying to match the product to the right customer, how it was grown, where it was grown."

R2 expands on her more personal view as a retailer, explaining: “I care about people and their stories. The way I look at cooking or food is extreme in comparison to a lot people. 'How to do good by that ingredient? ' This is a tomato; it is grown in this way. I want to respect this in the highest way I can. I don’t want to do something and be disrespectful. I think that naturally lead to an interest in the person who grew that thing. I spent a lot of time with farmers and befriended a lot. They are my family …my friends. These are people you’re interested in.”