I pulled into the Walmart parking lot and drove around the side of the building, far from the doors, where it was relatively quiet. Nancy was waiting beside an older but well-preserved Cadillac when I pulled up. She came to my window.
“Just four, right?” she asked.
“Yes please!”
Nancy handed me a Walmart bag with four thick bunches of chives. I gave her $12 and drove away.
Some of the best deals go down in parking lots. It’s easy and safe to meet up with a stranger in those public, wide-open spaces, while personal vehicles allow for privacy as needed. This early in the season, chives are the only crop Nancy can harvest, and she doesn’t go to the farmers market until summertime when she has more to bring. Instead, she meets up with people like myself, as well as some Chinese clients who also understand the value of her garlic chives. Years ago, she brought the seeds from Northern China, where she was born.
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