[Market-farming] Lettuce price?
Richard Stewart
rstewart at zoomtown.com
Thu Jul 2 10:52:07 EDT 2009
Can you sell to restaurants?
Just curious. I sell to restaurants in the Cincinnati area and I
would much rather do that than sell at a market. Yes, you can command
higher prices at market, but you loose money at a market. I want to
focus on growing and raising a crop not 10 hours a week trying to push
those same goods.
I sell lettuce for 2.50 a pound to restaurants. No rinsing (other
than a quick dip into cold well water to help preserve the harvest).
The restaurants want the tap root and all, which adds to the weight.
They also pick-up or meet me at one of the two markets I sell at. I
never have anything left over, I make more money than when I sell it
for 4.50 a bag weighing around .45 pounds (rinsing and bagging is a
big cost, regardless of how you do it).
I've also spent a great deal of time with an online presence,
participating in local food events, and cultivating a transparent
operation that tries to detail anything I do. If a restaurant decides
to use my food it is a value added thing. I cross promote those that
do and they gain customers that want to "follow the food". This
autumn I will be meeting with several chefs and restaurants to
actually plan for 2010 rather than just purchase what I happen to be
selling at market.
Markets are great and I have one that I am especially fond of, but
they cost me money in the long run. Right now I think of them more as
advertisements and promotions than an economical way to sell produce.
That is simply my region others will certainly have better experiences
with markets for certain.
There are so few growers in the region that are not growing corn and
soybean that, for the time being, single large organic crops are far
more valuable per acre than anything else. No one is spending the
time relearning skills and actually farming so they keep doing the
same thing. If you grow an acre of potatoes and a ton of lettuce it
has plenty of buyers and at a premium price.
If you do not see an opportunity available right now, make one. Get
crafty and over winter plan and scheme. Take advantage f the lull and
do as much reading, research, and learning as possible. It takes a
couple years to get going, even if you have the land and experience.
I wish you the best of luck.
Richard Stewart
Carriage House Farm
North Bend, Ohio
An Ohio Century Farm Est. 1855
(513) 967-1106
http://www.carriagehousefarmllc.com
rstewart at zoomtown.com
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