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market-farming - RE: Seven day Market

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Subject: Market Farming

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Chronological Thread  
  • From: Alex McGregor <waldenfarm AT sprintmail.com>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: RE: Seven day Market
  • Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2001 09:50:29 -0500


OK, I have to tell the story about an intern I had here one year.

He grew up on a family farm in Michigan- apples and vegies. He and his father
also did contract pruning for the other orchards in the area. The father
wound up
leasing some acreage in CA and market farming.

Anyway, he showed up with one of those flashlights that strap onto your head.
I
asked him what that was for and he said, "To work at night." He then
proceeded to
tell me that they did 11 markets a week! Just the 2 of them!

He told me that they have a highway dept. surplus truck (5 ton) and they
harvested
together at night & loaded the truck. (There's storage space under the bed
for

display tables, etc.) He gets up in the morning and hits 1 or 2 markets,
depending on the day, while his father plants, cultivates and repairs gopher
gnawings on their irrigation lines.

I found this hard to believe until we had worked together for one of those 12
hour
days when I was ready to drag myself into the house and he asked if he could
do
some hoeing. He seemed as fresh and energetic as first thing in the morning
and
worked until he couldn't see any more. This was the first (and last) time I
had
an apprentice that could outwork me. And he was not only hard working, but
fast,
efficient and meticulous. Must be a hormone thing- I couldn't keep up with
him.

So, 7 markets isn't unbelievable, given the right person. I know I couldn't
do
it.

Alex McGregor
Walden Farm





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