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  • From: Alliums <garlicgrower AT earthlink.net>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Market-farming] Re:Info on shallots in New England
  • Date: Wed, 31 Dec 2003 09:56:13 -0500

Paul wrote:


Got interested when I saw the price at the natural food store I wholesale to, they were getting like $7 a lb.


If the store is selling them for $7/pound, then they bought them for at most $3.50/pound. Can you make a profit at that price?

I think you'd do MUCH better with garlic.

Do you direct seed or transplant?

You can do seed for some varieties, but most folks do sets -- shallots are mostly an asexual reproduction thing and take a while to build up a decent bed. I don't do shallots for anything more than myself so I don't pay as much attention to them, but it does seem to take a few years. Of course, the stuff I get is from SSE collegues, so it's incredibly rare and needs tending.

What varieties?

Talk to local chefs -- there are a LOT of shallots out there (almost as many as garlic). Peeling is a pain in the butt, so there may not be the market you think there is.

When to plant, harvest?
Fertility requirements?

It's a fairly typical alliums, but do more research into whatever variety the chefs like (and are willing to purchase).

What is the demand for shallots among the farmers market customers?

Depends on how much and how fanatic your customers are about cooking and what cuisines. Real French cuisine folks loooooooooooooove shallots. Italian, not so often. Either there are an awful lot of rare German shallots out there or my PA Dutch heritage is just showing. Garlic, almost every whole food cuisine uses.

I defer to anyone growing shallots out there who is actually making money, but when you can't sell leeks (easy to prepare, easy to grow, tastes good, etc.), I'd be real nervous about jumping into shallots without a contract in hand from someone to actually BUY them.

Dorene "Ask Me About Any Allium" Pasekoff


Dorene Pasekoff, Coordinator
St. John's United Church of Christ Organic Community Garden

A mission of
St. John's United Church of Christ, 315 Gay Street, Phoenixville, PA 19460





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