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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] Yield Estimates

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  • From: Matt Cheselka <mcheselka AT yahoo.com>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Yield Estimates
  • Date: Mon, 12 Dec 2005 10:25:01 -0800 (PST)

Indeed, Paul -- very insightful replies!  Keep 'em comin' folks!  Teach the greenhorn some lessons!  ;)
 
I've gotten enough feedback from my regular customers over the past two years to know for a fact that what people around here want are what I call "bread and butter" vegetables.  That is, those veggies you'd typically find in a supermarket.  Nothing necessarily fancy, nothing necessarily out of the ordinary.  All they really want are veggies and fruits that taste delicious.  This is what they keep telling me over and over and over.  Of course I'm listening and these are the sorts of veggies I'll grow for the subscription boxes.  My subscribers will be able to choose what goes into their boxes to a limited degree.  For instance, they'll be able to substitute this for that is they don't particularly like something.
 
Paul, I'm 4+ hours away from Concho and St Johns.  Waaaaay too far to go and totally unncessary.  The tomatoes you refer to were probably grown at the Eurofresh greenhouses about an hour north of me (I'm ashamed to admit).  These are hydroponic tomatoes and I agree are totally tasteless.  They look, feel, and smell like plastic.  I'm planning on taking a tour of their facility at some point, but I'm waiting until I'm in a really good mood before I go up there since I'm pretty sure that I'll come out of there very upset.
 
Keep the comments / suggestions comin', folks!
 
Thanks again,
 
Matt Cheselka
Cosmic Lettuce

Tradingpost <tradingpost AT gilanet.com> wrote:

Some very useful insights in these replies to your inquiry, Matt, esp on sharer preferences. I'd add that some beginning customer problems with quantities can be avoided by waiting to start the CSA system, and simply recruit regular customers to begin with. Regulars can be found when you sell at a simple market stand. Have them leave contact information by email or snail mail, or phone. With enough regulars you can do without the market stand. Flexibility is the key. You keep in touch so they know what's available in season, and how much. Matt, did the market in Concho ever take off, and have you checked out Father John's market in St. Johns? We took our finest tasting tomatoes to St. John's last summer and found them flooded recently with tasteless donated tomatoes from some chemical drenched hydroponic place, so they never even tasted ours. Our regulars here at home keep demanding more though, and remote as we are we have only the most grateful customers. You wouldn't expec
t cowboys to rave over tomatoes. Whatever works! But then we are in salsa country ;-)



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