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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] those pesky tomato stems

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  • From: Owsley lucy <boulderbelt AT embarqmail.com>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] those pesky tomato stems
  • Date: Fri, 1 Oct 2010 11:16:43 -0400

I remove all stems as I pick and instruct all other pickers to do the same. 

Jay, I sell by the quart box ($4 a box for 1.5 pounds) but will sell by the pound for $3.50 a pound (yes that is a high price because I really don't want to sell by the pound but do like to give the customers that option). Tomato sales have been very slow this and I am so glad I cut back on tomato production by 50% this year of I would have had too many tomatoes.

I always remove my stems because of the same reason.  I always do it when I am picking.  Several times this summer my wife was being helpful and went out and picked tomatoes to help get ready for market.  She didn't do this, because I didn't tell her to.  I had to go back through several hundred pounds and de-stem them all.  I also had to pull out the ones that were "poked".  Not what I was wanting to do at midnight before a 7 am market. 

I sell all my produce by the pound, so the tomatoes get handled alot.  Many vendors at my market put several pounds in a basket and sell them for a price. The customer doesn't get to choose.  They also can only buy what they offer.  I think I pick up more customers and sales because I am willing to sell smaller amounts (one or two tomatoes as opposed to 5-6 in a quart basket.

How do you sell them, by the pound or by the basket.

Jay






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