Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["E. E. Mitchamore Jr" <emitch@att.net>]

When you read the following statement, you say "of course", but I think it's worth repeating.  It's very rare to see such concentrated wisdom in print.

 

"..we need to sell to as many people as possible - almost
everyone who stops at our table. We can't afford to just have one thing to
sell and give up on everybody who's not there for that. To make our time
worthwhile, we need something for everybody - far as that's reasonable. We
focus on varieties that are bought most by home cooks, and those that are
fairly easy for us to grow and harvest."

 

Let's hear more on the business of market gardening.  I think it would help overcome some of the uncertainty that prevents people from taking the plunge.  From my research, I'd say there is plenty of guidance on growing, but precious little on growing for market.

 

E. E. "Mitch" Mitchamore
www.hillcountrynatives.biz

----- Original Message -----

From: TradingPostPaul

To: emitch@att.net ; livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org

Sent: Friday, November 30, 2007 9:43 PM

Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] New Farmers

We do have some trading with other vendors who have apple pie, goat cheese,
apples etc. But the point of going to market is cash income because we put
money and time into the growing and selling. Otherwise, whatever vegetables
we might want from them we grow ourselves and ours tastes better.

Now about the specialization: bad idea. It's like this. We're going to
spend three hours (five counting travel and setup) at the nearest market
and spend gas money (plus another once a week market an hour away), so in
that three hours we need to sell to as many people as possible - almost
everyone who stops at our table. We can't afford to just have one thing to
sell and give up on everybody who's not there for that. To make our time
worthwhile, we need something for everybody - far as that's reasonable. We
focus on varieties that are bought most by home cooks, and those that are
fairly easy for us to grow and harvest. No labor intensive greens or cheap
radishes, turnips, or shell beans. So we had spectacularly good tomatoes
and carrots, plus red onions, garlic, summer and winter squash, shallots,
golden beets, french melons, etc. That's our first season just learning the
ropes.

We have friends there selling their honey and their raspberry products, but
they obviously can't sell to people wanting tomatoes or squash. They have
good products, but we sell far more total. We have to. Now the indoor
winter market starting Nov., monthly, gets almost no customers. We went
anyway to support the market, and five other vendors. We only had half a
dozen customers show up, but still took in $54. Because we had some good
variety including the last of the tomatoes. Specialization is for insects.

On feeding 20 - 30 people, let's do the math. If you're selling a good
variety to that number of people half the year, you may total a thousand
dollars or more from each. Multiply. Throw in a specialty crop or value
added items and the sky's the limit. Of course if you're only selling honey
or raspberry stuff you may get fifty from each throughout the season.

This isn't glamorous or a get rich quick scheme; it just works.

paul tradingpost@lobo.net

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