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livingontheland - Re: [Livingontheland] Joel Salatin advocates a better way to raise food

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  • From: "Tradingpost" <tradingpost@lobo.net>
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Joel Salatin advocates a better way to raise food
  • Date: Tue, 29 Dec 2009 17:17:43 -0700


Without knowing where you are or what sells there, I wouldn't say one size
fits all. Other places might want oriental greens or okra or field peas or
gooseberries. See what's selling in markets or groceries, as well as what
grows well where you are.

paul tradingpost@lobo.net

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********

On 12/29/2009 at 5:50 PM Charles wrote:

>Thanks, Paul.
>I'll look up some of the vegetables you mentioned.
>
>
>Charlie
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: livingontheland-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
>[mailto:livingontheland-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Tradingpost
>Sent: Tuesday, December 29, 2009 9:46 AM
>To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
>Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Joel Salatin advocates a better way to raise
>food
>
>
>Okay, you asked ;-) -- trying to be brief, we plan on what will sell best
>in
>two busy upscale markets each week. On the idea that people buy mostly
>certain kinds of familiar produce and not others, and Wal-Mart shoppers
>look
>for bargains that would cut our profit margins in half. One is near Santa
>Fe
>but we get higher prices than growers at the famous Santa Fe market. Within
>those limits we attract repeat customers by offering better varieties of
>those kinds of produce and call it Gourmet Gardens. The tomatoes are our
>globe shaped strain of Genovese and good as they get, $4 to $5 a pound.
>Sweet peppers are Giant Marconi, nobody's tasted them before and they bring
>$1.00 each. Pole beans are long flat Italian yellow or green. Potatoes are
>Yukon Gold. Carrots are Scarlet Nantes. Colossal garlic, shallots,
>Butternut
>and Delicata winter squash. Avoiding things that spoil if not sold quickly
>like salad greens, to cut losses, and cheapest things like zuchinni &
>cucumbers. We're work
> ing on adding potted culinary herbs they can grow and dried herbs for teas
>etc. esp lemon verbena, French tarragon, Italian oregano, mints. My partner
>sets an attractive display and offers samples to get peoples' attention,
>and
>above all she talks to people. They can't get that in the store. We see
>competition as a good thing, not bad, because it brings in more customers
>to
>the markets. Both markets are an hour drive each way and we have to sell
>really fast for four hours to make it worth our time.
>
>No hoop houses. I've built a couple woodframe 18'x48' greenhouses for
>tomatoes & peppers to extend season. Not a trained carpenter so it's simple
>but time consuming. Polytack 1" strip stapled over 6 ml UV plastic to 2 x4
>lumber. Boards make framed beds inside. I string clothesline around
>vertical
>2x4s to tie tomato vines up. Ventilation is by $20 (price has gone up)
>thermostat fans with louvers that fall shut when off. I open windows on
>opposite sides but leave them open in summer. No added heat. We get high
>winds so bottoms are anchored with treated post & beam in cemented holes.
>Outside garden is all fenced with framed beds and drip from a well that was
>here. No tiller or chemicals anywhere. It's all a lot less invesment than
>most other market growers and all covers less than 1/4 acre. It's
>Biointensive without the double digging, based on a lot of reading. There's
>a lot more trial and error than I'd care to admit tho. I didn't get carrots
>and squash in early enough last se
> ason to beat an unexpected plague of grasshoppers. We should have put in
>perennial berries four years ago. Keep all the mulch and free amendments on
>hand ahead of time. Of course methods vary in different climates and
>markets. We'd do better in Missouri!
>
>
>paul tradingpost@lobo.net
>
>*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********
>
>On 12/28/2009 at 7:43 PM Charles wrote:
>
>>Paul, I was wondering what do you grow to sell at the farmers market to
>>supplement your income and do you have hoop houses or anything else out of
>>the ordinary to get your produce to market?
>>
>>I'm 60 myself and still working but looking ahead.
>>
>>Thanks, Charlie, gardening in St. Charles County, Missouri
>>






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