Market Farming

["Elizabeth Pike" <pike AT always-online.com>]

> How do you display your salad greens to keep them from wilting in
the
> Carolina heat?

I only display as little as I can get away with, keeping the rest in
the cooler.  For what I do display, I use food service plastic basins
with hollow interiors that are filled with a gel.  The containers are
frozen overnight ( I have access to a walk-in freezer at our
restaurant, a little perk), and I take them out to market the next
day.  This gel stays cold, & defrosts very slowly-several
hours-keeping the greens & salads fresh without immersion in
water-something I try to avoid.  I spray them constantly while on
display with ice water.

> How do you work the mechanics of mix-n-match?  Do you have tongs?

I have prebagged mixes (several varieties-spicy, regular, w/herbs,
w/herbs & flowers) in ziplock bags that are 1 lb-these sell for $5.
But for the $8.00 bags, this lettuce is either by the head, or cut,
and displayed in these basins.  And, yes, I do use tongs.  The
customer chooses what varieties-I bag them, and know how much to put
in to keep it to the 2 lb limit. Veggies are chosen first, and I
subtly direct the customer on how much to select.

> I sell my mesclun to restaurants in 5# bags for $30.  To friends and
> neigbors in  8 oz ziplock bags for $4.00 and they are happy to get
it.  I
> think you should be able to get more for yours.  Salad mix in our
> supermarkets goes for $5.99.

Unfortunately, in our area, these salad mixes are new & strange-people
are scared of them!!   Anything not iceberg is suspicious--looks too
much like weeds.  Just this year, the grocery stores have started
carrying them, but they are mostly Romaine or Iceberg.  I've had to
keep my prices low to introduce these new edibles, and encourage
experimenting.  All the other vendors charge $.75-$1 per head for
large, wattery heads of lettuce, so to have someone pay $4,5,8 is
quite a step of faith for these customers.  My lettuce looks so
absolutely fresh--it really is irresistable.  I know-I've eaten a
salad at 6:30 in the morning because "I" couldn't resist!

Liz
Morningstar Gardens
Pollocksville  NC