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Subject: Market Farming

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  • From: "Bill Shoemaker" <wshoemak AT inil.com>
  • To: "market farming" <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Value added
  • Date: Tue, 9 Jan 2001 08:43:00 -0600


Del

You should consider raising your own raspberries. I've been working with
fall-bearing red raspberries in St Charles, IL for fifteen years. They are
one of the easiest crops you can grow, as long as you don't let perennial
weeds get started in them. If you have a site with a slope (2-3% is

sufficient) and good soil drainage, try some Heritage red raspberries on a
trial basis. I have a planting that is fifteen years old that has never had
disease problems, only a few insect problems, with weed management needing
the most attention. Pruning is easy. You just mow them down to the ground
every March. The new canes that emerge from the ground bear a crop about
Labor day, lasting until frost. Quality is excellent.

Bill Shoemaker
Sr Research Specialist, Food Crops
Univ of Illinois - St Charles Hort Research Center
-----Original Message-----
From: Del Williams <delannw AT dlogue.net>
To: market farming <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
Date: Tuesday, January 09, 2001 7:10 AM
Subject: Re: Value added


>Our first 2001 market meeting is tonite and the public health people were
>coming to tell us about the 2001 changes. Last year, they charged vendors
>who were selling value-added foods (including any prepared food, jams,
>jellies) $80 for a license. Our bakery people about fell over on that one
>since they didn't have a license the previous year. Processed jams and
>jellies have to be done in a commercial process - no home prepared canned
>goods.
>
>The specs on a certified kitchen changed so I quit doing bakery items. I
>was baking and selling vegan quick breads at the market. It was a lot of
>work in addition to picking and packing on Friday so I don't really miss
>this...the customers did though.
>
>Last year they let me go on the herbal vinegars. Didn't even have to pay a
>license.
>The vinegars were $4 per 8 oz. bottle and when they went out on the tables
>they sold. I had french tarragon in white wine vinegar, garlic-basil
(green
>and purple) in red or white wine or apple cider vinegar, and
>chile/ginger/cilantro in apple cider vinegar. After our freeze in October,
>the herbal vinegars were about all I had to offer at the last markets. The
>vinegars are taxed at the market as a food item (1% in Illinois).
>
>I made red raspberry vinegar last year but decided to distribute it as
gifts
>and find out what people thought of it. I sure would be nice to find
>someone who does organic raspberries in my area. I don't grow them myself.
>
>For those of you who are doing food, I hope you have your liability
>insurance in order. All you need is an accusation of food poisoning and
you
>end up in court whether they are right or wrong. A million $ policy would
>probably be prudent.
>
>By the way, the county inspectors came to every market at the beginning of
>the season. They didn't necessarily identify themselves at a stand either.
>They would ask you to do something that was in violation of the rules and
>then give you a warning. (The WIC farmers market program also has "secret
>shoppers" who will ask vendors to include illegal items in a coupon sale
>too.)
>
>Another value-added item is my corn wreaths. Each wreath has between 25
and
>35 ears. The wreath's price is based entirely on the number of ears and
>other items required for making the wreath with a minimum 50% mark-up.
>Custom wreaths (where customers specified the colors of corn) are higher.
>Most wreaths sell for around $35.
>
>Del Williams
>Farmer in the Del
>Clifton IL
>
>
>
>---
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