Market Farming

["Hook Family" <guldann AT ix.netcom.com>]

Allan,
We are entering our fifth year as a CSA, our cherry tomatoes are upick.  So
we like to have a good amount, but on the other hand there is that balance
of how many tomatoes plants do we want to tie up?  The year before last my
husband complained we've got too many plants so last year I decreased total
tomatoes to maybe 300ish from about 600ish.  Well of course it was a cool
year and yields were down and we struggled to get enough to make a pleasing
harvest.  All the new members were happy they thought 10 ish tomatoes and
30-50 cherries a week was pretty good but some of the oldies weren't pleased
(one quit) they remember the pounds and pounds they'd gotten a couple years
before.  So of course this year we are bringing up the plant count, it will
probably be great year and hubby will complain again about too many plants
:).
I have cherry 100s, sungolds as the main cherry crop and between them there
must be at least 300 plants will hubby plant them all ? Yes we do not have
all our tomatoes in, last really safe frost date is May 31 ok frost date
usually 15 but of course around that date this year freezing temp so we've
held off.  Anyway I also have a few red and yellow pear cherries 50 at the
most.  So 200-300 cherry plants guess you'd say.  We are a 40 member CSA and
I really enjoy letting them pick as many cherry tomatoes as they'd like.
Other than tying them up its a painless bonus bounty :).  The dilemma for me
this year is with the reg. tomatoes, in my first two years yields were good
and I basically let anyone who wanted extra to pick a bushel or so or even
more.  Since, I have heard that many CSA charge extra for that much extra.
Can't decide.  If yields are really great I'd like to get a little extra $
(what's that) and sell a few road side stand (table) wise.  Oh well good
luck  Beth
> Subject: Re: How Many Cherry Tomato Plants?
> From: Allan Balliett <igg AT igg.com>
> Date: Sat, 1 Jun 2002 23:42:38 -0400
> X-Message-Number: 6
>
> Thanks for your recommendations, Ken. Your points have already been
> well considered.