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  • From: singingpigfarm AT comcast.net
  • To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Market-farming] market pricing
  • Date: Thu, 23 Sep 2004 23:07:53 +0000

I am always amused to read the postings griping about other peoples prices
being too low. I have been market farming for 15+ years and I have been
profitable every year. I set my prices based solely on my cost of production,
If you know your production costs you will always make a profit. Old Timin'
recently complained about $1.00 cabbages-that is a perfect price as far as I
am concerned. What does cabbage seed cost $30/ounce? Yielding up to 5000
marketable heads? My cabbages grow at least half of their season in the rain,
so water costs are roughly $20/acre and I grow 12,000 heads per acre. Labor
costs for weeding/cultivating runs me $500/acre per crop, and another
$500/acre for harvest. My organic fertilizer cost runs $58/ acre. Total
investment for 1 acre of cabbage is $1138, with a possible yield of $12,000
at $1/head-That's a gross profit of $10,920/acre. A gross profit margin of
91%! No one is losing money at 91% gross profit margin. Adding in land costs
and depreciation and taxes lowers the net somewhat, but still you aren't
losing money. Instead of griping about the other guy, I suggest we all look
at our own operations to see how we can become more efficient.
Steve Rogers, owner/operator Singing Pig Farm, Portland, Oregon




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