Market Farming

[road's end farm <organic101 AT linkny.com>]

On Jun 16, 2005, at 2:25 AM, Ray Menke wrote:

> How do you sell garlic at the market?
> We have lots of very dirty garlic (about five different types) to sell
> at four high volume markets.  ($300 to $400 per hour -one person)
> Earlier, we bunched the green or immature garlic and sold it for
> $1.50/bunch.  Now we have the dry bulbs and cloves to sell, but they 
> are
> covered with a fine layer of dirty clay.

You need to clean it by carefully peeling off the outer layer or two of 
skin / bulb wrapper. Don't take too much off, you don't want to expose 
the individual cloves, which will damage both appearance and keeping 
quality. This is easiest to do on either very green or fairly dry 
garlic; harder when it's inbetween.
Don't wash it, it's not likely to keep well afterwards if you do. Do 
cut the roots off, close but not breaking the skin.

> If they are packed into a
> clamshell, the average weight of the package is about 1/2 pound.
> Will they "keep" in the clamshell?

Anything you put them in, make sure they get very good ventilation. 
I've never tried clamshells.

> Yesterday at Sam's Club, they offered 3 pounds of very nice Mexican
> Garlic for $3.88.  (Beautiful, large and very white - nice to cook
> with!)  It was packed in a mesh bag.

DO NOT price your crop according to what they're asking at Sam's Club! 
You'll go broke in a hurry trying to sell commodity garlic (or anything 
else) often grown in countries with very low labor costs. You are (or 
should be) selling much better garlic -- better flavor, locally grown, 
and actually fresh, not out of cold storage and shipped long distances. 
(though come to think of it, depending on where that is in Texas Mexico 
may be next door.)

> I don't think braiding is anything we could do.  (The braids would
> probably fall apart between markets.)

I transport braids back and forth to market laid flat in shallow boxes. 
They do need some careful handling, and to be well made in the first 
place.

> If about a pound of garlic was put into a mesh bag, how much would it
> sell for?

Depends on your market area, and whether it's organic. Last year I 
figured my organic garlic should retail at about $5.00 / lb. I sold 
individual bulbs grouped by size at 75¢, 1.00, and 1.25 each; smalls 
and damaged bulbs at 35¢ each. This year it may be up a little. This is 
a low-priced area.

> How do you store the garlic in this hot and humid climate so it will
> last until November without rot or mold?

Don't know about Texas, but in general: good air circulation, not in 
direct sun, not in an overly humid place if you can help it. Hang it up 
or store in shallow trays with good air flow if not hung up. Harvest in 
dry weather if at all possible. Mine, harvested in reasonably dry 
weather (for here, anyway), usually keeps till somewhere between the 
next March and the next May in the braids; until between January to 
March in bulk. Last year's all gave out by January or February, it was 
very wet at harvest time. You want to sell it while it's still got some 
storage life in it, though, to keep your customers happy. I'm usually 
sold out by November or December, the storage notes are from what I 
keep for home use.

-- Rivka; Finger Lakes NY, Zone 5 mostly
Fresh-market organic produce, small scale