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  • From: "Lynn Wigglesworth" <lynnw1366 AT hotmail.com>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Market-farming] Selling to grocery stores
  • Date: Wed, 3 Aug 2005 10:39:33 -0400

I have a LOT of Brandywine and Brandywine cross tomatoes ready to ripen.
It'll be more than I can sell through my farmstand, and I'm thinking of
selling the excess to the local grocery stores. Has anyone done this? What
price can I expect for vine-ripened heirloom varieties, delivered (by me)
once or twice a week?

According to the USDA market reports, vine ripes from NJ are $18 for 25
pounds in Philadelphia (closest large market to us). Grocery stores would
still have to pay to ship from these hubs, right? So the stores pay about
$.72/pound plus trucking? With gas prices being so high, the trucking
could add a lot to the grocery stores cost for non-local tomatoes. I'm
only 5 miles from the store; finally high fuel prices are in my favor!

And these are summer prices....I think winter tomatoes could pay well. If
I can develop a good relationship with the local stores, I'm considering
adding heat and lights and running my greenhouse through the winter,
growing tomatoes (and maybe Asian cucumbers, peppers) to sell to grocery
stores. I've grown heirloom tomatoes in the greenhouse and they do well,
but I've never carried them through the winter. It's not a huge investment
of money, and will payback in a year or two IF IT WORKS, but I'd like to
consider all the pros and cons before I do it. Any thoughts?

Lynn Wigglesworth
Peasant Farmer
Tioga County, PA




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