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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] cucumbers

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  • From: "Shawnee Flowerfarmer" <farmingflowers AT hotmail.com>
  • To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org, farmersue AT hughes.net
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] cucumbers
  • Date: Thu, 16 Nov 2006 16:15:36 -0600

Lemon cucumbers can be used very small-egg sized, and they will be less seedy.  I let them get really mature to save the seed for next season. 

My best  regular green cucumber in every way is "Diva" .  They can be grown under floating row covers because they are self-pollinating.  The Diva is very sweet, thin skinned and a prolific producer; however, there are two disadvantages:   the seed is expensive and can't be saved.  I think that it's still worth it because the villian cucumber beetle is my main insect problem, and growing them under a floating row cover makes it easier to get a good organic crop.

A tip for marketing small veggies at a great price: at the stall next to mine (Green City Farmer's Market in Chicago) a vendor was selling tiny scallop squash, 4 for a dollar.  The vendor sold out every week.  I weighed the same size scallop squash later and found that four of them weighed less than 2 ounces which equalled 8 dollars a pound at that market price.  Of course harvesting the squashes that small can eat up your profit, but you can get quick and consistent at it. 

Think about marketing your small produce in recipe-ready amounts and then price it according to what your market will absorb.  I used to do a salsa verde package-tomatillos, cilantro , oregano, garlic, onion (with a recipe included).  For little cucumbers, you could do a micro salad mix: baby greens, cherry/grape tomatoes, tiny cucumbers, scallions, dill or fennel leaves, maybe borage flowers too.

Shawnee, zone 5 


From:  Joyce Paski <elderberrywine4u AT yahoo.com>
Reply-To:  Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
To:  farmersue AT hughes.net,Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject:  Re: [Market-farming] cucumbers
Date:  Thu, 16 Nov 2006 09:56:27 -0800 (PST)



Sue Wells <farmersue AT hughes.net> wrote:
  
         
  
 I need cucumbers that will sell well, as well as me
using the same ones for pickling.
  
Hi, Sue:
  
 
  
I like to grow heirlooms, too, and this year the Australian Lemon Cucumbers were a HUGE hit for me.  I actually had a line at my stand on one market day just for these cucumbers.  My garden year was absolutely brutal (our entire County was declared a disaster area due to drought) and these cukes were definitely a bright spot for me.  They come on late in the season and do they produce!  I had no problem with pests or blights with them.  The deer didn't even bother them.  I am inclined to think they did so well because they produce later in the season.  They are great for eating fresh and also make really good pickle slices.  I had only one complaint from an older woman who said she didn't care for them because she thought they were seedy.  The Riesentraube tomatoes didn't grow for me at all here in Zone
3, but other heirlooms like Stupice, Black Plum, Amish Paste, and Arkansas Traveler grew well despite the drought.  Unfortunately, we have smart deer here and they really like heirloom tomatoes.  My garden design is really getting tweaked this winter.
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 

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