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  • From: "maury sheets" <maurysheets AT verizon.net>
  • To: "'Market Farming'" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] head lettuce growers
  • Date: Wed, 13 Feb 2008 22:50:46 -0500

John,

 

Did you figure in the time each spends growing?  I do both spring mix and head lettuce.  My spring mix is ready to cut in about four weeks.  The head lettuce takes longer.  The spring mix is ready to cut again in one week for many more cuttings.  The head lettuce once cut does not have another cutting until the next planting is ready.

 

I sell my spring mix for $3.75 to $4.00 for a third pound bag all winter in the Philly farmers markets.  I get $2.50 for small heads of lettuce.  With the cut and come again, I think the mix has it over heads per square foot since I usually get 5 to 6 ounces per cutting from a 1020 flat grown hydroponically (I have not actually calculated the difference including the time frame, so I could be wrong).  I would also like to hear from others doing this type of operation.

 

Maury

logo email small Sustainbable agriculture in southern New Jersey

 

 

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of John Ferree
Sent: Wednesday, February 13, 2008 7:10 PM
To: Market Farming
Subject: [Market-farming] head lettuce growers

 

hey. . .

i was running some spreadsheets today. . . we're growing primarily

lettuce mix, but I ran a comparison for the same area for heads.

for 1375 sf of salad mix we're doing ~1125$ avg sales.  for the same

area in head lettuce we would be producing 825 heads (5'centers 3 rows,

12" between)

at 2.50/head (what we sell heads for - but rarely have them) the return

is much greater - 2062$.  SO - why am i spending 4x the labor on salad

mix when heads are less labor intensive?

 

what's the spectrum of price on heads?  here (indianapolis) the

conventional head lettuce guy is selling for 1.75/head.  (still higher

than my salad mix returns) and that seems really cheap.  i don't

frequent wild oats, but would expect 2-3.50 is standard.   when i

started out i said, 'there's no way i'm growing salad mix. . . it's too

labor intensive.'  hehehe.  to rival the 2062$ from heads I would have

to charge 14$/#, twice our current average price!  better sell it in

*small* bags.

 

thanks to everyone with the AC G ideas. . . i really like the g's setup,

but am beginning to realize that keeping it up and finding parts may be

a long term PITA.  oh well. 

 

 

john

 

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