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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] head lettuce growers

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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: Thu, 14 Feb 2008 22:26:19 -0500

John,

You may want to look at how you sell and not so much what you sell. I have
pretty much given up on wholesale direct (restaurants and small stores). I
am mainly doing farmers markets year-round. The difference between
wholesale and retail is amazing. Take for example a case of Kale. I can
sell that wholesale (12 bunches) for about $18.00, but I can get $42.00 for
it retail at the farmers markets. Nice difference for just 4 hours work and
a lot less driving.

Maury


Sustainable 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: Thursday, February 14, 2008 9:03 AM
To: Market Farming
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] head lettuce growers

i just did a week by week comparison. we're able to get ~24 weeks of
salad mix, at worst heads would be around 22. second cuts are ok in
spring and fall, but july-early sept they are awful. for 1375sf we're
getting ~150# avg/week. the total cost of salad mix is pretty high. . .
we're cutting/processing at 10-15#/hr depending on the quality of plants
in the field. i would imagine that heads require much less labor, so
net would be higher.

summer salad mix is probably the root of my frustration. yields drop
significantly, and we end up supplying resturaunts first (low $) and
shorting our markets. we're running drip only for lettuce. overhead
irrigation might help, but our aquifer won't let us. (20gpm on a 100'
well)







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