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  • From: "Susan Houghton" <susangivingtree AT earthlink.net>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] head lettuce growers
  • Date: Fri, 15 Feb 2008 18:31:08 -0500

Yep, we did that same spreadsheet....and switched because the time to harvest, wash,and package mixed greens is about 4 times the time it takes to do heads. (BIG SAVINGS). Besides the problem with potential food borne disease problems, and a public that does not want to rewash greens.

I figure that labor is always our biggest expense, so anything we do to cut down on labor makes us more sustainable.

We start lettuce in soil blocks. (and are currently trying the larger ones). We purchased the transplanter from Johnny's that makes transplanting a stand up job. So we will be even more efficient.

We transplant the lettuce at about 4 weeks from seeding (a little faster in the summer, but we do that outside, not inside), and can turn a head out of a bed in 4 weeks - or about the same time as mixed greens).

Since we have had really moderate temperatures that last couple years into December, we were still selling heads at New Years.

So we get at least 9 cuttings per year - March, April and May, and will "interplant" when the first crop gets within one week of cutting. Sometimes we can squeeze 10 or 11 plantings. Or I can transplant onions in between the lettuce in April, and pull them in late June or early July. We are really working on the succession planting thing....do not want lettuce in the houses in the summer - but have used the houses for summer squash, cucumbers, pole beans, tomatoes.........and then start transplanting again in mid August for the fall harvest.

We have 1820 square feet of growing space in each house, so we can do 1820 x 9 = 16380 heads a year,

We are selling for $2/lb wholesale - and grossing $30,000 or more from one house. (with a little for donating, eating ourselves, or just not perfect.)

We grow Green Romaine, Red romaine, Red Leaf and Green Leaf.

The only thing that compares is spinach in the winter - and multiple cuts in December/January/February.....


Susan Houghton
Lansing MI
Zone 4 most of the time.....


----- Original Message ----- From: "John Ferree" <john AT seldomseenfarm.com>
To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Wednesday, February 13, 2008 7:10 PM
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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