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Re: [Market-farming] Managing lettuce (and veggie) glut
- From: "Liz" <liz AT horseshoegardens.com>
- To: "'Market Farming'" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
- Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Managing lettuce (and veggie) glut
- Date: Sun, 17 May 2009 14:14:45 -0400
After playing around with several different packaging/pricing options
& learning what our market expects/wants/will pay for, we've settled on
these options which have led to us selling out or only bringing home enough
leftovers that we ourselves will eat during the week:
1-Our best seller, after spinach, is a mesclun salad mix which we
note on the label as made up of 12-14 varieties (this alone distinguishes
ours at the market because no one else labels theirs). Even with other
vendors selling the same varieties, same quality, same price, we're
selling out. I package more and more each week, but we've yet to reach
the saturation point. With our climate we will be able to supply
lettuce the full season, except for a couple of weeks in August, so we want to
get & KEEP customers now to take advantage of the rest of the market
preparing to drop out of lettuce production in a couple of weeks. We'll be
the only ones with soil-grown lettuce (1 hydroponics producer at market) during
the tomato season ; )).
2-Second best seller is a mix of heads, 1 plain romaine, 1 speckled
Romaine, 1 frilly red head, and if we have enough, 1 frilly green. We
label this as a "lettuce mix" to distinguish it from the salad mix of looseleaf
varieties.
3-Third best seller is a full bag, 3-4 heads of just the frilly red
leaf lettuce which draws attention. We also have a frilly green variety
but it doesn't sell on it's own.
4-And lastly, we do up a bag of 4 Tom Thumbs, labeled as baby
butterhead.
Ours are packaged in open topped plastic bags, 8 ozs, for $3.00.
Our labels only show the variety/name and price, not weight. This price is
the going rate at market and customers balk at anything priced more, though we
just learned this week that other producers are selling spinach in 6 oz
bags vs our 8oz. Not sure if we're gonna downsize our bags or
not-we're developing a steady following, including some vendors who's spinach
has already bolted on them.
This week I played around with those frozen gel sheets I posted about
earlier this week. Laid directly on the metal-topped market
tables, they worked great at keeping the lettuce,
scallions and cut herbs fresh & cool, which set our stuff apart
even more from the other vendors too.
I also had a few baby carrots and radishes from the greenhouse which I
packaged into 8oz bags along with 4-6 scallions and called the bag "Baby
Roots"...who'da thunk we'd get $8/lb for carrots, radishes or green onions but
customers bought 'em cuz they looked so dern cute!!
You could approach some local restaurants & caterers to see if they
want your overflow. May & June are extra busy months for
caterers between graduations, recitals and weddings so they can use the
glut! I sold my leftovers from Wed market to our neighbor who's a caterer
too, and she may do the same this week.
Liz
Horseshoe Gardens
who sooo wants to take today off, but must seed some plug
trays...
From: market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Richard Moyer
Sent: Sunday, May 17, 2009 10:13 AM
To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: [Market-farming] Managing lettuce (and veggie) glutAll kinds of lettuce at market yesterday, in quality, quantity and price. Sold what I took, but the last of it late. We have a few hundred butterhead and looseleaf coming on, ready in 1-4 weeks.For a new market grower, any strategies you all can share on selling during abundance? What distinguishes your product?What about producing early and/or late (hence avoiding the glut)?Thanks,Richard MoyerCastlewood, VAWishing I had more young spinach now.
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[Market-farming] Managing lettuce (and veggie) glut,
Richard Moyer, 05/17/2009
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Re: [Market-farming] Managing lettuce (and veggie) glut,
Andy Fellenz, 05/17/2009
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Re: [Market-farming] Managing lettuce (and veggie) glut,
Road's End Farm, 05/17/2009
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Re: [Market-farming] Managing lettuce (and veggie) glut,
Willie McKemie, 05/17/2009
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Re: [Market-farming] Managing lettuce (and veggie) glut,
Road's End Farm, 05/17/2009
- Re: [Market-farming] Managing lettuce (and veggie) glut, Willie McKemie, 05/17/2009
- Re: [Market-farming] Managing lettuce (and veggie) glut, Roots Farm & Karen Sutherland, 05/17/2009
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Re: [Market-farming] Managing lettuce (and veggie) glut,
Road's End Farm, 05/17/2009
-
Re: [Market-farming] Managing lettuce (and veggie) glut,
Willie McKemie, 05/17/2009
-
Re: [Market-farming] Managing lettuce (and veggie) glut,
Road's End Farm, 05/17/2009
-
Re: [Market-farming] Managing lettuce (and veggie) glut,
Liz, 05/17/2009
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Message not available
-
Re: [Market-farming] Managing lettuce (and veggie) glut,
Liz, 05/22/2009
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Re: [Market-farming] Managing lettuce (and veggie) glut,
Allan Balliett, 05/22/2009
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[Market-farming] Something Quick,
Marie Kamphefner, 05/22/2009
- Re: [Market-farming] Something Quick, Bobbett, 05/22/2009
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Re: [Market-farming] Something Quick,
Bobbett, 05/22/2009
- Re: [Market-farming] Something Quick, Sue Wells, 05/23/2009
- [Market-farming] Pea Shoots was Something Quick, Allan Balliett, 05/24/2009
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Re: [Market-farming] Something Quick,
Elaine Granata, 05/23/2009
- Re: [Market-farming] Something Quick, Marie Kamphefner, 05/24/2009
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[Market-farming] Something Quick,
Marie Kamphefner, 05/22/2009
- Re: [Market-farming] Managing lettuce (and veggie) glut, Richard Stover, 05/23/2009
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Re: [Market-farming] Managing lettuce (and veggie) glut,
Allan Balliett, 05/22/2009
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Re: [Market-farming] Managing lettuce (and veggie) glut,
Liz, 05/22/2009
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Message not available
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Re: [Market-farming] Managing lettuce (and veggie) glut,
Andy Fellenz, 05/17/2009
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