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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] Planting methods for Salad mix

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  • From: BillOhio <billohio AT gmail.com>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Planting methods for Salad mix
  • Date: Sun, 20 Sep 2009 09:16:00 -0400

Hi Breck,

I do have a day job and also have a medical transcription service which sometimes requires computer time when I'd more-conveniently be preparing for market. We do not have a cool room yet, though that keeps circulating in the wishlist...We get to market about 7:15 and it's 32 miles, so we're leaving ~ 6:30 or so. All of that said, the primary reasons I pick the lettuce late are because customers like buying lettuce that is less than 10 hours old; the "moonlight lettuce" slogan catches their imagination somewhat, with a little help from me; the quality visibly improves by picking it after the heat of the day is past during the later part  of the season; and, with my time constraints the day before market, it's the easiest crop to harvest in semi-darkness.

We keep the produce in coolers on ice with towels to prevent freezer burn, with small amounts of each on display. We sell in stuffed, open-ended gallon bags @ $4.50 a bag, which is a bit over a pound. I'll have some bags made up, but customers are free to specify what types they like and how much they want. I've sold a leaf or three to people walking by with a hamburger, and chances are they come back next week to get a full bag.

This past spring I was harvesting from 3 beds each 4x12' or roughly 50 square feet. We were selling 40-45 gallon bags per week for 5 weeks, I think. Sooooo, 40 bags x 5 pickings x $4.50 / 50 square feet = $18 per square foot total, or $3.60 per square foot per week, after which we rotate the bed into summer production. We also sell spinach, either alone or in the mix. Every year we say we're going to extend into summer lettuce, and every year other things take precedence...sigh. 

I'm starting the seed in plug flats, then potting up once for the early spring plantings to get a jump on the season, or just setting out the plugs later on. Gives me good control of spacing, gets a jump on the weeds, and there isn't any need to thin. Lettuce seed goes a LONG way when you're only putting 200 plants, or thereabouts, in a 12-foot bed. Beds have compost added. I use drip irrigation. Soil is Kokomo silty clay loam. If you haven't been there, the USDA Soil Survey at http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/HomePage.htm is a good resource.

As far as varieties go, I went through the Fedco catalog on New Year's Eve (typical wild party at the Huhman home, and it got the expense on the 2008 tax year) and got packages of what sounded interesting. Red is really popular, but standbys like Black-Seeded Simpson, Salad Bowl and Buttercrunch are my mainstays. I pick everything as leaf lettuce, including head lettuce and romaine types, and put it all into the bag. Also some arugula and whatever else I've got available. I've got 23 varieties growing now, hopefully to be ready by next Saturday's market.

When the planets align correctly and the gods smile, (and I get motivated), I'll get an early crop planted under low tunnels in February and have a crop by early April, sometimes with snow on the tunnels. Usually, when I show up end of April with lettuce to sell, I'm the only vendor there with anything green, other than asparagus, and life is good. I've been accused of bringing it up from Kentucky :). I've had folks with a few 4-oz bags of triple-washed "gourmet" lettuce tell me we're way too cheap and lettuce has to be washed, but at the end of the day I think we take home more net profit than they do without a lot more work or expense involved and with more customer loyalty, to boot..

If I were farming full-time, I'd do things differently, but I'm not. I think we all have to adapt what we do to where we're at, and then fine-tune our practices to best meet customer expectations and profit maximization. 

Breck, i hope this makes sense! I need to go see if the bees have finally capped any honey ... we've been dry this year and the honey crop is pretty slim.

Bill Huhman
central Ohio
twitter: FarmerBillOhio

On Sat, Sep 19, 2009 at 9:47 AM, breck <bcarden AT breckinridgegroup.com> wrote:

Hi there Bill, I have a few questions if you don’t mind.

Why are you picking the night before? Day job? No refrigeration? Morning market? Better product?

How do you display/package/price?

What is your estimate of quantity on that 10X10’ = 100 s/f harvest.

In general what types of lettuce ore you growing?

 

Thanks,

Farmer Breck

Breck Carden

Carden’s Garden

2400 E Hwy 22

Crestwood, KY 40014-7704

breck AT breckcarden.com

www.breckcarden.com

 





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