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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] Business models: Market specialization

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  • From: "cjmaness AT juno.com" <cjmaness AT juno.com>
  • To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Business models: Market specialization
  • Date: Mon, 18 Jul 2011 15:23:17 GMT

We not only diversify with different crops, but also with individual crops.
We grow determinate and indeterminate tomatoes. For some reason the
indeterminates are setting some fruit where the determinates aren't.
Squash: crookneck is doing much better than straight neck. I have no idea
why. Regular zucchini (Senator is a good one for us) not doing so hot, while
the "Cousa" type Magda is doing great. The white patty pan out performs the
yellow patty pan each week. Pickling cukes are doing very well, except for
one of the "European" types I got from Johnny's. The slicers... not so much.
We also grow cut flowers. Zinnias and sunflowers are big sellers and I sold
100 sunflowers last week at 2 dollars a stem. The heat doesn't bother them at
all. I can pick sunflowers all week and put them in the cooler and they hold
just fine.
Okra, the heat lover of the south is so-so. I'm picking about 70# a week and
it should be double that by now. We're the only ones at market that have any
so I'm thankful for what we do have.
Onions, potatoes, cabbage and leeks have/are doing well.
Green beans. I hate green beans. Picking is torture. We had 4 rows, 500 feet
long. I feel like I will never get to the end of the rows! This year I picked
for 3 weeks where usually it's 6 weeks. They are a money making crop, but I
hate picking them so much that I didn't care that they ended 3 weeks early.
We've had our share of dismal failures too though. Cauliflower was a waste of
time. It got too hot to fast. We picked a fraction of what we had planted. It
seems like this has happened the last couple of years so this winter when I'm
doing my planning I'm going to take a closer look at it and make some
changes.The same thing with trying to grow summer lettuce. Even with shade
cloth and plenty of water I can't fight 100+ temps. The deer loved the little
bit I did manage to grow. They pulled up the EMT, twisted the shade cloth all
up, and wiped out 400 teenage lettuce. Very frustrating.
This is what works for us. It's not easy. It's hot, dirty, miserable, and I
have plenty of days when I want to quit.
Carla
Perkins, OK

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