Tomato Profits

[TomatoDon]

I'm trying to get a good average price on the income of growing tomatoes. I read the analysis from different states, but none have a consistent listing of the number of tomatoes to grow per acre. They usually list varieties that are for long life rather than taste. And I'm always reading in these forums about the yeild per plant, which can range from very low to very high.

I have noticed the growers in my area and that they do quite well as a part time summer jo selling home grown tomatoes. They rarely have more than a couple of hundred plants but all say they make several thousand dollars on them. One guy had gross sales of $4,000 last year on 130 Goliath plants. He sells them for $1.00 a pound at a roadside stand. In 2010 he had around 120 plants and made slightly more money. They grow their own seedlings, or either buy them from the Amish at great prices, and have had their own land for years to grow them on.

I would not get into the tomato business from scratch. But I already have the land to plant as many as I want to and I usually plant 50 tomatoes a year anyway. I have all the equipment needed, and I even have part time help if necessary. It's just a matter of me deciding whether to try it or not.

I've read that 1,000 plants per acre is really not a lot, but if a person can average $30 a plant like my friend did last year then an acre would be quite lucrative.

So, what are some of the factors I'm leaving out? Even at $10 per plant, a thousand plants on one acre would be a good extra income for the summer.

I'd like to get the thoughts, ideas, and suggestions from those who have tried this.

Don

[RebelRidin]

Hi Don,


Whatever you decide... Let me wish you best of fortunes.

I have not done this but I have done extra income work in evenings, nights and weekends from time to time as an IT Contractor for extra income. As you contemplate this I suggest a few key things need to be examined...

First is "Supply and Demand". Is there market/outlet with sufficient demand for all those tomatos? It needs to be there and it can't have too many barriers to entry. Sometimes a market has to be developed and that can take a little time.

Second is motivation. Is the money sufficient motivation to sustain you when you are faced with dealing with all those tomatoes? If not, do you have another motivation that will? I often observe that successful entrepreneurs are driven to do what they do. Making a profit while doing it is just a necessary part that enables them to do it.

______________________
George

[Granite26]

Originally Posted by TomatoDon

So, what are some of the factors I'm leaving out?

Weather!

I only grow out about 500 plants but the last two years I would be lucky if I managed 10 cents/hour for my troubles. After starting seeds, potting up, transplanting to field, managing the plants and harvest along with selling I had many many hours invested (and $$). Poor crop from bad weather yielded few "sellable" toms. Many I was able to bulk out really cheap for those wanting to work at cutting them up and making sauce but it was very disappointing.

[Boutique Tomatoes]

My results equal Granite26's, however we're in the same part of the country, so similar weather the last two years. I grew over 100 tomato plants the last two years and between the weather, birds and animals I didn't end up with enough for just our family.

But hope springs eternal, and this year I'm planting out 2 or 3 times as many and planting mostly earlier varieties, but in case it's a good weather year I'm hoping to press the kids into helping by offering them a cut of profits. Here's to hoping there are some!

Now, I do it strictly for fun and to have a reason for growing as many things as I do. I spend my days staring at a computer screen, gardening is my escape from that.

For a cash crop, the demand for superhots is crazy, but you'll almost certainly have to ship to sell many. By the pound some of the growers I know where getting $30-40 per pound from restarants and bars doing the hot food challenges and such. Last year I sold USPS small flat rate boxes with superhot assortments like the picture here for $20 each, it worked out to an average of $1 per pepper + shipping.

[Keger]

Interesting. Do you think these would grow well in a hot humid climate? I'm in Texas, japalenos go crazy here, I wonder how this stuff would do?

[Boutique Tomatoes]

All the superhots are tropical, so I would expect they'd do great. I know PepperMania grows in Stafford, TX.

[Keger]

Thanks, Stafford is right down the road from me. Pardon my ignorance, but is PepperMania a type of hot pepper? Any others you might reccomend?

[Boutique Tomatoes]

PepperMania is a specialty pepper seed company.

The biggest demand is always for the latest king of the hill, last year you could name your price for the Butch T, this year it will likely be the TS Moruga. (I saw TS Moruga seeds offered for 2.50 each this morning!) Another one that is an up and comer is the Douglah. Then there are almost infinite variations in different strains.

[Keger]

Thanks a bunch! I'll check them out.

[mikeinsc]

The Douglah is an stunningly vicious pepper. I'm suprised that the TS Morouga Blend has surpassed that on the Scoville scale. I grow all of these varieties and it has been my experience that the Douglah packs a harder punch than any of them.

Keger,
If you want some seed to try for yourself, send me a PM. I have about 65 varieties of pepper that I am growing this year. Some I don't have a lot of seed for but I can set you up with some good peppers.

[Boutique Tomatoes]

Originally Posted by mikeinsc

The Douglah is an stunningly vicious pepper. I'm suprised that the TS Morouga Blend has surpassed that on the Scoville scale. I grow all of these varieties and it has been my experience that the Douglah packs a harder punch than any of them.

Keger,
If you want some seed to try for yourself, send me a PM. I have about 65 varieties of pepper that I am growing this year. Some I don't have a lot of seed for but I can set you up with some good peppers.

My thoughts echo yours. I grew both of those last year and the Douglah was just monterously hot. I compare the sensaction of eating the Douglah to picking up a burning coal out of the fire and trying to eat it. The guy who can taste anything sweet and smoky in that pepper must not have functioning pain receptors.

I think there is a flaw in the purely chemical analysis, in that different capsaicinoid compounds have different effects. Anyone who's played with peppers much knows that some vareities just hit harder than others even if their Scoville ratings are similar.

Most of my sauces have peppers as the main ingredient, the one I made with the Douglah last year had the peppers as the 7th item on the ingredients list by weight. I think there were 16 seeded Douglah peppers in a gallon of sauce and it's still too spicy for most people.

Back to the main topic:

I think one of the issues with growing a lot of heirloom tomatoes for sale is that they pretty much need to be picked daily during the heat of the summer, and all of that adds up to a lot of time. If I look at the hourly return, I'm far better off doing one more small contract than growing anything, but I'm trying to involve my kids in it. When I was their age my parents let my sister and I sell berries and produce out of the garden once we'd put up everything we needed for the year. I'd be happy if I could install a little entrepreneurial spirt in them and show them there are other ways to make money besides working for someone else.

[kurt]

I gave some cherrys to a friend of mine last year.One of his neighbors owns a restaurant and was amazed at the taste and varietys I had and contacted me about the possibility of supplying him some maters for his high end restaurant here in Miami.So this year I grew 100 extra cherry plants for him.having the containers and poles already I made a deal with him.He made a mistake by telling me he was buying cherrys at $4.00/pint at Whole Foods.So i said OK I will do the same.So I managed to get him 1000 pints so far this year.Each plant was averaging about 15 pints.So at my earnings of $4000.00 was whittled down minus $600 for pro mix,$200 for algoflash tomatoe fert.$100 water and twine(trellising).So now I am at$3300.For the 4 months I spent about 20 hours per week maintaining.that comes to 320 hours.That came in at $10.31/hour.So to make my regular rate at $30.00/hour I would have to grow 3 times the amount.Not really worth it.I grow in containers in my screened in enclosure(pool)

[kurt]

Growing the large rounds would limit the time and need to get rid of them since they seem to ripen at the end of season and you have so much to sell all at once.The cherrys come in during a longer picking time so cash will come in at a steady flow.The restaurant owner I mentioned sends someone to the house and he picks them with me and takes them in bulk.He is really happy caus his customers like the freshness and varietys.The deal I made with him is all cash sales(no checks)IRS!But the greedy owner is already talking about me packaging and starting his own garden.And wanting me to help him set up.I will give my secrets to anyone else but to a greedy business owner.Greed is not good be happy with what you got.

[Keger]

mark,

I hear what you are saying, my grandfather was from Italy, and where he was from in the country they raised everything themselves, so I basicall started learning how to grow stuff and get the knack for it since I was 3. One thing people tell me here, I basically am in Houston, is that they arent too concerned about the variety, they just want home grown taste and care. I guess thats one advantage being right next to a monster city. As for how it works, we'll see. But I do like your idea with the kids, that can be something that stays with them forever, it did with me. In my opinion learning a work ethic is about the most important learning there is.

[Boutique Tomatoes]

Originally Posted by Keger

mark,

I hear what you are saying, my grandfather was from Italy, and where he was from in the country they raised everything themselves, so I basicall started learning how to grow stuff and get the knack for it since I was 3. One thing people tell me here, I basically am in Houston, is that they arent too concerned about the variety, they just want home grown taste and care. I guess thats one advantage being right next to a monster city. As for how it works, we'll see. But I do like your idea with the kids, that can be something that stays with them forever, it did with me. In my opinion learning a work ethic is about the most important learning there is.

Both of my parents were from rural farm families of 9 kids each, putting up their own food was just what you did there, so I grew up that way as well. In my 20's and early 30's I worked as a chef, and really got to appreciate the difference good ingredients made, so I started gardening as soon as I had a place to plant something.

Where I am the season is so short local heirloom tomatoes aren't available for long at all, so I'm trying a new approach this year putting out mostly midseason varieties under low tunnels a month earlier than normal. I figure if it works I may have tomatoes available several weeks before average, and get a jump ahead that way, plus I should have a longer season to work with. We'll see if it works.