Market tomatoes ?

[JohnWayne]

Last year I found a local farmer (30 miles or so away) and bought 15 or 18 boxes of tomatoes from him over several trips. Each trip I would spend some time talking to him and getting to know him. A very nice man .

On hearing of my garden troubles, He told me to bring him the plants and he would grow a row of tomatoes for me. I said that was hardly fair but he said he needed to try and find a couple of heirloom tomatoes he could grow to sell. He had tried Cherokee Purple and they would not hold up for him. So I get the plants, he grows them and tries some to see how they will hold up.

I plan to take him 90 plants. 30 KB or KBX, 30 Sioux and 30 Thessaloníki.

I have only grown the KB and only got to harvest a few of those. So I have no idea how they will (either of the 3 listed) will hold up to being boxed, shipped and stored. If you have deal with these under those conditions please tell me how they will do. I don't want to waste his time.


As it turns out, My having a garden of any size is now up in the air. I will have some garden but maybe not the normal 100 x 100. So his help is even more of a blessing.

Thanks in advance for any help.

[Redbaron]

Originally Posted by JohnWayne

Last year I found a local farmer (30 miles or so away) and bought 15 or 18 boxes of tomatoes from him over several trips. Each trip I would spend some time talking to him and getting to know him. A very nice man .

On hearing of my garden troubles, He told me to bring him the plants and he would grow a row of tomatoes for me. I said that was hardly fair but he said he needed to try and find a couple of heirloom tomatoes he could grow to sell. He had tried Cherokee Purple and they would not hold up for him. So I get the plants, he grows them and tries some to see how they will hold up.

I plan to take him 90 plants. 30 KB or KBX, 30 Sioux and 30 Thessaloníki.

I have only grown the KB and only got to harvest a few of those. So I have no idea how they will (either of the 3 listed) will hold up to being boxed, shipped and stored. If you have deal with these under those conditions please tell me how they will do. I don't want to waste his time.


As it turns out, My having a garden of any size is now up in the air. I will have some garden but maybe not the normal 100 x 100. So his help is even more of a blessing.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Far as I am concerned the best heirloom for commercial market use is Rutgers. I mean originally that is what it was bred for. I don't know how it will do in Texas. In Oklahoma it hasn't done nearly as well as it did in Indiana, or even Florida. But it would certainly be the old standby, if you can find a good strain of it. I am testing at least 7 strains this year. (a couple people found out I was doing a side by side grow out and donated to the cause)

[doublehelix]

It is more difficult to sell anything yellow. I would plant more red. Black from Tula will hold up better than many other black tomatoes. Bradley is a good pink that holds up well to transport.

Medium size tomatoes sell better than giant ones too. Something in the 6 to 8 ounce range usally moves off the table faster than anything else. And you can always sell cherry tomatoes in a mix of colors.

9 plants of 10 varieties would make for a better trial the first year, then stick with what actually sells the next.

[Cole_Robbie]

hold up to being boxed, shipped and stored.

How far and how long? If you mean typical shipping standards for commercial tomatoes...then it's going to be hard to compete with modern commercial varieties, because that's what they are bred to do.

But if he's just loading them in his truck and driving them to a local market or co-op store, then that is a completely different ball game. He can treat them gently if he does the shipping himself.

I'm trying several of what I call "fake heirlooms" this year. Seed companies realize the buzzword 'heirloom' is big right now. My catalogs are starting to have categories of "hybrid heirlooms." We had a long thread on here talking about how ridiculous that term is. But I still bought a lot the seeds, because I think they have potential as market tomatoes.

[Wi-sunflower]

At my market there are a couple of vendors that do sell legitimate large fruited heirloom varieties. BUT because they can be rather tender for shipping, they do them all in single layer boxes.

I have some of the short fold down commercial crates that should work for all but the giants. One Mennonite grower has made his own wooden crates for single layer tomatoes. Some also put a layer of straw or foam in the bottom of the crate for more cushioning.

Personally I do plenty of various heirloom cherry and slightly larger varieties like Egg Yolk and ALL of them sell. Some weeks better than others. But all the colors go.

For me that biggest point is to put a name on the tomatoes when you put them on the table. People may not know the name but they want to know what they are buying. At least that's what has helped sales for me.

Carol

[b54red]

Before the hybrids and TSWV came along the local growers used to plant a lot of Rutgers and Atkinson tomatoes. I really like the Atkinson tomato the best of the market tomatoes they grew around here.

[JohnWayne]

Scott, "if you can find a good strain of it."

Rutger was the only tomato I grew at one time. It did well but all that changed. I bought plants at local greenhouses back then and after they changed, have tried many times starting from seed and have yet to get what I used to.

All this talk of strains and such is somewhat over my head. I learned last year, only after I had ordered seed, that there were two types of Rugers. Determinate and indeterminate. Its beyond me how both can be called Rutgers.

Although I once liked them, this mix up had put me off, maybe if you narrow it down to a good one I can start growing them once again.

As it is, I was looking at Thessaloníki because of the flavor, and because it was said to hold up for a couple of weeks after being picked.

Sioux because of taste and because it is supposed to hold up in hot weather. (I don't foresee a mild summer here in N. Carolina.)

Kellogg's Breakfast simply because its the best tasting tomato I have tried in a long while.

Cole, As far as I know they aren't leaving the 14 acres he farms. His stand is on the farm and he has maybe 10 people working for him. I have a feeling he would be fine with the CPs if he would have them picked when the first color starts to appear.

B54red, The first write up I read on the Atkinson looked very good but the one at "Baker Creek" said they were on the bland side.
Taste is something that changes greatly from one person to the next, But bland is bland and that has me concerned.

[Redbaron]

Originally Posted by JohnWayne

Scott, "if you can find a good strain of it."

Rutger was the only tomato I grew at one time. It did well but all that changed. I bought plants at local greenhouses back then and after they changed, have tried many times starting from seed and have yet to get what I used to.

All this talk of strains and such is somewhat over my head. I learned last year, only after I had ordered seed, that there were two types of Rugers. Determinate and indeterminate. Its beyond me how both can be called Rutgers.

Although I once liked them, this mix up had put me off, maybe if you narrow it down to a good one I can start growing them once again.

As it is, I was looking at Thessaloníki because of the flavor, and because it was said to hold up for a couple of weeks after being picked.

Sioux because of taste and because it is supposed to hold up in hot weather. (I don't foresee a mild summer here in N. Carolina.)

Kellogg's Breakfast simply because its the best tasting tomato I have tried in a long while.

I can't guarantee I'll find that old strain I remember, but I am trying.

PS I had written this whole huge post, but found myself writing a book! So I think I'll just leave it at that. I am trying.

[JohnWayne]

Double post

[Wi-sunflower]

Yes any of the large heirlooms would need to be picked at about a 1/2 ripe or 1/2 color or even less stage or they are way too tender.

Perhaps for sales there at the farm, if he could have samples of nice ripe fruit and then the less ripe for sale with something saying to "let sit for a day or 2 to develop the nice flavor you just tasted here". I would think on his own farm there shouldn't be a problem with sampling like we have in a market setting. As long as they are cut and kept in a covered container that should be good.

Carol

[JohnWayne]

Scott, I have no doubt that you are trying. And I for one am glad that there are people like yourself that make such efforts.

[Hermitian]

Here's a view of tomatoes being sold today (Dec. 13, 2014) at my local grocery store in Vista CA. In front you see a collection of "Heirloom Tomatoes" -- these are about 1/3 to 1/2 lb fruits of Black, Purple, Red, Orange, and Yellow 'maters. Behind them are classic vine tomatoes, and further back you see green beans followed by Roma's.

[Cole_Robbie]

Wow, $4 a pound. I get about half that.

Pretty pic, though.

[Hermitian]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

Wow, $4 a pound. I get about half that.
Pretty pic, though.

In my experience with farm-to-store produce, 100% markup is common.

[greenthumbomaha]

Same price for heirlooms here, and very few stores carry them. Going price for greenhouse or regular tomatoes is about $3 at this time of year.

My neighbor sold some of "our" KBX for $3 each last summer. They flew and always sold out, as did any red. Green Zebra didn't go over well.

- Lisa