Pricing your tomatoes

[huntsman]

I have found a Farmer's Market about 45miles from my home, and was surprised to find that no-one selling tomatoes actually offered slices for tasting!

Since we have no legislation here that prohibits or restricts this in any way, it seemed that they were missing out on a good marketing strategy, but then I realised that all of the tomatoes, without exception, we grown by one large farmer, and the sellers had bought from him for resale.

Why offer 'tasters' when the toms are all from one {tasteless} crop??

Man, I hope no one there reads this forum - come harvest time I will be smilin'!!

[Wi-sunflower]

That should work out well for you. Just find out what the LOCAL regulations are first.

The issues I have at my best market aren't a state law and I'm not even sure if it's even a written law. But it's what the local Health Dept insists on -- if you have to cut it, it must be done in a "licensed kitchen".

There ARE a few farmers that do have licensed kitchens on their farms as they do bakery or preserves too. But they are few compared to the number of farmers there.

As long as you use common sense and have a clean spot for your sampling, water for hand washing and hopefully some kind of toilet facilities available to use, you should be OK with all but the fussiest of beurocrats (sp?).

Good luck in your efforts.

Carol

[roundbaby]

I read a lot of the post about costs of tomatoes. Down here in ga. I've been selling produce out of my 5 small gardens for $1.00/# and 16.00 for a 25 # box. As local markets and produce stands are a little higher, i was amazed that many postings said they sold their's for 4-8 dollars a #. Around here you would have to can them yourself
it's not all about making money on the city slickers, its the joy of seeing repeat customers calling me up before season comes in and wanting to know when first ones come in because them ole storebought ones ain't got no wang to them. Don't burn you're mouth and plain bland. I use to sell them 3# for a dollar not long ago.
the grower customer relationship is the main objective if local grown and everybody happy, happy, happy!!

[Nematode]

How did we get to be a society where its against the law to cut a tomato for your customer to try?
I mean really.

[Nematode]

Originally Posted by Wi-sunflower

That should work out well for you. Just find out what the LOCAL regulations are

As long as you use common sense and have a clean spot for your sampling, water for hand washing and hopefully some kind of toilet facilities available to use, you should be OK with all but the fussiest of beurocrats (sp?).

Good luck in your efforts.

Carol

This was the case at our market.
The health inspector will likely be there. Check with them about what they expect from you before they come inspecting.

[Nematode]

Ok ill say this and no more.
One reason I got out of the food(maple products) business, is that the regs changed. Nobody ever got sick from maple as far as I know, and it went from a largely self regulated industry to one subject to the full weight of the new FDA regs.
The way it was explained to me is if you sell your product in bulk on the day of harvest its a commodity and you are a farmer, not much changes for you. If you hold it overnight or package it or wash it or process it in any way, you are a food processing and food storage facility, subject to regular inspections, and a whole raft of paperwork and regulations, including a written food terrorism response and prevention plan!
Forget it I'm out. Another silent casualty of over regulation.

[Hellmanns]

Originally Posted by Nematode

Ok ill say this and no more.
One reason I got out of the food(maple products) business, is that the regs changed. Nobody ever got sick from maple as far as I know, and it went from a largely self regulated industry to one subject to the full weight of the new FDA regs.
The way it was explained to me is if you sell your product in bulk on the day of harvest its a commodity and you are a farmer, not much changes for you. If you hold it overnight or package it or wash it or process it in any way, you are a food processing and food storage facility, subject to regular inspections, and a whole raft of paperwork and regulations, including a written food terrorism response and prevention plan!
Forget it I'm out. Another silent casualty of over regulation.

There are nightmares in everything we do these days.

[Nematode]

Thanks for lightening that up Hellmanns. T'ville might not be the right place for all that.......

[clkeiper]

Originally Posted by Nematode

How did we get to be a society where its against the law to cut a tomato for your customer to try?
I mean really.

We are allowed to cut for samples here, just not allowed to cut and sell it.
I had a customer last week want to know how the melons were... so, I said here I will cut one... before I got done slicing it he said " I'll buy one, I can tell from the way the knife went through the melon it was ripe". We enjoyed eating it as we stood there. passed it all around the market.

[PureHarvest]

Originally Posted by Nematode

Ok ill say this and no more.
One reason I got out of the food(maple products) business, is that the regs changed. Nobody ever got sick from maple as far as I know, and it went from a largely self regulated industry to one subject to the full weight of the new FDA regs.
The way it was explained to me is if you sell your product in bulk on the day of harvest its a commodity and you are a farmer, not much changes for you. If you hold it overnight or package it or wash it or process it in any way, you are a food processing and food storage facility, subject to regular inspections, and a whole raft of paperwork and regulations, including a written food terrorism response and prevention plan!
Forget it I'm out. Another silent casualty of over regulation.

I understand your pain. Some of the really big businesses have to love regulations (to a certain degree) and can afford to comply, then watch it thin the competition herd that can't comply.
They say food safety protects the children!
But if you look at the percentage of people affected during the previous rules, it is a drop in the bucket. Yet we get these costly, sweeping, burdensome changes to a system that already worked good enough.
Not to minimalize death, but death by food borne illness is barley a blip on the radar. Yet look at the attention it garners.

However, I think the food modernization and saftey act has an exemption on regulation up to around 100k of annual sales (for now).
Not sure if your maple situation went through additional regs.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Nematode

How did we get to be a society where its against the law to cut a tomato for your customer to try?
I mean really.

Stupidity and ignorance in its highest form that is how.
((The Other People)) have done a fantastic job of scaring the living daylights out of everyone in the country when it comes to food safety.

I have seen so many people wash their dishes in hot soapy water rinse them in hot water and then put them in the dish washer.
I ask them why and they say so they will be sterilized.

Really, for one they aren't sterilized and most people have their hot water set way low anyway even if they had it on the highest setting it wouldn't sterilize anything.
I am also amazed at how the news media still touts the BS about how mayonnaise and butter left out will give you food poisoning.

Now I have to go out get the skillet I let the wild pet possum eat out of, rinse it out with hot water put it on the stove and heat it up to kill any germs.

Worth

[roundbaby]

Originally Posted by nematode

thanks for lightening that up hellmanns. T'ville might not be the right place for all that.......

yes i agree-we need a president that will do away with these stupid non-commonsense regulations and enjoy freedom. Down here in the south no regulations on small market farmers at all. I guess whoever controls the state political machine makes these stupid rules like california for example.
We the people got to rise up and not take it anymore. Kill all regulations that hurt the people and not common sense.

[TC_Manhattan]

Originally Posted by roundbaby

yes i agree-we need a president that will do away with these stupid non-commonsense regulations and enjoy freedom. Down here in the south no regulations on small market farmers at all. I guess whoever controls the state political machine makes these stupid rules like california for example.
We the people got to rise up and not take it anymore. Kill all regulations that hurt the people and not common sense.

Yeah, well good luck. You ain't gonna get one..

[Worth1]

The Feds aren't suppose to get involved in any state regulations but they have stepped on that law so many times it is ridiculous.
Some for the good and some not.
Before the great war of northern aggression states had the right to remove themselves from the Union and had their own money.
After the war that right was lost.

Worth

[roundbaby]

Originally Posted by tc_manhattan

yeah, well good luck. You ain't gonna get one..

maybe this year we will-we shall hope for good luck if right one wins