Selling to Chefs And Retail Places

[yotetrapper]

Welll.... I dont know. The first one said full skid only, and that a full skid was 500.....I thought the price was for the skid? Maybe not? I dunno... I went through and added it to my cart, and it gave me shipping info....

Pretty neat idea brokenbar....

[huntsman]

Originally Posted by brokenbar

My husband uses flat, square, clear rubbermaid container to which he has glued a piece of 3" (width of inside pipe hole , not the length of the piece of pipe) PVC on the bottom at one end. This makes the boxes tilt upward at one end slightly and makes a nice display. He said he would rather buy boxes once and be able to wash and re-use them. Just an idea...

Nice idea! Thanks..

[OneoftheEarls]

I need documentation...I have been to USDA site, MDA (Michigan) looking for PROOF that I can sell vegetables (unprocessed) to the restaurant...all this money for growing local and I cannot convince the locals here that vegetables don't need to be USDA inspected before they can buy them...the salmonella poisoning has them leary...HELP?!

Earl

[whistler]

Try calling your state dept of agriculture. PA's web site for the dept of agriculture wasn't very helpful, but the people I spoke to on the phone were great. (by the way, no inspection needed in PA for selling unprocessed foods like vegetables)

[sunflowerfarms]

Hi Everyone!
I am new to this forum and new to selling to restaurants, although I have sold at market- I have a restaurant buyer who wants me to separate #1s and #2s, but I would like some guidance about exactly what a #1 tomato is and what a #2 tomato is. Any guidelines would be helpful! Thank you!

[strax]

this is the way that i grade my tomatoes:

firsts: evenly ripe, good looking tomatoes with no blemishes or cracks beyond what is normal for that variety.


I eat, can, or cook with most of my seconds, but i do have a chef that asks for seconds only.

seconds: slightly uneven ripeness, or tomatoes that are misshaped, and or have cracks, catfacing, or blemishes beyond what is normal for that variety, or tomatoes that need to be used within 3 days.

i also separate into thirds when i have them, but i never sell thirds to chefs.
thirds: tomatoes that need to be used the same day.


I think it pays to grade strictly. I buy a lot of peaches and there are vendors in my area who sell firsts that dont stand up to the seconds that I get from another vendor. word gets around quickly!

I also sort and pack tomatoes the same day that they will be sold. it takes more time overall, but is worth the effort.

[biscgolf]

#1- pristine, #2- slightly flawed

my chefs call #2's "soup tomatoes"

[epsilon]

This has been one of the most enlightening topics that I've read so far, and surprisingly close to the top. Thank you every one for sharing your growing and production experiences. This topic is so interesting from several different standpoints.

again thanks.

[DeepRoots]

Really great info! Thanks to all for sharing your experience!

[MrsJustice]

Originally Posted by epsilon

This has been one of the most enlightening topics that I've read so far, and surprisingly close to the top. Thank you every one for sharing your growing and production experiences. This topic is so interesting from several different standpoints.

again thanks.

We sold out- early last summer. Is it possible that my prices were to low. Were can I found a pricing scale for pricing "Historical Fruits & Vegetables.

Farmer, Joyce Beggs

[huntsman]

Gotta love this place...!

[MrsJustice]

Originally Posted by huntsman

Gotta love this place...!

[huntsman]

I was posting in reply to DeepRoots.

[Salsacharley]

Since I only have one year's experience at market selling I wasn't going to reply to your inquiry about pricing, but since nobody else has offered any thoughts I will offer mine.

I attended 3 different markets in my area and found the pricing to be virtually the same at all 3 markets, however the demand for varieties (I only sell tomatoes) was somewhat different.

I tried to sell at a higher price than the other vendors my first time and found out fast that I was unrealistic. The reality of what you can charge is based on what people will pay, not what you want to charge. If you would scout out other vendors' prices in your area you will find out how much the market will pay. If your product is historical or special you might be able to charge more, but I doubt manypeople are willing to pay much more than current market prices for whatever you present. You might have been pricing lower than the others and that's why you sold out so fast, or maybe your product was just that much better.

I do know that once my stock of tomatoes was sold down significantly on any given day, the customers seemed to pass me by because I looked pitiful trying to sell a dozen or so remaining tomatoes. At least I didn't have to turn 30 lbs of tomatoes into salsa that day!

Originally Posted by MrsJustice

We sold out- early last summer. Is it possible that my prices were to low. Were can I found a pricing scale for pricing "Historical Fruits & Vegetables.

Farmer, Joyce Beggs

[MrsJustice]

Originally Posted by huntsman

Gotta love this place...!

Hello Huntman

I have really been trying to get a Price list for historical Vegetables. It there a pricing list for Historical Vegetables and fruits that farmer cans go by when pricing fresh produce?

This is the first time in years I have to buy Spaghetti Squash from a store during the winters , because I sold out early and than we received very hot weather, than an early frost that killed everything early last year. . I am paying 1.75 per pound, which I know are hybrids.

There must be a pricing list somewhere for historical fruit and Vegetables.

Help me someone