Backyard Garden (my own market)

AZGardener · January 27, 2013

Hi everyone- I have been tinkering with the idea of planting double what I did last year and trying to sell the excess to friends, family, neighbors,etc. I had two ladies ask me if I would grow them kale and chard (which I'm currently growing so of course I said yes. Then they ask if I grow tomatoes.... lol. Only 50 something plants-tee hee

Just curious if there is anyone out there who is doing this?? Successes? Failures?? Thank you

Redbaron · January 27, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by AZGardener

Hi everyone- I have been tinkering with the idea of planting double what I did last year and trying to sell the excess to friends, family, neighbors,etc. I had two ladies ask me if I would grow them kale and chard (which I'm currently growing so of course I said yes. Then they ask if I grow tomatoes.... lol. Only 50 something plants-tee hee

Just curious if there is anyone out there who is doing this?? Successes? Failures?? Thank you

I will be joining you. Doing the same thing starting this year

AZGardener · January 27, 2013

Great to hear Redbaron! There has to be more of us out there...

Hotwired · January 27, 2013

I donate plants and sell produce, or I should say I barter produce. A group of us setup gardens for low-income at-risk families. Most are container gardens, though we also build raised beds and tilled gardens. I'm growing about 500 tomato plants and 1000 pepper plants for distribution to nearly 300 families this year http://imageshack.us/a/img718/7821/005hck.jpg . Cornell is donating over 10,000 plants this year too.

I also have over 3500 strawberry plants that produce over 1000 pounds a year http://imageshack.us/a/img232/5947/sb12t.jpg . I sell blueberries, strawberries, and jams at the farmers market. I also trade for produce that I don't grow. This last season I traded for 300 pounds of blueberries, bushels of peaches, pears, apples, a dozen organic eggs a week, and two free range chickens a month. http://imageshack.us/a/img41/8537/160no.jpg . I also traded for potatoes and a half pig. I'm putting in 2000 more strawberry plants in raised beds this Spring, because I have a local farmer that wants to barter fruit for a half steer. I have 3 large freezers, a root cellar, and I'm also a canning fool, so my wheeling and dealing cuts our annual grocery bill by nearly 50%. Many people overlook the power of bartering, but this can work even on a small scale.

BTW... I take 40-gal tupperware tubs with covers and add potatoes, apples, pears, and root vegetables, separated by layers of sand. I have it in my 45-50F root cellar, and I keep stuff well into March. I made an apple pie on Thursday and the apples were firm and delicious. My friend use this method in an unheated attached garage and has great success.

Hotwired NY 5b
http://www.hotwiredgardens.com
http://www.facebook.com/hotwired.gardens

LDx4 · January 27, 2013

AZGardener,

I'm selling some produce from my backyard also. 2013 will be my second year of sales. Last summer, I sold about $1,000 worth to friends and a local wholesaler. I had about 75 tomato plants and some cukes, squash, eggplant and sweet peppers. This year I'm planting about 200 tomato plants and I'm applying to sell at local farmers markets plus to friends/neighbors. I'm going to drop the wholesaler (not enough money there). To set my prices last year I went to a couple of farmers markets and checked out the local vendor prices. Around here, heirloom tomatoes sell for about $4 -$5 lb. I got a business license (needed in San Diego city limits) and named my company Lath House Gardens. A friend of mine set up a small website for me. You can google it. I'm not sure I can advertise the url here? Let me know if you have any other questions - I'm happy to share my mistakes and successes so far.

Lyn

Doug9345 · January 27, 2013

LD, If you scroll down the main page there is a sub forum called members pages. I'm sure there is a sticky there that explains the rules.

dustyrivergarden · February 4, 2013

I do sell my extra veggies. first family and my canning next all my neighbors next I sell and do really well. fresh veggie do well I have been doing it for a while the first couple of years were slower but now I get phone calls ordering lugs of tomatoes...

ScottinAtlanta · February 5, 2013

I am starting an urban gardeners association here in my Atlanta neighborhood, and we are going to sell excess produce at a local green market - every gardener can bring whatever they want to our table, and they get 90% of the revenue if it sells. 10% to the association to finance beer for our meetings.

So even if someone only has a few squash, and someone else a few bunches of chives, we can put it all together and get a great table going.

January 27, 2013	#1
AZGardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Zone 9b Phoenix,AZ Posts: 390	Backyard Garden (my own market) Hi everyone- I have been tinkering with the idea of planting double what I did last year and trying to sell the excess to friends, family, neighbors,etc. I had two ladies ask me if I would grow them kale and chard (which I'm currently growing so of course I said yes. Then they ask if I grow tomatoes.... lol. Only 50 something plants-tee hee Just curious if there is anyone out there who is doing this?? Successes? Failures?? Thank you

January 27, 2013	#4
Hotwired Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Ithaca, NY - USDA 5b Posts: 241	I donate plants and sell produce, or I should say I barter produce. A group of us setup gardens for low-income at-risk families. Most are container gardens, though we also build raised beds and tilled gardens. I'm growing about 500 tomato plants and 1000 pepper plants for distribution to nearly 300 families this year http://imageshack.us/a/img718/7821/005hck.jpg . Cornell is donating over 10,000 plants this year too. I also have over 3500 strawberry plants that produce over 1000 pounds a year http://imageshack.us/a/img232/5947/sb12t.jpg . I sell blueberries, strawberries, and jams at the farmers market. I also trade for produce that I don't grow. This last season I traded for 300 pounds of blueberries, bushels of peaches, pears, apples, a dozen organic eggs a week, and two free range chickens a month. http://imageshack.us/a/img41/8537/160no.jpg . I also traded for potatoes and a half pig. I'm putting in 2000 more strawberry plants in raised beds this Spring, because I have a local farmer that wants to barter fruit for a half steer. I have 3 large freezers, a root cellar, and I'm also a canning fool, so my wheeling and dealing cuts our annual grocery bill by nearly 50%. Many people overlook the power of bartering, but this can work even on a small scale. BTW... I take 40-gal tupperware tubs with covers and add potatoes, apples, pears, and root vegetables, separated by layers of sand. I have it in my 45-50F root cellar, and I keep stuff well into March. I made an apple pie on Thursday and the apples were firm and delicious. My friend use this method in an unheated attached garage and has great success. Hotwired NY 5b http://www.hotwiredgardens.com http://www.facebook.com/hotwired.gardens __________________ Give a man a fish and he eats for a day - Teach him to fish and he eats for a lifetime.

February 4, 2013	#7
dustyrivergarden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Holbrook, Az zone 5 Posts: 157	I do sell my extra veggies. first family and my canning next all my neighbors next I sell and do really well. fresh veggie do well I have been doing it for a while the first couple of years were slower but now I get phone calls ordering lugs of tomatoes... __________________ “The yield of a crop is LIMITED by the deficiency of any one element even though all of the other necessary elements are present in adequate amounts”. J. Von Liebig's law of the minimum.

January 27, 2013	#5
LDx4 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: San Diego Posts: 321	AZGardener, I'm selling some produce from my backyard also. 2013 will be my second year of sales. Last summer, I sold about $1,000 worth to friends and a local wholesaler. I had about 75 tomato plants and some cukes, squash, eggplant and sweet peppers. This year I'm planting about 200 tomato plants and I'm applying to sell at local farmers markets plus to friends/neighbors. I'm going to drop the wholesaler (not enough money there). To set my prices last year I went to a couple of farmers markets and checked out the local vendor prices. Around here, heirloom tomatoes sell for about $4 -$5 lb. I got a business license (needed in San Diego city limits) and named my company Lath House Gardens. A friend of mine set up a small website for me. You can google it. I'm not sure I can advertise the url here? Let me know if you have any other questions - I'm happy to share my mistakes and successes so far. Lyn

January 27, 2013	#6
Doug9345 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Durhamville,NY Posts: 2,706	LD, If you scroll down the main page there is a sub forum called members pages. I'm sure there is a sticky there that explains the rules.

February 5, 2013	#8
ScottinAtlanta Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Atlanta, Georgia Posts: 2,593	I am starting an urban gardeners association here in my Atlanta neighborhood, and we are going to sell excess produce at a local green market - every gardener can bring whatever they want to our table, and they get 90% of the revenue if it sells. 10% to the association to finance beer for our meetings. So even if someone only has a few squash, and someone else a few bunches of chives, we can put it all together and get a great table going.