![]() ![]() Should I Grow my Tomato and Pepper Plants from Seed? Remember, you are running a business and bottom-line profit is important. In many cases, renting a piece of equipment when needed or hiring someone locally can be more cost-effective and give more annual profit. This will give you a good estimate of annual costs to own and operate a piece of equipment. Add in anticipated yearly fuel costs, oil and other operating fluids, and service costs and repairs. Divide the total by 10 years which is a good rule of thumb for equipment life. If you are relatively small, do you need a tractor or would a sturdy walk-behind tiller be more economical? Add the base cost of the equipment and any anticipated interest charges. Use the first two or three years to analyze what pieces of equipment will be your best investments. Most homeowner’s policies will not cover liability claims from a customer that twisted her ankle in a pothole Be sure to check on your legal liability for your home market. Block ads in the local paper or advertising inserts are also advertising methods that work well. Simple road signs with lettering big enough to be seen at 500 to 1,000 feet away are a good option if the county or state zoning allows it. However, you will need to make yourself known. Do you have time and energy to make repeated weekly sales calls, plus grow, harvest, pack, and deliver the produce? If you do, go for it! If not, there may be more suitable sales options for you.īy starting your own produce stand, you won’t have to haul your produce to market every week. ![]() However, this is a time-consuming method that can be laden with rejection. Sales calls to local chefs and restaurants or grocery store produce managers can produce sales in large bulk amounts. The advertising is done by the market and it carries the liability insurance, saving you both expenses. There are by-laws that growers must follow. There is generally a nominal annual membership fee, plus weekly space rent. ![]() Many of these markets are controlled by the local chambers of commerce. If you live in an area that has a weekly farmers market, this may be a viable option. Identifying your sales outlets and sales methods will also help you decide what to plant, and just how much you need to plant. This seems basic, but it is a good idea to have a designated sales outlet established before you plant your market garden. ![]() Give this factor serious thought because it will be one of your keys to business success. What is a reasonable level? Start with what you think you can realistically handle with your time and workload. It might take two or three seasons before you are able to fully assess your local market and customers. When you’re starting out, it can be hard to know how big to make your initial garden or which crops are most in demand. Start at a Reasonable Levelĭon’t try to do everything in the first year or two. If you want your business to be profitable and sustainable, remember that simple, small decisions will determine whether you see a yearly profit. While you may enjoy what you are doing, remember this is a business venture. Use the ones you like and discard the rest. Consider the tips I use in my market garden planner. Every situation is different, so there is no single way to do things. Here are some secrets I have learned over the years. It takes work, but if you enjoy gardening and have a little extra space to grow things, why not give it a try? Some successful growers keep their operations small and very simple, while others morph into larger, more complex operations. By Doug Ottinger – Whether you’re using paper and pencil or an online market garden planner, why not start dreaming? It could be the start of a long-term, sustainable business venture for you! You may not get rich, or make a lot of money, but it can be an enjoyable venture that can be profitable. ![]()
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