[QUOTE=BigVanVader;645301]True but it still gets a smile and starts conversation. For me once I get them talking they are leaving with something.[/QUOTE]

Have you ever thought about getting a baby potbelly pig for a pet?

No, not sure where your going with that?

[QUOTE=BigVanVader;645336]No, not sure where your going with that?[/QUOTE]

As a conversation starter. (which is a good marketing ploy btw (in ref to mention of po-ganic))

I knew a guy who got a miniature potbelly pig that he would walk on a pink leash. The ultimate chick magnet for sure, but EVERYONE wanted to pet the pig. The ultimate ice breaker......... those baby pigs are cuuuuuute.

Think he ended up giving the pig to a farm who probably ate him at some point; but the thing was presh in his baby days....

[IMG]https://scontent-dft4-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-0/p480x480/18922834_10211125572313092_4040805587007406161_o.jpg?oh=bd8efab939fa69c3a24e450ad54d3acc&oe=59DC5056[/IMG]

Lol, Yeah I've had friends with them as pets but they always end up as bacon, luckily Cora Belle is cute enough to draw customers. Once the tomatoes come in they do a good job as well.

So since my wife and I do not have a garden this year we stopped at a farmers market near us. It's new and pretty small. Maybe 10 vendors. One was meat, one pastries and rest were produce. A few had plants that were herbs and one had bigger pepper plants and a tomato plant. Almost all of them had zucchini and they were going for around a $1 each. Red tomatoes were going for 3.25 a pound and I'm sure they were hoop house grown but I didn't ask. Some had a basket for $6 I think. The first place we bought from had Cherokee purple and reds. I didn't ask about the reds. We got 3 zucchini and a basket of Cherokee purple for 10 bucks. I weighed the tomatoes at 1lb 14oz so it's close to 2lbs a basket. I'm not sure how much what was but I'm thinking 3.50 a pound for the Cherokees. Also eggs were $3 bucks a dozen. I'd like to see what some of the other markets prices are such as down town but I work Saturday mornings.


-Zach

If the CPs don't taste good they are probably those look alike GH hybrids. Hard to tell em apart till you eat one. A vendor at our market sells fake heirlooms.

I went to a Farmers Marker in Old Town Omaha last Saturday morning. I saw Cherokee Purple for $4 lb. Bulbs of garlic for $1.50 ea. I didn't buy anything but enjoyed looking around.

i tried charging $4 but it didnt go over to well. $3 seems to be all the public will pay here.

The Cherokee purple tasted fantastic but it was the first tomato since last year. They are also very soft. Not a hard ball like the red we bought. I was surprised they didn't have any cherries at the market.

Omaha's old market is great. Fun atmosphere for sure. The river market down here is like that but a lot bigger. Probably close to 200 actual vendors plus restaurants and then the bigger places that sell the same stuff as the grocery store. They also have busters and specialty shops. The bigger markets are a lot of fun.


-Zach

[QUOTE=BigVanVader;648768]If the CPs don't taste good they are probably those look alike GH hybrids. Hard to tell em apart till you eat one. A vendor at our market sells fake heirlooms.[/QUOTE]

Seems like that would agitate the bylaws and kick him out!! What a d-bag.

Yeah I just hate that some people eat those thinking this is what an heirloom tomato taste like. If I see people buy them I will try to give them a small tomato for free or a cherry tomato to try.

I bought what I thought was a sungold to add to the garden, but has big fat green tomatoes instead. The ole' switch-a-roo at wally world. I will post a pick once they ripen and maybe get an i.d.

It's irritating, and as you state, most would not know the difference. Hope they don't "save seeds."

Have you guys thought about selling dwarfs in 4-5 gallon pots later in the season. You could advertise it as a no planting tomato. Just take home and water? Maybe extend the plant selling season a bit.


-Zach

To big to haul around and most people cant carry something that big. But when I get some HT's on site I'm going to expand to a much bigger selection of plants and sell from the house. Using the 80/20 rule and looking at numbers I make about 90% of my profits from plant sales so I'm going to phase out everything that loses money over the next couple of years. Will always grow tomatoes to sell, but probably not much else.

I didn't think about the transport.


-Zach

[QUOTE=BigVanVader;648804]i tried charging $4 but it didnt go over to well. $3 seems to be all the public will pay here.[/QUOTE]

Early Cherokee Purple in April and May, which were actually quite good, started at $2.50 a pound at my market. I probably have the cheapest tomato prices in the country.

[QUOTE=Kazedwards;648849]The Cherokee purple tasted fantastic but it was the first tomato since last year. They are also very soft. Not a hard ball like the red we bought. I was surprised they didn't have any cherries at the market.

Omaha's old market is great. Fun atmosphere for sure. The river market down here is like that but a lot bigger. Probably close to 200 actual vendors plus restaurants and then the bigger places that sell the same stuff as the grocery store. They also have busters and specialty shops. The bigger markets are a lot of fun.


-Zach[/QUOTE]

Zach, I went to the KC river market 3 years ago and it was huge. Sadly when I was there I was shocked at the amount of OLD produce was priced for sale. We were there later in the day, so maybe the good vendors had sold out and left.

We have the Webb City Farmers Market (town of 15,000) that has a fantastic market with about 40 vendors. Resellers are not allowed. If you didn't grow it, raise it or make it, no soup for you. I checked into what it took to become a seller and I was impressed with how strict they were. They come out and inspect your garden at least once a season to insure it is all grown by the seller. They are open for 4 hours 3 days a week and they are swamped with eager customers.

The river market is strict for vendors. I looked into what it took to sell and they have 2 classes with different rates. One is 100 percent grown within 500? Miles and the other 51 percent grown. There is an application process and a farm check. You also have to get a tax license. To sell pastries or give samples requires a food handlers permit (which I have for work). If you sell pastries the city requires them to be made in a commercial kitchen although a church kitchen will do. Buskers have to audition as well. Seems like they put a ton of work into it. Also there are grocers that are there but they aren't considered vendors bc they are there and open year round 7 days a week. I feel they take a lot away from the vendors.


-Zach

[QUOTE=Kazedwards;648935]Have you guys thought about selling dwarfs in 4-5 gallon pots later in the season. You could advertise it as a no planting tomato. Just take home and water? Maybe extend the plant selling season a bit.


-Zach[/QUOTE]

I sell large tomato plants in containers... they are a lot of work to haul around. in a bucket might be easier, but the stake or cage is in the way. that said. it is doable. I transport about 30 to a market in May and sell them. I rarely bring any home. most are not dwarfs, they are container tomatoes though. I sell them with tomatoes on them almost ready to ripen at 15.00 each.

A greenhouse near me sells a lot of large plants in the early spring, but almost all of them are pre-ordered by previous customers. I think the best bet for a mature product carried to market would be microdwarfs. I'm still trying to find the right pot size and support system to sell them when mature. Hummert does sell a product that is a small pot that comes with a cage as part of it. It is laughably tiny as far as tomato planters go, but I think it would look great with a microdwarf.

I thought about doing microdwarfs for the market before Christmas. With the right planning you could have them loaded with fruit just ripening and looking very festive! And I bet they would sell very well. I would have to cut my other tomatoes short though, to use the greenhouse space, so I didn't do it.

I just got home from a local market and was shocked by the number of cars and shoppers were there. It has probably 40 vendors under a large covered area and I bet there were at least 500 cars. Took 15 minutes to find a place to park. Every vendor had customers lined up waiting to buy. Tomatoes looked like the hottest commodity selling for anywhere from $1-2.50# depending on if it was blemished.

I didn't go to market this morning, but sent a few boxes with my family. Apparently they all sold, as I just came home to the empty boxes sitting on my doorstep. Here is what they looked like yesterday when I packed them.

I just looked on our market's facebook page, and there is a pic of the table this morning.

Now that's a busy productive table. You should be proud of your produce and of those that you sent to the market today. I sure wish that our markets had produce like yours. I will have to wait a little more.

I love the look of the random assorted pints/pound (?) boxes. If I didn't grow tomatoes and I went to a market, that is exactly what I would buy for myself. :cute: Also if I was taking tomatoes to market, that's likely how I would pack them! :)

Awesome table full. That had tocatch their eye.

Wonderful! The type of table I love to find when I go to a market! Beautiful!

My tomatoes are still green (this year is just the worst so far). If I had market like this here, I would pay for the fresh ripe tomatoes like yours. :yes:

I have gone to our local market the last 3 weeks. There are at least 10 sellers with lots of tomatoes, but nothing but nothing of any color besides red. None are heirlooms. Your table looks great and even though I grow tomatoes, I would still buy some of yours to taste varieties I haven't tried.