Tomatoville® Gardening Forums - View Single Post - Planning a large farm: How long to desucker each indeterminate tom?

Wi-sunflower · November 30, 2008

Actually thinking back on my own 30 years of this "growing for market" some of the best advice I can give would be to start small. With a smaller area and limited production of items, do what YOU can handle yourself.

Also do what YOU are good at and LIKE doing. That way you will maximize all your produce and not waste stuff like we do.

Sure you will probably sell out at times and wish you had more. But that's better than taking stuff home because it isn't up to the quality you wish it was because you couldn't give it the attention it needed.

There is a dificult line to cross when you want to do more and need to hire help. You need to do more than "just a bit more" to be able to pay for that labor.

There is also the problem of WHO is going to be your labor. Do you have friends or family that can help at times ?? That might work for peak times with just a bit more work than you can handle.

But if you need to hire strangers, you need to figure out -- do they NEED this job or is it just some "extra" for them ?? If they need that job as their only income, then you are stuck trying to provide work for them as long as possible. That means more plants and/or different crops to extend the work. Otherwise they will be looking for another job and leave you, probably without warning.

Hiring workers that work for you as a "second job" isn't without it's problems either. Often they have a limited schedule they can work. If you need them to stay longer any certain days, often it's just not possible. If you KNOW you have a day that has more work, see if they have a friend that will work just for that day.

The big problem I've had the last few years is the fact that the guy that has the car and drives the whole crew in, he doesn't like it when the weather gets cold. He just suddenly won't come in any more for that year. Then, boom, I'm without a crew about the time I need them most. I've had to hunt down a couple of the workers and pick them up myself to have any help at all at the end of the season.

I know, lots of things to think about.

November 30, 2008	#19
Wi-sunflower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 2,591	Actually thinking back on my own 30 years of this "growing for market" some of the best advice I can give would be to start small. With a smaller area and limited production of items, do what YOU can handle yourself. Also do what YOU are good at and LIKE doing. That way you will maximize all your produce and not waste stuff like we do. Sure you will probably sell out at times and wish you had more. But that's better than taking stuff home because it isn't up to the quality you wish it was because you couldn't give it the attention it needed. There is a dificult line to cross when you want to do more and need to hire help. You need to do more than "just a bit more" to be able to pay for that labor. There is also the problem of WHO is going to be your labor. Do you have friends or family that can help at times ?? That might work for peak times with just a bit more work than you can handle. But if you need to hire strangers, you need to figure out -- do they NEED this job or is it just some "extra" for them ?? If they need that job as their only income, then you are stuck trying to provide work for them as long as possible. That means more plants and/or different crops to extend the work. Otherwise they will be looking for another job and leave you, probably without warning. Hiring workers that work for you as a "second job" isn't without it's problems either. Often they have a limited schedule they can work. If you need them to stay longer any certain days, often it's just not possible. If you KNOW you have a day that has more work, see if they have a friend that will work just for that day. The big problem I've had the last few years is the fact that the guy that has the car and drives the whole crew in, he doesn't like it when the weather gets cold. He just suddenly won't come in any more for that year. Then, boom, I'm without a crew about the time I need them most. I've had to hunt down a couple of the workers and pick them up myself to have any help at all at the end of the season. I know, lots of things to think about.