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Old December 10, 2011   #31
SEAMSFASTER
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For me it was worth a bit of extra $ to purchase pots with slots for tags (brand was Kordlock), rolls of cheap (relatively) plastic tags, and small address labels, which I put through my printer - pics attached. I put variety name on one side of the tag and business info. on the other side, including the statement, "10¢ return on pots".

It was more than a little time-consuming to keep them alphabetized and inventoried. We made carts out of old doors with castors bolted on. I can't tell you how many times we rolled them in and out of the 2-car garage because of unfavorable weather!


Peppers returned to room 5-09-2011 rev.jpg

Plants in garage 5-18-11 A rev.jpg
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Old December 10, 2011   #32
Alpinejs
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Seamfaster....If you have a Costco in your area, they carry a rolling metal
shelf about 7' tall and probably 6 shelves. Each shelf holds 2 1/2 of those
black plastic trays which in turn hold 16 of the 3 1/2" pots. It is really handy
and easy to move in and out of the garage.

I can see our operations differ somewhat in that all my stock is stagger
started for about a six week selling session. I only sell about $100 per
3 hr. afternoon session aside the road. As the season progresses, I can
start to estimate which varieties to give away to friends and relatives and
in some cases, which varieties to promote harder or lighten up on. I go heavy
on Sudduth and Cherokee Green as a number of customers ask my favorites
and while I tell them they all are, eventually they get me to confess to those
two. I find the roadside selling to be loads of fun. I did not enjoy the swap
meet selling and my one farmer's mkt experience wasn't too much better.
If I wanted to dicker, my sign would say "$3 or best offer".
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Old December 11, 2011   #33
MikeInOhio
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We get $3.50 per plant (4" pot) early in the season and $3 after the rush.
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Old December 12, 2011   #34
SEAMSFASTER
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alpinejs View Post
Seamfaster....If you have a Costco in your area, they carry a rolling metal
shelf about 7' tall and probably 6 shelves. Each shelf holds 2 1/2 of those
black plastic trays which in turn hold 16 of the 3 1/2" pots. It is really handy
and easy to move in and out of the garage...
I've worked with some friends of mine with exactly those types of metal shelves on wheels for raising seedlings under flourescent lights and I really liked them!

It would be about a $1,000 investment for the volume I plan to do in the Spring, but I'll definitely keep this or something similar in mind. Thanks for stimulating some good ideas.

What I really need is a greenhouse - that garage keeps the plants alive and not much else.
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Old December 13, 2011   #35
Hastings
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I'm curious seedling sellers, where do you purchase your pots to sell your seedlings in? I did my first Farmer's Market season this year and I'm wanting to reach out to customers earlier in the season and thought of selling seedlings. Approximately how old are your seedlings when you sell them for the $3 price? Also, I'm in a town of 25,000, so our Farmer's Market season doesn't start until June, obviously way too late to sell seedlings. Do you have any suggestions of what kind of places would be good to try to get some attention and sales? Thank you for any and all help/suggestions!
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Old December 13, 2011   #36
psa
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I grow in 1801 deeps, which works out to $.036 per pot (prices are up this year). I add colored plant tags (in the color the tomato ripens to) for $.025 each with a white polyester label ($.005 each in quantity) laser printed with variety, description, and my business name/url (<$.0001 in laser toner).

7 cents per pot and label, 20 cents per pot promix (wish I could find a cheaper/more direct source--I use 16 large bales every spring), seed from <1 cent to 10 cents. Germination media, heating and lighting, and the rest of the overhead varies wildly each year as I try different things.

Wire racks: I can put four 1020 trays crosswise on each 18" wide shelf on the costco racks. A full rack on wheels will hold one complete wave of tomato plants (I'm up to four germination waves each year to keep quality plants available throughout the planting season). I use these to store the plants under cover on extra cold nights while I'm hardening them off. A similar rack with lights hanging under each shelf is used for starting seeds.

I don't sell for profit. I grow out a couple hundred plants myself, and half of the remaining is donated to community gardens, demonstration gardens, non profit fundraisers, etc. The rest I sell for just enough to break even on the whole venture, word of mouth. I don't have the time for dedicated retail (the amount I would make from cutting into my full time job would not be worth the amount I could make at a farmers market, etc.) Having filled out my own capacity to produce these plants (10,000 starts last year, including the non-tomatoes), I'm kind of at the edge, trying to decide whether to take the plunge into ramping up further, with its attendant requirements of commercial property and payroll.

The market here will bear ~$2/plant, and $3 in specialty venues. Several of the large local nurseries sell a broad mix of hybrid and heirloom varieties at $2/3.5" pot, so it's hard to compete with that. Big box is still at $3, for now. I grow hundreds of varieties, including many that are in demand and hard to get elsewhere, but that's an easily overcome barrier for the nurseries that source from multiple growers.
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Old December 13, 2011   #37
Alpinejs
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As for location, I would just set up along the roadside near the edge of town on a fairly
busy street. Perhaps on the N. side of town on Hwy 34 before traffic picks up speed.

As to the heighth of the seedlings, I like about 8-10 inches as they are impressive and no
fears of "root bound" yet.

I have a white canvas sign with tomato red letters simply saying "Heirloom Tomato Seedlings". I had one fold-up table with about 6 varieties and that was it. This year, I
will have two tables and about 16-20 varieties. You will rapidly learn that you know more
about heirlooms than 96% of your customers so they will tend to buy what you "push".
A part of my "pitch" is claiming brandywine is the world's best tasting tomato by consensus but a poor producer so if you are only buying one, don't pick brandywine. If
you are getting at least five (get them thinking bigger), you owe it to yourself to taste a
brandywine. This year, one whole talbe will be brandywines, Brandy Red, Yellow (platfoot), OTV, Sudduth, so my "spiel" will get somewhat altered. Even though at times
I felt like a carnival barker, it was always fun, so enjoy and learn what the cornhusker like
and want and adjust the next year.
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Old December 13, 2011   #38
SEAMSFASTER
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hastings View Post
I'm curious seedling sellers, where do you purchase your pots to sell your seedlings in? I did my first Farmer's Market season this year and I'm wanting to reach out to customers earlier in the season and thought of selling seedlings. Approximately how old are your seedlings when you sell them for the $3 price? Also, I'm in a town of 25,000, so our Farmer's Market season doesn't start until June, obviously way too late to sell seedlings. Do you have any suggestions of what kind of places would be good to try to get some attention and sales? Thank you for any and all help/suggestions!
We have a greenhouse supply store in the area that sells boxes of 504 3.5" pots for around $63. I estimate that all costs (excluding my time) for producing one seedling is about 70¢.

My seedlings are 5-8 weeks old when I sell them. Hardening off is extremely important (and a lot of work when hauling them up and down stairs from a basement room). Sunscald of leaves has been a major problem.

For me it worked very well to advertise and sell out of my driveway. I would estimate that 80% of my customers came by word of mouth from those who responded directly to the advertisement and saw what I had to offer.

Zoning ordinances in some areas may prohibit selling from one's home, particularly in high volume. But for me, selling the plants from home was very convenient and allowed me (or a family member) to tend to them 24-7. There are some drawbacks, of course.
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Old December 13, 2011   #39
psa
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I sell at 8-10 weeks, 10-20", hardened off. I'm very restricted on selling from my home (1 at a time, by appointment, max 3/day, no signage or front yard visibility of the business). Been looking for an alternative, but no success so far.
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