Each market, farm and area will be different. Just keep reading these forums and look for people from your area. I'm in the Midwest, so I can't help in regards to questions on things grow 'out there'. No matter where you are at, expect to work hard and make alittle money. If you don't enjoy it, you will learn to dislike it-fast.

Marla

dirtdigging101 Stole my thunder. I first read the OP and thought, "I hope they have a place to sell this produce".

Also, I hope they understand how to grow, succession plantings, what varieties and crops to grow.

In my opinion, Check out all the Eliot Coleman books. He is a great source of information and he gives a lot of the information you are looking for.

I have a 1.5 acre market garden, 6 high tunnels that cover close to 8,000 square feet each year. Most plots get planted 2-3 times a year. It is a ton of work, especially when you also have a full time job too.

Good Luck!

Jay

Your local extension office can help with a crop plan. I am currently under several mentor programs. All of them are specific to Oklahoma. One is just for market gardening. Another program advises us on our entire farm. Not just immediate results, but even where we want our farm to be & grow in the yrs to come. They help you come up with a plan to get to where you need to be, and if what you want is out of reach they let you know that too. I figure the more knowledge & advise I can get, the better it will be for me & my family.

I'll tell NOT all extension offices are helpful, so if you find one that is, be grateful. the one near me, was a waste of time, when it came to asking about market gardening in any way. Trail and error, and this forum has been my best bets.

Marla

jrslick KS You are so right! I work a full time evening job and I market garden only 1 acre at this time and I'm always behind, yet always thinking forward. You have to love it and never give up. It is a non-stop learning experince that keeps changing. This was my worst year with record heat and drought. But I'm already working on next year.I gave up on my fall garden and spent this time on cover crops instead.

The extension office is as helpful as the 911 operators. I called one today with an emergency I saw on the road and I wanted to tell her, "if I ever call when I am being attacked and you don't help, I am coming to find you."

So I don't think highly of the extension office or the free info lines. Reading books all winter and forums have helped me the most, save for experience.
Some books you might like: any of Steve Solomon's- he was from the upper NW. Backyard Market Gardening- I think this is the one that explains how much money could be made. Maybe it was a different book I am thinking of.

I agree with the above - no substitute for reading, and lots of it! Also, talk to other vendors, preferably not at the markets you intend to sell at - to learn from their experiences.
little_minnie, what happened regarding the emergency? You piqued my curiosity :)

LOL. I saw a couple driving in a pickup and the woman was holding a baby. They were heading for the highway. Now it isn't the 70s anymore- haven't seen that in a long time. I called and just then a cop passed me and I tried to wave him down and pull over while still talking to the b***h from 911. The cop stopped and then left again and I gave the description of the truck and she said they would watch for them. I hoped the cop went after them and made those idiots use a babyseat!

growing for market is an excellent source of information about all things market farming. there are some good email lists

Marketing is very important and you should have something lined up before you plant. You also will need to know how to succession plant and you will need to know what is popular in your area

Here is a link that might be useful: Market farming E-mail List

Sad that everyone doesn't have an AWESOME extension office. I do read every bit of information I can get, but if I have any question about what to do localy or what is in at the moment I can ask my extension office, the Kerr Center, or the Noble Foundation. All 3 have above & beyond anytype of information I could every ask for! Guess I should be thankful!

Thanks everyone for the thoughts.

I am familiar with succession planting, I've managed both a 5 acre organic farm and a greenhouse operation (involving 12 greenhouses, mostly growing tomatoes).

Both were great learning experiences, but moving to a new environment (Pacific Maritime, zone 8) and trying to grow enough produce on 1 acre of land to feed my family and make some extra cash at the farmer's market seems daunting. I'm fortunate enough that the county has recently built a permanent farmer's market that has plenty of space for new vendors.

I'm just trying to pull together some financial figures concerning costs of seed , estimated diesel fuel use, farmer's market supplies (scale, bags, etc), harvest equipment, etc. I'm lucky to be leasing land from an established farm that has offered to let me use their irrigation, fencing, prep facilities, etc. So costs can be kept down this first year.

I think the extension is helpful, but underfunded and overextended so I'm not sure how helpful they'll be.

Happy to hear any other ideas!... Thanks!

Check your local library for books like "gardening west of the Cascades" and other regional books.

As far as bags, before the 'bring your own reusable bag' craze started, I figured out that I used about 1,000 for each $1,000 of sales. Now I used about 1,000 for $2-3,000 of sales. I buy my bags at Sams, and I try to pick them up during the 'off' season. It seems like the prices go up during the market season. I have also picked up green table covers after Christmas on the clearance aisle, green goes with everything. I just picked up some clearance labels at my local office store for my future plants.

I have to watch every penny, so the clearance aisles in places that you wouldn't think about gardening are places that you will see me.

Marla

If you're new to the Pacific NW you might want to try Carol Deppe's "Resilient Gardener". She's from that part of the world and discusses how temperature and seasonal rainfall patterns shape the producer's year there. Cheers!

Thanks everyone!

I only do one farmers market now. I sell at a stand on my farm. Check your local regulations. I get many new customers from our facebook page and from Local Harvest web page. I get thousands of hits from local harvest. I give them a donation every year for the service. It will tell people where , when and what you grow. (some of those hits are search engines) Also here in Oklahoma, we have the right to farm act. This allows you to sell even out of your back yard as long as that is where you grew it. Also you do not collect sales tax if you sell where you grow it.

Aren't there laws regulating the sell of produce that crosses state lines?

Rocky, no, not usually for small farmers. At least not between Ohio and Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and W. Va. I farm in Ohio and for years have sold produce in Indiana. i know a lot of Ky farmers who sell on Cincinnati and towns in Indiana.

There probably are laws about this in California and Arizona where they grow a lot of produce

Ten years ago, before being transfered I farmed in Scottsville,Ky. and sold in Nashville,Tn. A lot of so called farmers at the Nashville Farmers Market hit my farm trying to buy produce at wholesale to retail in Nashville. A lot of them bought from my Amish neighbors and resold in Nashville. I had a problem with that when they tried to say they had grown it to the custs.

After awhile, the customers, if they're smart, realize that some of the vendors at a farmers market don't grow everything. It's very hard to keep good quality produce in large amounts all season long. Usually farmers will have alot of some things for a few weeks, but not all season. And really once they buy it from you, then what they do is up to them. As long as your produce is quality and safe, I wouldn't worry about it. I would keep records of who and what you sold. Plus if they want it bad enough they will buy at your retail price and pass the price onto their customers.

When I buy, I'm sure to give the farmer that grew it credit. I know that there are some things that just doesn't like to grow for me, but others do a great job. This is what I tell my customers, and if they want, I'll give the customers my farmers name so that they could go see how it's grown. Most people don't want to travel the distances that I go, and trust me to furnish good quality, fresh produce. It's taken awhile to build that confidence, but some people will only shop me. It's a great confidence builder to hear that.

Marla

There's no law that I'm aware of about selling between most states at least not between Kansas and Missouri (I live in Kansas City practically ON the state line...). We have vendors selling on both sides of the state line. Now, there are regulations regarding the transportation of agricultural items into California, Hawai'i and Florida. Certain agricultural items cannot be brought into Texas, Florida, Washington State and some others.

Yes, we have others who resell. Many of our markets have rules that one can sell no more than 20-30% that is not theirs and it all has to be local but we still have people who cheat. I wonder who is growing bananas in Kansas or Missouri?

Like some of the others have pointed out, our regulars seem to figure out who is reselling and whose stuff is really theirs. You build relationships and trust with your customers and it doesn't matter what the others have, your customers will always buy something from you.

Just my 2 cents from SW Ontario, Canada. I am starting my market garden on approx 3/4 of an acre. I found some of the best ideas came from Ottawa-based Scott Kelland of New-Terra Farm. He has some amazing thoughts and ideas about market gardening on smaller acreage. Of course I'm also a big fan of Joel Salatin (I know he doesn't cover just market gardening, but still...)he gets you thinking of how to really use your farm in a lot of great ways...
I am a bit disappointed that our local OMAFRA office has been pretty much ZERO help as far as market gardening (or anything else) is concerned. I'm always amazed to read about folks in the U.S who get tons of help, support, and ideas from their local ag office! The OMAFRA/provincial ag website is an exercise in frustration. For most enterprises they expect you to be a farmer with 1,000-plus acres. And then it's only the big three: soybeans, corn, and wheat.
Just as an example, we also keep honeybees (they work very well with my garden!) and we are the only beekeepers within 100 miles that don't use any chemicals or garbage on our hives. When the OMAFRA bee inspector comes out, or they send us literature/updates, nothing is ever mentioned about the way we farm, just how the big boys do it.
This seems to be a similar problem in our area with any kind of market gardening. It's amazing to read this great forum and see so many of you wanting to accomplish the same goals as myself.
Sorry to ramble on, but I wondered if any other forum members from Ontario had this same problem and if there's a way to get info/help on starting a market garden on 1 acre besides this excellent forum?

Smiley, not all of the US people get help from our 'government' agencies, some of them are ONLY for the big guy. Same with classes at college, Big or Nothing. We're going to some classes along with those farmers and it's amazing how little the teachers know about some operations(less than 100 acres). At least our teachers are willing to listen to some little veggie growers(less than 20 acres).

If you don't find help in your area, look around other areas, you'll find others doing what you're doing. We were the first and only veggie grower than our county USDA had, except one that grew ONLY sweet corn. That was over 10 years ago, and now there is more.

How I started my market garden was to just plant 4x the amount of my normal regular garden, then sell off the excess. Not very professional, but it worked. Then I tweaked it each year, and still tweaking. It took time, but I also didn't take out any loans, just built what I have over the years. I wish I had started out in my 20s instead of late 40s. I definitely had more energy then.

Marla

Sorry to ramble on, but I wondered if any other forum members from Ontario had this same problem and if there's a way to get info/help on starting a market garden on 1 acre besides this excellent forum?

I have used a lot of online resources. Some extension offices in the US have great information posted on their various websites. Rodale also has a New Farm section.

SPIN has some interesting info but the literature is way overpriced. I bought two of his handouts and won't be buying any more since I have been able to get info elsewhere. It did give me access to that forum and there are a lot of people (many of whom are Canadian) who are doing well market-gardening on small plots of land.

I also have read books online written in the late 19th- early 20th century by successful market gardeners of that time. Look up Peter Henderson, and John Weathers.

I've read the Eliot Coleman books.

I started small last year. We have 5250 sq feet in market garden. I am not looking for any money or handouts from anyone.

There are a few incubator small farm type programs in Ontario. Check CRAFT, Everdale, Farmstart.

I have checked out several good books from our library to help me get started and continue. 2 really good ones that I remember are Backyard Market Gardening, by Andrew Lee (he's good and most of his books I like to learn from) and Market Gardening by Ric Staines.

Another one is the New Farmers Market by Eric Gibson--I've met him and he does ALOT of research with regular people like me, before he writes. He also wrote Sell What you Sow.

I check Amazon and choose Market Gardening and there are alot of books that pop up. I decided that I NEED some of these reference books on my shelves. I will say EVERY book that I've read, I've learned SOMETHING, some more than others.

I've NOT found any other forum that is anyway as good as this one.

Marla

Two more pieces of input.

1)Subscribe to Growing for Market, it is the most current resource for market gardeners other than forums like these.

2) Study your real market, and understand it. There is no point in growing radicchio and fennel and shallots if your local area wants potatoes and onions and leeks (everybody wants tomatoes). In the beginning, it is very important that you grow what you will sell. If you don't have ethnic markets or up-scale culinary demand, buit you plant gourmet varieties, you will be raising loss-leaders, which is unsustainable in a new market garden. If you are in an agricultural area that is known for potatoes and broccoli, it is unlikely that you will be able to achieve the economies of scale that make it profitable to compete with other local, established, commercial growers. You may not make a lot of money the first year - I budgeted for NO profit for the first 3 years - but you must not lose money.

Here is a link that might be useful: magazine

I forgot growing for market.

IRS allows you to have a loss for 2 of 5 years, after that your business is considered a hobby and will not be able to claim ANY losses, just break even.

Most businesses do not make a true economic profit in their first year, usually not until year 3.

I can't impress this enough, if you don't ENJOY doing this, find something else. If you enjoy it, and you can break even, it will be a good venture for you.

Marla