Quote:
Originally Posted by Frog
Tomato quality is shocking in the UK, people only seem to want bland red round fruit. The market for blemish free smooth cherry tomatoes is huge, but it's all about look and not taste.
|
That really surprises me. I always thought the British were sophisticated about everything. Sounds like rural East Texas - all about looks and not taste. The heirloom OPs that these folks are selling for $3/# wouldn't bring anymore at our vegetable stand than red commercial determinates. And they have to be blemish-free.
We are a church-based non-profit and use a voluntary donation can - no set price. Interestingly, tomatoes still average around $1/#. Most of our customers are poor (our stand is in an impoverished rural area) and they only buy our vegetables because they are cheaper in price than Wal-Mart, and they won't take anything -even for free - that doesn't look exactly like grocery store produce. That's all they have to go on, the only standard they know.
Many don't put any money in the can, but we do pick-up some generous customers from the Highway, and we also have a number of middle class folks who buy our veggies and are very generous. All proceeds after expenses are used for our youth programs.
In the course of a year, we grow and distribute tons of fresh produce.
Jack