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LDx4 · June 10, 2015

AZGardener,

I too had that dream to sell my tomatoes to area markets and restaurants. So several years ago I started a small (very small!) farm where I grew mostly tomatoes and some summer squash and cucumbers.

And I encountered all of the issues that Worth and Carolyn pointed out.

I had around 300-400 tomato plants and when the season started, everything was great - I had plenty of tomatoes to sell at the farmers market and I supplied two deli's with as many tomatoes as they needed. But then summer and the season ended

- and everyone still wanted more tomatoes, which I didn't have. I found out that most folks don't understand that there is a season for ripe tomatoes - now that grocery stores have produce year around (not great produce, but it's still there), I think that people expect us to be growing all year. And that's not possible even in Southern CA or AZ.

So, after getting a suggestion from a good friend here on TVille, I branched out and started growing microgreens. I can grow them year around (indoors in the winter months) and I have a steady crop to sell at markets and to restaurants. Growing tomatoes is still my favorite though, and this year I have about 130 tomato plants (fewer due to the CA drought conditions) and I'll still be selling them at the markets for the next few months. But then I'll go back to just microgreens.

So if you can follow your dream, go for it! But it's good that you're asking questions here first

.

June 10, 2015	#4
LDx4 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: San Diego Posts: 321	AZGardener, I too had that dream to sell my tomatoes to area markets and restaurants. So several years ago I started a small (very small!) farm where I grew mostly tomatoes and some summer squash and cucumbers. And I encountered all of the issues that Worth and Carolyn pointed out. I had around 300-400 tomato plants and when the season started, everything was great - I had plenty of tomatoes to sell at the farmers market and I supplied two deli's with as many tomatoes as they needed. But then summer and the season ended - and everyone still wanted more tomatoes, which I didn't have. I found out that most folks don't understand that there is a season for ripe tomatoes - now that grocery stores have produce year around (not great produce, but it's still there), I think that people expect us to be growing all year. And that's not possible even in Southern CA or AZ. So, after getting a suggestion from a good friend here on TVille, I branched out and started growing microgreens. I can grow them year around (indoors in the winter months) and I have a steady crop to sell at markets and to restaurants. Growing tomatoes is still my favorite though, and this year I have about 130 tomato plants (fewer due to the CA drought conditions) and I'll still be selling them at the markets for the next few months. But then I'll go back to just microgreens. So if you can follow your dream, go for it! But it's good that you're asking questions here first .