Quote:
Originally Posted by AZGardener
Hi guys- I know we touched on this on another thread but I was just told by one of the top local pizza restaurants (that always has a 1-2 hr wait) that if I grew more maters, he would buy them. 
For those that don't know, this is part of my tomato growing dream. To have a farm and sell to local chefs/markets.
I'm on 1/2 acre but only have 6 raised beds. I could probably double that but would that even be enough?!! I have about 40 something heirloom/rare varieties and I could probably do 80 but again, not sure if that's even enough. I should ask how many lbs he goes through a day and perhaps that would give me a better idea of how many I should grow next season.
Any thoughts on this, would be appreciated! |
Wow, AZGardener, It sounds like we have a lot in common. I too live in a residential area with a fairly small lot. I have gone from a small garden spot to a larger spot and then a bit larger. I always wanted to share my love for tomatoes with others and make a buck here and there. I finally set up selling some of my heirlooms at a local farmers market a few years back. Not the most pleasant experience as most people didn't understand the heirloom thing and wanted only the prettiest tomatoes-mostly from the people who don't grow anything, just buy them from importers.
I finally got into a situation where I am selling to a farmers market who in turn resells them. They have a market on Thursdays and Saturdays. I believe that he has a relationship with several restaurants who buy on Mondays at a discounted price. I thought about trying to sell to local high end restaurants, but since I only grow outside, I could only offer tomatoes in late June, July, August & September.
My wife and I also have plans to buy a small farm in the near future. I have a very good job and don't plan on making the gardening thing my way of life (until I retire).
Best of luck to you and I hope you can find you a place to expand on and live your dreams.
Joe