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New to growing your own tomatoes? This is the forum to learn the successful techniques used by seasoned tomato growers. Questions are welcome, too.

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Old November 5, 2007   #1
FarmerCathy
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Default Varieties of tomato that sell well

I'm planning on selling tomato plants next year. What are the best selling hierloom tomatoes? Preferably sweet tomatoes. I'm planning on so far. Sungold (not heirloom, but I love them), Isis Candy, Pineapple, Kentucky Beefsteak,
Giant Belgium
green zebra
Aunt Ruby's German Green
Wapsipinicon Peach
Hillbilly
Joya de Oaxaca (Jewel of Oaxaca.)

These are ones I want to try or already want for myself anyway, but wanted to know if any others are reccommended for selling.

Thanks!
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Old November 5, 2007   #2
Rena
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In your part of the world they would know Cherokee Purple, Hillbilly, Green Zebra, Brandywine, Mortgage lifter, Red Zebra (those more well known) Maybe Black Cherry... I would skip Isis, it struggles as a plant and does not live long..... here in Georgia. Then I would add a hybrid popular in your area. Here it is Big Boy or Celebrity. Good luck!
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Old November 5, 2007   #3
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I hear they love Momotaro in Ca.
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Old November 6, 2007   #4
FarmerCathy
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Thanks for the suggestions. Then I will just start a couple Isis Candy for me. I planted them this year and they did well for me. Any other suggestions are welcome.
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Old November 6, 2007   #5
carolyn137
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Cathy, what varieties you sell as plants is going to be dependent on the area where you are and how much they know about heirloom tomatoes.

If they aren't that familiar with them then it's best to start out with just some good red and pink varieties and get them accustomed to being weaned away from store bought ones which are mostly reds.

So once you tell me about your area and the degree of expertise/knowledge about heirloom tomatoes in your area I'd be glad to make some suggestions.

You say you want sweet ones. But is that what your customers might want? I think those are some of the things you have to think about as you develop your list of possible varieties.

And I do think if you're going to sell plants you need at least 10-15 different varieties so there's adequate choice involved.
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Old November 7, 2007   #6
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I've just had a tomato plant sale in Oz and have made some observations:

1. Had >60 varieties which has too many without some gimmick.
e.g. group the varieties into Italians, Russians or some selection that obviates the need for the buyer to make the decision. Sell and group them in 10's so they get a black, cherry, early etc.

2. Greens, yellows are not popular even though these may be sensational tasters. Everyone wants a red tomato!!

3. Have plenty of cherries!!

4. Provide as much info as possible and a pic.

5. Certainly look at the season length and match the varieties to suit.

6. Keep them cheap. Mine are AU$1. There is more chance to move all stock.

7. Grow varieties that you think will sell, not what YOU like. (Very hard to do!!)

8. People know some varieties viz. Green Z, BRussian etc so try to re-educate towards the "newer" ones.
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Old November 8, 2007   #7
dice
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Pay attention to the names, too.

Black Cherry: sounds sweet
Sunsugar: ditto, although not as cool a name
Sungold: sounds golden
Box Car Willie: "Hobos know what to pinch."
Brandywine: what does that sound like to you?
Cherokee Purple: sounds interestingly rustic
Pineapple: sounds sweet and gigantic
Aunt Ginny's Purple: sounds like rural wisdom preserved
across the generations
Redfield Beauty: sounds like it produces "perfect tomatoes"
Pale Perfect Purple: ditto

And so on.

You have to balance this, of course, against the actual
tomato and how it will grow in your climate. No good
seducing someone once with a fancy cultivar name
only to have it produce very few or extremely bland
tomatoes that make them wonder why they bothered.

The fact that "purple" anything is usually pink
may put some people off that aren't expecting it.
It may help to put the purples in either a "pink" or
"dark-fruited" section (Aunt Ginny's vs Cherokee
Purple, for example), so it isn't quite as much
of a surprise what color the ripe fruit are.

Counterexamples:

Earl's Faux: terrible name for marketing. The "Earl's"
part is ok, the "Faux" is too obscure sounding.
Only cognoscenti who have heard of it will
buy these (so don't sprout very many of them
at first, until word gets around, since you might
end up growing them all yourself or donating
them to a 4-H group or something).

Something like "Earl's Hot Pink", now that would sell
anywhere.

PS:

Although the name is not very flashy,
Stupice does well in your area (according
to Carla, who posts on GW). It is early, and
it survives the heat of mid-summer, producing
small, tasty tomatoes over a very long season.
Eva Purple Ball is more interesting sounding,
and it is rumored to do very well in the heat, too.

Edit:

"Sungold: sounds golden" (imagine what you
thought the first time you saw golden figs or
golden raisins for sale somewhere).
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Last edited by dice; November 9, 2007 at 02:54 PM. Reason: typo, etc
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Old November 8, 2007   #8
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Cathy,

I am in Zip Code 95008, so not too far from you climate-wise. Here is my list of recommendations that should grow well in our area, and my personal rankings of 10 heirlooms that should sell well:

JD’s Special C Tex (1)

Purple Haze (2)

Earl’s Faux (3)

Ed’s Millennium (4)

Cherokee Purple (5)

Stump of the World (6)

Cherokee Chocolate (7)

Paul Robeson 8

Brandywine Sudduth (9)

Coustralee (10)


Also, not too far from you on I-80 is Brad's Wild Boar Farms. It would be well worth your time to visit his operation. Trying to make money in selling tomatoes commercially is a challenging proposition, but if you are really committed, you should talk with Brad about the metrics of your plan. (Some photos below of NORCATT 2007 at Brad's)

Ray (in Campbell, CA)
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Old November 8, 2007   #9
dice
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"Stump of the World (6)"

That is another great name for a tomato.
It arouses instant curiousity and somehow
has connotations of "hugeness".
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Old November 8, 2007   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dice View Post
"Stump of the World (6)"

That is another great name for a tomato.
It arouses instant curiousity and somehow
has connotations of "hugeness".
Actually it was named after a bible reference.

Ben Quisenberry, who named it, was a very religious man and the stump being referred to is the stump or root of Jesse in the bible. Where I live there are many small churches that are called stump churches, also from the same bible reference.
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Old November 9, 2007   #11
Rena
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Stump is a great tomato!!!!!
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Old November 10, 2007   #12
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In the town I live in if I tried to sell a plant with some wild name and color the non worldly locals would just go yuck.
“”””I anit gonna eat nothin like that, must be some kind of hippie tree hugger tomato.””””

BUT they are on the down swing as more folks that are from other parts of the world have moved in.
So we have a wide diversity of folks around here, the locals and the outsiders.
The locals hate the outsiders and they hate almost anything new including a tomato that the outsiders brought with them.

Now Austin is another story it is very modern and has a lot of folks that love anything organic or heirloom and will pay a hefty price for it.

So with that all said I would even in Austin present only about 10 to 20 variety’s because more will only confuse them.
With this amount it will cover all of the bases and of course you have to be rather flamboyant.
Don’t just sit there like a knot on a log and expect folks to make up their mind.
You have to make it up for them but in a way that makes them think they made all of the decisions.

Get them interested, call them over and be honest.
It helps to know the history of the plants you are selling and how they taste.

Make up free fliers to give away on saving seeds, how to plant the seeds and how to start indoors.

You could even get an email address for questions and answers.

Tell them about Tomatoville.

But don’t bore them to death with your ranting, read their body language and know when its time to hand over a cheap pamphlet so they can read it or have a poster displayed.
They can read a little about the myths about heirloom tomatoes and how they are missing out on a real great experience.

While your talking to them and their eyes stay on you or you’re plants you are ok.
If they start to drift off to other places then its time to change or move on.

Be nice, say howdy and shake hands but don’t be over bearing.
Keep hand sanitizer on hand and use it discreetly after each hand shake.

Dress in nice clothes and have your hair kept well groomed.
Have clean hands and keep your nails well manicured and clean.
Act like you have sold a million tomato plants and not your first one.

I would prefer the Texas cowboy farmer hippie type of persona my self.
Wear a nice hat not a ball cap ladies can get away with a ball cap but not men.
I prefer a straw flat brimmed type hat.

Try and act on what they present their selves to be by what kinds of cloths they wear and how they act.
If you cuss and use fowl language, leave it at home along with the cigarettes, or at least don’t smoke or chew in front of customers

You can tell a lot about folks from how they carry their selves and how they dress in public.
Are their clothes and shoes clean?
How do they talk, do they use proper English.

I don’t care where you live people still like to be treated with respect regardless of how they look.

When you refer to your operation always say we, not I, as it will make it sound more professional, not a little thing going on in the garage.

Don’t waste your time on the ones that got away.

Try to have signs that make folks come to you so you don’t have to sound like a carnie which would turn me off real quick.

Always have a smile on your face and try to make them feel comfortable around you.

Don’t act desperate.

Bring empty flats with you and set them to the side so it looks like you have sold a lot of tomatoes.

If you are at a stand or table bring a friend along so you won’t be stuck there.
You guys can swap out and take breaks it’s a long day to say the least.
You may not sell any thing all morning long and then sell half your crop in thirty minutes.

If you are political don’t bring along any signs of your favorite politician.
The last election was split almost 50/50 and it might cost you 50% of your customers.
Political and other signs in a place of business are a real turn off for me.
The only thing you need to have up is information about tomatoes or your products.

Even if you are allowed to drink alcohol don’t do it, their goes more customers.

If you drink bottled water, ‘drink it from a glass, ‘not the bottle, it shows a more sophisticated upbringing.
Don’t crunch ice.
Don’t chew gum and pop bubbles
Don’t spit.
When you are standing and talking to customers place your hands behind your back or to your sides when not pointing to a plant or something.


When answering a question give a strait and well thought out answer don’t ramble on like I do.

Don’t have rowdy or crybaby kids around they will run off business.

If they are well behaved and want to help then by all means have them along, it will be a reflection of your self and how you are.
If they read then have them sit and read a book or play with a doll or something.
NO toy trucks on the table.

Don’t eat in front of customers.
More reason for the friend coming along.
If you have to listen to music then use earphones or buds don’t play it out loud, your customer may not have the same taste and move along and not stop.


Remember that’s your money they have in their pockets.
Act like your having the time of your life.
This may sound like a lot of BS but if doesn’t hurt it will help and you will need all of the help you can get.
And above all don’t get discouraged.

Worth
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Old November 12, 2007   #13
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Well Worth, i have to say thats all very good advice. If i were starting up a business i think i would probably come to you for advice.
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Old November 14, 2007   #14
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The local college here sold lots of heirloom varieties at their spring plant sale. They had pics from catalogs (mostly SSE) so people could see what the variety looks like. They quickly sold out of Aunt Ruby's German Green, Striped Cavern, Amana Orange, & Black Cherry.
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Old November 15, 2007   #15
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Our community garden has a sale each spring, mostly heirloom tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. We almost always run out of cherries first (all colors... white varieties go last) and small-fruited varieties like Jaune Flammee and others that are fairly early. (We're in a northern state, which seems to scare some people, though I can ripen Lillian's Yellow Heirloom and other late varieties without problem.) We never seem to grow enough black or green-when-ripe varieties. If you're interested, check out the list of what we had last year on our site:
http://www.dowlingcommunitygarden.org/
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