A Colorful Market Table - Page 26

Cole_Robbie · June 22, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigVanVader

i tried charging $4 but it didnt go over to well. $3 seems to be all the public will pay here.

Early Cherokee Purple in April and May, which were actually quite good, started at $2.50 a pound at my market. I probably have the cheapest tomato prices in the country.

SteveP · June 22, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kazedwards

The Cherokee purple tasted fantastic but it was the first tomato since last year. They are also very soft. Not a hard ball like the red we bought. I was surprised they didn't have any cherries at the market.

Omaha's old market is great. Fun atmosphere for sure. The river market down here is like that but a lot bigger. Probably close to 200 actual vendors plus restaurants and then the bigger places that sell the same stuff as the grocery store. They also have busters and specialty shops. The bigger markets are a lot of fun.

-Zach

Zach, I went to the KC river market 3 years ago and it was huge. Sadly when I was there I was shocked at the amount of OLD produce was priced for sale. We were there later in the day, so maybe the good vendors had sold out and left.

We have the Webb City Farmers Market (town of 15,000) that has a fantastic market with about 40 vendors. Resellers are not allowed. If you didn't grow it, raise it or make it, no soup for you. I checked into what it took to become a seller and I was impressed with how strict they were. They come out and inspect your garden at least once a season to insure it is all grown by the seller. They are open for 4 hours 3 days a week and they are swamped with eager customers.

Kazedwards · June 22, 2017

The river market is strict for vendors. I looked into what it took to sell and they have 2 classes with different rates. One is 100 percent grown within 500? Miles and the other 51 percent grown. There is an application process and a farm check. You also have to get a tax license. To sell pastries or give samples requires a food handlers permit (which I have for work). If you sell pastries the city requires them to be made in a commercial kitchen although a church kitchen will do. Buskers have to audition as well. Seems like they put a ton of work into it. Also there are grocers that are there but they aren't considered vendors bc they are there and open year round 7 days a week. I feel they take a lot away from the vendors.

-Zach

clkeiper · June 23, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kazedwards

Have you guys thought about selling dwarfs in 4-5 gallon pots later in the season. You could advertise it as a no planting tomato. Just take home and water? Maybe extend the plant selling season a bit.

-Zach

I sell large tomato plants in containers... they are a lot of work to haul around. in a bucket might be easier, but the stake or cage is in the way. that said. it is doable. I transport about 30 to a market in May and sell them. I rarely bring any home. most are not dwarfs, they are container tomatoes though. I sell them with tomatoes on them almost ready to ripen at 15.00 each.

Cole_Robbie · June 23, 2017

A greenhouse near me sells a lot of large plants in the early spring, but almost all of them are pre-ordered by previous customers. I think the best bet for a mature product carried to market would be microdwarfs. I'm still trying to find the right pot size and support system to sell them when mature. Hummert does sell a product that is a small pot that comes with a cage as part of it. It is laughably tiny as far as tomato planters go, but I think it would look great with a microdwarf.

bower · June 23, 2017

I thought about doing microdwarfs for the market before Christmas. With the right planning you could have them loaded with fruit just ripening and looking very festive! And I bet they would sell very well. I would have to cut my other tomatoes short though, to use the greenhouse space, so I didn't do it.

SteveP · June 24, 2017

I just got home from a local market and was shocked by the number of cars and shoppers were there. It has probably 40 vendors under a large covered area and I bet there were at least 500 cars. Took 15 minutes to find a place to park. Every vendor had customers lined up waiting to buy. Tomatoes looked like the hottest commodity selling for anywhere from $1-2.50# depending on if it was blemished.

Cole_Robbie · July 8, 2017

I didn't go to market this morning, but sent a few boxes with my family. Apparently they all sold, as I just came home to the empty boxes sitting on my doorstep. Here is what they looked like yesterday when I packed them.

Cole_Robbie · July 8, 2017

I just looked on our market's facebook page, and there is a pic of the table this morning.

MissS · July 8, 2017

Now that's a busy productive table. You should be proud of your produce and of those that you sent to the market today. I sure wish that our markets had produce like yours. I will have to wait a little more.

bower · July 8, 2017

I love the look of the random assorted pints/pound (?) boxes. If I didn't grow tomatoes and I went to a market, that is exactly what I would buy for myself.

Also if I was taking tomatoes to market, that's likely how I would pack them!

wildcat62 · July 8, 2017

Awesome table full. That had tocatch their eye.

SueCT · July 8, 2017

Wonderful! The type of table I love to find when I go to a market! Beautiful!

efisakov · July 9, 2017

My tomatoes are still green (this year is just the worst so far). If I had market like this here, I would pay for the fresh ripe tomatoes like yours.

SteveP · July 9, 2017

I have gone to our local market the last 3 weeks. There are at least 10 sellers with lots of tomatoes, but nothing but nothing of any color besides red. None are heirlooms. Your table looks great and even though I grow tomatoes, I would still buy some of yours to taste varieties I haven't tried.

June 22, 2017	#378
Kazedwards Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 368	The river market is strict for vendors. I looked into what it took to sell and they have 2 classes with different rates. One is 100 percent grown within 500? Miles and the other 51 percent grown. There is an application process and a farm check. You also have to get a tax license. To sell pastries or give samples requires a food handlers permit (which I have for work). If you sell pastries the city requires them to be made in a commercial kitchen although a church kitchen will do. Buskers have to audition as well. Seems like they put a ton of work into it. Also there are grocers that are there but they aren't considered vendors bc they are there and open year round 7 days a week. I feel they take a lot away from the vendors. -Zach __________________ -Zach

July 8, 2017	#385
MissS Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin Posts: 3,146	Now that's a busy productive table. You should be proud of your produce and of those that you sent to the market today. I sure wish that our markets had produce like yours. I will have to wait a little more. __________________ ~ Patti ~

July 8, 2017	#387
wildcat62 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2014 Location: Zone 6 Northern Kentucky Posts: 1,094	Awesome table full. That had tocatch their eye. __________________ Mark

July 9, 2017	#389
efisakov Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: NJ, zone 7 Posts: 3,162	My tomatoes are still green (this year is just the worst so far). If I had market like this here, I would pay for the fresh ripe tomatoes like yours. __________________ Ella God comes along and says, "I think I'm going to create THE tomato!”

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

June 23, 2017	#380
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	A greenhouse near me sells a lot of large plants in the early spring, but almost all of them are pre-ordered by previous customers. I think the best bet for a mature product carried to market would be microdwarfs. I'm still trying to find the right pot size and support system to sell them when mature. Hummert does sell a product that is a small pot that comes with a cage as part of it. It is laughably tiny as far as tomato planters go, but I think it would look great with a microdwarf.

June 23, 2017	#381
bower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 6,793	I thought about doing microdwarfs for the market before Christmas. With the right planning you could have them loaded with fruit just ripening and looking very festive! And I bet they would sell very well. I would have to cut my other tomatoes short though, to use the greenhouse space, so I didn't do it.

June 24, 2017	#382
SteveP Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Joplin MO Posts: 1,398	I just got home from a local market and was shocked by the number of cars and shoppers were there. It has probably 40 vendors under a large covered area and I bet there were at least 500 cars. Took 15 minutes to find a place to park. Every vendor had customers lined up waiting to buy. Tomatoes looked like the hottest commodity selling for anywhere from $1-2.50# depending on if it was blemished.

July 8, 2017	#386
bower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 6,793	I love the look of the random assorted pints/pound (?) boxes. If I didn't grow tomatoes and I went to a market, that is exactly what I would buy for myself. Also if I was taking tomatoes to market, that's likely how I would pack them!

July 8, 2017	#388
SueCT Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Connecticut Posts: 1,460	Wonderful! The type of table I love to find when I go to a market! Beautiful!

July 9, 2017	#390
SteveP Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Joplin MO Posts: 1,398	I have gone to our local market the last 3 weeks. There are at least 10 sellers with lots of tomatoes, but nothing but nothing of any color besides red. None are heirlooms. Your table looks great and even though I grow tomatoes, I would still buy some of yours to taste varieties I haven't tried.