well most farmers sell at market. resturaunts are not going to touch you unless you have a proven track record of consistent good product. same with stores. almost all organic farmers start out selling at farmers markets.It will take years of working your system to create the correct nutrient levels.ph levels .most farmers have found that they grow crops designed for resturaunts. i to have been looking in the direction. But i come from a farming Base we grew wheat, pea,s barley. on 800 acres, And generally prices are higher for organic product as small crops are hard to make money on.so prices are higher to break even.most organics sell quality instead of qaunity.this is a 24/7 operation .Grew tomatoes this year in a small home made set up.took all info from the forums that are out there. i grew three plants the conventional way. used no herbicides, all were the same species the three plants i grew in my shop using grow lights did not have the flavor of the conventional ones. did not keep the ph levels consistant, My fault.Plus my reserc pumps were having issues .and i was not keeping my filters clean as i should have.my outside plants were huge the best crop i have had in ten years, i grew sweet 100,s. a cherry tomato. my inside plants had good looking plants and i did have a good crop. but the taste was lacking.lesson learned since i kept good records of all i did. next crop will be a big improvement.my neighbors hated me. they recieved more than they could eat.i just picked the last of the outsiders last night. over 18 pounds .
I am pricing out and obtaining Hydroponic equipment. I will be able to produce quite a bit of organically grown heirloom products through out 9-12 months of the year pending on the plants. However, I'm getting stuck in a few areas. One, is how do I distribute food? Do I deliver it? Do I allow them to pick it up every morning? I will only sell locally to my area to start.
How do I sell the produce? How do I contact "x" restaurant, retailer, etc. to see if they are interested in purchasing my produce? WHO should I be talking to instead of restaurants? Is there a pitch? Do I need to have paperwork about my produce together? Should I have some kind of license other than a business license? I'm in Washoe County, Reno, Nevada if this helps.
And how much do I charge for what? Give me a rough estimate for west coast sales for fruits, veggies, leafy greens like lettuces, and herbs. I've received numbers already, but they seamed a little high. Higher than what one would pay for produce at the store and that stuff is retail mark up.
