Marketing crops

[rhoda_bruce]

Okay, I always went more for self-sufficiency than to sell one main product, so I'm at a really big lose right now. I stand to inherit something that I'm already in control of....well if you want to call what I'm doing as being in control. DH and I would make a garden big enough for our family and then some for bartering. Same with our poultry project....eggs and meat for the family and a little to sell or trade. Nothing like a commercial business. Well, what in the &^%$ do I do with an orange orchard with about 200 trees and so much fruit on the poor trees that they are hanging down, touching the ground.
Florida is full of oranges......how does it get all over the country?
Idaho is full of potatoes.......who gets the call from those farmers to put them in supermarkets all over the US?
There was a local man who had a bigger orchard than Mom and Dad and he bulldozed his whole orchard. Momma doesn't have anything nice to say about that incident, but I can almost understand, cuz sometimes DH and I talk about when we have a hard freeze and start losing some, we won't cry, but we will have more land to plant. In the meantime, I'm waiting to figure out how to either sell the crop or barter with someone furthur north who has a product I can't grow. Its very frustrating to be sitting on something valueable and not know how to manage it.

 

[FarmerJamie]

That's a tough one!

What are the export laws for Florida produce to other states? Are there any?

With a grove like that could you rent/contract out the output to a larger company or a co-op or something?

 

[rhoda_bruce]

I'm in Louisiana, but we can grow most of the stuff that grows in Florida. I wouldn't mind contracting to a larger company, if I only knew of a larger company. There was one in another parish that went under water for Isaac, so I thought I'd have an easier time selling to the grocery stores, but that didn't happen. Does seem like Louisiana is closer in proximity to a lot more places than Florida, so if I can just figure out who to talk to, seems like it would cost less to get our fruit in the stores than fruit from Florida.

 

[FarmerJamie]

Sorry, I missed that about La. Now that you mention it, I should have remembered! LOL

From my own experience, on both sides of the coin, grocery stores that are large chains don't typically work with local suppliers (this is a generalization, I'm sure some do). Smaller stores usually only work with outfits that they know personally that they understand the quality level and ability to regularly supply.

I'd start by looking for co'ops in the area. Maybe sell shares for a u-pick operation?

this is really interesting to me, since this time of setup is very common here in NE Ohio. I curious how it works in other areas of the country.

 

[so lucky]

There are independent grocery/produce wholesalers in every city. Finding them may require some "yellow pages" research. Do you have someone to harvest the crops? Surely there are unemployed people nearby who would be happy to work for a few days this close to Christmas. Can you hire independent truckers to haul the stuff north? Hook up with a food producer in the area who delivers other produce, and have them deliver it for you?

 

[so lucky]

There are independent grocery/produce wholesalers in every city. Finding them may require some "yellow pages" research. Do you have someone to harvest the crops? Surely there are unemployed people nearby who would be happy to work for a few days this close to Christmas. Can you hire independent truckers to haul the stuff north? Hook up with a food producer in the area who delivers other produce, and have them deliver it for you?

 

[~gd]

Have you made use of the cooperative extension service there in LA? Every county (pharish?) usually has a office, if they can't help locally [agents cannot be experts in everything] they can ask your land grant collages and Universities for assistance [yours include LSU, Southern University and A&M College]. They should be able to point you in the right direction for markets. Offen if you can get them interested they will do a on farm visit to asses your operation. Fruit doesn't have a short turn around time. but I know of large farms that took out their "Greening" Trees to replace them with "Granny Smith" trees. When Granny started to take over the market for green apples. I hate to say it but it is possible that you cannot even giveaway your oranges if there is no demand for them. I say learn more ti may solve your problen for you.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

Mom and Dad have relied only on family to do the man-power needed to keep the orchard in shape. Our family is big enough to harvest. Well, I did call our parish agent, but the only piece of advice he looked like he wanted to give me, was to get my produce checked by the state. I already knew he wanted me to do that, but was hoping he'd give me some kind of advice on marketing. I told him, even if I got the fruit checked for its acid content, that I'd have hundreds of Lbs of good fruit and no buyer. Then he mentioned something about registering online with the state, which would be a free means of advertising what products I have to potential vendors, so I at least have that going for myself.
There is a grand opening farmer's market located centrally in our parish on the 15th and I've reserved a booth. I'll bring a little of everything we have, plus some crafts and hopefully we can move some oranges.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

Mom and Dad have relied only on family to do the man-power needed to keep the orchard in shape. Our family is big enough to harvest. Well, I did call our parish agent, but the only piece of advice he looked like he wanted to give me, was to get my produce checked by the state. I already knew he wanted me to do that, but was hoping he'd give me some kind of advice on marketing. I told him, even if I got the fruit checked for its acid content, that I'd have hundreds of Lbs of good fruit and no buyer. Then he mentioned something about registering online with the state, which would be a free means of advertising what products I have to potential vendors, so I at least have that going for myself.
There is a grand opening farmer's market located centrally in our parish on the 15th and I've reserved a booth. I'll bring a little of everything we have, plus some crafts and hopefully we can move some oranges.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

Mom and Dad have relied only on family to do the man-power needed to keep the orchard in shape. Our family is big enough to harvest. Well, I did call our parish agent, but the only piece of advice he looked like he wanted to give me, was to get my produce checked by the state. I already knew he wanted me to do that, but was hoping he'd give me some kind of advice on marketing. I told him, even if I got the fruit checked for its acid content, that I'd have hundreds of Lbs of good fruit and no buyer. Then he mentioned something about registering online with the state, which would be a free means of advertising what products I have to potential vendors, so I at least have that going for myself.
There is a grand opening farmer's market located centrally in our parish on the 15th and I've reserved a booth. I'll bring a little of everything we have, plus some crafts and hopefully we can move some oranges.