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Tomatoes for market
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Posted by garliclady z7 NC (My Page) on Tue, Jan 2, 07 at 10:33
As most of you I am now planning for this years market.
I would like some recomendations for great market tomatoes
For years I tried heirlooms and lost money some years on them because they were diesesed or did not produce enough sellable tomatoes. Last year I went back to some old hybrids and they did well and was able to sell them at the market as well as to 2 co-ops. I did plant black cherry (OP) tomato and it did as well as the hybrids so I am not opposed to OP /heirlooms.
What tomatoes work for you?? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Tomatoes for market
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garliclady
Here in South Louisiana, zone 8b, Celebrity is the
" gold standard" for tomatoes. We grow them on reflective
mulch to lessen the problems with Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus.
Not sure how it would do in your area, but it is well worth
a trial.
The Mountain Series developed by Dr. Randy Gardner of NC
State has a number of good varieties. Mountain Fresh and
Mountain Pride are popular here.
If TSWV is prevalent in your area , there are several
resistant varieties that are good, but none with the
Celebrity flavor.
Good luck.
Bud |
RE: Tomatoes for market
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hi
last year burpee fourth of july was my early and better boy my main stay trailing severl others this year again i say trailing
the above will be mainstays adding burpless cukes this year i grow almost all of my tomatoes under cover hoop house if out side i use drip irrigation and black plastic i find the biggest thing is to control water |
RE: Tomatoes for market
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Hi garliclady -
Here in MN we have a pretty short tomato season compared to NC. I too, have tried heirlooms at the market, but they don't go as the hybreds. I can talk about them, have samples ready, and give them away, but if they don't "look" picture perfect, people aren't going to buy them. Members in our CSA are a captive audience and are force to take any and all, but I can't sell them at the market. Also, many of our customers at the market are seniors and don’t want huge tomatoes – they only eat a little at one time. They don’t want cherries, but the mediums go better. Even here in MN, Celebrity does pretty well and I can sell many canners from a variety named Hybrid 46 VFFN/FCRR from Stokes. It was developed for commercial canners so it turns out blemish free. I don’t think has a great taste – what hybrid does? – but the customers who want to "put up ‘maters" think it is great. Last season, I openned up the garden just before the first frost for anyone who want to pick their own at a reduced rate and have several takers. It worked out well. |
RE: Tomatoes for market
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- Posted by timh z8 E.Tx. (My Page) on
Wed, Jan 3, 07 at 11:20
| Yup...Celeb.....probably the best, goof-proof red I grow. I do a lot of O.P. stuff too but if I had to count on them, I would be outta' biz. One you might consider is Lemon Boy...to me, it is one of the best F1's I have ever grown. This can fill the gap for something "different". My customers actually love it too. For a yellow, that is really something! Lay out a plate with slices of alternating Celeb and Lemon Boy and people really notice! |
RE: Tomatoes for market
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| You are apparently searching for a variety but I'd like to steer you in a different direction since I've been down that path. Even though everybody with a square foot of space to their name grows tomatoes few get enough of REAL market quality when they are grown outside. Identical varieties grown under plastic and outside will produce fruit that looks (and sells) substantially differently. Tomatoes are more suseptable to temperature swings, moisture (including dew on ripening fruit) and diseases than many other vegetable crops. If you want to develop a market your crop should be 1. Consistant 2. Good quality and 3. Attractive. You can achieve all three with tunnel grown tomatoes. I placed my seed orders for this year but will soon be starting seed for an early crop. I'll have over 100 varieties, mostly indeterminate heirlooms to grow. I'll start with mainly the ($300/thousand seed) Trust greenhouse variety but include a few early hybrids. The hybrids are more consistant producers but I believe there is a great future market for attractive heirloom tomatoes also. My experience has been that most customers will pay a higher price for an unusual variety, especially if it has a history as many heirlooms do. I've also had success with diversity in varieties; some people prefer a similar type whenever they purchase but most prefer to try new types, especially if they grow some themselves. So your niche should be in early (1-2 months before field ripened), varried (large, small(cherry, grape,saladette), red, yellow, orange, pink, green, black, white, striped (definately include bicolors), and even Mr. Ugly (a newer hybrid- 1st for me this yr.), but the fruit still needs to look good. |
RE: Tomatoes for market
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Celebrity was our main tomato last year and it sold well to the farmers market crowed as well as the co-op we sold to. Our market is one where people do like the unusual and will try diffent stuff like our yard long beans and many varieties of garlic.So I know they would like other choices. I sold alot of cherry /grape tomatoes by marketing them in clear cups and had a rainbow of colors. I don't like to put "all my eggs in one basket" by depending on one variety to carry me through the summer. So I am looking for a few other varieties that would give customers more choice with out losing quality in taste and appearance and would keep long enough that the co-op stores would want them.
At my market there are those that sell heirlooms grown organically and those who grow common hybrids but do it conventionally, So Last year I tried hybrids and grew as we always do "organically" but not certified. I priced my tomatoes for slightly lower than those selling organically /non certified heirlooms and quite a bit higher than growing conventianlly grown hybrids. The plan worked quite well.
I can't grow too many varieties because with 15 varieties of garlic and lots of other herbs and vegetables and blackberries at the same time as peak tomato season. I would not have the time to tend so many or room to display so many varieties on my table.
I have a couple I am thinking of trying...
Bloody butcher Red 4 oz 55 days op
Stupice op 52 days also red and smallboth I have heard seem to be hardier than most op /heirlooms especially in the south.(both would give me early tomatoes)
Goliath Hybrid Similar in size to a Celebrity Great taste.
Brandy boy hybrid pink similar to the pink brandywine in taste but much more consistant and prolific.
I would like a med or small pink tomato also and maybe a yellow or green (Maybe I will try lemon boy TimH)
I would like to find a pink- grape or cherry that is small.
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RE: Tomatoes for market
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| i grow oregon spring under covers for early tomatoes. set out the middle of april and ready early july. |
RE: Tomatoes for market
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| I've used Park's Whopper for probably the last 20 years for both personal use and market. They are a good smooth tomato that produced consistently through the year. I've also found that even if the tomatoes get smaller during the year there are actually people out there that like the small tomatoes. They don't have to have cut left over tomatoes in the fridge, they can eat a whole tomato at one time and waste less. I've seen them walk past the producers with the big pound tomatoes and buy my smaller ones saying they like the taste better too. Janet |
RE: Tomatoes for market
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Try Siberian for a very early tomato. Don't expect them to last long when the heat turns up though. Use them as a temporary crop, then pull and replant with something like zucchini, okra, that you have to put out later anyway. I had first tomatoes on June 4 last year by setting them in gallon pots in the greenhouse, then transplanting out in cages, and putting plastic around the cages for a windbreak.
If you have trouble with disease on heirlooms, make sure you stake or weave the plants to keep them off the ground. Don't plant tomatoes two years in the same place, rotate areas. And most important, mulch underneath them, that helps keep diseases from the ground splashing up on them.
Try Rose Quartz for a nice pink cherry.
My favorite green has been Aunt Rubys German Green. The best white I've had so far is White Queen. The yellow that sells the best around here is "pineapple" even though technically it's a bi-color.
This year I'm going to try "cabernet" a greenhouse tomato that is supposed to do well outdoors too. |
RE: Tomatoes for market
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| i plant early girl and sungold. |
RE: Tomatoes for market
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| I've had a lot of requests from chef's for "thin skinned" tomatoes which is difficult to get with homegrown varieties. I've told them about dipping the tomatoes into boiling water but they don't seem to have the time. Anybody have recommendations? I grow for my own use (canning) Rutger's, (drying) Principe Borghese), fresh slicing (Roma, Big Rainbow, Brandywine), preserves (Galena's White). |
RE: Tomatoes for market
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| I would like a med or small pink tomato also and maybe a yellow or green GarlicLady, try Eva Purple Ball for your small pink. It is an OP/Heirloom that performs well. Also, consider Lime Green Salad for a green when ripe tomato. Lisa |
RE: Tomatoes for market
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| Since others have tossed a few variety names at you and you mentioned a determinate variety , Celebrity, that you have grown, I suggest you consider a few of the Mountain series that Randy Gardner, respected North carolina plant breeder/researcher has released. Mountain Spring, Mountain Pride and Mountain Supreme have been good varieties that I've tried. They should perform well in your area. |
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