My kids are selling some for $2.50 per lb and they are at a very cheap market. I wouldn't go for less than that. I always priced all colors, size or types the same price per lb. If I put them in pints or quarts, I'd weigh a full one and price accordingly.

Pricing is one of the hardest thing about marketing. One person (long-time vendor) told me, price high because you can always go down, but almost impossible to raise your price.

That seems like the impossible dream to get $2.50 per lb, but you never know. Do people really pay that much for nice organically grown tomatoes? I need courage on this to set my prices without scaring off customers, but after all, it takes a lot of money, time and work to raise them.

Sometimes I think just because you may grown them out of your own garden spot, people think they ought to be dirt cheap. I really don't want to dicker with people on prices, but I would if I needed to sell before they got too old and were in danger of spoiling.

Organic means being committed to not using chemicals, especially Monsanto and other big chem company products. It does not mean you haven't needed to use them yet or that you just use a little Miracle Gro or a little RoundUp.

I believe Monsanto now has some organic products, everybody's getting on that bandwagon also.

If you set your prices too high and take home more than 10% of what your brought, next time lower your price a bit. Some of our markets get $4/lb.

The kids are the first of the market, so they have to start the prices. If you're not the first one, then just go along with others with the same quality or just a little higher. If you set higher, then when they sell out, your's will sell. Be sure to market them as organic ONLY if you are certified, otherwise you're opening a different can of worms. Also, be sure of what organic actually means, including the time limits.

I read a report on the prices of the grocery store prices of tomatoes, the pickers of them are not making any where near minimum wage. Unlike tomatoes, most are not hand picked or cared for from field to table.

Price is hard, especially with those people that think that 'since it's excess from your garden, then you should give them away'. Those people I offer for them to come out and grow/care for/and pick. Nobody has accepted the offer.

Here in Oklahoma I see $2 a lb usually. A few smaller markets I see $1.50 a lb, but that is coming from resellers not growers. Larger markets, like OSU will bring more.
I have been a customer of Oklahomafood.coop for several yrs & as a small grower I wouldn't sell my produce through the site. The produce brings good money, but packaging & getting produce to the drop off would be a huge headache IMO. Plus it would be hard to determine how much produce you would have on delivery day.
We may sell eggs through the coop this fall, but that is MUCH easier! Eggs I can keep fresh for wks in my fridge, not tomatoes.

Little Minnie I did not remember Okie4ever mention the word Roundup once in his conversion. Careful what you say
when you respond to somebodys post without careful consideration. Also, from your previous comments last year calling me Bi-polar I wonder whats up?
Mark.

The Roundup comment was refering to another poster who says 'I am organic except for Roundup use'. Pet peeve of mine. I am on a diet except for all the caloric, fatty things I eat and the lack of exercise.

I don't remember anything about Bipolar. I do remember strange posts and then normal posts like someone else was logged in for you- a teenager maybe.

I better be careful? Is that a threat? You can get into big trouble using the word organic for selling produce if you are not certified.

I do understand that the words "partially organic" are not possible in a true certified organic system, maybe pesticide free and herbicide free along with some chemical fertilizer,s would be more suitable.
100% organic is extremely difficult to obtain and still have excellant yields and top-notch produce year after year. Very difficult to obtain the constant fertilization especially on over an acre without some chemical fertilizer or non certified compost or manure which is all that is available around me.
Little-Minnie are you a certified organic grower? If you are not what do you use for fertilization? Just curious.
Mark.

People do change from year to year, of course to be considered organic, there is a minimum of 3 years to be approved in addition to LOTS of paperwork to prove what you haven't put on and what you have used. I do not consider myself as organic, even after all these years. Organics is a LOT of work, especially if you're growing on several ACRES. I tried, it didn't work for me with that amount of growing space. I also found that people wouldn't pay more for organics, so I kept part of the rituals, just not all.

Never made it to certified, and not planning on it. Just growing and selling good tasting, high quality (no blemishes), guaranteed produce, and happy to do so.

Marla

Thank you for all the kind responses and good ideas and guidelines. I've been thinking how I want to advertise my produce here in my small locale. So, I think Mark's idea might be best. Because, I do try my best not to use any chemical herbicides or pesticides on my tomatoes and other plants, (just for customers but for my own sake and health as well). I don't think using a little Miracle Gro is going to harm anyone. It does tend to get plants off to a fast start, and then it seems the natural healthy soil environment takes over. I must say the tomatoes and vines look amazing, healthy and no signs of disease or pests. Either I lucked out...or did something right.

Cheers,
Barb

For the last few years, I used Miracle Gro and loved the results. This year, I used a ProMix Bx and while I could get it in larger quantities for about the same price, I'm not as happy. I have 3 more bales to used up next year, but I'll be adding much more to the mix.

You can use whatever you want on your land, but you cannot 1. use the word organic
2. say you are chemical free when you are not
3. try to hide what you use from customers

I am chemical free. Will not be going certified on leased land I don't own. I use manure and compost, cover crops and fish emulsion for fertilizer. It is not impossible to be organic on an acre. You are just on the wrong forum. On a forum with organic growers talking about Miracle Gro and Roundup being necessary and harmless would not be the norm. I prefer to give zero money to Monsanto.

I don't see the point in using chemicals. You still have to feed the soil with organic matter regardless, you might as well feed it and fertilize it at the same time.

I agree with that Magz...if...you can get your hands on or have good compost, etc avaiable in boat loads for a big garden.

I have read some favorable things about using commercial fertilizer, (but not too many). If your an "organic" person, it seems to be the cardinal sin, so to speak.

~Barb