How to Sell Organic Vegetables

Organic produce commands a premium price.

Organic produce, once the exclusive realm of health enthusiasts and back-to-the-landers, began to enter the mainstream in the early 1990s. Organic vegetables are now sold by everyone from small, local market gardeners to Wal-Mart and other huge corporations. Succeeding at making a living selling organic vegetables requires not only highly developed gardening skills, but an understanding of marketing and a sensible business plan. Small producers are often at a disadvantage because they lack the high profile and advertising budget of big-market players.

Instructions

1. Obtain official certification as an organic grower through the USDA. This can be a prolonged process that involves inspections of your farms and confirmation that no artificial pesticides have been used on your land for at least three years. While many organic growers are not certified, you are not allowed to market your produce as "organic" until you have become certified as an organic grower.

2. Participate in your local farmer's market. This is an excellent way to build a group of return customers, make contacts with other growers and participate in your local farming community. Buying, selling and eating organic produce at local farmers' markets helps to build your local economy in addition to being good for your health.

3. Start a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program. Buyers of organic produce pay growers for an entire season's worth of produce at the beginning of the year, and then receive a box of whatever is in season every week through the growing season. This economic model enables growers to work with a more dependable income and to distribute their produce more efficiently.

4. Continue learning about organic growing by working with others; reading current journals, newspapers and websites that deal with organics; and participating in workshops and seminars. Although organic growing methods are thousands of years old, there is always something new to learn. Knowledge translates into better vegetables and more profits for savvy organic growers.

Tips & Warnings

• Focus on quality rather than quantity, and your customers will learn to trust you. Don't take on a working property that is bigger than what you need; it will only be a financial drain through taxes, insurance and maintenance.

References

• Texas A&M Department of Horticultural Sciences: A Guide to Marketing Organic Produce
• U.S. Small Business Administration; Producing and Selling Organic Food Products - A Five Step Regulatory Primer; Caron Beesley; March 2010
• Bloomberg Business Week: The Organic Myth
• United States Department of Agriculture: Organic Certification