How to Sell Organic Vegetables

You’ve got the plan done for next growing season’s market garden or urban farm. Now, it’s time to create the marketing plan for the produce. To market your naturally grown fruits and vegetables as “organic,” you might need to be certified. Certification may depend on the amount of fruits and vegetables that you produce for market. Check with your state agricultural department for the local organic certification contacts.

Another name for produce grown organically, but not certified as "organic", is “pesticide-free” or “grown sustainable.” The latter also means that practices that increase sustainable are incorporated in your farming. Sustainable practices include composting, soil conservation, soil additives of micronutrients, permiculture and biointensive techniques.

Always remember that consumers come to you for their food, because they trust that your farm has produced the healthiest and most nutritious products on the market.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Find your local farmer's markets. Some middle-sized cities now have up to three or four markets a week. Established farmer's markets may be hard to get into. You may need to be willing to put up a stand on a week-by-week basis on relatively short notice. Be sure to do extensive internet research on being a vendor at a farmer's market weeks before your first market.

2. Consider Community Support Agriculture (CSA). A CSA is an excellent way to start market farming. Basically, you sell shares of your harvest. The shares are paid by weekly deliveries of food. You can start with as few as 2 shares e.g. your mom and her best friend. The shares are paid to you at the beginning of the season. If there is a crop failure, the shareholder takes the same risk as you do.

3. Sell to a local Co-operative. Go talk to your local grocer suppliers. Many are beginning to buy locally due to customer demand.

4. Set up a market on your own garden. If your farm is conveniently located, put up a sign with specific hours that you are available. The after-work commute time and Saturday mornings are ideal. Get a large white board that allows you advertise what crops are ripe and ready to sell. Build a clientèle while you weed and water.

5. Build a website. Farmers are finding that the internet is an excellent marketing source. Be sure that they are able to order online and can pay with a credit card through your website. Also, make sure that your website tracks/counts down your products/inventory. You don’t want to sell produce that you don’t have.

6. Join an online cooperatives. Oklahoma has set an industry standard in online cooperatives with efficient distribution systems. The Oklahoma Food Cooperative allows farmers to sell their products year around in a one-stop online shopping environment. Check to see if your state has an online cooperative, or be a pioneer and develop a cooperative if one doesn’t exist in your area.

Tips & Warnings

• Oklahoma Cooperative provides technical support to burgeoning online cooperatives (see Resources below).

Resources

• Oklahoma Cooperative

[grouch]

on 1/5/2008 I love fresh veggies. If anyone sets up a stand in the midwest let me know.