Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Smallhold Farming and Rural Living => Livestock and Growing on a larger scale => Topic started by: shaunj on July 26, 2011, 09:54

Title: Growing for commercial selling experiment
Post by: shaunj on July 26, 2011, 09:54: I have a 3000 sq metre piece of land that I intended building on some time ago...however due to financial concerns this won't be happening for a while. Next spring I really would like to fence it, work it and start growing some herbs/vegetables there. I have been researching what I could grow that would be sellable in the marketplace here (I live in Poland) for a decent price, what would give a good yield without presenting too many issues etc etc. I am thinking of specialist greens/lettuces, herbs like sage, rosemary, coriander, basil, etc. Anyone have any other ideas ..am I missing something? I'd rather not use a pollytunnel if possible. I would like to experiment next year and after seeing what works- I could specialise in two or three products in the coming years.

Thanks alot :)
S
Title: Re: Growing for commercial selling experiment
Post by: TerryB on July 26, 2011, 11:44: Only advice I could give is to check what others Small Holding in your area grow.
Title: Re: Growing for commercial selling experiment
Post by: Potty Plotty Lotty on July 26, 2011, 11:48: You might be interested in this article:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/plants/vegetables/8473756/Growing-vegetables-The-garden-that-keeps-on-giving.html
Title: Re: Growing for commercial selling experiment
Post by: shaunj on July 26, 2011, 12:28: thanks alot guys. There was a movie on the guardian about this smallholder a few weeks ago..they've since taken it down but it's a fascinating piece. Cheers:)
Title: Re: Growing for commercial selling experiment
Post by: Yorkie on July 26, 2011, 18:45: I'm none too hot on the particular climate which you have in your part of Poland. That will make a significant difference to what you can grow and at what times of the year.

Bear in mind that some of the herbs are annuals, and some perennials, so that might impact on how long it takes to grow them to sellable size - may depend on whether you want to sell them pre-picked or in pots.
Title: Re: Growing for commercial selling experiment
Post by: Vit on October 20, 2011, 10:16: Quote from: TerryB on July 26, 2011, 11:44
Only advice I could give is to check what others Small Holding in your area grow.
and DO NOT grow same things, otherwise you have to share market with them.
3000sq m quite big plot. How about soil? Sand? Clay? Lot's of stones? How good drainage and is there any trees or forest around, which can make shadow? Herbs? Even don't think about mint - too hard to get rid of it :D I would grow something with "organic" label
Title: Re: Growing for commercial selling experiment
Post by: joyfull on October 20, 2011, 10:23: unless your soil has been certified by the soil association in the U.K. you cannot sell things as organic.
Title: Re: Growing for commercial selling experiment
Post by: mumofstig on October 20, 2011, 12:23: The OP is in Poland, so we wouldn't know their rules, if any, on organic certification :(
Title: Re: Growing for commercial selling experiment
Post by: joyfull on October 20, 2011, 13:17: they still need their ground certifying to be classed as organic in Poland. A lot of information can be found here:-

http://www.enoas.org/pol05t/doc/Organic%20farming%20and%20market%20in%20Poland.pdf