The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Growing => Vegetables => Topic started by: DJ_Chook on July 06, 2011, 04:38:16 pm

Title: Selling surplus veg at the farmgate
Post by: DJ_Chook on July 06, 2011, 04:38:16 pm
How much do you charge?

I've put out 2 bags of new potatoes. 1x900gram bag for 85p & 1x50gram bag for 50p.
10 stick bundle of rhubarb £1
1kg bag of raw beetroots £1
450g jar of chutney/jam/pickled babybeets £1.50
1kg bag of small swedes(size of eating apples) 75p
1/2 doz eggs 75p
Title: Re: Selling surplus veg at the farmgate
Post by: Hermit on July 06, 2011, 04:44:45 pm
I just check the shops and sell accordingly for veg. Hens eggs  are £1.50 per 1/2 doz for free range from me and thats cheap! £ 1.50 for preserves and dried herbs is what I sell for as well. Good luck with selling, my little box is empty most evenings :)
Title: Re: Selling surplus veg at the farmgate
Post by: egglady on July 06, 2011, 04:48:22 pm
i think this is something i'd like to try....are there any regs i need to be aware of?  or can i just put out a box and an honesty tin?
Title: Re: Selling surplus veg at the farmgate
Post by: Rosemary on July 06, 2011, 04:48:43 pm
We're selling eggs at £1.50 a half dozen and can't keep up with demand. They are more than this in the supermarket and we're selling a superior product.

We've just started selling potted herbs at 50p per pot.
Title: Re: Selling surplus veg at the farmgate
Post by: Hermit on July 06, 2011, 05:04:19 pm
There are regs with hens eggs but only if you have more than fifty poultry. Dont think there are regs with veg but preserves at the gate I am not sure of, there are regs at markets etc. Most folk are honest, if they dont have the change they will leave IOU,s and little notes. If they can see the hens and have an excuse for a natter and a look round the veg plots they are buying from then all the better. If you put a notice that if the box is empty please call at house then it will stop them from moving on thinking you have run out.Signs have to be less than a metre square or you will need planning .....I think.  Give it a go its great fun. :wave:
Title: Re: Selling surplus veg at the farmgate
Post by: Fleecewife on July 06, 2011, 11:53:25 pm
Large hen eggs £1.50, bantam eggs £1.20
5 mega sticks of rhubarb £1
1lb jars of jam £2.50
Chutney - I don't sell it as it's too precious and far too much work to give away at £1.50  :o

In fact I don't like selling my veggies at all, especially to strapping young folk who should be growing their own  ;D ;D ;D ( I am making good progress in my ambition to become a VERY grumpy old woman  8) 8) 8))

If I have a glut of something then I do sell it but at the same price as the greengrocer.
Title: Re: Selling surplus veg at the farmgate
Post by: suziequeue on July 07, 2011, 05:49:55 am
DJ - I think you could be selling your rhubarb for alot more. It's 25p a stick in the shops here!!
Title: Re: Selling surplus veg at the farmgate
Post by: DJ_Chook on July 07, 2011, 07:32:12 am
DJ - I think you could be selling your rhubarb for a lot more. It's 25p a stick in the shops here!!

I've been out to the box and highered the price.

10 stick bundle of rhubarb £1 - I've now divided this into 2 bundles of 5 sticks for a 85p each bundle.

450g jar of chutney/jam/pickled babybeets £1.50 - Are now up to £1.75p

Chutney - I don't sell it as it's too precious and far too much work to give away at £1.50  :o

I've upped the price 25p. I still  think it's a bargain price but I do have way more chutney than we can eat


I'll see if any of it sells this week and then rethink my prices.
Title: Re: Selling surplus veg at the farmgate
Post by: Sylvia on July 07, 2011, 07:37:29 am
I find people are a bit suspicious if home grown/made things are too cheap. They expect to pay a premium, especially if things are grown without "artificials" and feel they have something a bit special.
Title: Re: Selling surplus veg at the farmgate
Post by: NorthEssexsmallholding on July 07, 2011, 10:44:42 am
does anyone sell to farm shops or pubs/restaurants?  I'm thinking of selling some produce to them but wonder what price I would get and whether there are any rules or regs.

I refuse to do all the hard work I've done and then let someone else make all the profit, there has to be a decent margin.
Title: Re: Selling surplus veg at the farmgate
Post by: Fleecewife on July 07, 2011, 10:56:08 am
does anyone sell to farm shops or pubs/restaurants?  I'm thinking of selling some produce to them but wonder what price I would get and whether there are any rules or regs.

I refuse to do all the hard work I've done and then let someone else make all the profit, there has to be a decent margin.
I agree with that sentiment absolutely NES  ;D  I have sold to a restaurant in the past, but only intermittently and their payment was in meals  :yum: - all very well but actually I prefer my own cooking  ;D  If I was doing it as a proper outlet for my produce then I would be sure to sell to more than one place - restaurants are going under all the time, so not putting all your eggs in one basket etc.  The biggest problem is maintaining a continuous supply for them, same with box schemes.
Our local greengrocer has asked if I would sell my surplus through him but he would pay wholesale rates, whereas I can charge retail at the gate.
Title: Re: Selling surplus veg at the farmgate
Post by: egglady on July 07, 2011, 11:46:06 am
we aren't on a main/busy road, but down a wee lane (from a very sharp bend) and it's only the people in the village that actually come down here - and half of them grow their own :(

any suggestions how I 'entice' people to come down here?

a notice up at the top of the road wouldnt work as it would be too dangerous with the sharp bend i think
Title: Re: Selling surplus veg at the farmgate
Post by: Plantoid on July 07, 2011, 06:32:45 pm
You must only sell what is excess from your garden so take care if you are an agri holding , the licenced traders will bitch to the trading oficers , environ health & taxman .

Same with honey it must not support a commercial enterprise.
You cannot sell home made country wines or beers or tobacco unless you are licenced & regist4ered with oodles of authorities .

 The amount you sell and get money for ... less costs etc.  should also be declared to the relevent people especially if you are claiming benefits lest someone bubbles you ..it seems not to pay to try and make your life better these days . But you are allowed to make some money with out benefits currently being affected don't for get to tell them and do your research .. I think the sum is around £58 per week in certain circumstances .
Title: Re: Selling surplus veg at the farmgate
Post by: manian on July 07, 2011, 09:04:29 pm
does anyone sell to farm shops or pubs/restaurants?  I'm thinking of selling some produce to them but wonder what price I would get and whether there are any rules or regs.

I refuse to do all the hard work I've done and then let someone else make all the profit, there has to be a decent margin.

selling any jam/chutney has regs..... you need to be ok'd by trading standards (labelling rules) and environmental health need to ok your prep area (aka kitchen!)
one officer said we needed to send sample to micro lab to sort out sell by date...... we explained that we are only selling from the farmgate bit they said no difference.
this was derbyshire CC so may be different in other areas
Mx
Title: Re: Selling surplus veg at the farmgate
Post by: Millwood on July 07, 2011, 10:15:43 pm
I've never had my kitchen inspected for making jams and chutneys, or had any issues with sell-by-dates; I've done a food hygiene certificate, but nothing else seems to be required in my area.
Title: Re: Selling surplus veg at the farmgate
Post by: manian on July 08, 2011, 07:38:58 am
right i'm moving.....where are you
(unless these are new regs....... it was last septmber when we were asking
Mx
Title: Re: Selling surplus veg at the farmgate
Post by: Sylvia on July 08, 2011, 08:59:31 am
And I've never tried to find out so will stay ignorant and pretend I never saw that post ;) (I have got my food hygiene certificate though and a clean kitchen :))
Title: Re: Selling surplus veg at the farmgate
Post by: Hermit on July 08, 2011, 04:46:47 pm
I have noticed a few 'free range' signs being removed from egg for sale signs up here lately. You have to be accredited that like 'organic' .So someone is upset. ::) 
Title: Re: Selling surplus veg at the farmgate
Post by: Fleecewife on July 08, 2011, 06:02:59 pm
I have noticed a few 'free range' signs being removed from egg for sale signs up here lately. You have to be accredited that like 'organic' .So someone is upset. ::) 
I understood that the need to be approved to call your eggs 'free range' had been removed about a year ago.
Title: Re: Selling surplus veg at the farmgate
Post by: Hermit on July 08, 2011, 07:14:30 pm
I was inspected for free range less than a year ago, it was seven months I believe without looking at my paperwork but you may be right, I have not heard anyhthing myself though.
Title: Re: Selling surplus veg at the farmgate
Post by: Plantoid on July 08, 2011, 10:42:19 pm
Just have to refer to your eggs as "  Range eggs " or From the range eggs then ????  :D
Title: Re: Selling surplus veg at the farmgate
Post by: Fleecewife on July 09, 2011, 01:59:39 am
I used to call mine something like 'fresh farm eggs' before the rules changed.  It might be different south of the border?
Title: Re: Selling surplus veg at the farmgate
Post by: ellied on July 09, 2011, 08:51:31 am
Do farm gate regs apply if selling excess at a car boot sale?

Last few years a local cat charity has collected buckets of my plums to sell at £1 a punnet at a local carboot - could I take fruit, eggs, veg along if I've grown it myself?  Is is just baking/chutneys etc that need indoor preparation that require food hygiene and inspections for labelling etc?

Anybody know what Fife and Perth & Kinross want of you?  I'm in Fife but carboots are in both regions.  I'd gladly declare the income as I doubt I'll reach the tax threshold anyway ::) but I don't like public embarrassment if there are inspectors wanting paperwork I don't have..  I don't mind going to a food hygiene course if required but it's an extra expense if not needed, and I'm not actually doing anything bar perhaps washing and weighing into containers.

I always have far too many cooking apples and plums for my needs, beans too and there are only so many jars of chutney or bags of frozen veg I can store and use in a year ;)
Title: Re: Selling surplus veg at the farmgate
Post by: DJ_Chook on July 09, 2011, 10:07:21 am
Do farm gate regs apply if selling excess at a car boot sale?

-could I take fruit, eggs, veg along if I've grown it myself?  Is is just baking/chutneys etc that need indoor preparation that require food hygiene and inspections for labelling etc?


I was wondering the same myself. I see people at carboots selling jam, chutneys, homemade cakes, homegrown fruit & veg. I even saw someone selling hens eggs which weren't Class A, stamped or even had a name/address on. The carboot organisers didn't appear to have a problem with it but I saw no council/environmental health inspectors. It would be mortifying to be told to stop selling those items or be prosecuted for it.

(Location: Powys, Mid wales UK)