[vegdirect]

Ive got about 1.5 to 2 acres sitting doing nothing for the past few years, im looking at the idea of putting in polytunnels and growing veg to supply a relatives 3 butcher shops and additionally starting a box scheme & if possible trying to get into supplying other small shops etc.

Anyone got any tips advice or ideas?

Thanks

Charlie

[Ina]

For a start - welcome to the forum.

Whereabouts are you? What kind of advice you'll need will depend on your location...

First thing to do - check if anybody else is doing just this in the area. If there's too many trying to share a small pie, it might not be worth it. On the other hand, it might be possible to cooperate with somebody else.

I help out at a veg box scheme in Aberdeenshire - and I can tell you that this year, it certainly hasn't been worth it. Last year wasn't much better... All due to weather (and a few other circumstances). 

[benkt]

We did a box scheme for our members for the first time this year (we run a community farm) so can pass on a few thoughts. I reckon an acre or so is more or less one person can manage full time without serious mechanisation or growing an awful lot of perennials. Polytunnels help a lot but you'll need to get planning permission sorted which I know nothing about.
 I'd aim to start with a limited number of crops to begin with. You don't want all your eggs  in one basket but equally trying to do everything can leave you doing nothing well. What to pick would depend very much on location, soil etc. Perhaps a couple of perennials (maybe rhubarb and strawberries) and a few of the more robust vegetables; broad beans are pretty hardy. courgettes always produce some kind of crop for us, leaf crops like spinach or lettuce are also reliable and perhaps a root vegetable like beetroot or parsnip might be a fair way to start and then you can always expand/diversify when you see what works for you and your land.
I'd steer clear of stuff that is very  cheap and mass-produced already like potatos, carrots and onions.

Ben

[lachlanandmarcus]

will polytunnels always need PP? our friends run a box scheme and have two polys and as far as I know havent needed it. does it depend on the size?

[Fleecewife]

There's a little book called 'Valuable Vegetables' by Mandy Pullen who does pretty much what you are thinking of.  It goes into details about successional sowing and what sells best, how to organise the whole idea.
 
I did at one time consider supplying local restaurants but I rapidly decided against it.  Very hard work for not much reward, especially where I live, where getting any crops at all can be quite hit or miss - and I think people should be out there growing their own     

[goosepimple]

yes you shouldn't need PP for polytunnels unless they're huge and an eyesore, in an obvious place etc.

[vegdirect]

Sorry should have said im based in NI, theres isn't anyone doing this near me but there are a few companies supplying the shops on a wholesale basis but from what I can see they are buyng it at wholesale.
So basically they are buying at wholesale adding a few pence on and wholesaleing again,

Wander if I could produce for what they are paying for it?

Thanks for tips so far.

PS had a look for book but no luck.

[Fleecewife]

I bought the book from Chase Organics (I've modified my post as I had called the author Polly Pullen but she is actually Mandy Pullen)  The full title is Valuable Vegetables - Growing for Pleasure and Profit.
First published 2004 by eco-logic books www.eco-logicbooks.com  ISBN 1 899233 12 1
 
Do you have shelter from the wind where you intend to grow your veg?  If you are near the coast you could find salt spray a nuisance, but otherwise I would think your climate would be fairly easy.   We had to erect a 2 metre windbreak around our veg garden until our hedges grew tall enough and thick enough to provide some shelter from the wind.

[Thrasher]

Hi Folks, re polytunnels and planning permission you need to check with your local authority as they all have different requirements. For example, we live 0.3 miles up a track that is named as Monks Way but isn't adopted by the council or facing onto a main road etc. but as it is a right of access (even though it is a private road) we had to apply for planning permission to erect a fence across the front of our house as it was over 4ft and facing onto a public road?! Daft methinks as the road is privately owned by us and the other house but hey hoo there ya go. That said I can erect a 10m poly tunnel in my 1 acre paddock as it doesn't front onto anyone and isn't considered a permanent structure (which is the other thing that you could encounter) nor is it within 10m of a road...?!
To quote some good Scots vernacular, its all a "guddle" so best of luck

[Smallholder Sam]

Hey, does anyone know of any decent and relatively cheap suppliers of veg box boxes? I can get 1000 boxes (370mm x 277mm x 135mm) for £500 inc VAT and delivery but I'd like to go cheaper if possible.

[deepinthewoods]

i dont know, but those are very small boxes.

[Ina]

Are those re-usable boxes? My experience with customers of veg boxes is that they are really bad at returning their boxes... So where I work we're currently using bags; plus sometimes boxes that the veg that's bought in comes in.

Or you could try and charge a deposit on boxes... Not easy to administer, and some people still refuse to return them and pile up a fortune's worth in their garages before returning.

[Smallholder Sam]

The boxes we've had previously were larger than that but too big for our requirements and in terms of presentation a packed-full smaller box looks better than a larger one which is less crowded.

We have a 50% return rate on boxes, especially from long-standing customers, but increasing the returns is something we're working on over the next couple of weeks. Could be as simple as stamping the boxes with 'please return' but might go down the discounted box route and knock 30-50p off the next order for customers who return their boxes.

We have used canvas/hessian bags in the past (before I worked here) but think there were issues with customers keeping them. How much do your bags cost and who is your supplier?

Thanks!

Edit: I've just had a quote for 250 jute bags - nearly £800!

[deepinthewoods]

just out of interest how much veg can you fit into a box that small?

[Simon O]

We have used the blue Ikea bags for the last 2 years which are 20p each I think or at least were when we bought them, and which hold a weeks veg, and have generally had them returned as we have the same customers each time. We are not selling very many 'boxes' however maybe 10-12/week
For ease of deliveries it is best to have clusters of people (though obviously better if folk can collect)
Generally speaking people have simple tastes and want the basic veg, though will tolerate some of the more unusual ones as extras - Cheryl puts in a recipe sheet for anything a bit unusual. 2 years ago we had a glut of chard - a great veg I think - it grew so well and kept on producing, but people seemed a bit scared and confused by it. Cheryl did feed-back forms and people said they got too much chard.
We have been in contact with a local charity who supply schools and hospitals and this year may try to supply them as this will save a lot of time with deliveries etc. Again they just are looking for the basic veg, and apparently only want 'good quality' products so this may rule out some of our slug-nibbled or infested veg - though we are not organic we do not use insecticides etc.
We have done bags of washed salad - using IKEA sealable bags; these go down well but is of course time consuming to prepare
A mixed bunch of herbs tied with string goes down well