You may have big dreams of selling your produce locally, or maybe you feel it’s wasteful to just throw away extra produce at the end of harvest. Either way, if you want to make quick cash from the fruits, vegetables, or herbs that you’ve grown with love, you may not need to rely on only friends or family to buy them from you. With these tips for selling your home-grown produce, you’ll be thankful for your bountiful harvest in a whole new way.
Make Connections
Before you make a sale, you need to find a customer. Restaurants have plenty of choices when it comes to buying fresh vegetables, so you’ll need to make a case as to why you’re the best choice. If there’s a restaurant that you’re a regular at, it may be worth asking if they’d like to buy your produce. Restaurants may only invest in your produce if it is high-quality and plentiful. If you befriend the owner, you may have an extra reason for them to invest in you.
Join online social media groups to find other gardeners who sell their produce. Veteran gardeners may offer personalized advice that will help you find the perfect outlet for your harvest.
Rent a Stand at the Farmer’s Market
Many people frequent the local farmer’s markets in Pittsburgh, and you should too. Not only will you meet other gardeners and farmers, but you’ll also get to see how they do business. After visiting a few times, you’ll be ready to set up shop for your own home-grown goods. Depending on what you’re producing, you may need a permit for your stall. Check your state and city laws to see what paperwork you need to do before you can start selling.
Check Produce Stands
Produce stands sometimes buy from local gardeners who don’t have enough extra produce to justify renting out a stall or selling to a restaurant. Ask if a farm stand is willing to buy your produce, which they will then sell through their business. You may also need to check with farms outside the city to find someone who will buy your extra items.
Keep a Unique Stock
One of the biggest tips for selling your homegrown produce that will make you and your garden stand out is to grow unique or out of season produce. Locally grown produce that is not natural to Pennsylvania can be hard to find, if not impossible. Starting an indoor container garden, or even a hydroponic garden, allows you to use the demand during non-growing periods to your advantage. Because you can control the nutrients that go into a hydroponic garden, they are perfect for growing tricky fruits, veggies, and essential herbs for Italian cuisine. Once you’ve settled the basics of your seasonal garden, test the limits of your green thumb by growing a small, diverse garden indoors. Unique produce or produce that is rarely home-grown will be sure to catch the eyes of many buyers.