Herbworld….a blog for herb businesses

There are many options in growing herbs.  You can grow for the culinary market.  This includes selling to restaurants or farmers markets.  It also includes growing for manufacturers.  And there’s money to be made in all three markets.  If you’re just getting started, farmers markets can be your best test market.  If you purchased Sandie Shores’ book that I mentioned in the previous post, you’ll have a good solid start.  To be wildly successful in a market as well as selling to chefs, you really do need to love people and love showing them how your quality material will enhance their lives.  Any great business person is a bit of a show man.  If you’re walking along the rows of a market and you have your choice of visiting a booth where the salesperson looks bored and tired or visiting one where the owner is laughing and giving samples to their customers, where would you go?  I personally go to the vendor that seems enthusiastic over their goods.  I want to see what’s so great.  If you’re one of those people that would rather dig in the dirt than ever talk to a customer, you best be finding yourself a partner, spouse, sister or friend that feels differently.  Passion and enthusiasm is the most important part of sales.  I don’t care how much you “feel” it internally, if it doesn’t come across to the customer, it won’t work.   
             Growing for a farmers market gives you the opportunity to try various herbs and how they’re accepted by buyers.  It’s a way to introduce new ideas into your community.   Successful vendors have given samples of something made with the exotic herbs and even recipes.  If you’re consistent with your recipes you can even come up with a booklet that can be sold at the market along with your herbs.  You can add potted versions of what you’re offering in the spring and bring up your sales even more.  This is a great way to get your feet wet in herb growing without a tremendous investment in land and labor.   At one of my local markets there are probably 10-15 produce stands.  Most are small but their produce is so outstanding that many pass up the mega-vendors to buy from them.  And my special favorite is a young man whose products are organic and even though his selection is limited, it looks (and tastes) so luscious that he always has a line waiting to buy.  
         To get started, pick a selection of herbs to grow for the market.   Start with a good assortment of between 10 and 20 herbs.  Pick ones you’re in love with yourself and try some others you think your locale will support.    You’ll need to have a good seed source (or plugs….small plants that have already started to grow).  Look for sources that are reputable.  Many growers choose Johnny’s (www.johnnyseeds.com), a good source if you’re on the west coast is Wood Violet Herb Farm (email herb.farm@yahoo.com). Richters (www.richters.com) and Companion Plants (www.companionplants) are other excellent sources.  Get all the growing information you can find on your choices and get a notebook started.  Every good grower I know keeps a diary of their work.   Details include what seeds and their sources they choose.  If there’s a lot number on the seed package, record it.   When each type is planted and conditions (weather, soil, etc) on the day the seeds/plants put in the ground, amount of rain or water, fertilizer or other additions, growth rate….these should all be recorded religiously.  This recording provides so much information you’ll be grateful for not only later that year but in future years when you’re trying to remember whose seeds didn’t produce or what you did that made the basil especially flavorful. 
               

I get several emails a week from those wanting to grow herbs commercially.  The comment usually is: “tell me everything there is about commercial production in 50 words or less, preferably giving all the names of businesses that will buy the herbs after I grow them.”  Excuse me?  Everything about growing “herbs” (that big vague term)?   If I had that magic formula I’d be sipping drinks down in Costa Rica reading blogs and not writing them. 
              There is so much to consider in growing herbs commercially.   First, you need to have that magic business plan.  For some reason, many people think that farming (and that’s really what commercial herb production is all about) is not like any other business.   You just DO IT.   When you start dealing with Mother Nature and her whims, you’re even more in need of planning than other indoor ventures.  To make this even more clear: Herb Farming is NOT herb gardening.  I don’t care how much you love plants and that your garden thrives, the only similarily between herb gardening and herb farming is that you have your hands in the dirt.
             The first thing to consider is why you’re doing it.  Are you making your own products and need a “purer” source for the materials?  Did you recently inherit a few acres and think you’ll grow something quick and easy that pharmaceutical companies will magically hear about and beat a path to your door?   Have you been growing more traditional crops (corn, tobacco, soy beans) and feel herbs would be a better investment of your time and land?  Or are you just tired of that nine-to-five job and think that herb farming HAS to be easier than what you’re doing now?  (I said “easy” not “more fulfilling”….that’s a given probably).  Tomorrow we’ll discuss the serious thinking that has to be done before you possibly dig a bigger hole than you intend.  
        I’ll try each day to give you a resource that may help you in your decision.  We’ll start with growing herbs, but it will expand into categories as well.   Today’s recommendation for those that want to get into growing and marketing Culinary Herbs:   “Growing and Selling Fresh-Cut Herbs” by Sandie Shores (available at www.freshcutherbs.com )   There is no better or more complete information on the subject by a woman that’s done it for more years than she cares to admit.  It’s worth every dime you spend and filled with detailed information on the subject.