I did an herb growing workshop today at my house/yard. $ through one of the markets I do (Overton Park Farmers Market) and Rhodes College. It was fun, and better yet informative. I think I did fine, and the shared info awesome. This was growing for more than just self with 2 basils, a mint pot. Directed towards market, restaurant and more, and working limited space. It was diverse group which makes it all better. One a woman who heads up the Thistle and Bee chapter here, working with woman who have been trafficked. They have some space, have bees and grow flowers and herbs (for teas). Another has a couple acres and trying the market veggie route, looking to add more herbs. 2 young Rhodes College woman who work at the market, are doing environmental studies major. They loved what can be done in small space urban setting.
They're gone, check the e-mail. Looks like I'm meeting with a woman tomorrow for something she's writing about native plants for local publication. We agreed on a local place that has coffee and awesome pastries....can do!
Sounds like fun and you made a lot of contacts. It is interesting what people are doing. I went to a tropical fruit tree session last night and some people there had been growing commercially for years and others were just starting with some new land and a few trees, others lived in apartments and were dreaming about future plans trying to get some land some time in the future. We had an interesting Chef speaker, he was fun but very California and he said you cannot succeed in business unless you have a marketing strategy. You don't just sell the product, you are selling the experience. You have to be innnovative yet not too far out. He said a lemon is a lemon but a lemon with a name and a story sells it. Know your customers, grow not for yourself but for them and you may have to show them ways they can use the product to make their food taste so much better. Presentation is everything. Start small, test your market, ask chefs and restaurants what they want and see if you can supply them regularly with a high quality product. A quality product will sell if it is marketed and packaged right, but you need quality control or you will lose your customers if they have even one bad experience. Nobody likes to find slugs in their lettuce or over the hill old and wilted herbs. Very few people will buy a good product if they don't know what to do with it.