Growing Ethnic Produce

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Growing Ethnic Produce Experience growing and marketing ethnic produce. Bob Baloch www.thefreshveggies.com

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Speaker: Bob Baloch Sessions: Building Systems for Local Production of World Crops: Opportunities and Challenges

Transcript of Growing Ethnic Produce

Page 1: Growing Ethnic Produce

Growing Ethnic Produce

Experience growing and marketing

ethnic produce.

Bob Baloch

www.thefreshveggies.com

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Growing Ethnic Produce

• Introduction

– Started in 2008 on 1/4 acre of land with thanks

to FarmStart.

– Expanded over years to 5 acres– Expanded over years to 5 acres

– 2011 added 1 Hoop house 2400 sq ft

– 2013 3 Hoop houses 7200 sq ft

– Okra was 2.5 acre

– Rest in mix Vegetables.

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Growing Ethnic Produce

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Growing Ethnic Produce

• Major Challenges

– Weather, Machine, and Human factors

– Labor Challenges

– Competition with industrial jobs– Competition with industrial jobs

– Mechanized farming need scaling up to be cost

effective

– Look at bigger picture

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Growing Ethnic Produce

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Growing Ethnic Produce

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Growing Ethnic Produce

• Niche Market

– Finding right mix of produce

– Finding right Customers

– Producing enough to meet demand– Producing enough to meet demand

– Harvesting on time, when produce is ready

– Sizing, Packing

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Growing Ethnic Produce

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Growing Ethnic Produce

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• Okra Experience

– Demand for right Variety

– Variety capabilities for Local weather/growing

conditioncondition

– Seed/Crop failure due to seed quality, seed

purity

– Trial and error on large scale costly

– Scaling up production

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Growing Ethnic Produce

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• Scaling Up Okra Production

– Supply and Demand

– Finding Customers

– Pilot project (Direct Store Deliveries to 1-5 Stores)– Pilot project (Direct Store Deliveries to 1-5 Stores)

– Working with Distributors

– Meeting quality and delivery deadlines

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Growing Ethnic Produce

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Growing Ethnic Produce

• Future

– Looking for land to increase production (long term

lease, with good soil and water)

– Mechanizing Weeding and Harvest aid– Mechanizing Weeding and Harvest aid

– Consulting in Okra production

– Contact info:

• Email: [email protected]

• Cell: (647) 861-6150

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Growing Ethnic Produce

• Questions & Answers

– Contact info:

Bob BalochBob Baloch

Email: [email protected]

Cell: (647) 861-6150

www.thefreshveggies.com