Selling your produce

[Caribbean girl]

Have you ever considered selling any of your produce to the supermarket? I think selling produce to the supermarket is a good way to earn some extra income. Fruit that could be sold to the supermarket, since the tree bears plentifully, include mangoes, limes and even bananas. I have considered doing this with some of our mangoes since we sometimes get a bumper crop, and not all can be eaten or given away. While growing our own fruit or vegetables can save us having to spend lots of money at the grocery store, selling what we do grow can go a long way in helping us financially as well.

 

[claudine]

This sounds like a good way to get extra income. Unfortunately, here, where I live, it's not an option. Supermarkets purchase their fruits, vegetables and plants in large quantities. They wouldn't buy anything from me.

 

[splinx]

Have you ever considered selling any of your produce to the supermarket?

I imagine it is not that simple... You may need an authorization for you to do this legally.

 

[Rosyrain]

I think there would be a lot of food safety loopholes you would have to go through to sell your produce to grocery stores. Here where I live, the stores by produce in large quantities from big farms. You would be better off selling your produce at a local farmers market. That way you can mingle with the customers as well.

 

[Pat]

I would think the laws each local region has can keep the average person from selling their garden goods to the large stores. It would probably be easier to sell at a local farmers market or flea market. I do think it is a good idea. I have seen people set up stands in front of their house on well travel roads that allow people to stop and get fresh vegetables.

 

[ChanellG]

Selling directly to people, or selling at a local farmer's market or even a restaurant is a lot easier than trying to sell to a supermarket. As already mentioned in the other responses there is often a lot of red tape involved in selling your own fresh produce to a large entity such as a supermarket.

 

[Corzhens]

Our extended garden is the nearby vacant lot where my husband had planted bananas and plantain. Once in a blue moon, he would hire hands to clean up the place. And when it is harvest time, he would also hire a hand to help him in the harvest since the plantain tree is very high. His hired would always say that it is better for him to just buy plantain because my husband spends more than the harvest. It's loud and clear that selling the plantains will not yield us profit... but only losses.

 

[amelia88]

I don't make anywhere near enough to sell it, but I would imagine that if you were selling it direct to a supermarket that they would try and really squeeze you for every dollar possible. I think if I was producing enough, I would seek out local farmers markets and things like that to sell my produce at.

 

[Caribbean girl]

Where I live, people do sell some of their produce direct to supermarkets, especially local fruit, and things like avocado and breadfruit etc. But they would have an arrangement with the supermarket to do this. I also like the idea of selling them at farmers' markets as well as roadside vending. Roadside vending is very popular around here as well. All kinds of fruit and vegetables are sold this way.

 

[Vinaya]

I grow vegetables, fruits, and cereal. I sell my produce to the local trader. The traders sells to the refinery or whole sellers and then from whole seller the produce goes to retailer of supermarket, then to the consumer. I grow food for me and my family, and make money by selling surplus.

 

[headfullofbees]

I'd rather give it away, especially to the needy.
The idea of poor people having food tastier and higher in nutritional value than the wealthy can buy, is one which makes me happy.

 

[marlingardener]

If you do decide to sell your excess produce Caribbean Girl, make sure that it is something people want to buy.
We sell honey, and have a list of preferred customers who get first chance, and we usually sell out before we get to the general public.
Herbs are a different story. I grow a lot of herbs (we use a lot, but it's also fun and very aromatic!) and I can't give away the excess. We live in an area with a large German population and if grandma didn't cook that way, nobody cooks that way now.
A roadside stand or farmer's market is really the best way to go. Grocery stores want an assured supply and a lot of it. You might find it is more trouble to sell to a large vendor than it is to sell directly to the public.

 

[Caribbean girl]

Selling their produce to supermarkets is the source of income for some people who may not have any other source. However, they would have an arrangement with the supermarket(s). Then there are those who set up by the roadside to sell their produce, and that is their only source of income too. I have never done any of these things, but I do know that the locals around here love mangoes and when they see them in the supermarket, they are sold out in no time. We have also tried selling some of our mangoes to a roadside/seaside vendor, who in turn sold them to others to make a profit. So, selling produce to roadside vendors is also a good idea.

 

[Rosyrain]

I really like the idea of buying produce directly from the grower because you can get an idea of how the items were grown and can get a better understanding of what is going into your body. When you puchase produce from the store, you do not even know where it was grown or what fertilizers were used.