Short course powerpoint by Alex Hitt of Peregrine Farm

1. Advanced Organic Vegetable Production and Marketing Alex Hitt Peregrine Farm Graham, NC www.peregrinefarm.net

2. SCHEDULE Wednesday January 19th, 2011 8:00-8:45 Introductions and Burning Issues Identification: 8:30-9:00 Peregrine Farm Story 9:00-9:30 Potomac Vegetable Farms Story 9:30-10:45 Soils, Fertility and Rotations Break 11:00-12:30 Planting Considerations LUNCH 12:30 – 1:30 1:30-2:00 Profitable Crops 2:00-3:00 Weeds and Pests 3:00-3:30 Harvest and Post Harvest Break 3:45-4:30 Labor 4:30-5:00 Questions Thursday January 20th, 2011 8:00-8:30 Season Extension 8:30-9:30 Business Management Issues and Retirement Planning 9:30-10:00 Marketing 10:00-10:30 More Questions 10:30-11:00 Wrap up and Evaluation

3. Marketing Plan Information Diversity=Balance=Sustainability Soil Fertility Rotations Farm Design & Crop Decisions Labor Weed Control Harvest & Post-Harvest Pest Management Irrigation Trellising

4. Advanced Thinking

5. Each Situation is Different site specific Nothing Is Fixed In Stone a goal to work towards Rome Wasn't Built In A Day long term perspective They're Not Makin' Anymore Of It have to preserve and improve the natural resource This Isn't Easy complex information and management dependent systems Keep It Simple and Close to Home Local is best We're Runnin' Out of Some of The Stuff They're Not Makin' Anymore Of only 40 years of oil and 60 years of phosphorus left Environmental Social Economic Alex’s Laws of Sustainability Business

10. 1981 Today Rome wasn’t built in a day

11. Today 1986

17. Marketing Plan Information Diversity=Balance=Sustainability Soil Fertility Rotations Farm Design & Crop Decisions Labor Weed Control Harvest & Post-Harvest Pest Management Irrigation Trellising Soil Fertility -get the soil right -don't depend on supplements, you will fail -Two phases 1.Building 2.Maintaining balance -Sources of Fertility -on site- nutrient cycling, manure, cover crops -off site- think about all the costs

44. Marketing Plan Information Diversity=Balance=Sustainability Soil Fertility Rotations Farm Design & Crop Decisions Labor Weed Control Harvest & Post-Harvest Pest Management Irrigation Trellising Rotations -the most important pest management tool -hand in hand with Soil Fertility -diversity is the key ingredient -include cover crops, animals (pastures), perennial crops and rest periods in planning

71. Marketing Plan Information Diversity=Balance=Sustainability Soil Fertility Rotations Farm Design & Crop Decisions Labor Weed Control Harvest & Post-Harvest Pest Management Irrigation Trellising Planting Considerations -efficiency and access -planting system -equipment -transplants vs. direct seeding -spacing -timing -season extension

101. Transplant Production

115. Sorted by crop

116. Sorted by planting order based on temperatures

123. Production Plan

129. Marketing Plan Information Diversity=Balance=Sustainability Soil Fertility Rotations Farm Design & Crop Decisions Labor Weed Control Harvest & Post-Harvest Pest Management Irrigation Trellising Weed Control, Irrigation, Trellising -timing, rotation, and planting decisions are the keys to weed control -do not even consider high value crops with out irrigation -drip most efficient, fewer disease problems -trellising improves space efficiency, disease control, harvesting speed, crop quality

138. Marketing Plan Information Diversity=Balance=Sustainability Soil Fertility Rotations Farm Design & Crop Decisions Labor Weed Control Harvest & Post-Harvest Pest Management Irrigation Trellising Pest Management -if you did everything else right this is the least important part of the system -problems are generally an indication that some part of the system is not working properly

142. Marketing Plan Information Diversity=Balance=Sustainability Soil Fertility Rotations Farm Design & Crop Decisions Labor Weed Control Harvest & Post-Harvest Pest Management Irrigation Trellising Harvest and Post Harvest -proper time and maturity -get the heat out and keep it out -quit messin' with it -store it right -get it to market ASAP

149. Marketing Plan Information Diversity=Balance=Sustainability Soil Fertility Rotations Farm Design & Crop Decisions Labor Weed Control Harvest & Post-Harvest Pest Management Irrigation Trellising Labor -the most limiting factor in the system -the most expensive input -spread labor out, balance production -use efficiently and sparingly

169. Marketing Plan Information Diversity=Balance=Sustainability Soil Fertility Rotations Farm Design & Crop Decisions Labor Weed Control Harvest & Post-Harvest Pest Management Irrigation Trellising Information -The glue that binds it all together -gathering is a continuous job -from where? records customer feedback conferences and trade shows farm tours written info from all sources -study, observe, think! Marketing Plan -affects everything -sets the whole train in motion -where to market and why -what to market and why -when to market

172. Production Plan

177. Market Record Sheet

179. Sales Chart

205. Marketing Plan Information Diversity=Balance=Sustainability Soil Fertility Rotations Farm Design & Crop Decisions Labor Weed Control Harvest & Post-Harvest Pest Management Irrigation Trellising Marketing Plan -affects everything -sets the whole train in motion -where to market and why -what to market and why -when to market

206. Higher Selling Price Most time off the farm Smaller scale operation Higher quality Lower volume Higher management input More labor required Better Feedback Lower Selling Price Least time off the farm Larger scale operation Lower quality Higher volume Lower management input Less labor required? Poor Feedback Farmers’ Market Roadside Stand CSA PYO Restaurants Direct to Store Wholesale Cooperative Direct to Warehouse Wholesale Brokers More Customer Contact Less Customer Contact Where Do You Fit In?

209. 2005 1986