Market or Truck Farming: Gardening to Sell Extras

[thistlebloom]

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2007/11/cooks-illustrated-foolproof-pie-dough-recipe.html

My MIL uses this recipe and its legit. SUPER flaky crust, rolls out like a dream. Its the real deal. My 4 y.o. daughter rolls out these pie crusts without issue. That says it all right there for me. I know it sounds crazy but it works.

Jared, I was just wondering, do you ever use lard instead of the shortening? Or all butter?
And does it make a "rustic" looking crust, or more like the traditional smooth crust?
This sounds delicious. Just gotta go buy some vodka.

So Lucky, I always use 100% butter in my crusts. They look rustic, but not necessarily because of the butter, probably because of the rustic pie baker. :/

I can't bring myself to buy shortening, and haven't had real rendered lard since I lived at home and my mom rendered it from our pigs.
I seem to be able to eat all manner of pies made with shortening or whatever in the crust tho', so I'm not actually a purist, just semi hypocritical I guess.

 

[baymule]

Does your state have a cottage baking law? It is legal in several states to have a home bakery, check out your state.

http://www.texascottagefoodlaw.com/Home.aspx

 

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

Just last year, CO passed a "cottage industry" law so we can indeed sell stuff made in our home directly to customers.

My hubby reminded me that I'm making up fruit protein powders to take with me to the hospital ... why not sell those too? AND he's willing to do taste testing when we get out of the hospital and I start making up dried soup combinationss.

 

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

Picture of my small store-front. Note the small fridge at the bottom left. All the shelves on the right will hold produce. Or that was the plan until today when I realized I could sell so much more.

Store hours will be Sundays noon - 4 p.m. until Summer, then it'll change. And when the "store" is open, we'll put up some long tables to hold overflow produce, and anything other people want to sell. Plus one of my cheese customers wants me to sell her jewelry on consignment.

The shelves on the left has the scale and paper bags on it, and will hold the cartons of eggs plus other things.

 

[897tgigvib]

Beautifully made!

Taste tester. My kind of job!

 

[ninnymary]

Your "store" looks very nice, clean, and organized! Well done.

Mary

 

[Jared77]

Great pics! Michigan passed a cottage law and its made all the difference for us here too.

Thistle have you tried going to localharvest.org and seeing if you could get leaf lard from someone who butchers their hogs? I'm sure they'd save it and sell you some. Most folks are always looking to squeeze a few extra dollars out of whatever they are producing. Especially if all they have to do is bag it and call you to pick it up. Its worth a try.

For the original poster are you on that site as well? One more place to advertise if your not. And that site gets a TON of traffic. Its well organized easy to understand and I've used it a number of times if I'm looking for something local. Great website.

Ninny and Lucky I don't know if they make any changes I think she follow the recipe pretty much as is. My MIL is someone who can follow a recipe and if the recipe is good the end result is good. If the recipe is bad, well she'll made a bad dish. She is not one to tweak things, I don't know if its a lack of confidence or its just her very auditor-like/numbers/spreadsheets/precise type of brain at work but that's just how she is. I know she have a stock of premade the crusts and will freeze them. When its time to make pie they pull one out, let it thaw, roll it out and it makes a pretty darn good pie. It makes a very flaky crust that tastes like Id expect crust to taste like. Mind you its shortening not lard (like my wife's husband's mother makes but she still renders it but then she grew up on a farm and married a farmer so she's WAAAY set in her ways) so its good, but not as good as it could be.

Kidsluvegreenegz it might be worth a try to see how the pie crust works out in the bread machine. Give it a whirl. If it doesn't work your only out a few ingredients and cleaning the machine. If its works that's one more thing to sell. Homemade frozen pie crusts with some simple instructions attached to them would be a big it for many people who can't make a pie crust let alone a decent one to save their lives.

And when you go to the hospital take samples with you and hand them over to the staff. See if you can get some clients that way. Take up a jar of jam and a bag or 2 of shortbread cookies. Or a spread you made or some cheese you made and a couple boxes of crackers. Tell them what your doing, how you do it, why your doing it, and I bet you'll get some interest. They already know you, and word travels crazy fast in a place like that. Its a great place to network. Print up some cards, see if one of the RNs would put up a flier in the break room. Make a VERY simple website with an email posted on it to help take orders. Put up pictures of what you have, and post what you have available, and its a place to direct people so your not overwhelming them with info. Give them a card, have your website on it, they email you with an order, you set up a delivery/pick up time and go from there.

Trust me I'm a Paramedic and I hear all sorts of chatter when I walk into the ER, and my wife's a RN and she's the one who suggested the networking inside the hospital. Get the word out!

 

[so lucky]

Those are some great ideas, Jared! I am trying to make a small business out of some "soft sculpture" toys that I make. I'm almost afraid to use the net to get business. It can overwhelm a person, and the toys are very labor intensive. Right now I have a small store that has agreed to sell them. I'll see how that goes, and work up stock, then make a decision from that point. I'm not as good at networking as I should be...not a born salesman, either. :/ I think Green Egz has some great marketable products. And the drive to do it!

 

[catjac1975]

Instead try putting them on ebay. This way you sell what is already made instead of taking orders.

Those are some great ideas, Jared! I am trying to make a small business out of some "soft sculpture" toys that I make. I'm almost afraid to use the net to get business. It can overwhelm a person, and the toys are very labor intensive. Right now I have a small store that has agreed to sell them. I'll see how that goes, and work up stock, then make a decision from that point. I'm not as good at networking as I should be...not a born salesman, either. :/ I think Green Egz has some great marketable products. And the drive to do it!

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

or Etsy. i've seen a lot of people selling on there too.