Market Gardening

There is nothing quite like the taste of a ripe tomato fresh from the garden or a juicy cantaloupe ripened on the vine. More and more connoisseurs of fresh, nutritious fruits and vegetables are looking to the local farmers market, roadside vegetable stand or specialty store to provide wholesome produce. Ric Staines provides the reader with all the basics for getting started in growing and selling fruits and vegetables. Drawing on his own experiences, he takes the gardener from simple backyard gardening to commercial vegetable production. He gives the home gardener the fundamentals for establishing a profitable home business: **Marketing opportunities, including farmers markets, roadside stands, subscription services, pick-your-own gardens and farm stores. **Advantages of establishing long-term relationships with restaurants, caterers, grocery stores and specialty shops. **Local, state and federal guidelines for growing and selling produce, including the definitions of "organic" and "natural" produce. **Growing techniques, crop requirements and nutrition, machinery and equipment, pest and weed control. MARKET GARDENING is the perfect book for those gardeners and part-time farmers already involved in or considering involvement in commercial produce.