PUMPKIN PRICE!!!!!!(help please)?

Question

um, so I am thinking about starting a pumpkin garden so I can grow my own pumpkins on our farm.............

-how many pumpkins did you buy last fall?

-how much were the pumpkins you brought last fall?

-what do you think is a reasonable price for pumpkins (small, med, large, Xlarge)?

-would you like to have various gourds and corn stalk sheaths available when purchasing pumpkins?

Answer 1

Hello

PUMPIN -( Mathan) is used by all over the world.

So go ahead.

send me one Pumpkin

[e-mail]

Answer 2

all i can tell you is you can get rich off of pumkins,kids like medium ripe pumpkins[for holloween],and you will get rich in attum

Answer 3

Howdy, I'm a small permaculture farmer in Idaho.  I purchased zero pumpkins last year (and didn't grow any either).

There have been years though where I have purchased and carved up to eight of them.  I like carving pumpkins.  I'm much more likely to purchase, or grow pumpkins when I'm also raising some chickens.  After Halloween, I can smash the pumpkins in the chicken pen, and they will have a grand time eating them.

Any pumpkin I purchase, no matter what the size, I would do not like to spend more than $1 on it, maybe $1.50.  I usually get the pumkkins for $.75 cents each (or I've grown my own).

Yes, I love to have brilliant colored Indian Corn, varrious gourds, and squashes, broom corn, and corn stalks availible.  I would also LOVE to be able to purchase the gourds that you can dry and make birdhouses out of!

My questions to you:

Do you plan to sell these items at a Farmer Market?

If you plan to sell directly from your house/farm, will your insurance cover it?  (I do direct sales to my customers from my farm.  I have a "squires" insurance, which covers people coming to a small farm, but not to work with, or be on farm machinery....it's about $1600 a year, which also covers our vehicles)

Do you have a "draw" to bring customers to your farm?  Examples, your farm is old, and extremely picturesque.  People want to take pictures of old barns and farm houses, not mud and double wides.

Do you have ULTRA friendly critters who can be a petting zoo draw for the children?  Do you also realize that city children rarely, or never around livestock can get Ecoli, just from PETTING livestock?  So you need to provide a handwashing station.

Where are the people and all of their children going to go potty?

Do you have any dogs?  No matter HOW FRIENDLY your dog is, keep them locked up, or under your supervission at ALL moments you have customers there.  Also make sure fido is up-to-date on vaccines.  A friendly dog can knock over a small child, and the parents will sream their child was attacked!  

Where will these people park, that is not in mud?

What will your neighbors say?  Do your neighbors properties themselves look nice, or do they look like junkyards, or like a H#ll's Angel hangout?

Do you have horses?  Really, really be sure to check your insurance policy then!  A small horse crazy child is sure to climb a fence and get in with your horses, get knocked down, and then the lawsuits start!

Is your property reasonibly clean, and clear of dangers.  Not dangers for country folks, dangers for city folks who just don't have a clue!

Remember, I'm very frugal when it comes to the price I'll pay for pumpkins.  I can grow my own.  Most people will pay more, especially if you can entice their children!  

If you are selling at a farmer's market, be sure to make your stand look very country/homey/inviting.

Straw bales, to stack the pumpkins on.  Have pumpkins and gourds overflowing from an old wheelbarrel (a wood wheelbarrel is best) or an old red wagon.  Put your indian corn in baskets, along with your smaller gourds.  Tie your corn shocks, and broom corn so it is standing upright, not laying in a heap in the bed of a truck or on the ground.

Give people ideas that they can dry some of the gourds, and make birdhouses if they want...in other words, have one already made, and hanging in a prominent spot.

Wear something "friendly."  If you are a man, dress in overalls and look like a farmer.  You can also add a jester's hat, to attract the attention of children, and adults.  Have cheap candy you can hand out a piece at a time to children.  Once a child picks up a pumpkin it's probably all over...the parents will more than likely buy it, as long as it's not too huge to lug through a farmers market.

If you are a woman, wear a brigh apron, even if you are in jeans.  Also wear a straw hat with bright flowers on it.  You want to look friendly and approachable.  You want to attract the eye of people, especially children.  But you cannot look so different that you frighten children.  A piece of candy usually makes children brave.  Once you get the children to start picking up pumpkins the parents will probably buy.

Good luck on your venture!

~Garnet

Homesteading/Farming over 20 years