I've never seen a video like this one of actually showing us how is it looks like selling to chefs and sharing their thoughts. hope you are doing good! keep it up :) thank you for the great content!
You're the first guy I've been following. To actually take us along with you , and talk to chefs. Lots of good info man. Absolutely awesome vid Josh! Take care man!
This video was very awesome and has great information for anyone who wants to sell their FRESH and HOMEGROWN VEGETABLES that is more healthier than GMO products! I would like to see a video on your billing and records of how you keep everything organized. Keep up the great work! Thanks 🙏
Thanks. I use Square for invoices and payments and Quickbooks for book keeping. I am not the best at staying organized and shouldn't be making a video about that until I get things dialed in. It's really pretty simple for a business this size.
Josh! one of your most informative and interesting videos I've watched!!- Even though I'll probably never start a small farm, I still I dream of it sometimes....like when it's 70 degrees outside and there's a nice breeze-lol.... in my mind, every chef was like bitchy Gordon Ramsey... nice to see some super chill chefs that took the time to chat with us on video! Please thank them for me!
I'm with Tom Rabin below, I like this because it shows that Homesteaders know they have to SELL if they are going to farm full time just a 'Real' farmer (yes I said Real) does because beyond feeding your own family you have other needs and bills that need to be paid. It also gives you an idea of what roadblocks our SMALL farmers are having to deal with when growing FIELDS of 'Swiss Chard' or 'whatever' for sale. Thanks for the insight.
Thank you for this video! I am looking to get started as a small market gardener but I have no experience with chefs or the restaurant industry in general. It's become a mental hurdle for me in planning my business model. This video made me feel like it's not as intimidating as I thought!
Can I give 2 thumbs up! I had a meeting and shows everything conservative and got nowhere. I then showed of a purple potato crazy idea and gain 3 order that day. This video is the best so far. Show more of what farmer don’t know!!! 🥺 Please
Thanks Josh, this was extremely helpful content. I am currently setting up shop in the Dallas Fort Worth area and am finding Great Content like this from others as well. VERY HELPFUL. Thanks Bro!
Great video and tips. You usually dont get to see these "backstage" side of the farm wich can be, if not, the most important, so again, thank you so much for your effort and videos!
Great content. I am transitioning away from selling at the farmers market to selling to restaurants. Very different way to do business. Thanks for your insight.
Great insight, thanks. Attitude is so different in the UK at least in my town. I must have contacted 20 chefs and dropped samples to at least a dozen and apart from 1 customer the rest were dismissive and just wanted to know if they could get for cheaper than the wholesaler. Most had not even heard of micros, and I targeted several vegan restaurants who I thought would be really interested, but no. Will keep trying!
Keep trying. You might just have to catch the right person at the right time. Also, every market is different. Some places it will be a lot tougher to sell this kind of produce and a high price.
Great information, Josh! Thanks for taking the time to put this together. Would be interested in hearing more about how you reach a price point on various produce. I'm sure there are a thousand variables involved, but curious if in general you or the chefs are setting/driving the price and how much you are willing to negotiate.
There are lot of things at play here. Mainly just talk to the chefs and they will tell you what they are paying and what they are willing to pay. A lot will come out of that simple conversation.
Yesss! Just Sub'd! Cause of this specific content. Please do more perhaps once a month? and even deeper questions? Im not a farmer (yet) but great content! Thanks for shooting, editing and sharing!
Am I ever thankful to have found your channel. Sort of binging at this point, but your microgreen videos and this chef video are eye opening and so interesting. Thanks and keep it up.
Hi, I'm really impressed by your informative videos since I subscribed to your channel and I really want to work like this it's a great job.. you are learning and sharing lots of knowledge with others.. this is the kind of job I dream about.
Excellent video dude. I'm not planning on market garden/selling but this was fantastic functional information about the business side of things. Super interesting content. Thanks!
Another great video! When packing your product in the coolers, one thing you might try is putting the freezer packs on the _top_ rather than the bottom. Heat rises, so you may get more effective, uniform cooling that way -- at least that's my experience. When packing delicate items like microgreens, it'll probably still be necessary to shield them with a towel or something to prevent frost damage.
@@JoshSattinFarming I guess that could be an issue, depending on the weight of the cooler packs and the packaging of your produce. There may be easy solutions though -- some elastic strapping screwed into the underside of the lid to hold the cooler packs would solve that problem, as well as get them out of the way automatically when you're loading and removing goods. Anyway, it was just a thought -- if you're happy with your current setup, there's no point changing it.
Awesome video. One of the best concerning chefs that I've seen. Keep up the great work. Also is there any chance you can do a video about what you had to do to start up your farm in NC and start selling to chefs?
If I was a farmer looking for chefs to buy my product, what's the best method for dropping by a restaurant and providing samples? Just literally going in the front door? If you're just starting what's the best way to come up with a competitive price sheet for your product?
I try and do some networking to get a warm hand off. Then I set up a meeting. You can definitely go in cold, bring some samples and a fresh sheet. I would go to farmer's markets and local organic food stores to check prices and alter them for restaurants. Also ask the chefs, they'll tell you what they pay. Every market is different.
And Josh are local chefs in Raleigh interested in organic produce? Or at least local produce grown without the use of chemicals? Are there restaurants willing to pay a higher cost for organic?
What I have found is that chefs aren't really concerned about things being labeled as "organic" but rather want fresh and local. I have explained my growing practices to them and they do like that, but that is not the most important thing for them.
VERY VERY GOOD VIDEO! Thanks for the info and the interviews helped so much. What I loved most and have been looking for is how to deal with the transactions and invoicing but there isn't any videos on that so thanks for that part especially! You may want to make a video on that in detail if you haven't already.
I use Sqaure to send my invoices to the chefs via email. I then print two copies and bring them with me. I give them one and they sign one that I keep. They write me a check. That's it.
👋🏾👋🏾👋🏾good afternoon from the UK josh, like I’ve said before love your videos and the way you share knowledge, I’ve recently had my small garden converted with raised beds so i can grow organic food for my family, was just curious, could you do a video on how you price your product so that you are making a profit and they are happy with the cost of your produce, and how do you keep up with the demand from the chefs, do you grow new produce for them to try, how do you forward plan for supply and demand. Thank you again, love and appreciate your videos and your personality🙏🏾, keep up the good work.
That would be a very difficult video to make. It really is something that you learn as you go along. It will depend heavily on your context, customers and your market. Prices are different everywhere. Base your prices on farmer's markets, organic stores, etc. You will get a feel for what you are capable of growing and what chefs need. They will tell you how much of lettuce (for example) they use per week. You can also let them know you are new to this and ask them what they pay for stuff. They will tell you. Good luck!
Every market is different. Check out local farmer's markets and organic food stores. You'll get a sense of the prices. Also, if you are looking to sell to chefs just ask them what they pay for things. They'll tell you what they are paying.
Love your content Josh, I had a video idea for you - can you show some dishes these chefs make with your products? I wanted to see your products that you were delivering and I bet I'm not alone. Cheers!
That would be cool, but would be tough to film. I am not going to ask the chefs just to cook stuff up for me to film. I am planning on doing a little bit of a cooking lesson with Chef Kyle next week though.
what is crazy, is that this could be Nashville, TN. totally looks like it while your driving. A good question for you is, how big does your local produce need to be to supply these restaurants? would love to talk to you personally. Just growing for the family at the moment, but this seems really fun.
Hey awesome video! I have on questions, why do you harvest the night before? Is this for any purpose other than logistics? I know one night does not impact hugely on freshness but it would be great to know the logic behind your decision! Thanks
Mostly for logistics. I am the only person working on the farm so I harvest on Thursdays and deliver on Fridays. It's also nice to chill down the greens overnight in the fridge before transporting them.
Awesome content! How do the chefs go about placing an order with you? Do you ask their preferred means of communication or go to your website? I’d be curious to know what was the kicker that drew the two chefs in after the wait to become customers?
I always ask them their preferred method of communication. I probably should have mentioned that in the video. Most chefs I have interacted with like to communicate via text. These two chefs were at different restaurants before. One of them wasn't in a position to get my produce and the restaurant closed for the other one.
u just get a bakers type rack to put iver ice etc. hahahahah. u dont cover ur cold u just have to taise above product. i want the cool to cool the cooler not a towel or whatever lol. its called a wire rack 🤣🤣🤣