Farm Life

[DelightfulinJesus]

My wife and I just got back from South Georgia for the holiday weekend.
While we were down there I noticed that the land is really inexpensive but really fertile. There are farms everywhere growing just about everything from cotton to soybeans to corn and peaches. Lots of Pecan trees too.

So I got to thinking...
I can start a fruit farm and then in conjunction with this I know how to make jams and jellies from all of this produce.

I miss having great jams and jellies like I know how to make...but unless you get a great deal on the fruit it is way too expensive to make. And in order to make any money at making jams and jellies you really have to have inexpensive fruit to make it with. Most of the ones on the store shelves are barely over the cost of shipping and the jar that holds the preserves.

A glass jar costs at least three dollars...labeling is at least another dollar. Cardboard and shipping is another dollar per jar.
Thats five dollars before you even put in any preserves in the thing. (shipping and glass are both very expensive...just like fruit isn't cheap either these days)

But if this works out...I can get the fruit for the cost of some manual work on my part...and some pesticides and fertilizer.

So...
We started to think of what to call the place...
JohnDB's Fruit Farm?
no
JD's Fruit Farm?
nahhhh
Then it struck me...
This is going to require some awful high steppin...
And I am going to have to put my best foot forward in doing all this.
So...my good foot (instead of the bad one) is attatched to my leg that sits a bit taller than the other...one knee is higher than my other knee...and with all the high steppin...

High Knee Fruit Farm is born.

I was thinking about all the advertising too... because if we are going to sell unique jams and jellies we have to have extraordinary marketing to get this stuff to sell.

One of the things that is going to be unique is our grape jelly. Now if you carefully look at the grape jelly you buy in the store its a bait and switch type thing. It isn't made strictly from grape juice. They take a low flavored apple or pear juice to make up the bulk of the juice in the stuff.
Mine will be 100% pure concord grape juice...and the flavor difference is huge.
And unlike all these wineries around...we actually will grow and harvest the fruit that goes into our grape jelly. When we run out...we are out. If something happens to the crop...we don't have grape Jelly.

I was also thinking of Jalepeno Jelly, Persimmon Jelly, Blackberry Jelly, and some Strawberry Jelly...but I really don't want to pick strawberries...so I might just not do that one...maybe some pear butter instead. Of course we will offer tastings of everything there with a little store front of some kind.

But the star will be our Grape Jelly.

So...I had some Ideas for slogans...

Come See the vines growing in my High Knee fruit farm.
Come check out the clusters at my High Knee fruit farm.
My High Knee's butter is better than the rest.

Of course the difference of my Jams and Jellies verses all the others will be insane...people will become instantly addicted to the high quality of them. So I thought then about this:

Come to High Knee Fruit Farms...you will be a changed man if you do.

Of course we will be poor when we first start up...low cash flow until we get established for a few years...but the instant success will be in the flavor and quality of what we make. So I was thinking that I could give up some of my High Knee for various services and that way I wouldn't be expending cash and the "good ol boy" farm network could help with the situation.

Whatcha think of that?

Think that is an awesome idea! My grandma use to make all kind of jams and jellies. I miss them so much. You're right though, you don't find that quality of jams and jellies in a grocery store.

I'm getting ready to start my own little business and consider how to get started. Also I use to sell my art work years and years ago. So here is an idea or two. I couple of local convenient or country stores, can be larger store if you wish, talk to owner or the one charge see you they will let you sell a few. In my experience, most of your local country stores won't charge you a small percentage, some may. Also online, create yourself a website, that will cost a little or depending on what you want. if you have any friends that have websites, ask and see if you can post a link to your site or use facebook to get started advertising your product to those on you friends list, also on facebook there is market place and you can also create a facebook page for you buisness. Just a couple of ideas you might want to consider.

BTW, love the name for the business. It's original.

 

[JohnDB]

BTW, love the name for the business. It's original.

The name is just a joke. It looks great on paper but the radio ads would be a big problem.

 

[JohnDB]

Think that is an awesome idea! My grandma use to make all kind of jams and jellies. I miss them so much. You're right though, you don't find that quality of jams and jellies in a grocery store.

I'm getting ready to start my own little business and consider how to get started. Also I use to sell my art work years and years ago. So here is an idea or two. I couple of local convenient or country stores, can be larger store if you wish, talk to owner or the one charge see you they will let you sell a few. In my experience, most of your local country stores won't charge you a small percentage, some may. Also online, create yourself a website, that will cost a little or depending on what you want. if you have any friends that have websites, ask and see if you can post a link to your site or use facebook to get started advertising your product to those on you friends list, also on facebook there is market place and you can also create a facebook page for you buisness. Just a couple of ideas you might want to consider.

BTW, love the name for the business. It's original.

Actually I was going to get my stuff in the grocery stores through an upscale niche gourmet product distributor that puts the products in various stores. I imagine it will cost me some fees and promotional money...but it's to be expected.
A lot of your high end niche gourmet food products get distributed this way. You won't sell pate` in the "projects" or trailer park grocery stores...but you will in the nice parts of town where pepperidge farms cookies outsell Nabisco.

It's actually better than guerilla marketing to limit the exposure of your products in this way.

John Kelly chocolates aren't sold everywhere for a reason
link
But it is possible to buy them on Amazon (of course). But of course I'd need my own website as well.
(And I do make these chocolates at Christmas every year as gifts...and then watch the family feuds over the plates)

But you could hang your framed art in restaurants, or office building foyers. (The most common way) also at various art and craft fairs.

 

[DelightfulinJesus]

Actually I was going to get my stuff in the grocery stores through an upscale niche gourmet product distributor that puts the products in various stores. I imagine it will cost me some fees and promotional money...but it's to be expected.
A lot of your high end niche gourmet food products get distributed this way. You won't sell pate` in the "projects" or trailer park grocery stores...but you will in the nice parts of town where pepperidge farms cookies outsell Nabisco.

It's actually better than guerilla marketing to limit the exposure of your products in this way.

John Kelly chocolates aren't sold everywhere for a reason
link
But it is possible to buy them on Amazon (of course). But of course I'd need my own website as well.
(And I do make these chocolates at Christmas every year as gifts...and then watch the family feuds over the plates)

But you could hang your framed art in restaurants, or office building foyers. (The most common way) also at various art and craft fairs.

You've got me wanting chocolate now, lol.

You want to go big scale in your business, awesome! Certainly can tell you have been giving its lots of thought, thats good. Have you possibly considered finding an investor to help you get things up and running? When the time is right that is.

I want to keep my business small and where I use to dabble in all types of art, i'm mostly crafting now, whether its wood, glass, tin, its what ever catches my attention and I can turn it into something else.

Good luck to you and your wife!

 

[Bull of the Woods]

Speaking of Old Macdonald, why is it that when it comes to a horse, cow, or pig we know exactly what they say,.. but when it comes to a dog it doesn't seem as clear? Examples: "Woof!" "Bark!" "Arf!" "Bow-wow!" Come on people make up your mind! Also, come to think of it, while we're on the topic, what does the fox say?

Their mating call is a kind of high pitch quick scream.

 

[Michael74]

...but when it comes to a dog it doesn't seem as clear? Examples: "Woof!" "Bark!" "Arf!" "Bow-wow!" ...

Different breeds of dog have different barks. A tiny dog might go yap yap yap quickly in one pitch. A large dog might go woof slowly in a deep pitch. My sister's border collie used to greet me at the gate with a single deep woof. My neighbor's tiny dog would get go arf arf arf several times quickly.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

Different breeds of dog have different barks. A tiny dog might go yap yap yap quickly in one pitch. A large dog might go woof slowly in a deep pitch. My sister's border collie used to greet me at the gate with a single deep woof. My neighbor's tiny dog would get go arf arf arf several times quickly.

Makes sense actually.

 

[jasonc]

My wife and I just got back from South Georgia for the holiday weekend.
While we were down there I noticed that the land is really inexpensive but really fertile. There are farms everywhere growing just about everything from cotton to soybeans to corn and peaches. Lots of Pecan trees too.

So I got to thinking...
I can start a fruit farm and then in conjunction with this I know how to make jams and jellies from all of this produce.

I miss having great jams and jellies like I know how to make...but unless you get a great deal on the fruit it is way too expensive to make. And in order to make any money at making jams and jellies you really have to have inexpensive fruit to make it with. Most of the ones on the store shelves are barely over the cost of shipping and the jar that holds the preserves.

A glass jar costs at least three dollars...labeling is at least another dollar. Cardboard and shipping is another dollar per jar.
Thats five dollars before you even put in any preserves in the thing. (shipping and glass are both very expensive...just like fruit isn't cheap either these days)

But if this works out...I can get the fruit for the cost of some manual work on my part...and some pesticides and fertilizer.

So...
We started to think of what to call the place...
JohnDB's Fruit Farm?
no
JD's Fruit Farm?
nahhhh
Then it struck me...
This is going to require some awful high steppin...
And I am going to have to put my best foot forward in doing all this.
So...my good foot (instead of the bad one) is attatched to my leg that sits a bit taller than the other...one knee is higher than my other knee...and with all the high steppin...

High Knee Fruit Farm is born.

I was thinking about all the advertising too... because if we are going to sell unique jams and jellies we have to have extraordinary marketing to get this stuff to sell.

One of the things that is going to be unique is our grape jelly. Now if you carefully look at the grape jelly you buy in the store its a bait and switch type thing. It isn't made strictly from grape juice. They take a low flavored apple or pear juice to make up the bulk of the juice in the stuff.
Mine will be 100% pure concord grape juice...and the flavor difference is huge.
And unlike all these wineries around...we actually will grow and harvest the fruit that goes into our grape jelly. When we run out...we are out. If something happens to the crop...we don't have grape Jelly.

I was also thinking of Jalepeno Jelly, Persimmon Jelly, Blackberry Jelly, and some Strawberry Jelly...but I really don't want to pick strawberries...so I might just not do that one...maybe some pear butter instead. Of course we will offer tastings of everything there with a little store front of some kind.

But the star will be our Grape Jelly.

So...I had some Ideas for slogans...

Come See the vines growing in my High Knee fruit farm.
Come check out the clusters at my High Knee fruit farm.
My High Knee's butter is better than the rest.

Of course the difference of my Jams and Jellies verses all the others will be insane...people will become instantly addicted to the high quality of them. So I thought then about this:

Come to High Knee Fruit Farms...you will be a changed man if you do.

Of course we will be poor when we first start up...low cash flow until we get established for a few years...but the instant success will be in the flavor and quality of what we make. So I was thinking that I could give up some of my High Knee for various services and that way I wouldn't be expending cash and the "good ol boy" farm network could help with the situation.

Whatcha think of that?

Citrus,honey why limit your self? ,pineapple .

 

[Corn Pop]

This is me at work yesterday I been marking out and planting avocado orchard. I record it.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

This is me at work yesterday I been marking out and planting avocado orchard. I record it.

Lol! I originally read that as "this is me making out at work yesterday" and I'm like thinking; *bro, ain't nobody on here want to see that!* ROTFL!!!

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

Btw, kiwidan, I was thinking that if that were truly the case then I guess that would mean that you would really love your job. LOL!!!

Sorry guys, I'll behave now LOL!! :tongue

 

[Corn Pop]

The other month I was saying how lazy some locals were as there was a news article farmers were saying they can't find enough fruit picking workers and produce was going to waste. I said I would do it. So I left where I was and relocated and as you can see, im now working on a farm. Lol. I would prefer to work than bludge on welfare payments and complain life is unfair and I'm so poor like some.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

The other month I was saying how lazy some locals were as there was a news article farmers were saying they can't find enough fruit picking workers and produce was going to waste. I said I would do it. So I left where I was and relocated and as you can see, im now working on a farm. Lol.

Lol to that, or what I said? Or both?

 

[jasonc]

The other month I was saying how lazy some locals were as there was a news article farmers were saying they can't find enough fruit picking workers and produce was going to waste. I said I would do it. So I left where I was and relocated and as you can see, im now working on a farm. Lol. I would prefer to work than bludge on welfare payments and complain life is unfair and I'm so poor like some.

Older folks here worked citrus,picked oranges,grapefruits,packed and graded them.my dad packed and graded for one of the older pre 1900 Deerfield ,Vero beach groves,my wife did all that for hale and gtacewood.she picked her own fruit for her dad as that was her chore,locals also grew tomato,potato,strawberries,green beans,pineapples,a few dairy farms .I also would be negligent if I didnt mention eggs,etc too. The list of former packing houses are too numerous to post .a 1920 one that is part of a ghost town I will photo as it was in use up to 4 years ago. Ah honey and also sugarcane too.syrup straight from the cane .

 

[jasonc]

My fil house ,which still stands and built in 1898 was a grove worker house .he and his siblimgs grew up on the haffield citrus grove ,he worked for haffield,walker citrus