A friend in southern Finland has asked my advice on growing a commercial vegetable(s) on 1-2 hectares.
Something which would be 'special'.' Not necessarily unique but anyhow something that is not widely available but has the potential to be in demand.
There could be several items or just one. Greenhouse 'starting' is availalble but would have to be 'avomaa' otherwise.
I have thought of special squashes and/or broadbeans (eg Fava). Items would be available to small preserving houses and/or fresh - suitability for freezing would of course be good.
Any other ideas? (Very labor intensive harvesting would be a problem - eg tiny items such as berries would be a problem as there is minimum labor supply.)
"New" Vegetable
Re: "New" Vegetable
I would suggest Kale (Brassica oleracea). It is perfect for the Nordic climate, not labour intensive and indeed not widely available.
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jessesuomi
- Posts: 173
- Joined: Mon Nov 28, 2005 1:58 pm
- Location: Helsinki
Re: "New" Vegetable
Let me know how it goes ad if you will be selling to restaurants. I am in process of opening a new place in Vuosaari and finding growers to supply us would be great.
Re: "New" Vegetable
I don't think so - they are rather plentiful of many types - Lidl seems to be able to establish a 'price setting' situation.Melons?
Anyway - I'm thinking that anything sweet is not going to work as people seem to be willing to substitute one sweet thing for another fairly easily.
A 'high' price is certainly not what is in mind but an article where it gets out of the 'biomass/kg' situation.
The key is a willingness to grow something that doesn't need to be a 'Joe Six Pack' item but still wouldn't need to be so 'special ordered' that it would be high-priced and conversely subject to spoilage because it just didn't find the customers for that batch.
As said - a few items that struck me as interesting were Fava beans, special squashes such as butternut, kabocha, acorn, pattycake, etc.
And it really can't be 'labor intensive.'
Re: "New" Vegetable
Anything that is "special" or even remotely exotic cannot be grown outside in normal Finnish conditions. At least not yet, maybe in a few years' time...
You couldn't grow enough squashes on 1-2 hectares to make it financially worthwhile and you'd be taking a big risk, you need exactly the right amount of rain and sunshine if you grow them outdoors.
Maybe some "unique" potatoes for restaurants, organic and unusual varieties (like the la ratte du Touquet )
But anything other than the usual root crops need a polytunnel or a greenhouse to be financially viable.
I think berries are a better idea (much more profitable) like the sea buckthorn. But as you said, they are more labour intensive. It is simple maths really.
Another alternative (more long term) is growing trees, especially the decorative woods like visakoivu. You can either wait for the trees to mature and sell them for the wood or you can grow saplings and sell them as young trees after 5 years or so. Less labour intensive and resonably lucrative.
You couldn't grow enough squashes on 1-2 hectares to make it financially worthwhile and you'd be taking a big risk, you need exactly the right amount of rain and sunshine if you grow them outdoors.
Maybe some "unique" potatoes for restaurants, organic and unusual varieties (like the la ratte du Touquet )
But anything other than the usual root crops need a polytunnel or a greenhouse to be financially viable.
I think berries are a better idea (much more profitable) like the sea buckthorn. But as you said, they are more labour intensive. It is simple maths really.
Another alternative (more long term) is growing trees, especially the decorative woods like visakoivu. You can either wait for the trees to mature and sell them for the wood or you can grow saplings and sell them as young trees after 5 years or so. Less labour intensive and resonably lucrative.
Re: "New" Vegetable
Not so sure - that's why I thought of broad beans (one type Fava). A friend of mine has grown them very succssfully in Jyväskylä in a usual 'backyard.' They're good for preserving, fresh and frozen.Anything that is "special" or even remotely exotic cannot be grown outside in normal Finnish conditions.
Actually I know people growing pumpkins quite successfully on 5 ha. One ha produces anything between 30-100 tons of product (50+ for pumpkin) - of course dependent on what it is - so there IS enough for a small enterprise with 2 ha.You couldn't grow enough squashes on 1-2 hectares to make it financially worthwhile and you'd be taking a big risk, you need exactly the right amount of rain and sunshine if you grow them outdoors.
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littlefrank
- Posts: 3584
- Joined: Tue Feb 10, 2004 11:51 am
- Location: eläkeläinenmäki
Re: "New" Vegetable
brussel sprouts
"Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons."
- Popular Mechanics, 1949
- Popular Mechanics, 1949
Re: "New" Vegetable
I have grown pumpkins too. We have a big sunny field at the mökki and an unlimited supply of well water. You get one crop per year, if all goes according to plan (lots and lots of sunshine and plenty of rain is best) ie : at the same time as everyone else who is selling them. If there is a late frost which kills all the flowers or an early frost which harms the pumpkins you end up with nothing. They are big and heavy to transport. They also need TONS of chicken poop, if you want 'em BIGhenryh wrote:
Actually I know people growing pumpkins quite successfully on 5 ha. One ha produces anything between 30-100 tons of product (50+ for pumpkin) - of course dependent on what it is - so there IS enough for a small enterprise with 2 ha.
and bees. We grow enough to decorate the house in the autumn and give a few away to friends with kids for Jack O Lanterns.Re: "New" Vegetable
From "Care of commercial utility genetec plants" 2013
Cultivation and care of Wrapit packaging plants (Brassica oleracea canadiensis)
Kiev Geophysics and Biomechanics Institute (KGB) Manual 3381/2013
Background
Wrapit (Brassica oleracea canadiensis) is a plant of the family Cruciferae (after its cross-shaped flowers), to which belong the cabbages, turnip, and cress. It was developed in Canada using genetic manipulation from wild brassica strains that normally grow on the British and French coasts facing the English Channel. The aim of the plant is to help solve the persistently worsening problem of packaging waste disposal.
A total of eight different variants of Wrapit plants have been developed thus far, for use as preform materials in packaging. After use, the plant can either be composted or fed to domestic animals.
The grower faces only two significant dangers
Wrapit is not a particularly demanding plant in terms of its location, but conditions must remain stable if the packaging is to become of uniform quality and size. If the preforms do not meet industry standards, then the losses may rise too high in terms of the productivity potential of the plant.
In other words: to ensure profitable cultivation, the plant should be grown under glass or in otherwise controlled ambient temperature, light and humidity conditions (Tested values are presented in Appendix 4 below). The allowed packaging sizes are specified in the EU Directives, Vol 2013. Ch. 23, Sections 10-44, see Appendix 5).
Even today there are isolated reports of naturally-existing cabbage-moth (Mamestra brassicae) populations, in spite of the time and resources spent on eradicating this pest. If cabbage moths or their larvae are found to be present in the packaging cabbage crop, it is recommended that growers use one of the biochemical bacteria developed for their removal (e.g. Biobrass or Killerbug). Speed is of the utmost importance, as if inspectors observe holes in more than 0.5% of the Wrapits in a batch, the entire batch will be rejected and incinerated. It is understandable that industry is unwilling to use leaky packaging. Wrapit strains have so far been developed as preforms for boxes (six sizes, B1 - B6) and for shrinkwrapping (two sizes, W1 & W2). Work is reportedly under way on the development of a tubular variant.
In particular it is recommended that W-type Wrapits be kept off the ground by means of nets, as they are as flexible as light cloth, and are highly susceptible to mould damage if they come in contact with damp earth. B-type Wrapits require careful handling as seedlings, as the box seams are very fragile at this stage. The intention is that in time a form of packaging plant will be developed that also contains beneficial nutrients and tastes good. This could then be used with instant foods and smartmeals in such a way that the packaging is eaten alongside the dish itself. A further research direction is towards raising the natural oil content of cabbage plants, in such a way that the packaged food could be cooked in the packaging's own oil without the smell of cooked cabbage that many people find unacceptable and which the elderly still associate with George Orwell's novel 1984. Scientists believe in the potential success of this last-mentioned product because of the recent trend towards a return to old-fashioned frying in the making of gourmet meals.
In future, plant developers will also be paying increasing attention to coloured variants of Wrapit, as many consumers have complained that the leaf-green packaging is dull and even somewhat nauseating.
Appendix 1: Hologram images of Wrapit variants, cabbage-moth, cabbage-moth larva. Appendix 2: 3-D examples of suitable hothouse models. Appendix 3: Various model calculations of cost-structure, potential productivity/profit per hectare, and tax optimization for growers of Wrapit plants. Appendix 4: Ambient microclimate values: humidity, mean temperature, light, and soil pH. Appendix 5: EU Directives, Vol. 2013. Ch. 23, Sections 10-44.
Further details from our online counselling staff at: sat.web kd-435-kgb-eu.
Cultivation and care of Wrapit packaging plants (Brassica oleracea canadiensis)
Kiev Geophysics and Biomechanics Institute (KGB) Manual 3381/2013
Background
Wrapit (Brassica oleracea canadiensis) is a plant of the family Cruciferae (after its cross-shaped flowers), to which belong the cabbages, turnip, and cress. It was developed in Canada using genetic manipulation from wild brassica strains that normally grow on the British and French coasts facing the English Channel. The aim of the plant is to help solve the persistently worsening problem of packaging waste disposal.
A total of eight different variants of Wrapit plants have been developed thus far, for use as preform materials in packaging. After use, the plant can either be composted or fed to domestic animals.
The grower faces only two significant dangers
Wrapit is not a particularly demanding plant in terms of its location, but conditions must remain stable if the packaging is to become of uniform quality and size. If the preforms do not meet industry standards, then the losses may rise too high in terms of the productivity potential of the plant.
In other words: to ensure profitable cultivation, the plant should be grown under glass or in otherwise controlled ambient temperature, light and humidity conditions (Tested values are presented in Appendix 4 below). The allowed packaging sizes are specified in the EU Directives, Vol 2013. Ch. 23, Sections 10-44, see Appendix 5).
Even today there are isolated reports of naturally-existing cabbage-moth (Mamestra brassicae) populations, in spite of the time and resources spent on eradicating this pest. If cabbage moths or their larvae are found to be present in the packaging cabbage crop, it is recommended that growers use one of the biochemical bacteria developed for their removal (e.g. Biobrass or Killerbug). Speed is of the utmost importance, as if inspectors observe holes in more than 0.5% of the Wrapits in a batch, the entire batch will be rejected and incinerated. It is understandable that industry is unwilling to use leaky packaging. Wrapit strains have so far been developed as preforms for boxes (six sizes, B1 - B6) and for shrinkwrapping (two sizes, W1 & W2). Work is reportedly under way on the development of a tubular variant.
In particular it is recommended that W-type Wrapits be kept off the ground by means of nets, as they are as flexible as light cloth, and are highly susceptible to mould damage if they come in contact with damp earth. B-type Wrapits require careful handling as seedlings, as the box seams are very fragile at this stage. The intention is that in time a form of packaging plant will be developed that also contains beneficial nutrients and tastes good. This could then be used with instant foods and smartmeals in such a way that the packaging is eaten alongside the dish itself. A further research direction is towards raising the natural oil content of cabbage plants, in such a way that the packaged food could be cooked in the packaging's own oil without the smell of cooked cabbage that many people find unacceptable and which the elderly still associate with George Orwell's novel 1984. Scientists believe in the potential success of this last-mentioned product because of the recent trend towards a return to old-fashioned frying in the making of gourmet meals.
In future, plant developers will also be paying increasing attention to coloured variants of Wrapit, as many consumers have complained that the leaf-green packaging is dull and even somewhat nauseating.
Appendix 1: Hologram images of Wrapit variants, cabbage-moth, cabbage-moth larva. Appendix 2: 3-D examples of suitable hothouse models. Appendix 3: Various model calculations of cost-structure, potential productivity/profit per hectare, and tax optimization for growers of Wrapit plants. Appendix 4: Ambient microclimate values: humidity, mean temperature, light, and soil pH. Appendix 5: EU Directives, Vol. 2013. Ch. 23, Sections 10-44.
Further details from our online counselling staff at: sat.web kd-435-kgb-eu.
Re: "New" Vegetable
Not all varieties and not that big in Finland. And actually because of their size it IS possible to harvest and transport with only a few people for 5 ha.(Pumpkins):They are big and heavy to transport.
But it is not thought to grow pumpkins in this 'project'
xxxxxxx
Brussels sprouts decent idea but what's missing is the chance for any kind of 'preserved form' (that one would want
)Re: "New" Vegetable
There is a conservation method using glass jars. But honestly, they will taste awfull after that.henryh wrote: Brussels sprouts decent idea but what's missing is the chance for any kind of 'preserved form' (that one would want
Re: "New" Vegetable
Brussels sprouts have a loooong growing season. The early varieties take 28 weeks from sowing to harvest. In the UK you sow in March (not possible here) to pick in October but most are sown in April and picked in November- March. They are best picked after a frost but -20 +wind chill is probably not going to do them any good. Picking sprouts is labour intensive. Growing veg is labour intensive, unless you are growing vast quantities of spuds and have all the necessary hardware (eg an EU subsidized tractor). BTW sprouts are usually frozen after harvesting if not sold fresh. They freeze very well.
As for kale... growing takes even longer: 30-35 weeks from sowing to harvest. OTOH it will grow anywhere and is extremely hardy. In the right spot my book says you could plant them out after midsummer, let them perish during the winter and then pick the fresh green shoots (which have the best taste) in the spring. Not sure that would work up here but might be worth a try.
Mini-veg are really popular these days, especially in restaurants. Mini-carrots, mini-courgettes, mini-parsnips, mini-leeks and mini-turnips, even baby cauliflower. They sell at a premium price and are generally harvested quicker than the classic varieties. Also, the yields are higher because you can plant them much closer together ('cos they are smaller). They are a bit more fragile though (eg less drought tolerant) so may need to be watered in dry weather.
As for kale... growing takes even longer: 30-35 weeks from sowing to harvest. OTOH it will grow anywhere and is extremely hardy. In the right spot my book says you could plant them out after midsummer, let them perish during the winter and then pick the fresh green shoots (which have the best taste) in the spring. Not sure that would work up here but might be worth a try.
Mini-veg are really popular these days, especially in restaurants. Mini-carrots, mini-courgettes, mini-parsnips, mini-leeks and mini-turnips, even baby cauliflower. They sell at a premium price and are generally harvested quicker than the classic varieties. Also, the yields are higher because you can plant them much closer together ('cos they are smaller). They are a bit more fragile though (eg less drought tolerant) so may need to be watered in dry weather.
Re: "New" Vegetable
We have a few beds of kale every year (climate zone IV). Sowing end of April and harvest in November.As for kale... growing takes even longer: 30-35 weeks from sowing to harvest.
No problem at all and a very good yield too.
Re: "New" Vegetable
Might try some this spring... 