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A worthwhile business venture?

Gal2Gal2 Posts: 36
in Fruit & veg
Hi everyone,

I'm considering starting either a fruit, vegetable or flowers business (or all 3) using a piece of land (80m x 40m) available to me in the west of Ireland. I enjoy gardening but if I do this I would like to make a profit. Can anyone with experience tell me if I'd be wasting my time doing this with the given space, or would I do well to focus on a certain type of flower (e.g sunflowers, violas, etc)

Thoughts?
Thanks

Posts

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Who are your future customers?  Passers-by, shops, a box scheme subscription?  That will determine what you can sell best along with the kind of soil you have and your local  climate.

    Someone I know here is growing edible flowers and unusual edible leaves (one tastes of Camembert) to sell to high end chefs but then you'd have research what they might like to cook with in your area and how to supply them as they'd need them freshly picked and delivered.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • Gal2Gal2 Posts: 36
    Thank you for your reply Obelix, got me thinking! Lots of rain and very rich soil. I guess passers by and local shops. The edible flowers idea is interesting! Are you suggesting thst I contact restaurants to see if there are any needs which are not being met in terms of supplies?

    Also, if anyone else has been down this route I would love to hear from you!
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Well, the restaurants won't know you're there if you don't contact them.  Maybe do some research on edible flowers?  There's a very good book by Jekka Mc Vicar which I believe is out of print but may be available at the library or 2nd hand on Amazon or E-bay.   There are probably other books that can guide you.

    The Beechgrove Garden this year has featured a couple running a box scheme for organic veggies.   Have a look at the factsheets available on their website tosee if they give any ideas about what and how to grow and sell.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Whatever whatever you do you need to research your potential customers as well as your costs etc. Establish what there is a demand for in the area and what customers are prepared to pay. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 7,093
    Locally grown cut flowers is 'thing' now and doesn't need vast amounts of space. As above - you'd need to know what sort of demand there might actually be locally and if anyone else is doing it already.

    I think one problem with any crops is that buyers will generally want a consistent supply, even in the middle of winter. Maybe not the same produce but a similar quantity and that can be tricky unless you can afford a pretty big polytunnel or greenhouse. I think the Beechgrove couple only run their box scheme for 6 or 8 months in the year, but I might have made that up.
    Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon

    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    They did but now they're learning how to use their polytunnel to best effect that may well extend.

    Research is key tho to establish deand and potential prices to evaluate potential profits, not to mention business regs, rates, taxes, insurance.....
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • Julia1983Julia1983 Posts: 139
    I'm a beginner gardener so can't really advise on the detail of what to grow but if you were thinking flowers it might be worth looking into supplying weddings?  I know when we were booking ours we really wanted a local supplier of locally grown flowers, preferably organic (so no air miles and more environmentally friendly) but we struggled to find anything. We were happy with wildflowers or whatever was in season. The wedding industry is huge (bigger than I thought before I started booking for one!) so there must be demand, probably greater in the summer months too. Good luck whatever you do. 
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