Strawberries

[Tonyr]

This one acre paddock is the one we were cleaning up above, had 15500 plants on this block. Up to 80,000 plants at the end.

Pictured is a new variety at the time, 6 years ago, Kabalah.
Yuck, but Coles and woolies wanted hard tangy fruit. Big earner, early season.

This pic is just at the very start, 2 pickers would knock this over in a couple of hours, should see it when they are full on, I'd put a dozen pickers in this block and they would be lucky to finish in 8 hours. Different varieties have different tastes and qualities, some give massive fruit, others average like above, size actually does not necessarily have anything to do with taste either, it is more the variety. We trialed some that were as big as your closed fist, really! And they tasted great, another just as huge called Parker was like a dull apple...

there is a market for all...

Can't find the best pics...they would rock ya!

I'll keep looking!

[Easycareacres]

thats interesting mate, wife and I thought of trying strawberris but others said to much involved. ? would be but never do it if listen to the ones that put me off lol. serrouis what would say 1 acres worth bring in ?

[Tonyr]

Hi Russ,

Gee those pics are dark, look terrible!
Still learning how to scan...

Mate, forget farming, to much expense, too little true profit, and very, very long hours.

1 acre of strawbs in my day 'should' be about $5 a plant, by 15000 approx = 75000

Hang on...yep we generated Huge money, wages are frightening, basically it costs $1.20 to the farmer to produce 1 punnet of strawberries, most varieties give at least 2 punnets, some 5 even.

Know what it feels like to see a storm coming with about 5 grand waiting to be picked the following day?
Even worse seeing the rain pelt the crap out of your life.

Then you still need to send in all of the pickers to clean up, dump tons after a storm!

Things like this really break you.

The original purchase isn't cheap after plastic mulch etc, the strawberry runner used to cost 12 cents each, average 10% loss.

They need to be grown carefully, it is said they are one of the hardest crops to grow and profit on.

We started small, 10000 and doubled until we got to 80000 odd,

Best money was made with 1 acrea as didn't need lots of workers, husband, wife plus one worker can handle one acre if they pick daily, every 3rd day you need about 6 an acre.

You need to pick fruit before it heats up, not always possible, and when a block is due, rain hail shine, it has to be picked.

Look into herbs, flowers are good too.
Cherry tomatoes are good if you really want to see how fast life farming can get, can be good money, an acre of cherry tomatoes can profit well but very labour intensive, but a bit easier than strawbs.

Talk to agents at brissy markets, get there at 5 in the morning and go in, tell security a lie and say you are a grower, or go in at 8 and browse.

you can earn a lot, then talk to the sellers.

If I went back farming I'd go flowers and herbs, especially parsley, that stuff if good has a good strong, small market, biggest opposition of rubbish is asians.

give parsley a go, but get a market first as even half a acre gives a lot of leaf.

[Easycareacres]

thanks for that ol chum, yeah very hard to know whats worth a go at today. So many cropping etc, my inlaws grew capscans etc but needed a person from markets to tell them what to grow so everyones not growing same crop.