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A Bushel Of Hot Peppers ... $$$

winland

winland

This years garden included about 250 pepper plants with about 40 different varieties.
I am freezing a lot of peppers, making a lot of pepper powder and selling peppers by the pound to the general public.
A new "customer" approached me today about growing specific HOT peppers for her next season and selling her the peppers by the bushel, this time next year.
 
I am NOT a commercial grower.
Don't have a big or huge greenhouse.
I start all plants from seed, and she would provide the seeds.
 
I am guessing, but I think there is about 28 - 30 pounds of peppers per bushel.  Is this about right?
 
How many plants of your basic 7-pot/Fatalii/scorpion would yield a bushel of peppers?  I know there are lots of variables with this question. 
 
What is a bushel of 7-pot or Fatalii or Scorpions or Reapers worth on the wholesale market?
 
Well depends on area you live, buying power of customer, and also variety your selling.  I had a buyer show me a buying list of peppers at his cost having them shipped and etc.  For your standard Orange Habanero's he paids  $4.99 lb the store in question is a Small Thai Grocery.   Obviously a store such as Krogers is gonna have much greater buying power buying in bulk so I think their cost is much cheaper.  
 
I guess you are gonna have to take your cost into consideration and do some bargaining with the customer.  The customer has to realize that they are getting a superior product buying locally, for one your peppers wont be picked green and shipped early to ripen on trucks or in transit.  I find store bought peppers pretty tasteless and lacking real heat.  
 
I am hesitant to suggest a price, I was just giving you some food for thought.  Maybe your customer would be kind enough to show you a buying list and you can negotiate from there to make it beneficial to you and them.  
 
 
cheers and good luck
 
Can you handle an order that size?

Just my 2¢

If so negitiate what its worth. A lot of effortwent into it. Don't sell yourself short.


Good luck!
 
[quobiggestame="Rymerpt" post="1223404" timestamp="1443397213"]Can you handle an order that size?
Just my 2¢
If so negitiate what its worth. A lot of effortwent into it. Don't sell yourself short.
Good luck![/quote]

Do I have the time? Yes I am retired and have the time.
Do I have the property/garden? Yes I live in the country and have the garden space.
The biggest expense is the germination of the seeds.
Soil, fertiliser, lights, electricity, cups, J iffy pods, insect control products.
I didn't keep track of any of these expenses this year since it was strictly a hobby.
 
I have been charging $8 a lb here in Central Ohio, most people are pretty ignorent to the cost of Superhots I have found.  I sell peppers at farmers market and such and people routinely ask to buy a lb and scoff at $8 dollars.  For some reason they think the $2.99 lb orange habaneros at Krogers shoud be a gauge for the price of all hot peppers. 
 
Personally I am not in great need of money so I politely tell them to look elsewhere and I would rather give my peppers away free to friends and family than give them away for next to nothing to rude strangers.  lol
 
I really hope you can negotiate a fair price!
 
In Md I get 10-15$/lb (depending on the day and my mood) from restaurants for fresh ghost peppers. For the seed guys I sell bulk to, the price for 10,000 seeds ranges from 150$-400$. I also sell fresh peppers online, and typically yield close to .50$ per pepper give or take. I average around 180-200 ghosts/plant in Md (we get a frost)... A pound of ghosts averages around 35-37 peppers per pound for me, roughly. Doc
 
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