Gunner wrote:
....
Oh yea, a little addendum just for giggles and grins:

http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/garden/mg.../tomatoes.html

Approximate yields: 15 to 45 pounds per 10-foot row.

http://www.ehow.com/facts_7242813_ma...ne-plant_.html

Average Yield
The average tomato plant produces just five pounds of tomatoes,
according to the University of Missouri Extension. However, you may
attain yields as high as 20 pounds per plant if you provide proper
care for your plants.
so:

low end : 5 x 26 = 130
high end: 20 x 26 =520

You are saying you got 500+ #s, from 26 plants w/ more to come and
no waste!

no, there has been some loss here or there.
not too much yet. if a tomato has a bit of
rot on it or the end was too ripe then we'd
cut that off and use the rest. i think we've
thrown about ten tomatoes away right from the
vine (complete loss of that fruit).

for the four buckets we did yesterday there
was of course all the air spaces in between
the tomatoes, but in the end we had one full
bucket of cores and peels/seeds/ends/bits
after processing.

a bucket weighs around 22-24lbs depending
upon the size and how high we stack them.

roughly 60lbs went in the 28qts and 28lbs
will go back to the ground.

the math i presented in my original post
was working backwards from 103qts total so
far produced. we've been getting about 7qts
per bucket so doing the math of 22lbs/bucket
and ending up with about 15 buckets of fruit
so far (i.e. 330lbs) just to put up the 103qts.

that does not include what we have eaten or
given away. i know we've given away over 80lbs
as i've carried much of it. as for eating,
we've eaten one to two tomatoes a day since
they've come in and handfuls of cherry tomatoes.
for two people that's about another 80lbs.

330+160=490lbs with more to come.


Wow! But still Bird , the Missouri thing comes out and ya
cannot show me that your not being a bit too enthusiastic with your
numbers. It is human nature after all especially when called out on a
public forum. So don't take it too personal, but seriously folks
tend to inflate for ego.... just look at billy.... so a grain of salt
and such.

you may take it however you'd like. i know i'm not
inflating numbers because i'm using the low end to
begin with (instead of 24+lbs per bucket i'm using 22lbs)
and i'm weighing the buckets before processing and we
are writing down the number of quarts produced. there
is no enthusiasm in the number of quarts as that is
solid fact. you're welcome to visit and count the jars.
inspect the number of plants. talk to people we've
given fruit to. etc.


Still good on ya. Lets see what the next few months bring ya. I'll
still be growing.

the final tally will be in a bit yet, and that
will depend upon if i feel ambitious enough to
harvest the greens and put any of those up or
to let the worms have them. one last celebratory
fried green tomato usually marks the end of the
season.


Canned toms are a buck ten for a 28 oz these days up here. Hot house
vines are 2.29-2.99 a # and they are from the PNW, not CA., Fla. AZ,
nor Mexico.

i can't stand the taste of canned tomatoes or
juice (watered down, metallic and salty).

get the price of organic, glass jar, 100% tomato
juice or chunks, no water, sugar or salt added and
then you'd be comparable. though certainly i could
not compete with the purchasing power of a major
producer for the price of jars or lids, but my
overhead is peanuts compared to them too. and i
have no distribution or advertising costs.

next time we visit the farm stand down the road
that sells canning tomatoes i'll check his prices
(i think they were about $10/half bushel, but i
will check). we buy the sweet corn and melons
from him. i think he grows organic.


BTW do you ever read market reports? may not mean anything to you but
it is a good gauge for your efforts:
http://produceone.com/markets/

no, as i'm not selling these tomatoes or
the quarts that have been put up. organic
prices would be more comparable.


....
MICHIGAN : TOMATOES Demand: GOOD. Market: STEADY. Basis of Sale:
Sales F.O.B. Shipping Point and/or Delivered Sales, Shipping Point
Basis
MICHIGAN : TOMATOES Package: 25 lb cartons loose Variety: VINE
RIPES
Reporting City: BENTON HARBOR, MI
Date Low-High Price Mostly Low-High Price Season Item Size Environment
Color Unit of Sale Quality Condition Storage Appearance Import/Export
Comment
09/02/2011 13.95 - 15.35 13.95 - 14.35 2011 5x5 sz
occas higher
09/02/2011 12.00 - 14.35 12.00 - 13.95 2011 5x6 sz
occas higher
09/02/2011 12.00 - 14.35 12.00 - 13.95 2011 6x6 sz
occas higher

MICHIGAN : TOMATOES Package: cartons 2 layer Variety: VINE
RIPES
Reporting City: BENTON HARBOR, MI
Date Low-High Price Mostly Low-High Price Season Item Size Environment
Color Unit of Sale Quality Condition Storage Appearance Import/Export
Comment
09/02/2011 12.00 - 15.95 12.85 - 14.35 2011 4x5s
occas higher
09/02/2011 12.00 - 15.95 12.85 - 14.35 2011 5x5s
occas higher

....

trimmed down to these local prices (as i'm in MI).


so ~180- 200$ to 300$ wholesale for your efforts is a more realistic
figure. Nice little backyard project.

organic?


Do check these out, bit old but they are a pretty good standard that
can be verified, not that I do not trust your figures but i do not
think you truly understand the macro view in your zeal to have folks
buy into the organo billy world. Know there are pros and cons to
all, just don't try to tell me you have a one size fits all like
billy pretends. OK? That is really stupid thinking.

the ultimate judge will be the quality
of the land/air/water in a hundred years.
will our children be able to have
children and will they be able to live
healthy lives?

i'm hoping to keep these few acres
going for as long as i can. i'm not sure
what the future holds, but i do know i'm
liking the results so far from my shift
away from using various sprays and
encouraging helpful critters.


http://www.uky.edu/Ag/HLA/anderson/gh_tom.htm

http://midwestpermaculture.com/self-...fit-potential/

BTW Its still Gunner unless you want me to keep flipping you guys the
bird? Your call.

ok, Gunner. [whatever you do with your fingers
is your business ]

now i gotta get a move on and get some peaches
picked and start putting them up.


songbird