Thinking they were $15-16 last year.Yikes! Whats that like 60% higher then last year?
Thinking they were $15-16 last year.Yikes! Whats that like 60% higher then last year?
Guess that's not terrible increase then.Thinking they were $15-16 last year.
I do not have anything against them. It is simply a supply issue. They cannot supply what I am looking for.I'd just like to know what he has against his local nursery, farm store or whereever the locals get seed and started plants.
I called Bonnie's and it goes to a call center in India.that beats Bonnie's $3.95/Lowes for a tomato plant....
Nursery's here do not give any real discounts. If they did folks would pool together and buy in bulk. They also do not really discount much at the end of season as then folks would just wait to buy then.Bill unless your doing it for profit. Hit up any local nursery. We have a few around here and normally get pretty good deals buying "by the flat"
I gave them a call but they could not help.Bill here is a link to a greenhouse in Clayton, Indiana. They were listed in one of the seed companies I use. Don't know anything about them but worth a shot.
https://www.coxsplantfarm.com/
Bill are you close to Arthur IL.?I called Bonnie's and it goes to a call center in India.
I assume you are hand planting those. If I could find a source of quality bare root plants I was considering going larger and getting out the old Holland transplanter for nostalgia. My sons have never had the pleasure of "riding" the tomato setter. It was all two people could do to keep up on a single row unit pulled by a AC WD as slow as it could go. At the end when folks were forced by Heinz to go to mechanical harvest the setter/transplanters were 6 rows. They were configured as 3 double rows in a raised bed. It took 12 people to run and it was pulled by a JD 4440.I don't know anyone that uses bareroot plants. Plants in trays went through the roof this year. A 72 count tray of peppers is $18-20. I ordered 12 trays.
Arthur is a bit south of Champaign/Urbana. It is about 4 hrs away and a bit west of the Indiana line. I am on the Iowa line right on the river. As I type this I look across to Iowa. It is not that far but not that close eitherBill are you close to Arthur IL.?
We use a mechanical transplanter. That's the brand. Just a 1 row model. Probably similar to your tomato setter.I assume you are hand planting those. If I could find a source of quality bare root plants I was considering going larger and getting out the old Holland transplanter for nostalgia. My sons have never had the pleasure of "riding" the tomato setter. It was all two people could do to keep up on a single row unit pulled by a AC WD as slow as it could go. At the end when folks were forced by Heinz to go to mechanical harvest the setter/transplanters were 6 rows. They were configured as 3 double rows in a raised bed. It took 12 people to run and it was pulled by a JD 4440.
I'm trying to find an Amish produce auction near you. They started them here near Lancaster 40 years ago and now they have spread out across the country. They sell lots of vegetable plants in the spring. Google Iowa produce auctions. Looks like several.Arthur is a bit south of Champaign/Urbana. It is about 4 hrs away and a bit west of the Indiana line. I am on the Iowa line right on the river. As I type this I look across to Iowa. It is not that far but not that close either
That is very similar. Ours is much older and is a pull type but the design is the same. When Grandpa bought the last one the only 3pt hitch tractor we had was a Ford 9N. Holland kept the same design for years. There is no reason to change what works.We use a mechanical transplanter. That's the brand. Just a 1 row model. Probably similar to your tomato setter.
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We have a large Amish area about 50-60 miles west into Kalona Iowa. As you well know it is a interesting mixture of great folks. You have the traditional Amish that will not use a phone. You the ones that use the community phone, and those that have "secret cell phones". In addition there are the Mennonite. As far as I know they have phones and drive. After them are the Apostolic. They are very interesting. Up until a few weeks back I had not had much contact with them in 21 years. Years ago I taught High School Agriculture/FFA in a heavily populated Apostolic community. They are great folks but they definitely have some strong beliefs. My wife worked at a 1200 sow unit ran by them. I know they are getting modern as several weeks back a former student texted me and we talked for 3 hours on the phone.I'm trying to find an Amish produce auction near you. They started them here near Lancaster 40 years ago and now they have spread out across the country. They sell lots of vegetable plants in the spring. Google Iowa produce auctions. Looks like several.
I'll try and get links when I get on the puter in the morning. Looks like Bloomfield, Elma and Lamoni have auctions.We have a large Amish area about 50-60 miles west into Kalona Iowa. As you well know it is a interesting mixture of great folks. You have the traditional Amish that will not use a phone. You the ones that use the community phone, and those that have "secret cell phones". In addition there are the Mennonite. As far as I know they have phones and drive. After them are the Apostolic. They are very interesting. Up until a few weeks back I had not had much contact with them in 21 years. Years ago I taught High School Agriculture/FFA in a heavily populated Apostolic community. They are great folks but they definitely have some strong beliefs. My wife worked at a 1200 sow unit ran by them. I know they are getting modern as several weeks back a former student texted me and we talked for 3 hours on the phone.
As for the produce auctions Yoder's in Frytown IA used to run one. I called them and they are strictly doing farm toys now. She said there is an Amish group running one in Kalona (4 miles away) but she had no information on it. I found that hard to believe but I did not push as I got a sense there may have been some bad blood. I called the cattle sale barn and the woman there did not have any info either. I googled searched and found a link to a Facebook page about one in Kalona. https://www.facebook.com/TwinCountyProduceAuction/about
I am pretty sure this is the one. I called and left a voice mail. I am sure they will call back. If they do not I will write them a letter. I know letters are a dead item for most today but I still write them.
I am familiar with Bloomfield There is a very crooked auctioneer down there (not Amish). It is about 2hrs 30 minutes. I have not been to Lamoni. It is south of Des Moines and about 4 hrs. I have not heard of Elma but in looking it is about 3hrs 30 minutes north up near the Minnesota border. That could be a fun ride.I'll try and get links when I get on the puter in the morning. Looks like Bloomfield, Elma and Lamoni have auctions.
I couldn't find any links to any auctions near you Bill. My guess is most of the auctions won't have any vegetable plants other than cole crops and lettuce till early April. Ours usually starts out with flowers like pansies and such.I might have to look up there. There are Amish in southwest Wisconsin. I am two hours south of the tri-state corner (Iowa/Illinois/Wisconsin) and have spent a ton of time up there over the last 25 years. For many years I raced vintage saws at the Baraboo show. There are not many towns around that corner I have not been through. I see there is an auction in Platteville which is 2.5 hrs. I will keep plugging away at it.
It looks like Platteville does sell bedding plants. They are closed now but will be open Friday. I will phone then.
https://platteville-produce-auction.business.site/?utm_source=gmb&utm_medium=referral
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