Agribusiness: Growing Money On Trees II – JP009

Our second installment of our Agribusiness Series focuses on the concept of the Value-Add. Which raw fruits and vegetables can you add value to? Can you turn basil into pesto? Peppers into Hot Sauce? Tune in for more ideas behind this lucrative concept!

Beyond Fresh, a Value-Added Guide – Podcast
- Here is a link for the Book referenced in the above episode
Value Added Products at Boggy Creek Farm in Austin, Texas
- This is the podcast referenced about the “Smoked Dried Tomatoes”

Asante Sana ߊߛߊ߲ߕߌ ߛߣߊ
Medase Paa ߡߍߘߊߛߋ ߔߊ
Modupe O ߡߏߘߎߔߋ ߏ

Thank you for listening to

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Transcript

Peace,
I am Mason Olonade and this is Jìgìjìgì: Africulture Podcast. Here we believe building a healthy soil builds a healthy soul, so we share strategies for how to do both. To do both we ask two questions: How do you grow while you grow Kale, Collards, Tomatoes, and Melons. And why, do you think, the healthiest soils are Black?
For our second piece in our Agribusiness series we discuss the concept of the Value-Add.
Is there any money in selling the raw product? Yes but any money isn't what we're after. One familiar outcome with the farmers markets is the lost produce, this produce picked and unsold and now a day old if it can be salvaged by the fridge maybe it's story will be retold however it usually ends up in the red bin we discuss in the episode titled composts.
The sunken cost fallacy predicts that we’ll, “Keep On Keepin On” despite it never working out. This is when we reflect and state there's got to be a better way. There is no only way, no one way, but what I describe here is one way.
Instead of tomatoes are you able to can to make it a sauce with extra basil, garlic, oregano, and thyme you may have on hand?
I bought some red dye amaranth seeds because I thought that it would make a nice magenta Hue for the clothes I used to dye. It turns out that the Hopi would use these use the flowers in their flour to speckled their bread pink. What do you think?
Consider two things what you like to grow and what you grow best. And after that has been decided what manufacturing equipment then would you need to make your product? From here if you can get started without the equipment, make the product and sell it or give it away to your friends, family and your regular customers. If you're already fortunate to have those regular customers they've probably already told you what they like to buy from you.
The value at a concept can also be applied to what could be considered crop failures. Larry Butler of Boggy Creek Boggy Creek Farm in Austin Texas describes making smoked dried tomatoes A 60 miles per hour is 96 kilometers per hour wind storm came through and broke off all of the tomato stakings and then the sun came out brilliantly the next day scalding all of his tomatoes on one side. No longer where they of viable product from here after the appropriate greeting time they realize Texas is a barbecue state. After building a smoking shed it took about 3 to 5 days for the Youth uniform consistency and Smoky Aroma to be achieved. He sold out of all of them at $6 for 2 oz of tomatoes. When life gives you lemons make lemonade.

I’ve included in the show notes that podcast and the free book produced by the national Center for appropriate technology on value-adds titled "Beyond fresh of food processing guide for Texas farmers." This guide isn't exclusive to Texas Farmers, give it a thorough perusal especially if this episode has intrigued you. One thing I heard in the associated podcast discussion of the book asked the Tomato farmer to consider making tomato soup mixes, or even Bloody Mary mixes. From the book Suzanne and Tom Piccola said “few were interested in buying fresh cut basil but the pesto flew off the table and out of the stores we never had enough.” We never had enough. Those are the types of problems we want you to have.
I'm growing holy basil this year and I'm working on making incense cones. Let us know how you plan to add value to your produce or if you want ideas on how to email me Mason at o l o n a . d e if you are black thumb and want to share your story on Jìgìjìgì email me Mason at o l o n a.de Please leave us a 5-star review on all of the streaming platforms you listen to and we will say then as we say now Asante Sana, Medase Pa, Modupe O! Thank you for listening to Jìgìjìgì. peace