This page was created after I got curious about the economics of organic gardening. Read my post about gardening economics to understand what this page will be used for.

To put a value on the harvest, I’ll compare prices at the Berkeley Farmers Market (an all organic farmers market) and at Berkeley Bowl grocery store in the organic produce section.

This page will evolve over the rest of the year, so take a look from time to time for updates.

Part 1 – Tracking the Harvest

Vegetables

1. Artichokes — 7 large 1 XXL large (as of June 26, 2011)
2. Arugula — 9 bunches (as of July 31)
3. Beans – Mitla black (tepary)
4. Beets – Burpee Golden – 1lb 9.6oz (as of Aug 5)
   
5. Beets – Detroit Red – 3lb 11.8oz (as of Aug 5)
6. Broccoli – Calabrese – 12.25 oz (as of July 31)
7. Broccoli – Romanesco
8. Carrots – Scarlet Nantes – 132 carrots / 22 bunches (as of June 15, 2011)
9. Cucumbers – Boothby’s Blonde – 4 at 1lb 3.2oz
10. Garlic – Georgian Fire (porcelain hard neck) – 5.75 lbs
11. Garlic Scrapes – from the Georgian Fire garlic – 14.85 oz (as of May 29, 2011)
12. Kale – White Russian – 6 bunches (as of June 19 – 1.234 lbs per bunch on average)
13. Kale – Red Russian – 2 bunch (as of July 8)
14. Kohlrabi – 12 (as of June 20)
15. Lettuce – 13.25 lbs (as of July 31)
16. Mustard – Ruby streak 1 bunch (as of April 22, 2011)
17. Peas – Sugar snap – 3lbs 3oz (as of July 31)
18. Potato – Lungauer (Austrian variety from the Lungau region) – 12 lbs
19. Potato – Austrian Crescent – CROP FAILURE
20. Radishes – 86 Parlat Sperling (as of July 8)
21. Red onion -
22. Spinach – 2 bunches (as of June 5, 2011)
23. Summer Squash
24. Tomato – Japanese
25. Tomato – Stupice
26. Tomato – Sungold (cherry)
27. Tomato – San Marzano

Herbs

1. Basil
2. Catnip – 1 bunch fresh (as of June 9)
3. Chamomile (German) – 4.76oz dried (as of June 13)
4. Chives – 1 bunch fresh (as of May 29, 2011)
5. Oregano
6. Peppermint – 0.75 oz. dried (as of June 26)
7. Rosemary – 2 bunches fresh (as of Aug 5)
8. Sage – fresh – 1 bunch (as of Aug 5)
   
9. Sage – dried
10. Spearmint – dried 2.4 oz. (as of June 15)
11. Spearmint – fresh – 4 bunches (as of Aug 5)
    
12. Stevia – 1 bunch fresh (as of June 7)
13. Thyme – 2 bunches fresh (as of Aug 5)
14. Wormwood – dried

Fruit

1. Meyer Lemon – 59 (as of July 31)
2. Alpine Strawberries – 384 (as of July 31)

Cut Flowers

1. Calla Lily – 14 flowers (as of July 8)
2. Dahlia – 14 (as of August 5)
3. Ranunculous – 3 bunches (as of April 27)
4. Rose
5. Sunflower – 1 (as of July 8 )
6. Sweet Peas – 2 bunches (as of July 31)
7. Flower Mix – sweet peas, rose, dahlia, salvia, cosmos, love in a mist, yarrow, etc. 2 bunch (as of July 31)

Part 2 – Mapping to Grocery Store and/or Farmer’s Market Value

Vegetables

1. Artichokes — Extra large $2.89 each; large $1.49 each
   
2. Arugula — $5 / lb
   
3. Beans – Mitla black (tepary) — $
4. Beets – $2lb
5. Broccoli – Calabrese — $2.50 / lb
   
6. Broccoli – Romanesco — $
7. Carrots – Scarlet Nantes — $2 / bunch
   
8. Garlic – Georgian Fire (porcelain hard neck) — $
9. Garlic Scrapes – from Georgian Fire garlic — $
10. Kale – White Russian & Red Russian — $
11. Kohlrabi — $
12. Lettuce – $5 / lb
    
13. Mustard – Ruby streak – $
14. Peas – Sugar snap — $
15. Potato – Lungauer (Austrian variety from the Lungau region) — $2 / lb
    
16. Potato – Austrian Crescent — $2 / lb
    
17. Radishes – $1.25/bunch
18. Red onion — $
19. Spinach — $
20. Summer Squash — 5 pieces for $3
21. Tomato – Japanese — $
22. Tomato – Stupice — $
23. Tomato – Sungold (cherry) — $4/square basket
    

Herbs

1. Basil — $2.50 bunch
   
2. Catnip — $
3. Chamomile (German) — $1.44oz
4. Chives — $1.50/bunch
   
5. Oregano — $
6. Peppermint — $
7. Rosemary — $1.50/bunch
8. Sage — $1.25/bunch
9. Spearmint — $1.50/bunch – fresh; $8.99lb dried
   
10. Stevia — $
11. Thyme — $1.25/bunch
12. Wormwood — $

Fruit

1. Meyer Lemon — $4.29 lb
   

Cut Flowers

1. Calla Lily – $ /bunch
2. Dahlia — $ /bunch
3. Ranunculous — $6/bunch
4. Rose — $ /bunch
5. Sweet Peas — $5/bunch
6. Flower Mix — $5/bunch

Part 3 – Expenses

1. American Soil & Stone – $50 (as of May 29)
2. Berkeley Horticultural Nursery – $164 (as of July 22)
3. East Bay Nursery – $22 (as of June 18)
4. OSH – $72 (as of July 17)
5. Seeds of Change – $23 (as of May 9)
6. Running expense total = $331

Part 4 – Loss or Savings?

This will be updated throughout the season