Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I'm wondering what plants you would grow in a commercial small scale system? I originally was looking at herbs, but I recently spoke to a dirt farmer who grows them at the largest local herb farm and they are being killed between their labour costs and 'unfair' competition from imported herbs, unless something changes they don't expect to survive another three years. And that's a multi million dollar farm! Here I am at the beginning of starting a small scale fish and produce farm and it just doesn't look good. So, I thought I'd ask your advice.

Do a niche local market sell to farmers markets you can survive. That would be the only way I could advise otherwise you would get butchered. People who go to farmers markets understand locally grown produce that is fresh and good.

Either that or you can sell locally to chefs and things like that. Think locally think alot of effort.

That would be my thoughts.

does the large local herb farm sell locally? For a start up check restaurants and such for what they want.

MF (Michael Ferrini) was growing lots of basil and selling basil pesto to a niche market...basil grows very quickly in AP and I am continually cutting mine back...most of it getting tossed in the BSF compost heap at present tho

When you look at the price per pound of stuff, and the rate at which it grows, basil should be most profitable. You might also try gourmet baby greens, or edible flowers (pansies, etc.)

Specialty or gourmet I would think would get your best dollar.

Most of the basil sold here in the US is now a product of Mexico. There was a huge deflation in the once great prices on basil not very long after NAFTA was signed. It still will return more on investment than other crops.

A big operation in the mexican baja region had salmonella problems just recently with a large recall of basil made by the US importer. It is a shame they will suffer such a loss for not buying locally grown produce instead. Of course there have been the same sort of quality issues with the large operations in California also.
So maybe by being smaller and having a controlled environment is advantageous.
I am not sure if origin labelling will be of any help as most americans will buy whatever is cheapest regardless of safety of the product or loss of jobs and economic vitality in their communities. It is those other Americans - those who want to be assured of safe food and those who wish to help their neighbor in the process - who is the market to seek out.