SELL SPROUT JAR KITS
(Page 2 of 3)
January/February 1983
by Joshua Wood
When I started the business, my stepfather bought 13 cases of wide-mouthed canning jars, 8 feet of fiberglass screening, 25 pounds of mung beans, and 10 pounds of alfalfa seeds. All that cost $89.99. I've since sold cases of completed kits to natural food stores, restaurants, food wholesalers, a fruit and vegetable stand, and a large independent grocery store. My mother's cousin even sells the kits in her beauty parlor!
RELATED CONTENT
Lifestyles Food Digest...
Growing trees and shrubs from seed takes time, but has its own rewards...
Food Co-ops: Good Food and Good Prices September/October 1979 A "New Wave" of grocery outlets can g...
CITY FOOD/COUNTRY FOOD February/March 1998 By Joe Novara Maybe food really should be shrink-wrapped...
My mom and I made signs to promote my product. Some of them say, "GROW FRESH AND NUTRITIOUS GREENS ALL WINTER LONG! ASSEMBLED BY JOSHUA, 10 YEARS OLD." Others say: "SPROUTING IS EASY, ENERGIZING, ECONOMICAL, AND ECOLOGICAL. A GREAT GIFT FOR YOUNG AND OLD ALIKE." We put a few of the posters in a grocery, and that store has sold the most jars of any place I've tried!
Of course, my friends and relatives have bought some, too. For example, my great-aunt and her granddaughter once came to spend a few days with us. They had never even tasted sprouts . . . but by the time they left, they both liked the little greens so much that my great-aunt bought them each a sprouting jar.
I could also probably sell the kits at flea markets and craft fairs, but most of those events are held on Saturdays, and my family keeps our Sabbath for going to church, reading the Bible, having special meals, taking walks, visiting friends, and just being with each other.
In the year since I started my business, I've earned enough income to pay back all the money my stepfather invested in the supplies . . . and I've made $54 profit besides! I also still have three cases (of 12 jars each) out on consignment, and another three I haven't yet sold.
At first, I wanted to buy myself a bike with my profits, but my mom convinced me to reinvest the money in more supplies and a second business (selling felt toys door to door). That taught me about thinking of the future . . . which was one lesson I really didn't expect to learn from selling sprouting jars.
By the way, since I started business, I've seen other kits that sell for $9.00, are made of plastic (including three plastic tops), and come in fancy cardboard containers. My jars are plain and simple, but they don't include any wasteful throwaway covers, and besides, glass is better for the environment than plastic.
