A HINT OF MINT

Article Tools

Image Gallery

Print

E-mail

Comments

RSS

Loretta's specialty is finding customers for those cases, and she's done it by offering quality service. "We ship all our herbs in our own refrigerated trucks, so we're sure they're handled correctly. We use hard-plastic packs that protect the plants and keep their roots intact, so they'll stay fresh for two weeks instead of two days. And our labels have recipes and serving suggestions to help people understand how to use fresh herbs."

Consistency is another Goodness Gardens trademark. "We guarantee A & P, Pathmark, Grand Union, Shop Rite, and our other chains a year-round supply of the product and—unique in the produce industry—a year-round price. We don't sell basil for $4 in the summer and $20 in the winter."

As a result, business is booming: Sales have almost doubled every year since the switch to herbs. The Murphys now have more than $1.5 million in annual sales ($350,000 profit) and have become one of the largest hydroponic herb growers in the country.

The future: staying ahead. Now they've reached another turning point. Because of local zoning restrictions, Goodness Gardens cannot expand any more at its Westchester site. So the firm has started raising additional crops outdoors in southern Florida.

Loretta's also looking further down the road. Basil (40% of sales), mint (15% chives, oregano, and the other herbs are all selling well now, and Ciotoli-Murphy has her eye on several other East Coast cities she wants to move into. Still, she sees the day when there'll be a glut of hydroponic herbs on the market. Thus, she's once again looking into other options (such as distributing other growers' products) and crops (baby vegetables). The couple also promotes the Wonder Grow garden, a 2' X 2' homeowner's version of their hydroponic system ($229 from Wonder Grow Corp., Journey's End Rd., Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520).

Combine the Murphys' industriousness, growing skills, aggressive marketing, and insistence on quality, and it becomes clear that although this story could have three beginnings, it will probably have only one ending.

Success.

HOME-SCALE BUSINESS

On Florida's west coast Pete and Pat Barker manage an eight-acre herb greenhouse in their own back yard— an operation geared toward conserving labor and resources.

RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print