RAISE GREENHOUSE VEGETABLES AS CASH CROPS

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Are you still with me? Well then, think about your finances one more time. Ask yourself whether you can afford to buy at least one-half to one acre of well-drained land within easy driving distance of a medium- to large-sized city. If so, go on to decide if you can also afford to fence it against thieves and vandals . . . to build or buy a house on the property or adjacent to it . . . and to pay cash for a fully equipped starter greenhouse.

And why, you might well wonder, do I recommend that the greenhouse be near a city? Well, it's indeed possible to run a successful operation 100 miles out in the country and make a living at it, but the distance will add to your transportation and marketing problems. Would-be greenhouse growers need to concentrate on raising vegetables, not running a truck line.

You should next decide whether you'd want to pursue the business full or part time. Studies indicate that a family can operate a 30' X 96' greenhouse in their spare hours and net $10,000 annually from it, assuming they aren't paying interest on money borrowed to setup their operation. Indeed, a majority of family-owned vegetable greenhouses seem to be run to augment other sources of income, and to accumulate savings for eventual expansion of the business.

Working on a full-time basis, a couple — along with a good hired hand — can operate four standard greenhouses and gross $50,000 or more annually. It's true that the net income may suffer in larger operations because more outside help will likely be needed, particularly for packing and shipping . . . but remember that a reliable employee can be crucial to the survival of the business in the event of family sickness or accidents.

Consider, too, whether you'll be happy limiting yourself to raising only one or two kinds of vegetables. Most growers with no more than four greenhouses concentrate on just a few crops, notably lettuce and standard tomatoes. Larger professional operations handle peppers, eggplant, and cherry tomatoes as well. (Lettuce is probably the most profitable crop per square foot of space . . . but it can require about 50% more labor than do, say, jumbo tomatoes.)

GREENHOUSE GUESSTIMATES

Is your pocketbook beginning to feel the pinch yet? Well, we haven't even gotten around to discussing the structure of your greenhouse. High-carbon steel-framed Quonsets or Gothic-arch units that are strong enough to withstand high winds and wet snow, covered with two layers of plastic, and equipped to start your first crop can cost $5 to $10 per square foot (not including the land and site preparation).

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