we all see things a bit different

[robpa]

When you look at the photos you probably see garlic? Not me, I see knives! Been growing garlic for over 25 years. used to sell it and buy a new gun and scope, then it was just the gun as prices escalated. Now its knives.It will all be sold by end of the month, just in time for the 60+ table knife show in Pleasantville, Pa. on the 11th and 12th of August. sell them at wholesale to marketers for 95 cents each in lots of 100 and they retail em for around 2 bucks per.
for scale, the knife is 7" open.

[woodwalker]

Cool way to make knife money!! Looks delicious as well!!

[philco]

That's interesting.
I'd like to know more about how you raise that garlic.
Would you mind telling us a little about the process?

[robpa]

Glad to. I was kinda planting a seed here so to say.
1st off buy good garlic, probably not at the grocery store as that is normally soft neck and good chance of China origin.
I grow what is called hard neck, shoots up a scape which I remove at 1st curl in hopes of growing larger heads. Plant about mid Oct(here in nw Pa) . I mulch with shredded leaves. When its about 3" high in spring side dress with some fertilizer. Ive used different ferts with not much different effect. It will scape out about 1st- 2nd week of June(here) and I pop the scapes of. When foilage is approx 30% dry begin to harvest and go right at it. Leave it too long and it can begin to fracture or degrade. I hang in bunches of 12 for a few days until the stalk doesnt bleed when removed. trim the roots, I like to leave a little beard and about 1/2 " of stalk for appearance. Then I use a toothbrush to clean the head removing the dried wrappers, no more tha 3 skins. I size them using a home made grader so I can market them and all heads are approx same size.
It costs about 2-3 cents per head to grow. The market has only shown growth for the past 25 years. Not everybody presents the best product but everybody makes a buck.
A good book is "Growing great Garlic" by Ron Engeland.15 bucks back in 1992.

I used to have a couple acres in production of any veggie which made me a buck a row foot. garlic, potatoes, beets , green beans and red raspberries mostly. THAT was a lot of work, 3 farm markets and 2 produce auctions a week and no hel Go for the garlic, you will be happy you did.

[robpa]

Im all done and it was a very good year for the garlic.
There are 600 in this shot, sold 350 the other day. Averaging about %1.50 a head wholesale. That ought to allow for 4-6 good knives at the show, I hope?