An early frost pushed Neil Taylor of TaylOrganic Farm into value-added marketing around 1998. The day before the frost, Neil picked 15 bushels of green tomatoes, and then turned them into green tomato relish. Each year since, he has added new products, building up to his 2004 line of 30 unique value-added products such as blueberry cider, dilly beans, and heirloom tomato juice mix.

These products are mostly sold through four farmers' markets: Morningside Farmers' Market, the Green Market at Piedmont Park and Spruill Gallery Market in Atlanta, and the Chattanooga Farmers' Market. He also sells to wholesale and restaurant customers. At this point, sales cover production costs, but Neil is streamlining his operation to develop profits. He is moving away from greens to vegetables and fruits such as tomatoes, blueberries, blackberries, and figs that can be sold fresh and/or frozen and processed into value-added products.

Because he has had to use a non-organic certified kitchen copacker, he has not been able to sell his products as organic. The copacker processes, packages and labels the product. There is no certified organic kitchen copacker in Georgia; the nearest is in North Carolina. Neil advises those interested in getting into value-added products to find a place to process the product and most importantly, to determine a market.

Neil Taylor
TaylOrganic Farm
7095 Hwy. 155
Ellenwood, GA 30294
770-981-0827
taylorganic@aol.com