I am growing State Fair Mix zinnias. They have nice long stems with a mix of doubles and dahlia style with lots of colors: reds, light and dark oranges, light and dark pinks, kind of a magenta or watermelon pink, creamy white, golden yellow - they put on a show in the garden too - and just about every visitor asks what variety they are. I planted these from plugs but I am going to try my hand at saving the seed and trying get these to grow from seed next year. There is one odd pink one with a single row of curled petals that I hope to be able to save and see if it comes true to the original. I went to my local farmer's market this Saturday and there was one flower vendor at the whole market (this is the market they told me they had too many flower vendors). She was selling bouquets of mixed colors of zinnias with misty for $8 a bunch. She put the oranges yellow and white in one bouquet and the pinks, yellow and whites in another along with the misty. She had single stems of zinnias she sells to children by the stem and they seemed to enjoy picking out their own. She also had long single stems of procut lemon - didn't catch the price of the suns - as she got very busy and I didn't want to distract the customers. She also had some shorter stemmed very dark red almost black velvety petaled sunflowers I really liked - could have been velvet queen. She also said she grows hydrangeas under shade cloth (its very hot here) and I am going to buy some to dry to use in dried arrangements. Linda

For restaurants you go and talk to the chef at a time when they are not serving dinner-afternoons between 2 and 4pm are the best time to contact a chef. it is best if you have samples of what you have to sell. If you come in during a meal service you will never get any business with that restaurant, that's a huge no no. Whole sale to grocery stores-if a small independent talk to the produce manager or store manager about what they want and what you can supply. if a large chain you talk to the produce manager about how to become a vendor for that store. This may require a lot of liability insurance and a minimum amount of a particular crop weekly. Know that if you get into wholesale you lose a lot of profit as you will sell for about 1/2 of what you get when you sell your stuff yourself (which is retail) Restaurants you should ask retail prices as you will likely not being selling them case lots very often. I have found most chefs difficult with which to work so I rarely sell to restaurants any longer. if the chefs come to my store or the farmers market I sell food to them but I no longer make kitchen deliveries

I am just trying to get started up. a new highend market with attach restaurant has just opened up.They are the only game in town for a very wealth, upscale group of gated subdivisions. The lots in most of them run from 1/2million up. To give you an example, I bought a as in ONE beer and it cost me $6.00. I could have bought a 6 pack of the same beer for $9.00 in town. Get the picture? When the flyer came in the paper I cut a few head/bunches of lettuce (I only grow greens) and drove up there. Their produce was all organically grow, like mine, but from a big supplier some distance away and both the produce/cheese manager and the chef really liked what I took them. They know that I am a start up, but they say they are commetted (SP) to helping the local little guys. The thought we talked about was that my lettuce would be their GUMA lol lettuce and that we would keep the supply small and both charge more. The problem is I have no idea WHAT TO CHARGE TO START WITH. This is sort of a hobby with me, but I would like to be able to pay for my garden toys. He was sell lettuce, several type, for $1.99/lb. I told him that I would guess he was making about 100% and he smiled so maybe he is and maybe he is not. Any ideas out there. It will be about a year before I could come close to suppling him all, but I would like to at least pay for my materials. HELP! 1eyedJack and the Dawg

WRT prices, you'll need to say a bit more about what you're looking for. With both companies, prices vary with the size of the range, as well as the features. This or that back; all burners, a griddle or a grill, a french top (available with BS) -- all of these change the price. BlueStar are all gas; Wolf offers both gas and dual fuel ranges, with electric ovens, and the dual fuel ranges have different (higher) prices. For BlueStar, their top line -- RNB -- ranges start at just about 4k for 30" and about 5k for 36". Last I looked at Wolf - maybe a year ago -- prices were similar, if maybe a bit higher, at 30", and there seemed to be a bit more of a spread in some of the larger sizes. BlueStar does offer a less powerful line of ranges -- the RCS models -- that still have ample output for the vast majority of cooking needs and are priced well under both BS's RNB line and all of the Wolf ranges. If these have the features you want, you might find very good value for money in the RCS. Overall, prices might tend to be slightly lower with the BS RNB than Wolf, and a good deal lower with the BS RCS if there's one configured as you like. OTOH, maybe the best value for money is getting the thing you really want, provided it's in budget. Also, with Wolf, there might be more of a chance at finding a deal on a floor model or what have you, just because, with wider distribution, there are so many more sitting on dealer floors from season to season. The BS RNBs are available all stainless, or with a body in your choice of 190 colors at no up-charge. As to what you might want: you haven't said much about your preferences or why you want to sell your Aga range. What don't you like about the current range that you'd like to change? Both Wolf and BlueStar are very well regarded products. Wolf probably has greater distribution and name recognition generally. And Wolf does very well in customer satisfaction surveys (which often neglect smaller brands, such as BlueStar and Capital, entirely). BlueStar ranges are all gas, all open burners -- direct flame from exposed burners, as in restaurant ranges, surrounded by cast iron bowls and covered by cast iron grates. The RNB line offers a very high powered burner -- 22K BTU -- as well as intermediate and simmer burners. For most cooking -- the large majority of techniques -- nobody needs that output, but for certain techniques it's really helpful (and for getting a large pot of water to a boil quickly, as well -- and for my own idiosyncratic preferences, for having it come back to a boil promptly once I've added pasta, etc.) Wolf offer sealed burners (at 36" and up, they also offer something they call and open burner that's sort of in-between). Some folks really like sealed, as there's a neat smooth top running across the range top, under the grates. Others (me included) find open easier to keep clean, as the grates get a quick wipe and as easy to clean stainless trays catch anything that falls through. Open burners offer more direct flame and are more efficient, although the relative efficiency of the burners may not be important to you. I think that top output on Wolf is 18K btu on 36" and larger models, but maybe only 15 in the 30" ranges. There's nothing wrong with 15K for the large majority of techniques, and yes you can bring a large pot to a rolling boil on a 15K btu burner. OTOH, if you're doing Wok cooking, or Wok-like western techniques that involve a quick sear, you'll really notice the difference with higher output. And for boiling water (or anything), 22K btu is noticeably faster than 15. Wolf ovens generally are well regarded. I like my large BS oven, and BS comes with a terrific broiler. I bought the BS because I was crazy about the burners and I'm very happy with my choice. The burners have delivered, as I'd hoped, and then some, the range looks great, and the broiler has been a very nice surprise (wasn't really on my radar screen much when shopping, but it's been well appreciated in use). OTOH, you'll also find many happy Wolf owners.