The atmosphere of the ranch today is very relaxed, and there is a cheerful atmosphere inside and out. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 infoEven Tony and the others, who still have work to do next, put down all their burdens for the time being and party to their heart's content.

Lu Li held a bottle of beer in his hand, and Randy came to the outside of the house to breathe some fresh air, and suddenly there was a burst of laughter in the garden, and when he looked at it, he could see that Li Yitong was talking about something, Morgan, Lincoln, Brandon and others were standing next to him listening, smiling.

"When the wine is made, do you want to have another party?" said Randy with a smile.

Lu Li took a sip of beer and complained, "Today's party is not over yet, you are already thinking about the next party?" "You'd better enjoy that bottle of beer in your hand first. ”

Randy retracted his gaze and took a sip of his beer, which was the best response.

"Now that the wine production is on the right track, it should be the turn of the organic farm next, right?" Randy's eager appearance made Lu Li chuckle and nodded in agreement, "I thought you were planning to take a break and adjust for a few days." ”

"This is a ranch, every day is new, every day is precious, and naturally there is no time to adjust. Randy waved his hand and said nonchalantly. "Do you have any plans for an organic farm?"

Lu Li didn't speak, just glanced at Randy and signaled that he could express his opinion freely.

Randy scratched his head and smiled innocently. In fact, in the past six months, he was fully responsible for the organic farm, and Lu Li almost did not give any opinions, and he gradually adapted to such a work rhythm.

But this time it's a little different, and now organic farms are at a fork in the road, with one choice that will determine the course of development over the next year or more, with an unimaginable $100,000 in deals per season. Randy could clearly feel the heavy pressure, and he couldn't help but have some shaky hands for such a crucial decision.

Over the past few months, Organic Farm has been experimenting with different combinations, and as long as it is a vegetable that is suitable for Texas growing, Randy has been planting a round of vegetables to try to find the best option for the land.

Surprisingly, the harvest at Top of the Clouds during this period has been a number of surprises, not only slightly exceeding expectations, but also the quality is really satisfactory, which has allowed their relationship with H-E-B Supermarket to continue. This also means that there are more options for organic farms.

They can choose to continue to cooperate with H-E-B supermarkets to grow lettuce, carrots, green peppers, tomatoes, celery and other vegetables, which are very large varieties in Texas, once all the 100 acres of organic farms are reclaimed, then the production will skyrocket, and it is not impossible to become a regular supplier of H-E-B in the future.

In this way, they can maximize their local strengths. The model of self-production and self-sale can also reduce transportation costs, while maintaining the existing cooperation structure, which can be said to be masterable.

However, the disadvantages are also very obvious, this method is more conservative, and the profit margin is relatively small. Because the profits of these vegetables themselves are limited, and the popularity rate is very high, it is not easy to make a big breakthrough.

They also have the option to break with existing models of cooperation and try to break through innovations. For example, growing kale.

As a popular food in recent years, kale is undoubtedly in demand, in the major cities on the east and west coasts, almost all of them are in short supply, not only New York, Los Angeles, but also Seattle, Philadelphia, Miami, Boston, Las Vegas, San Diego, etc., the price of kale continues to rise.

The most direct result is that the profit margin is very wide. If you dedicate yourself to kale cultivation after all the organic farms have been cultivated, the returns will not disappoint. All year round, organic farms are no less profitable than vineyards and horse farms.

But again, the disadvantages of kale are particularly prominent.

First, the sales channel must be reopened, Texas is not the best kale sales market, and the production capacity of H-E-B is very limited, which means that Yunding Ranch has to find a new partner. Although it is said that Yunding Ranch has accumulated some reputation through cooperation and publicity for half a year, strictly speaking, it cannot be regarded as starting from scratch, but the prospect is still very difficult.

Second, compared to the central region, the real territory of kale is still on both sides of the strait, which also means that transportation costs will rise. Lu Li's current connections are on the east coast, and considering the cost of transportation, the west coast is a better choice. On the one hand, it increases the difficulty of cooperation, and on the other hand, it further compresses the profit margin of Yunding Ranch.

To put it simply, kale is like a gamble, with greater risks and greater profits if successful, but also a greater chance of failure, and Cloud Top Ranch needs to take on more dedication.

Of course, there are many other options for Randy to choose from, such as dividing some of the land for kale cultivation and the rest of the land to work with the H-E-B supermarket. But this kind of middle-of-the-road solution is not up to the bottom - because H-E-B supermarkets are also looking forward to more products from Yunding Ranch, rather than this kind of half-bakedness.

On the products of the ranch, all-encompassing, which is a derogatory term.

All in all, Randy had to make a decision that the 100 acres of land on the organic farm had to be put into use as soon as possible and then really go to the profitable stage.

Is it going to be steady, or is it going to be risky, or is it going to be neutral?

After receiving Lu Li's encouragement, Randy calmed down a little, sorted out his thoughts, gritted his teeth, and showed an open expression, "I think, let's grow kale." ”

Lu Li didn't express his opinion, just listened intently.

Randy was a little anxious, "Fourteen, I said, we grow kale, do you hear?"

Lu Li smiled dumbly, nodded in affirmation, and then Randy said to himself, "I know, this is a risky choice. We may need to go to the large supermarket chains on both sides of the strait in person, and we may really have to look forward to cooperating with Whole Foods Market. Hehe. ”

Randy laughed dryly twice, but it didn't taste at all, because he knew how difficult it was. Whole Foods Supermarket, which is not a behemoth at the same level as Cloud Peak Ranch at all.

"Everything has to start over. Randy himself knew the situation, and his confidence was slightly lacking, "If the cooperation is not successful......" Randy made an expression of sticking out his tongue, vividly, "But even if the cooperation is successful, we don't know what the situation is." The cost of cooperation will definitely be higher, and they will have stricter requirements for the quality of their products. This means taking more risks, at least upfront. ”

Randy paused slightly and looked at Lu Li, "What do you think?"

"I think it's good. Lu Li nodded in affirmation.

“…… That's it?" Randy thought that Lu Li would express more opinions, and this gap in expectations made Randy a little relieved.

Lu Li couldn't help laughing, "What, are you expecting me to object?"

"No, that's not what it means. Randy waved his hand, "I mean, you said yes so simply. ”

Lu Li smiled and nodded, "I have the same idea as you. Growing kale is a better option. ”

After taking over Yunding Ranch, Lu Li's thoughts went from vague to clear, and he understood it now. It's hard to make a difference on the ranch if you just rely on conservatism, the vineyard, the horse farm, and the organic farm.

Choosing kale means more challenges, more adventures, but it also means more opportunities.

"In the specific situation, you can tell us about the specific plan. Lu Li cast an encouraging look, which made Randy re-excited, and his body began to move again.

Randy nodded, then spoke, "I thought, we'll leave five acres for daily vegetables, and that's enough, and the remaining ninety-five acres will be all kale." ”

"Kale can be sown four times a year, and the harvest cycle is different depending on the season. Randy was clearly prepared, and once he had calmed down, his thoughts became clear, "We can plant the seeds next week, then plant them, and harvest them in January after a long winter." This will be the first kale harvested on an organic farm. ”

In winter, the cycle of growth and harvest is relatively longer, almost tripling compared to summer.

"Then the seeds are planted in January, harvested in April, planted in late April, harvested in early June, rested for about a month, sown again at the end of June, and harvested in August. It can also be adjusted by one to two months before entering the winter season. Randy said with ease, "But there's also the rainy season to consider. Since we don't have a greenhouse, the rainy season will be a little more troublesome. In the first year, we could only grope our way through little by little. ”

Lu Li gently closed his jaw, but in his mind, ninety-five acres of land, harvested four times a year, if a way out can be found, this is indeed an important source of income for the ranch, but because of the huge production, except for the east and west coasts, there is no effective market outlet.

He's already thinking about how to find a partner to work with.

"By the way, we also need to apply to the International Organic Crop Improvement Association to start preparing for organic food certification. From the soil to the seeds, from the processing to the storage, everything needs to be tested, which is a lengthy process that takes several months. I don't want the H-E-B supermarket to happen again. ”

Randy added again, apparently, that he had already thought it through.

Lu Li took another big sip of beer, "It seems that our busy days are not over yet." ”