Asian Vegetables
Kentucky is home to a wide range of cultures and cuisines. With that comes the opportunity to grow a variety of culturally significant crops for KY farmers. There is interest among consumers for fresh, unique, vegetables that are staples in Hispanic and Asian cuisines. Traditionally, ethnic foods are purchased in open air markets like farmer’s markets and roadside stands but reaching out to restaurants, adding variety to CSA shares or even offering a U-Pick can be a successful tactic for selling these more unusual crops.
Key Requirements
| Land | Low |
| Labor | High |
| Capital | Low-Medium |
Take the HortBizQuiz to see how much Land, Labor, and Capital you have for your operation.
Markets
- Direct to Consumer
Pest & Disease
Chemical control methods may be limited since few pesticides are registered for many specialty crops. Integrated pest management (IPM) strategies, including frequent scouting to monitor pests, may be needed to prevent or reduce losses.
Challenges
- Ethic vegetables is a niche market so growers should really identify consumers prior to planting and grow in smaller quantities.
- Potentially higher seed costs.
- Less information available for pricing and production questions.
Opportunities
- Many of these crops are in the same botanical families as many commonly grown vegetables, so management and harvest have a low learning curve.
- Growers can dominate a market and potential to set their own price.