How to Start a Market Garden - The Comprehensive Guide to Starting a Sustainable Vegetable-growing Business

All you need to know about starting a successful, sustainable business growing fresh produce.

More and more people are discovering the rewards of growing their own food, and there's plenty of advice to be found on methods of growing. But what about producing larger quantities to sell? Or even trying to make a living from horticulture? And how do you grow organic produce on this scale?

This book covers everything you need when starting out; from finding land to grow on and sourcing the finance to get going, to winning customers and marketing your produce, working on your business plan, deciding which crops to grow, and demystifying legal considerations. With an extensive directory of invaluable contacts and resources and a market gardening calendar, this friendly guide is packed with reassuring, first-hand advice and beautiful photographs and illustrations.

Whether you've got surplus produce from a vegetable garden, are starting a community project or looking to sell to wholesale from a fully-developed business, this is the perfect guide for anyone interested in selling produce for profit.

List of contents

Preface
Introduction

1. Commercial sustainable growing
2. Finding land
3. Finding a market
4. Essential equipment
5. Raising the money
6. Financial paperwork
7. Legal paperwork
8. What to grow
9. Marketing and selling
10. Challenges ahead
11. Growing and business calendar

Resources
Acknowledgements
Photo credits
Index

About the author

Kate Collyns started her own organic market garden in Wiltshire from scratch in 2011, and now grows tonnes of food every year to sell to her local community. She is the Chair of Bath and Bristol Organic Growers Group and a regular contributor to Organic Grower magazine. Kate has also written two books on growing and thoughtful gardening.

Product details

• Authors: Collyns Kate
• Publisher: Bloomsbury
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Release: 19.02.2026
• EAN: 9781399422802
• ISBN: 978-1-3994-2280-2
• No. of pages: 192
• Illustrations: Black and white illustrations and colour photos
• Subjects: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Biology > Agriculture, horticulture; forestry, fishing, food; Social sciences, law, business > Business > General, dictionaries; Small businesses & self-employed, BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Small Business, GARDENING / Vegetables, Organic gardening, Gardening: growing fruit & vegetables, Small businesses and self-employment, Sustainable agriculture, Gardening: fruit and vegetable, Commercial horticulture, Horticulture, GARDENING / Urban & Community, Organic gardening / Sustainable gardening