I was wondering if there are any large scale fig growers on here who are located in the Southern states but preferably those in my zone 7a?  If so I would be interested to know the varieties you believe are best suited for your purposes and if you would please give some reasons.  Also could you explain your ideas of protecting plants in a large plantation during the winter?  I'm new here and very eager to learn from others.

I don't personally know of any but I plan to be one. We're pretty much the same zone and will say cold hardy varieties, ones that are known to survive here multiple years with minimal protection.  You can see the ones I have located in my area at my website http://www.figsfortsmith.com   

Have found some rather unexpected, very large trees locally that have survived here many years without ANY protection.  Two of them on your wish list.  I believe they have survived because while young, they had milder winters and developed a nice woody bark and good size which has protected them during the last few years of polar blasts.

As far as protecting a large plantation during winter, at least until they develop woody bark, I would simply make individual tree cages and fill them with hay, straw, leaves, whatever can be obtained locally with the least expense.  Protect the trunk and not so much worry about the limbs.  




 

As I understand it, there are three markets for figs, those being, Dried, Fresh, and U-pick. The dried requires a significant investment in facility and processing equipment with a relatively high labor cost.  The fresh requires a special marketing effort, a constant picking and packing labor force.  The U-pick has the lowest recurring costs but also has the lowest return on investment with the loss of figs, and damage to the trees.  In all three cases a significant maintenance effort is required and doing it by yourself has extremely limited opportunity for success.

There were a couple of thriving commercial fig production operations in southeastern Texas, being located in the Houston to Corpus Christie corridor, all of which have long since ceased operations.  California is the leader in fig production and the majority of the operations are related to dried figs.  You can find a lot of information online about these operations and there are a couple of organized associations and Co-ops.

I have chosen to grow and sell a few trees and even fewer fresh figs which I have sold at local Farmers' Markets and Flea Markets ($5-$7lb).  I do not "make" any money but it pays for my hobby, including a couple of trips a year to visit other figsters or LSU Orchard at Baton Rouge.

This dissertation is my opinion based on my "research" and modified by a failing memory. I am not interested in a debate on any of my points.  I have looked and these points are a summary of my look.

If you want to do it, go for it and good luck.

Good post Danny.  As for me personally, the U-Pick would be my choice and "scale" being large or small is debatable.  Large to me would be a few acres since all I've ever had is a back yard.

I will probably always have a personal collection of potted fig varieties.  For the commercial side I'm going to start with Hardy Chicago.  For one, it's a delicious, berry tasting fig.  If you don't have figs people like, they won't pick em!  It's known cold hardy, good grower and producer.  All that and I'm fortunate enough to have found a very large tree and the owner is giving me all the limbs.  We made a deal he gets back a portion of the trees I'm able to propagate from them. 

Having a market is the most important thing. Fresh figs that are picked tree ripe only keep for 1-3 days, so either you sell them fast or pick them under-ripe and get no return business. Selling them as a fresh/raw product is the only way to do it without getting permits, or having a certified kitchen.

To process them you need a certified kitchen, so selling them frozen and making jams etc. is a no-no. Although you can save figs by freezing them until you have enough for a batch and take them to a processor to have a product made. 

Trees are better money, if you are selling fresh figs then have some trees there also. 

You can do it Charlie! Figs are getting popular again there is definitely a market. I won't get into details but healthy delicious fruits especially figs can be marketed to the younger generation. Many have never tasted a fresh fig. Good luck!

Our economic machine is on the verge of collapse.  The industrial revolution destroyed our basic concept of food and survival.  All this combined with an obvious food crisis and gmo foods, poisonous pest control and fertilizers and this age of information and awareness brings us to a time when the local, "small scale" farmer has a real opportunity with his local community to be a positive change in their lives and reap financial gratification to a small or large degree.  I was wondering about commercial sized grow ops because it seems there should at least be a few in the South.  I know that California is the place for figs but I don't agree that it has to be that way.  In California they grow lots of figs but they concentrate their large scale efforts towards particular strains like Kadota.  The South could grow a commercial fig that can compete for sure and in the days ahead all local foods will be larger competitors than they have been in the past few decades.   My interest is not so much into being a commercial fig grower but knowing the potentials of such cultivars that may prosper in my zone.  If one was successful providing figs for his community here then I would be interested in the same information from them.  Which cultivar is the number one over all for this climate?  We may not know for sure for another five to ten years and even then it could be a guess.  I have my thoughts and opinions but I would like to see the thoughts of those who are doing it.

Nice trees!!! Thanks so much for the pictures, I always appreciate that.  It is very inspirational.  How well does the Ischia produce for you?  I want one!!! How does it compete overall with your Hardy Chicago?  I am surprised by what you said about the MBVS as to what I have read from others but I'm not totally shocked.

WOW!!! You can get cuttings of this tree????  Have you tasted the fruit and seen how much it produces?  At first I thought this was your tree on your property until I reread your post.

 

 

It's the one directly behind this group of folks...

 
Some type of BT on the left and HC to the right.