Hello, I have a customer that I am trying to help find a commercial US grower of oregano. They are a national restaurant chain and they would like to purchase oregano on the stem if possible. Any help finding such a grower would be very must appreciated. Kind regards, Greg
Most larger restaurant chains farm their "most used" crops, whenever they can (landed cost). It is called Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), a new movement within local communities now throughout the United States..
I would recommend you start there. Your local County Extension Agent will have the right people to contact. And, use the local Farmers Market, where local growers can sell their crops. There are already several larger growers (including fresh Oregano), working under contract in San Diego (using FedEx). More regional resources like that need to be developed.
Growing Oregano is easy. My last farm was more than 40 acres, and we treated it like other mints (irrigation). We chose to dehydrate the leaf, rather than use a "sun cure." This crop is about the carvacrol content, and preserving it in the drying process. Selecting the right cultivar is mostly based on where it is grown (habitat). The one most restaurants choose is Greek Oregano (Oreganum hirtum L.).