Farm Small Farm Smart

In this episode, Diego and Alec step away from the field and dive into the business aspect of running a farm, zeroing in on admin work like bookkeeping, expense tracking, tax management, and even software tools. They also touch on crop planning, sales outlets, and leveraging personal connections for sales. Lastly, Diego and Alec explore the viability of aggregating products from other producers in the area to expand the business.

Get time and labor-saving farm tools at shop.modern grower.co

Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:

Check out Diego's book, Sell Everything You Grow, which is only $0.99 on  Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Sell-Everything-You-Grow-Homestead-ebook/dp/B0CJC9NTZF

In this episode, Diego and Alec delve into the winding journey of entrepreneurship. They touch on the excitement around starting a new business and the burnout that comes with crunching the startup phase. They also talk about Alec’s thoughts on the mental load of entrepreneurship, his hopes and expectations for the coming growing season, and his strategy for making adjustments on his farm in the future.

Want to Venmo Farmer Alec so he could take a month off to work on his farm?

Get time and labor-saving farm tools at shop.modern grower.co

Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:

Check out Diego's book, Sell Everything You Grow, which is only $0.99 on  Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Sell-Everything-You-Grow-Homestead-ebook/dp/B0CJC9NTZF

In this episode, Diego and Alec talk about balancing personal life and farm life, all while managing time and navigating a path toward full-time farming. They touch on potentials and hypotheticals for hiring out labor on the farm, whether or not to stay a part-time farm, as well as financial goals to be able to make the leap into full-time farming. Lastly, Diego and Alec delve into the motivation behind starting a farm as well as the personal fulfillment that comes from starting a business.

Get time and labor-saving farm tools at shop.modern grower.co

Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:

Check out Diego's book, Sell Everything You Grow, which is only $0.99 on  Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Sell-Everything-You-Grow-Homestead-ebook/dp/B0CJC9NTZF

In this episode, Diego and Alec talk about equipment challenges and crops. Farmer Alec first shares his experience dealing with wash-pack constraints while preparing a wholesale order. Afterward, Diego and Alec into selecting which crops to grow, which crops Alec is excited for and crops that did interestingly well at the market. Alec also talks about his experience growing different crops so far, as well as varieties he hopes will do well this farming season.

Get time and labor-saving farm tools at shop.modern grower.co

Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:

Check out Diego's book, Sell Everything You Grow, which is only $0.99 on  Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Sell-Everything-You-Grow-Homestead-ebook/dp/B0CJC9NTZF

In this episode, Diego and Alec delve into the thought process behind choosing a farm business model, going beyond and touching on market fit, other additional sales avenues, and pricing. Farmer Alec also talks about selling produce to a wholesaler for the first time, as well as his experience selling at his first farmers market of the season.

Get time and labor-saving farm tools at shop.modern grower.co

Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:

Check out Diego's book, Sell Everything You Grow, which is only $0.99 on  Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Sell-Everything-You-Grow-Homestead-ebook/dp/B0CJC9NTZF

In this episode, Diego talks to farmer Alec Smith about the budgeting aspect of building out a farm business. They go over time management when it comes to administrative tasks, budgeting for equipment and infrastructure, as well as the challenges of spending and investing wisely while operating within a limited budget.

Get time and labor-saving farm tools at shop.modern grower.co

Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:

Check out Diego's book, Sell Everything You Grow, which is only $0.99 on  Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Sell-Everything-You-Grow-Homestead-ebook/dp/B0CJC9NTZF

In this episode, Diego talks to farmer Alec Smith about how he planned the layout of his farm and built out his beds. Alec describes the initial state of the farm, including its flat terrain, low organic matter, and issues with weeds. Afterward, they go over the process of evaluating and adapting the property for market garden production, as well as the decisions Alec made on bed sizing, pathways, and layout, all while accommodating physical constraints.

Get time and labor-saving farm tools at shop.modern grower.co

Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:

Check out Diego's book, Sell Everything You Grow, which is only $0.99 on  Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Sell-Everything-You-Grow-Homestead-ebook/dp/B0CJC9NTZF

In this episode, Diego and Alec look back a year ago and compare Alec’s initial expectations of starting a farm versus the reality of actually starting a farm. Alec talks about the ups and downs of setting up a farm business, the successes and challenges, and the strategic decisions he had to make along the way. Alec also shares his future plans for the farm, the hurdles he anticipates, as well as his insights on how to approach farming as a business in order to farm full-time on his farm.  

Get time and labor-saving farm tools at shop.modern grower.co

Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:

Check out Diego's book, Sell Everything You Grow, which is only $0.99 on  Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Sell-Everything-You-Grow-Homestead-ebook/dp/B0CJC9NTZF

In this episode, Diego and Alec talk about the process Alec went through to find suitable land to set up his farm. They go through factors worth considering before choosing where to farm such as accessibility to water and power, the cost of the property, proximity to the market and the home, soil condition, existing infrastructure, and even the relationship with the landowner. Alec shares his personal experiences and the lessons he learned while looking for a good property to farm on, as well as getting his farm started.

Get time and labor-saving farm tools at shop.modern grower.co

Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:

Check out Diego's book, Sell Everything You Grow, which is only $0.99 on  Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Sell-Everything-You-Grow-Homestead-ebook/dp/B0CJC9NTZF

In this episode, podcast host Diego interviews Alec Smith from Crop Culture Farm, a farmer starting his farm. Alec shares his experiences and challenges in balancing his farm startup with working part-time at another farm, the steps taken to set up his farm, improvements made over time, and their plans and expectations for their farm business. He also dives into the compromise between perfection and practicality in farm setup, constraints, and challenges such as time and resource management, recent achievements, and positive feedback that motivate and validate Alec's efforts.

Get time and labor-saving farm tools at shop.modern grower.co

Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:

Check out Diego's book, Sell Everything You Grow, which is only $0.99 on  Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Sell-Everything-You-Grow-Homestead-ebook/dp/B0CJC9NTZF

Megan Neubauer from Pure Land Farm joins me to discuss her revolutionary you-pick farming model. The model is extremely profitable and gives her a lot of extra time each year to do things off the farm. Megan goes through her strategies for sales, marketing, and crop planning. You can learn more in Megan's book: Pick-Your-Own-Farming

Get time and labor-saving farm tools at shop.modern grower.co

Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:

Check out Diego's book, Sell Everything You Grow, which is only $0.99 on  Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Sell-Everything-You-Grow-Homestead-ebook/dp/B0CJC9NTZF

Paul Dysinger, co-founder of Seedtime, joins me to talk about his journey to build the best farm and garden software ever. He shares lessons that have helped him manage time, prioritize tasks, and balance work and life. 

Learn more about Seedtime [Affiliate link]

Shop all of our farm tools and equipment: https://shop.moderngrower.co/

(0:00) Thanksgiving food talk. Is the food better the next day? Top 5 sides. Pumpkin pie is gross.

(0:31:56) Farmer Mark DeRespinis describes how he has built a very successful no-till farm raising high-quality vegetables and selling them to restaurants in the Boulder, CO area.

(2:05:35) Drunk Ideas - The Michelin Star guide for produce.

Mark's farm: https://www.instagram.com/esoterraculinary/

Check out our Black Friday Sale: https://shop.moderngrower.co/

(0:00) Be careful who you take an opinion from.

(0:24:00) Farmer Ian Jerolmack talks about how they are crushing it on their farm and will do $500k in sales.

(1:27:15) Listener Q&A - Cut expenses or grow revenue?

(1:39:47) Drunk Ideas - The Auto Warner

Check out my new book, Sell Everything You Grow - only $0.99 on  Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Sell-Everything-You-Grow-Homestead-ebook/dp/B0CJC9NTZF

There is no point in growing a crop if you can't sell it at a profit. Ray discusses cashing in on your hard work in Episode 10 of The Lettuce Grower Series. Ray will share some tips to market lettuce successfully and how they have increased sales and prices based on these techniques.

Diego Footer hosts this 10-part series from @paperpotco, and the presenter is farmer Ray Tyler from @rosecreekfarms.

Get Ray's book, The Farmers Guide to Growing Organic Lettuce. You can get the book here.

Ray also has an online course dedicated to growing lettuce. Learn more about the course here.

Grow a great lettuce crop with the Jang Seeder, Paperpot Transplanter, and Kwik Klik seeder. Find tools for direct seeding, transplanting, and the nursery at paperpot.co.

You've done all the work to grow a great lettuce crop. How do you get it from the field to the customer in the best condition possible? Episode 9 in The Lettuce Grower Series is a dive harvesting and packing. Ray will review strategies to get the most from your harvest and packing tips to help maximize sales. Don't do all the work growing the crop and falter at the end with a poor harvest and pack process.

Diego Footer hosts this 10-part series from @paperpotco, and the presenter is farmer Ray Tyler from @rosecreekfarms.

Get Ray's book, The Farmers Guide to Growing Organic Lettuce. You can get the book here.

Ray also has an online course dedicated to growing lettuce. Learn more about the course here.

Grow a great lettuce crop with the Jang Seeder, Paperpot Transplanter, and Kwik Klik seeder. Find tools for direct seeding, transplanting, and the nursery at paperpot.co.

Like most crops, lettuce has pests and diseases that target it. Episode 8 in The Lettuce Grower Series shares his experience dealing with these issues. He goes over the most common pests and diseases while giving various solutions to help prevent and remedy problems.

Diego Footer hosts this 10-part series from @paperpotco, and the presenter is farmer Ray Tyler from @rosecreekfarms.

Get Ray's book, The Farmers Guide to Growing Organic Lettuce. You can get the book here.

Ray also has an online course dedicated to growing lettuce. Learn more about the course here.

Protect your valuable crop from insects with Kwik Hoops.

Most growers struggle to grow lettuce in the heat of summer. In Episode 7 of The Lettuce Grower Series, Ray shares his advice for growing great greens in the summer. Ray share keys such as water, covering the crop, and timing.

Diego Footer hosts this 10-part series from @paperpotco, and the presenter is farmer Ray Tyler from @rosecreekfarms.

Get Ray's book, The Farmers Guide to Growing Organic Lettuce. You can get the book here.

Ray also has an online course dedicated to growing lettuce. Learn more about the course here.

Protect your valuable crop from the summer heat with Kwik Hoops.

Episode 6 in The Lettuce Grower Series goes deep into the details of transplanting and direct seeding. When is it advantageous to direct seed? When should you transplant? Ray will discuss why they use landscape fabric on their farm and the savings it gives them. We also consider when saving time and labor using the Paperpot Transplanter makes sense.

Diego Footer hosts this 10-part series from @paperpotco, and the presenter is farmer Ray Tyler from @rosecreekfarms.

Get Ray's book, The Farmers Guide to Growing Organic Lettuce. You can get the book here.

Ray also has an online course dedicated to growing lettuce. Learn more about the course here.

Grow a great lettuce crop with the Jang Seeder, Paperpot Transplanter, and Kwik Klik seeder.

Find tools for direct seeding, transplanting, and the nursery at paperpot.co.

Episode 5 in The Lettuce Grower Series explores the different options for watering lettuce crops - drip, overhead, and mister irrigation. What are the pros and cons of each type? When is one more beneficial than another? How much water does lettuce need?

Diego Footer hosts this 10-part series from @paperpotco, and the presenter is farmer Ray Tyler from @rosecreekfarms.

Get Ray's book, The Farmers Guide to Growing Organic Lettuce. You can get the book here.

Ray also has an online course dedicated to growing lettuce. Learn more about the course here.

Protect your valuable crop from rain, wind, cold, and insects using Kwik Hoops.

Episode 4 in The Lettuce Grower Series is a dive into protected growing. What are the benefits, and why you should consider growing under cover. Ray discusses the various ways to protect your lettuce crop from the elements and the advantages of doing it.

This 10-part series is hosted by Diego Footer, from @paperpotco, and the presenter is farmer Ray Tyler from @rosecreekfarms.

Get Ray's book, The Farmers Guide to Growing Organic Lettuce. You can get the book here.

Ray also has an online course dedicated to growing lettuce. You can learn more about the course here.

Get tools to help you grow lettuce at Paperpotco.

Episode 3 in The Lettuce Grower Series focuses on the importance of potting soil. The key to having a great lettuce crop is getting the seedlings off to a great start in the nursery. Ray will discuss what he looks for in the perfect potting soil and how you can get your seedlings off to a fantastic start.

This 10-part series is hosted by Diego Footer, from @paperpotco, and the presenter is farmer Ray Tyler from @rosecreekfarms.

Get Ray's book The Farmers Guide to Growing Organic Lettuce. You can get the book here.

Ray also has an online course dedicated to growing lettuce. You can learn more about the course here.

Get tools to help you grow lettuce at Paperpotco.

Episode 2 in The Lettuce Grower Series focuses on selecting the correct lettuce variety to grow. Ray will give you some guidelines on what to consider when choosing the appropriate lettuce variety for your climate and the time of the year.

This 10-part series is hosted by Diego Footer from @paperpotco, and the presenter is farmer Ray Tyler from @rosecreekfarms.

Get Ray's book, The Farmers Guide to Growing Organic Lettuce. You can get the book here.

Ray also has an online course dedicated to growing lettuce. You can learn more about the course here.

Get tools to help you grow lettuce at Paperpotco.

This is the first of ten episodes in The Lettuce Grower Series. Diego Footer, from @paperpotco, hosts the series, and the presenter is farmer Ray Tyler from @rosecreekfarms.   

Episode 1 is all about why market farmers should grow lettuce. Ray will explain how lettuce can contribute significant cash flow to your farm. It's a valuable crop that can be grown year-round in most of the US. Most customers like it, making it an easy sell. The hard part is mastering how to grow it consistently. In this series, Ray will get into details to help you do that.

The series follows Ray's book The Farmers Guide to Growing Organic Lettuce. You can get the book here.

Ray also has an online course dedicated to growing lettuce. Learn more about the course here. 

Get tools to help you grow lettuce at Paperpotco.

This week, Diego talks about crop rotation: what it is, why consider implementing it, and some effective strategies to implement it on your market garden.

You can also read the article using the link below: 

https://moderngrower.co/principles-of-crop-rotation-for-the-market-garden

If you'd like to receive these helpful farming articles every week, you can subscribe to our newsletter using the link below: 

https://modern-grower.ck.page/posts

This week, farmer Seth Davis writes about how Steadfast Farm simplifies their day-to-day farm operations by implementing standardization. 

You can also read the article using the link below: 

https://paperpot.co/standardizing-systems-at-steadfast-farm/

If you'd like to receive these helpful farming articles every week, you can subscribe to our newsletter using the link below: 

https://modern-grower.ck.page/posts

In Episode 10 of The Profitable Mini-Farm, farmer Jodi Roebuck @roebuckfarm talks about selling to restaurants: the pros, the cons, and how to keep restaurant customers happy. 

Learn more about Jodi:

https://www.roebuckfarm.com/

@roebuckfarm

Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow Diego on IG https://instagram.com/diegofooter Follow PaperpotCo on IG https://instagram.com/paperpot

Get high-quality farm tools in Australia and New Zealand at https://www.activevista.com.au/

Tony Barlow of Barlow Roots Market joins me to talk about balancing an off-farm job, homeschool and running a successful farm on the side.

If you are interested in following Tony and learning more about the things we spoke about today he has just started a new channel called Homestead Money. He is looking forward to sharing more on homesteading, market gardening and finance. Specifically, he hopes to help homestead dreamers purchase their homestead, and current homesteaders manage their finances wisely. You can join his email list here: http://eepurl.com/ijcC61.

Or follow him on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/homesteadmoney/

Want to learn more?  My new book Ready Farmer One - The Farmers' Guide to Create, Design, and Market an Online Farm Store is finally out!!!  Get it on Amazon. 

In Episode 9 of The Profitable Mini-Farm, farmer Jodi Roebuck @roebuckfarm shares his approach to selling to retail stores, as well as their unique arrangement of managing dedicated refrigerators for his produce in each store.

https://www.roebuckfarm.com/

@roebuckfarm

Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow Diego on IG https://instagram.com/diegofooter Follow PaperpotCo on IG https://instagram.com/paperpot

Get high-quality farm tools in Australia and New Zealand at https://www.activevista.com.au/

In Episode 8 of The Profitable Mini-Farm, farmer Jodi Roebuck @roebuckfarm discusses the process they go through in their wash and pack, their delivery system, as well as some wash and pack efficiency tips.

Learn more about Jodi:

https://www.roebuckfarm.com/

@roebuckfarm

Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow Diego on IG https://instagram.com/diegofooter Follow PaperpotCo on IG https://instagram.com/paperpot

Get high-quality farm tools in Australia and New Zealand at https://www.activevista.com.au/

Farmer and consultant Ellen Polishuk joins Diego to discuss running a successful farm business. Ellen has over 30 years of experience growing vegetables and cut flowers in the Washington, DC area.

Learn more about Ellen:

https://www.planttoprofit.com/

https://www.instagram.com/planttoprofit_farmerellen

Want to learn more?  My new book Ready Farmer One - The Farmers' Guide to Create, Design, and Market an Online Farm Store is finally out!!!  Get it on Amazon. 

In Episode 7 of The Profitable Mini-Farm farmer Jodi Roebuck @roebuckfarm discusses the different equipment they use in their wash and pack station.

Learn more about Jodi:

https://www.roebuckfarm.com/

@roebuckfarm

Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow Diego on IG https://instagram.com/diegofooter Follow PaperpotCo on IG https://instagram.com/paperpot

Get high-quality farm tools in Australia and New Zealand at https://www.activevista.com.au/

In Episode 6 of The Profitable Mini-Farm farmer Jodi Roebuck @roebuckfarm discusses considerations for setting up your wash pack building.

Learn more about Jodi:

https://www.roebuckfarm.com/

@roebuckfarm

Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow Diego on IG https://instagram.com/diegofooter Follow PaperpotCo on IG https://instagram.com/paperpot

Get high-quality farm tools in Australia and New Zealand at https://www.activevista.com.au/

In Episode 5 of The Profitable Mini-Farm farmer Jodi Roebuck @roebuckfarm talks about market gardening and how viable it is as a career.

Learn more about Jodi:

https://www.roebuckfarm.com/

@roebuckfarm

Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow Diego on IG https://instagram.com/diegofooter Follow PaperpotCo on IG https://instagram.com/paperpot

Get high-quality farm tools in Australia and New Zealand at https://www.activevista.com.au/

In Episode 4 of The Profitable Mini-Farm farmer Jodi Roebuck @roebuckfarm talks about how to form beds on new farm land.

Learn more about Jodi:

https://www.roebuckfarm.com/

@roebuckfarm

Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow Diego on IG https://instagram.com/diegofooter Follow PaperpotCo on IG https://instagram.com/paperpot

Get high-quality farm tools in Australia and New Zealand at https://www.activevista.com.au/

In episode 3 of The Profitable Mini-Farm farmer Jodi Roebuck @roebuckfarm talks about the importance of farm standardization.

Learn more about Jodi:

https://www.roebuckfarm.com/

@roebuckfarm

Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow Diego on IG https://instagram.com/diegofooter Follow PaperpotCo on IG https://instagram.com/paperpot

Get high-quality farm tools in Australia and New Zealand at https://www.activevista.com.au/

In episode 2 of The Profitable Mini-Farm farmer Jodi Roebuck @roebuckfarm discusses what to think about when selecting a farm site. 

Learn more about Jodi:

https://www.roebuckfarm.com/

@roebuckfarm

Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow Diego on IG https://instagram.com/diegofooter Follow PaperpotCo on IG https://instagram.com/paperpot

Get high-quality farm tools in Australia and New Zealand at https://www.activevista.com.au/

In episode 1 of our new show - The Profitable Mini-Farm - farmer Jodi Roebuck @roebuckfarm talks about farm business - what his context is and how that's shaped his farm.

Learn more about Jodi:

https://www.roebuckfarm.com/

@roebuckfarm

Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow Diego on IG https://instagram.com/diegofooter Follow PaperpotCo on IG https://instagram.com/paperpot

Get high-quality farm tools in Australia and New Zealand at https://www.activevista.com.au/

In this preview episode of our new show - The Profitable Mini-Farm - farmer Jodi Roebuck @roebuckfarm discusses where John Jeavon's biointensive gardening and market farming come together. Check out the first episode of the new show next week.

Jodi Roebuck, a world-renowned contemporary market gardener, uses traditional + sustainable practices to be at the forefront of the profitable, small-scale local food movement.

Having clocked into his third decade in the field of championing local, sustainable food production, Jodi's work is based alongside the work of peers Curtis Stone (The Urban Farmer) and Jean-Martin Fortier (The Market Gardener).

His commitment to Regenerative Agriculture has cemented long-term relationships with many of the world's leading sustainable food production figures, shaping the direction of Roebuck Farm and influencing growers around the globe 

Learn more about Jodi:

https://www.roebuckfarm.com/

@roebuckfarm

Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow Diego on IG https://instagram.com/diegofooter Follow PaperpotCo on IG https://instagram.com/paperpot

Get high-quality farm tools in Australia and New Zealand at https://www.activevista.com.au/

When doing an initial layout design for your farm, how do you think about what goes where? What teacher-turned-farmer Chad Gard of Hole in the Woods Farm took into account during their initial planning phase were field blocks and crop rotation. Now, their field blocks are rotated in a 12-year cycle, intentionally switching out different crop families to promote diversity in their soils.

Learn more about Hole in the Woods Farm. 

Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow Diego on IG https://instagram.com/diegofooter Follow PaperpotCo on IG https://instagram.com/paperpot

While 30-inch beds are the standard for market gardening, it may or may not be the best bed width to implement depending on the farm’s context.

In this episode of Farm Small Farm Smart, farmer Dean Buttacavoli of Cabbage Throw Farm shares his experience throwing pathways out the window and converting their entire plot into farmland with 15-inch row spacing.

Learn more about Cabbage Throw Farm. 

Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow Diego on IG https://instagram.com/diegofooter Follow PaperpotCo on IG https://instagram.com/paperpot

Grower Chris Thoreau is guest hosting for Diego. Chris talks to longtime entrepreneur Pierre Marlow of Alberta, Canada to share his experience discovering microgreens and starting a microgreens business as a retirement plan.

Seedleaf - Microgreen Crop Planning software: https://seedleaf.co/

Chris Thoreau's website: https://urbanmicro.ca/

Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow Diego on IG https://instagram.com/diegofooter Follow PaperpotCo on IG https://instagram.com/paperpot

Grower Chris Thoreau is guest hosting for Diego. Chris talks to grower Michael Quinn about his experience starting a microgreens business in Northern Ireland, the regional differences that can come with a startup business, and how a startup can be intentional with creating social impact right from the get-go. 

Learn more about Michael and Mourne Microgreens.

Seedleaf - Microgreen Crop Planning software: https://seedleaf.co/

Chris Thoreau's website: https://urbanmicro.ca/

Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow Diego on IG https://instagram.com/diegofooter Follow PaperpotCo on IG https://instagram.com/paperpot

Grower Chris Thoreau is guest hosting for Diego. Chris talks with Lily Evans of Short Roots Urban Farm in Kenosha, Wisconsin to share her experience of how she started her microgreens business by bootstrapping.

Learn more about Lily /https://www.instagram.com/shortrootsurbanfarm/

Seedleaf - Microgreen Crop Planning software: https://seedleaf.co/

Chris Thoreau's website: https://urbanmicro.ca/

Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow Diego on IG https://instagram.com/diegofooter Follow PaperpotCo on IG https://instagram.com/paperpot

Grower Chris Thoreau is guest hosting for Diego.  Chris talks with Jacob Goldfarb of Goldfarm Canada to talk about how he grew his microgreens business from 20 trays a week to 120 trays a week, as well as the challenges he faced with growing his farming operation.  Learn more about Jacob https://www.instagram.com/goldfarm_canada/

Seedleaf - Microgreen Crop Planning software: https://seedleaf.co/

Chris Thoreau's website: https://urbanmicro.ca/

Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow Diego on IG https://instagram.com/diegofooter Follow PaperpotCo on IG https://instagram.com/paperpot

Use code is "SMART" to get 30% off any new magazine subscription! 

Like many farmers I know, I’ve always struggled with setting prices. I want to charge a “fair” price for my customers, and I want to make sure those prices will allow me to continue farming. My thinking on pricing has evolved quite a bit over the last decade as I’ve been exposed to more useful concepts from the business world, and those concepts have proven to be useful tools when considering how to price my produce.

Read the article: 

https://growingformarket.com/articles/tools-help-you-put-the-right-price-your-products

Learn more about Growing for Market: 

https://growingformarket.com/

Follow Growing for Market:

https://www.instagram.com/growingformarketmagazine

This episode of Farm Small Farm Smart features Module 19 in the Sattin Hill Market Farming Course, where Josh Sattin talks equipment, general tips, when to harvest, how to harvest lettuce, baby greens, root crops (carrots, beets, etc.) and bunching crops, packaging, selling, invoicing and delivering.

Download course guides: https://www.paperpot.co/josh

Watch the Sattin Hill Farm Course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIuQBEr4pd4

This episode of Farm Small Farm Smart features Module 18 in the Sattin Hill Market Farming Course, where Josh Sattin talks the importance of an efficient wash pack station, plumbing, water source, setup, and workflow refrigeration.

Download course guides: https://www.paperpot.co/josh

Watch the Sattin Hill Farm Course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIuQBEr4pd4

This episode of Farm Small Farm Smart features Module 17 in the Sattin Hill Market Farming Course, where Josh Sattin talks the benefits of composting and how to do it. https://www.paperpot.co/josh

Watch the Sattin Hill Farm Course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIuQBEr4pd4

Use code is "SMART" to get 30% off any new magazine subscription! 

By Franklin Egan, PASA

This is the second article in a series on soil health challenges and innovations revealed through case studies that are part of the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture’s ongoing Soil Health Benchmark Study, a citizen-science project begun in Pennsylvania in 2016. Read the first installment on the GFM or PASA website.

In 2013, Cameron and Audrey Pedersen relocated Bending Bridge Farm to twelve acres of land they purchased near Chambersburg, PA. Given their new land had been in continuous conventional corn production for decades, the soil was in dire shape. The first spring working that ground they could not even get a chisel plow to break the surface because the soil was so compacted and crusted.

Cameron and Audrey knew they needed to develop and implement a comprehensive plan to regenerate the health of their soil, and they wanted this plan to adhere to organic methods. As part of their strategy, they have been practicing a diverse crop rotation that includes long windows for over-winter and summer cover crops. Because of this, Cameron and Audrey keep their land in living cover for 248 days of the year—making Bending Bridge a leader in cover cropping among the other 23 vegetable farms participating in PASA’s Soil Health Benchmark Study.

Read the article: 

https://growingformarket.com/articles/20181101

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This episode of Farm Small Farm Smart features Module 16 in the Sattin Hill Market Farming Course, where Josh Sattin talks about general principles and mindsets regarding weed management. https://www.paperpot.co/josh

Watch the Sattin Hill Farm Course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIuQBEr4pd4

This episode of Farm Small Farm Smart features Module 15 in the Sattin Hill Market Farming Course, where Josh Sattin talks about his personal strategies to overcome pests on his farm, as well as some general principles and mindsets on pest management.. https://www.paperpot.co/josh

Watch the Sattin Hill Farm Course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIuQBEr4pd4

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Although no-till production has been widely adopted by row crop farmers, reports of poor weed control and delayed spring planting may have deterred many organic vegetable growers from using this soil-conserving practice. We have found that ridge-tillage is an alternative that solves both of these problems by allowing for cultivation and providing a warm, residue-free seed bed.

Read the article: https://growingformarket.com/articles/20080117_74

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This episode of Farm Small Farm Smart features Module 14 in the Sattin Hill Market Farming Course, where Josh Sattin goes through each of the tools, equipment, and supplies he uses on his farm, as well as other necessities for beginner farmers.. https://www.paperpot.co/josh

Watch the Sattin Hill Farm Course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIuQBEr4pd4

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Deep plowing dried out the soil surface too much for transplanting or direct seeding without irrigation or timely rainfall. Shallow tillage, on the other hand, preserved surface soil moisture by concentrating the organic matter from the cover crops and our limited supply of horse manure compost in the top two to three inches of the soil. Reducing the depth of soil disturbance also enhanced subsoil moisture movement to the surface via capillary action while the soil/cover crop mulch on top slowed evaporation.

Read the article: Whoa Till

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This episode of Farm Small Farm Smart features Module 13 in the Sattin Hill Market Farming Course, where Josh Sattin discusses why you should direct seed crops, temperature, moisture, using a precision seeder, and other tips. https://www.paperpot.co/josh

Watch the Sattin Hill Farm Course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIuQBEr4pd4

This episode of Farm Small Farm Smart features Module 12 in the Sattin Hill Market Farming Course, where Josh Sattin why you should transplant crops, techniques for transplanting, alternative techniques and tools, and interplanting. https://www.paperpot.co/josh

Watch the Sattin Hill Farm Course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIuQBEr4pd4

My new book Ready Farmer One - The Farmers' Guide to Create, Design, and Market an Online Farm Store is finally out!!!  Get it on Amazon. 

Jesse Way and Meghan Brandenberg join me to talk about their farm's evolution.  From starting at a farmers' market to later dropping it to sell exclusively online, they have adapted the farm to fit their lifestyle and customer base.

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Sweet potatoes are not a big moneymaker for the amount of garden space they use, compared to more intensive crops like lettuce, tomatoes, and basil. However, they have some important advantages on our farm.

Read the article: Sweet Potato Propagation and Production

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This episode of Farm Small Farm Smart features Module 11 in the Sattin Hill Market Farming Course, where Josh Sattin discusses seed starting and nursery mangement. More on the course: https://www.paperpot.co/josh

Watch the Sattin Hill Farm Course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIuQBEr4pd4

This episode of Farm Small Farm Smart features Module 10 in the Sattin Hill Market Farming Course, where Josh Sattin discusses setting up irrigation. More on the course: https://www.paperpot.co/josh

Watch the Sattin Hill Farm Course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIuQBEr4pd4

Use code is "SMART" to get 30% off any new magazine subscription! 

There are good reasons why quick-growing greens crops have gotten a lot of attention in no-till systems. But I wanted to try growing some less common no-till crops, so I grew test plots of potatoes and sweet potatoes on my farm this past year.

Read the article: https://growingformarket.com/articles/notill-potatoes-and-sweet-potatoes

Learn more about Growing for Market: 

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This episode of Farm Small Farm Smart features Module 9 in the Sattin Hill Market Farming Course, where Josh Sattin discusses the pros and cons of winter growing. More on the course: https://www.paperpot.co/josh

Watch the Sattin Hill Farm Course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIuQBEr4pd4

This episode of Farm Small Farm Smart features Module 8 in the Sattin Hill Market Farming Course, where Josh Sattin discusses why you should get tunnels, types of tunnels, choosing the right tunnels, building tunnels, modifications, and other tips. More on the course: https://www.paperpot.co/josh

Watch the Sattin Hill Farm Course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIuQBEr4pd4

Use code is "SMART" to get 30% off any new magazine subscription! 

Hardening off means introducing young plants gradually to the harsh realities that await them outside. Gardening books always recommend that you move them outside for a few hours, increasing the length of time every day for a week or more.

Read the article: https://growingformarket.com/articles/Hardening-Off-Transplants

Learn more about Growing for Market: 

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This episode of Farm Small Farm Smart features Module 7 in the Sattin Hill Market Farming Course, where Josh Sattin discusses how he goes about crop planning. Overall considerations, sales outlets, seasonality and succession planting, timing, transplanting, harvesting and yields, and other tips. More on the course: https://www.paperpot.co/josh

Watch the Sattin Hill Farm Course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIuQBEr4pd4

The first two episodes of Carrot Cashflow will air here on Farm Small Farm Smart.  You can listen to the rest of the episodes by subscribing to the podcast.

iTunes:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/welcome-to-carrot-cashflow-trailer/id1616506647?i=1000555599534

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/7yWbI4WFF0ZixQT8kEwukL?si=aa0dfe257c654e04

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Farmer Vannah Roddy discusses the benefits of her weekly veggie box.  It's a program that has been successful for her as a farmer while also being something that works for customers.  

Follow Encompass Farm @encompassfarm

Our new book Ready Farmer One - The Farmers' Guide to Create, Design, and Market an Online Farm Store comes out in April!

Make farming easier with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow Diego on IG https://instagram.com/diegofooter Follow PaperpotCo on IG https://instagram.com/paperpot

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Farming an acre of vegetables in Wilton, Ontario, Evan Quigley has always aimed to bring the highest quality and consistency to market with a keen eye on profitability. Evan has achieved high quality and yields with a combination of techniques and careful management at The Kitchen Garden farm.

Read the article: https://www.growingformarket.com/articles/farming-small-recipe-profit 

Learn more about Growing for Market: 

https://growingformarket.com/

Follow Growing for Market:

https://www.instagram.com/growingformarketmagazine

The first two episodes of Carrot Cashflow will air here on Farm Small Farm Smart.  You can listen to the rest of the episodes by subscribing to the podcast.

iTunes:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/welcome-to-carrot-cashflow-trailer/id1616506647?i=1000555599534

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/7yWbI4WFF0ZixQT8kEwukL?si=aa0dfe257c654e04

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Farmer Jeremy Tolley discusses why they go above and beyond to service their farm customers.  He shares the extra steps he takes to really make customers feel like they are getting something special.  He shares how he built his customer base using the website NextDoor.   You will also hear his thoughts on why these decided to start aggregating products from other farms.

Follow Red Thread Farm @redthreadfarm

Our new book Ready Farmer One - The Farmers' Guide to Create, Design, and Market an Online Farm Store comes out in April!

Make farming easier with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow Diego on IG https://instagram.com/diegofooter Follow PaperpotCo on IG https://instagram.com/paperpot

This episode of Farm Small Farm Smart features Module 6 in the Sattin Hill Market Farming Course, where Josh Sattin discusses basic no-till practices and the importance of living soil. More on the course: https://www.paperpot.co/josh

Watch the Sattin Hill Farm Course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIuQBEr4pd4

Use code is "SMART" to get 30% off any new magazine subscription! 

I started my farm in 2010, and in 2011 I reluctantly started a CSA program. I’d worked for CSA farms for years and honestly didn’t love the model. I’ve always been a farmers market devotee, and that’s where my heart is. But I had customers clamoring for a subscription option, so I decided to go for it.  Read the article: https://www.growingformarket.com/articles/marketbased-flex-csa

Learn more about Growing for Market: 

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This episode of Farm Small Farm Smart features Module 5 in the Sattin Hill Market Farming Course, where Josh Sattin walks us through what has worked for him on his farm when it comes to prepping the soil and building beds. More on the course: https://www.paperpot.co/josh

Watch the Sattin Hill Farm Course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIuQBEr4pd4

This episode of Farm Small Farm Smart features Module 4 in the Sattin Hill Market Farming Course, where Josh Sattin talks about how to access land, evaluating a property for a farm, overall farm design, drainage, standardization, tool storage, composting, material handling, farm access, wash station, customer access, and employees. More on the course: https://www.paperpot.co/josh

Watch the Sattin Hill Farm Course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIuQBEr4pd4

Use code is "SMART" to get 30% off any new magazine subscription! 

It’s okay to say NO to your CSA members. If you are new to running a CSA, expanding to increase membership, or just trying to improve with every season, this advice is for you. You have my permission to be inflexible when it comes to members’ special requests. Read the article:

https://growingformarket.com/articles/set-boundaries-csa-members-and-set-yourself-up-success

Learn more about Growing for Market: 

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This episode of Farm Small Farm Smart features the third module in the Sattin Hill Market Farming Course, where Josh Sattin talks about selecting the right crops for your farm and how to price them. More on the course: https://www.paperpot.co/josh

Watch the Sattin Hill Farm Course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIuQBEr4pd4

This episode of Farm Small Farm Smart features the second module in the Sattin Hill Market Farming Course, where Josh Sattin talks about the importance of doing market research, as well as the different market streams you can sell your products to.  More on the course: https://www.paperpot.co/josh

Watch the Sattin Hill Farm Course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIuQBEr4pd4

This episode of Farm Small Farm Smart features the first module in the Sattin Hill Market Farming Course, where Josh Sattin talks about the importance of setting goals prior to starting your farm business—from how many hours you want to work on the farm, to your expectations in your first year of farming.

Watch the Sattin Hill Farm Course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIuQBEr4pd4

More on the course: https://www.paperpot.co/josh

Farmer Josh Sattin joins me to talk about how he has modified his farm to fit his lifestyle. We get into some of the things that he has changed on his farm in recent years to make farming easier and more successful.

We also introduce a brand new, free farming course that Josh and I are launching.

Watch the Sattin Hill Farm Course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIuQBEr4pd4

More on the course: https://www.paperpot.co/josh

Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow PaperpotCo on IG https://instagram.com/paperpot

Use code is "SMART" to get 30% off any new magazine subscription! 

All the evidence shows we cannot improve on nature’s model. So how do we put into action ecological principles of soil care that are based on non-disturbance? This chapter, excerpted from my book The No-Till Organic Vegetable Farm, describes some of the techniques we employ to enhance the natural phenomena that protect and regenerate the soil.  Read the article: https://growingformarket.com/articles/cover-cropping-notill-systems

Learn more about Growing for Market: 

https://growingformarket.com/

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Stewarding the Land offers insights on a holistic view of all aspects of caring for the land. This is a platform to share the stories of biologists, farmers, foresters, ranchers, conservationists, indigenous people, faith leaders, and anyone else involved in this work. We will discuss the most innovative, creative, and practical methods of restoring landscapes while making sure human needs are met in rural America.  Listen to more episodes: https://anchor.fm/noah-poulos/

Use code is "SMART" to get 30% off any new magazine subscription! 

For a small farm nerd, the best thing about touring farms around the country is experiencing growing systems in action. Over the past five years, I’ve done just that. My partner and I have had the amazing opportunity to work on more than 14 production-driven small farms and to visit dozens more. Read the article: https://growingformarket.com/articles/notill-bed-flips-and-transplanting-protocols

Learn more about Growing for Market: 

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Troy Hinke of Living Roots Compost Tea wraps up the tenth part of the series going beyond compost tea.  How can you build and maintain great soil with other soil management practices.

Follow Troy on IG: https://www.instagram.com/livingrootscomposttea/

This episode was produced by Diego Footer. 

Follow Diego on IG https://instagram.com/diegofooter

Podcasts by Diego Footer:

Microgreens: https://apple.co/2m1QXmW

Vegetable Farming: https://apple.co/2lCuv3m

Livestock Farming: https://apple.co/2m75EVG

Large Scale Farming: https://apple.co/2kxj39i

In Search of Soil: http://bit.ly/soilpodcast

Small Farm Tools https://www.paperpot.co/

Troy Hinke of Living Roots Compost Tea talks about what compost extract is.  How to make it.  How it is different from compost tea.

Follow Troy on IG: https://www.instagram.com/livingrootscomposttea/

This episode was produced by Diego Footer. 

Follow Diego on IG https://instagram.com/diegofooter

Podcasts by Diego Footer:

Microgreens: https://apple.co/2m1QXmW

Vegetable Farming: https://apple.co/2lCuv3m

Livestock Farming: https://apple.co/2m75EVG

Large Scale Farming: https://apple.co/2kxj39i

In Search of Soil: http://bit.ly/soilpodcast

Small Farm Tools https://www.paperpot.co/

I absolutely adore dahlias! In my opinion, they are a nearly perfect crop to have on the farm. With an extremely long harvest window of up to 3 months, these brilliant gems have become the workhorse of our summer garden. There are thousands of varieties to choose from in nearly every shape, size, and color and for a trialing fanatic like me, the process of choosing is a blast!  Read the article: https://growingformarket.com/articles/Dahlias-are-well-worth-the-investment

Learn more about Growing for Market: 

https://growingformarket.com/

Follow Growing for Market:

https://www.instagram.com/growingformarketmagazine

Troy Hinke of Living Roots Compost Tea talks about the many benefits of using compost tea for growing plants.

Follow Troy on IG: https://www.instagram.com/livingrootscomposttea/

This episode was produced by Diego Footer. 

Follow Diego on IG https://instagram.com/diegofooter

Podcasts by Diego Footer:

Microgreens: https://apple.co/2m1QXmW

Vegetable Farming: https://apple.co/2lCuv3m

Livestock Farming: https://apple.co/2m75EVG

Large Scale Farming: https://apple.co/2kxj39i

In Search of Soil: http://bit.ly/soilpodcast

Small Farm Tools https://www.paperpot.co/

Troy Hinke of Living Roots Compost Tea talks walks through the different ways of applying compost tea from foliar sprays to root injections.  He covers simple to complex ways of application using a variety of equipment.

Follow Troy on IG: https://www.instagram.com/livingrootscomposttea/

This episode was produced by Diego Footer. 

Follow Diego on IG https://instagram.com/diegofooter

Podcasts by Diego Footer:

Microgreens: https://apple.co/2m1QXmW

Vegetable Farming: https://apple.co/2lCuv3m

Livestock Farming: https://apple.co/2m75EVG

Large Scale Farming: https://apple.co/2kxj39i

In Search of Soil: http://bit.ly/soilpodcast

Small Farm Tools https://www.paperpot.co/

Garlic is grown and sold under hundreds of different variety names. However, research tells us that there are really only ten types of garlic. In this article, we will look at why there is so much confusion over garlic varieties, and what it means to you as a grower.  Read the article: https://growingformarket.com/articles/garlic-varieties

Learn more about Growing for Market: 

https://growingformarket.com/

Follow Growing for Market:

https://www.instagram.com/growingformarketmagazine

Troy Hinke of Living Roots Compost Tea talks walks through the steps of how to make compost tea.  From basic tea to more advanced brews Troy gives you some different options.

Follow Troy on IG: https://www.instagram.com/livingrootscomposttea/

This episode was produced by Diego Footer. 

Follow Diego on IG https://instagram.com/diegofooter

Podcasts by Diego Footer:

Microgreens: https://apple.co/2m1QXmW

Vegetable Farming: https://apple.co/2lCuv3m

Livestock Farming: https://apple.co/2m75EVG

Large Scale Farming: https://apple.co/2kxj39i

In Search of Soil: http://bit.ly/soilpodcast

Small Farm Tools https://www.paperpot.co/