January 07, 2015

GFP064: Successful online farm marketing in 2015

January 07, 2015/ John

We live in an increasingly digital age and as farmers we have a lot of options for how to market our farm online. Where do we focus? Where do we spend our time? At the end of the day, where do we make the investment? Today's podcast is not about registering on places like LocalHarvest.org or similar sites where we can get a posting that people can find. It is about actively engaging our customers so that once they find us they stay informed, engaged, and keep coming back. It takes a lot more effort to get a new customer than to keep a returning customer, but it still takes effort. I want to break it down into what I plan on doing this year. It is more simple than it may appear at first, and since it's my plan and I'm going to be (have been) acting on it, I am happy to share on FMS how it all works.

The way I see it your active online presence is separated into two groups, Primary and Secondary.

Primary:

Farm Website
Email List

Your Primary is your home base on the internet. "All roads lead to Rome." Every other presence, including your Local Harvest listing, should point back to your farm website. This is your opportunity to educate your customers on everything you are doing and to keep them coming back by continuing to add new content.

Your website should have details on what you grow, how your grow it, and where people can buy it. After that it is up to you as to how much detail you want to go into. The more the merrier as long as you keep it organized.

Your email list is your gateway into peoples homes and cell phones. An email can be a very private and important thing. People are always listening for that little bing that tells them they have a new message. If all the Social Networks in the world fail you will always be able to sell through your email list.

Secondary:

Facebook
YouTube
Instagram

This is the second layer of what you are doing online. These three are great for a couple of reasons.

Facebook is very approachable and there are a lot of people using it. It is a great place to get started with all of your farms' basic info and story. Even though the updates that Facebook has been rolling out has made it a little harder to reach your audience these days you still can reach people AND it links to just about every other network so cross promoting outside of Facebook is easy. Here you can post photos, videos, stories, articles, whatever you want that is relevant to you and your brand. If nothing else it is a good gateway drug to the world of Social Media.

YouTube has been really good for me. While my farms' YouTube page doesn't have a ton of views, the customers that go there because I included a link to a video in an email have come up to me and said how much they loved the video. It is a way to give people a tour of the farm without actually having to host them on farm. From the comfort of their own home people can see what you are doing, how you are doing it, and you have control over the whole interaction. With the Smartphones getting better at not only taking video, but sharing it to the web, uploading videos to YouTube is getting easier and easier.

Instagram for me is one thing, a means to an end. I cannot attribute many sale directly to Instagram, but I can indirectly. Let me explain. I have an Instagram account @foodcyclist. I have friends and family that follow me there. I also have other people involved with the farm that have their own Instagram accounts. The beautiful thing is that we can use the APP to take a photo, edit it, add a fun filter, and all upload it to the farms' Facebook page. The pictures we post get more engagement than anything else. Because it is so easy from my phone I use it as much as I can.

Farm Website Posts on FMS:

Everything you need to know to set up a farm website (free video tutorial)
Using Google Analytics to Measure Success With Your Farm Website

Farm Email List Posts:

How to start an email list (free tutorial)
Success with email lists at a Winery GFP033
Leasing Apple Trees GFP016

Take aways:

The world is getting increasingly digital. How are people going to find you online and what are they going to see?

If you had to start or focus on one thing this year online, what would it be? Let me know below!

Farm quote of the episode:

"That's my only goal. Surround myself with funny people, and make sure everyone has a good time and works hard." - Joe Rogan

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Thanks for taking the time to listen in, and let me know what you think. You can leave a comment below, send me an e-mail, reach me on Facebook , or leave a 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

January 05, 2015

2015 Pastured Broiler Budget

January 05, 2015/ John

For the full post explaining more about the budget visit me at http://www.farmmarketingsolutions.com/2015-pastured-broiler-budget/ For plans to my chicken tractors check out the eBook at http://foodcyclist.com/stress-free-chicken-tractor-plans/ To view all my budget categories visit: http://farmmarketingsolutions.com/2015farmbudget

Raising pastured broilers is one part of our very diverse farm. 2015 will be the third year in a row that we have done a combination Pastured Poultry CSA as well as selling pastured broilers retail at farmers markets and wholesale. It has been a great part of our operation as it take very little money to start up, it is great for reclaiming and conditioning pastures, and it fits in nicely with the other things we have going on at the farm. That and we're kind of the only show in town for pastured poultry at the moment, which doesn't hurt.

Every year my numbers get a little more refined. This year I have got even better than in the past at putting my yearly budget together. I know that with the efforts of the Farm Finance Challenge they will be a piece of cake to put together next year. The video above and this post are the numbers as best as I can put them together this year. If you scroll to the bottom of the post you have the option to enter your name and e-mail address to get the broiler section of the excel file that I am referencing.

Creating your broiler budget:

When I am sitting down to do any budget I treat the piece of notebook paper, the excel sheet, or whatever I am using as a blank canvas. It doesn't matter what I am putting where because I am creating it for myself. I can change it to suit my needs whenever I want. The trick is to get it started and to get some real work done each time you open it. Add a little, walk away, come back, add a little more. The point of the whole thing is to get usable numbers for yourself. After all, you are doing this for your farm not just for fun.

Start with just thinking about all the element that would go into creating your budget and keep adding them into your budget sheet. At some point you are going to run out of things to add and you will have you "final" numbers. It might take you some time, it might require a fair amount of research, but each year it will get better, I promise.

What things did I include in my budget?:

How many chickens I intend to raise
What breeds
Numbers of batches or rotations
How much feed
How much labor
How many processing dates
Quarterly breakdown for cash-flow
What I get price per pound retail

I basically went through everything I would need to know to raise broilers and pulled from my records or other people's information (current price of feed) to populate my budget sheet. From there it was just a matter of creating the necessary equations as I went to get the numbers that I needed to end up with. Those were Gross Profit and Net Profit. After all, this document was created to see if I was going to be able to keep the farm at the end of the year.

Labor costs:

This is going to certainly be an area of debate, and I mention it a little in the video. I figure for $12 an hour in my budgets for any operation. That doesn't mean I always pay $12 an hour or that I am actually getting paid $12 an hour. It has just worked out to a nice round number for labor for me. Throughout 2015 we will be more closely tracking how many man hours are spent on any given operation throughout the year to get a better sense of what is required.

There are things like volunteer days, mishaps and nature, apprentices, full time staff, and friends of the farm to consider. When you are figuring the numbers on any farm there are certainly areas where it can get murky and labor can be one of them on a small farm. The best I can figure out is that $12 number. If you have a better way please leave a comment in the comments section below and let me know what you do.

Chicken feed costs:

Because the price of feed fluctuates what you budget and what actually happens can differ. I currently get my feed from Morrison's Feeds in Vermont and I used the latest price of their feed off their website to do my budget. I do have another potential non-GMO feed supplier close by that may be able to get me feed a little cheaper because they are closer but that's not locked down yet. For now I want to figure on the higher price. Better to be prepared and do better than to count on a good price and have to pay more and not have the cash on hand.

Chicken processing:

I have gone seasons where I kill every bird on farm with the knife in my hand for each one. This past season I chose to get the birds processed off farm for a number of reasons. The main reason was that having a USDA approved stamp on my chickens opened up other markets for me. In Connecticut the State laws make it almost impossible to operate any small business successfully and poultry farming is no different. We have been making baby steps in recent years but we still haven't caught up to our neighbors to the West or the North.

The place I currently take them costs me $4.75-$5.25 per bird depending on how I have them packaged. That gives me the average of $5 per chicken. It also takes me 2.5 hours to drive there, woof. You may not need all that where you are.

Some of the other benefits of "out-sourcing" my processing is that my liability of someone getting hurt or sick is lower, I don't have to pay a crew, I don't have to take all the lives myself, and I get to spend a day in an internet cafe and get caught up on office work. Will this be my forever plan? Who knows? It's going to have to work for now until I can figure out something better.

How I raise my chickens:

For my cornish cross broilers I raise them in chicken tractors out on pasture. The chicken tractor is my own design created to suite my needs and very adaptable to wherever you may be farming.

I feed certified organic feed that is also non-GMO. The farm is not certified organic but it may be something that we will be working toward in the future. I buy in chicks as day-old from Meyer Hatchery, raise them in the brooder for 2-3 weeks and them move them out to pasture for the remainder of their lives. I often process at 8 weeks old and I get a finished weight of 4-5 pounds on average.

For more information about my chicken tractor plans and the farm that I started using them on click here or the banner below.

My current farm is Camps Road Farm. I was hired as the farm manager there (here?) and I could not be happier. Pastured broilers are part of a very diverse operation including hops, apples, layers, pigs, sheep, foraged foods, vegetables, and events. We are still raising broilers in the FoodCyclist style tractors that made the trip from my original farm.

What I hope to improve on in time:

No one will ever know everything there is to know about anything. I cam constantly learning and through that learning I am striving to make every operation on my farm better. As part of improving the farm we are taking part in the 2015 Farm Finance Challenge. We will be increasingly diligent about our record keeping both in the field and in the office. I am already looking forward to next year when the 2016 budget has already bee created by the 2015 numbers.

Record keeping is something all farmers struggle with and that was the reason the FFC was created. I am working on improving and so are the other farms that are taking the challenge with me. It's kind of exciting! This blog post comes out in the beginning of January 2015. Depending on when you are reading it we may already be underway. I invited you to check out the challenge, help to hold me accountable to my record keeping and reporting goals, and support the other farms that are taking the dive with me.

Sign up for my newsletter and receive your FREE copy of my 2015 Broiler Budget

Name:

Email:

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January 05, 2015

Supporting apple trees with steel posts

January 05, 2015/ John

Tips from the Field: Apple Orchard

I am pruning my apple trees to a central leader style. With that style of pruning each tree should be supported, especially in the early years when the base of the tree is thin and fragile. The tree is especially susceptible to breakage at the graft union. That is where the grafted "scion" connects to the root stock.

Originally I had bamboo rods as the support for the trees. That worked only for about a year or so. After that the bamboo, even though it is initially a strong wood, began to rot, disintegrate, and fall over. During some heavy wind and rain storms I lost a few trees that either fell over or snapped right off at the graft union.

It is really depressing to go into your orchard and see one or more of your trees lying on their sides. Taking active steps to ensure the long term health of the orchard we switched to metal stakes from Best Angle Tree Stakes.

What do the stakes come delivered as?

The stakes come in bundles of 100 or 255. The 100 piece bundle weighs nearly 864 lbs and the 255 bundle weighs about 2200 lbs. I bought one of each. The 2200 bundle almost flipped my tractor as I was dragging it off the delivery truck. After we got it off we broke open the bundle to transport the stakes across the farm to the orchard in smaller batches. I have about 355 apple trees so the order minimums worked.

Painted or Unpainted Tree Stakes?

I chose to go with unpainted stakes instead of painted for a few reasons. The first was money. With and additional $0.69 per stake that was an extra $244.95 for paint. With a tight budget I opted out. Also you can't be 100% sure what's in the paint. Call me crazy, but I'd rather have the metal rust than mess with possible contamination from paint. They'll look a little funky with the rust but it really doesn't bother me. I also think, and only time will tell, that they should hold up structurally just as well painted as not. That paint will break down over time and you're going to end up with rusted stakes one way or another.

How do you put them in?

To put the stakes in we used a post-pounder. These things are useful all around farm. It's taxing on the arms after a while, but if you have a big area just do it in sections and/or have more people there to trade off with.

Where do you put them in relation to the apple tree?

I put the stakes on the North side of the tree about 8 inches away from the base of the trunk. On the North side because I wanted to maximize the Southern exposure of the tree. Also on my property the prevailing winds come from the North blowing South. I would rather the tree pull against the rubber tubing we used to tie it up vs rubbing against the steel angle iron and potentially damaging the bark.

Do you have anything to add? Please keep the conversation going in the comments below.

December 24, 2014

GFP063: What's coming on Farm Marketing Solutions in 2015

December 24, 2014/ John

2014 was a great year for Farm Marketing Solutions and for Camps Road Farm. On farm we expanded in a few areas, built a lot of infrastructure, and learned a lot about our land and what it is capable of. Online I made a lot of great progress as well. I am constantly listening to hear when farmers are struggling with something or if someone needs some advice or to hear a story about life on the farm. My whole goal with this website is to bring as much value as I can to the readers, listeners, and watchers. I am also learning a lot as well. About farming, about marketing, and about my audience. I then share what I learn here and on my other "channels" so that others may learn with me. Well, 2015 is going to be no different. I have a lot to learn and I want to learn and grow as a group. That is why I have already launched my content plan for 2015. I have been very busy.

Right click here to download the MP3

Farm Finance Challenge:

I have to get better at record keeping and financial tracking. Last year was a growth year, and this year is still kind of a growth year but my budget is way tighter and I have to be really smart about what I do and how I do it. I also need to justify all my decisions to the boss and to myself. Keeping on point with my record keeping will make running the farm easier year to year, it will help me make decisions, and it will help other farmers with their businesses as well.

As part of the 12 Month FFC I will have:

Monthly Production & Income Reports
Participating farms reports
- Story about each farm
- Podcast episode with each farm

Growing Farms Podcast:

I will keep the podcast going as it is, same format, and same schedule. I have seen the podcast grow from the very beginning to over 100,000 downloads. Considering every episode is 30-60 minutes, that's a lot of podcast time. During the year I will be interviewing more farms from all over the world, I will be interviewing the participants in the FFC (by the way, it turns out they're really interesting people), and I will continue to openly share my story so that we can all grow our farms together.

Bi-weekly podcast just the way you like it

Videos on YouTube:

I found that when there was something I needed to learn on farm I turned to video. Now having learned a lot, I still turn to YouTube, haha! I am also creating a lot of videos from around the farm and in the farm office to share what I have learned. The videos are typically 1-3 minutes on a very specific topic. I really don't sell anything on them. The videos are meant to be actionable pieces of advise that you can walk outside and use.

Lots of video on YouTube and reposting to the blog
- Tips from the Field
- Tips from the Farm Office

Updates to FMS:

Aside from all the fun content there is not quite as fun website maintenance, restructuring, reformatting, etc... There is a whole back-end side to running a website and building a community. At this time I do everything and I farm full time so you can guess that I cannot always get around to everything. I have a few more big ideas and projects in the works but my mission in 2015 is to stay focused, get my farm running smoothly, get Farm Marketing Solutions running more smoothly, and then we'll think about these new big projects.

I will be and have been creating a lot more content and sharing what I have been doing. What works and what is not working. If one thing I post saves you some time and headache then it has been a good day for me.

Cleaning things up
- Getting the website I want it (will it ever be done?)
- Thinking about a site redesign (maybe next winter)
- Getting book sales on the website
- Publishing more content

Farm quote of the episode:

"Entrepreneurs may be brutally honest, but fostering relationships with partners and building enduring communities requires empathy, self-sacrifice and a willingness to help others without expecting anything in return." - Ben Parr

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Thanks for taking the time to listen in, and let me know what you think. You can leave a comment below, send me an e-mail, reach me on Facebook , or leave a 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

December 10, 2014

GFP062: 3 Things I will do differently in 2015 on farm

December 10, 2014/ John

Hindsight is always 20/20. Looking back on 2014 there are a number of things that I would do or manage differently on the farm. There are little things, like how we raise our chickens, or bigger picture stuff like how we communicate as a team to work more efficiently. With the year coming to a close, it is about time I start thinking about the lessons that I learned this year, and how I am going to apply what I've learned in the coming months.

1. Spend more time with family

The first thing that I want to change about 2015 is that I want to spend more time with my family and friends. There is always something more to do on the farm. The laundry list of chores and projects just never seems to get shorter. With what it requires to run a farm, it can be easy to get caught up with what you have to do instead of who you should be spending time with. Setting aside time and making the effort to unplug from the grind of the farm allows your brain to reboot. In 2015 I want to make more of an effort to spend time with my family and friends and to maintain a good work/life balance.

2. Get on top of my record keeping

It kills me to think that my farm could have had a better year, or could have been a little easier if I had just been able to track my production and finances better. But it is true. While my records weren't quite the mess I might make them out to be, they are still far from where I want them. I fully understand the importance of having detailed records for all areas of your farm. It would make the winter decision making easier if I had detailed records of what the year was like. So, going forward into 2015 I am swearing to hone my record keeping skills. I have a few things that I am trying out to keep organized and better collaborate and I get into that in the episode.

3. Get better at outsourcing and delegation

I have a fantastic and dedicated support network involved with the farm. I am humbled to be a part of such a lovely group of people. As part of my support network they are always willing to lend a hand when and if they can. What I need to do is detail out what my tasks are so that my support people can choose an area to help out that best suits their own motivations. I then need to make sure I have the processes figured out so I can effectively delegate that task to that person. This will help me with both #1 and #2. Click here to download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

My strategies to get more time with family and friends
The tools that I intend to use more of in my record keeping
A method for outsourcing at least some of your tasks

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Farm Marketing Solutions on YouTube
The E-Myth Revisited
GFP Episode 39 Getting Investment to Start a Farm
Google Docs

Take the 12 Month Farmer Finances Challenge With Me

Starting in 2015 I will be publishing a monthly income report for my farm. To better keep on top of my cash flow I am going to make the commitment to publish it. January's report will come out in February, February's will come out in March, etc... Good or bad I will share it with the FMS community so that we can all learn and hopefully better the moment of sustianable farmers. If you would like to add your own story and transparency to the blog in an effort to improve your record keeping and to serve as a case study for other farmers then contact me and let me know. I would publish your reports on the blog as well as have you on the podcast to introduce you to the audience. I believe in getting farmers on the land and keeping them there. If sharing my numbers and all of my "behind the scenes" info can help that then I am happy to share. If you feel the same way then I encourage you to make the 12 month commitment with me. It's only 12 reports and it could end up being a really big help to a lot of people.

Take aways:

What are you planning on doing differently in 2015? If you could outsource one thing that you do on a regular basis what would it be? How can you manage to delegate that task in the coming weeks?

Farm quote of the episode:

"The five essential entrepreneurial skills for success: Concentration, Discrimination, Organization, Innovation and Communication." - Harold S. Geneen

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Thanks for taking the time to listen in, and let me know what you think. You can leave a comment below, send me an e-mail, reach me on Facebook , or leave a 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

November 26, 2014

GFP061: Bringing the farm all together

November 26, 2014/ John

There are SO many topics to cover when to comes to farming. Each topic reflects on something that the average farmer has to deal with as he or she runs their operation. Today's podcast episode covers it all. The mindset to focus on today is that of the big picture. It is very easy to get caught up in the minutia of each farming task. Exactly what tool to use, exactly how to grow something, or most often exactly how to fix something. As we work through all of the little details, which are super important, we must remember the big picture and our holistic goal.

I have been focusing a lot of my big picture lately. My 2015 budget projections are due. I need to have my plan for next year laid out and I need to have it fairly detailed. With that chore on my plate I have been focused on just how all the pieces are going to fit together and how I am going to properly use my resources to accomplish my goals. Let me tell you, it's a little scary.

As 2014 winds down think of all the things you have done this year in relation to every other thing. What would you change? How could you improve? What are your pain points? What was successful? All of these questions, when thoroughly gone through will help you start the new year on a good foot.

Right click here to download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

How to work with brides to assemble organic flower bouquets
Collaborate with other farmers for flower bouquets
How to settle on crops that work for you instead of you for them
You can’t say yes to everything
Finding the time/income balance
How to track profitability of certain crops
How a computer can me instrumental to record keeping
Quickbooks as a tool for farm finance tracking

Interview with Robbie & Deena of Sweet Roots Farm

Robbie and Deena grow a variety of vegetables and flowers on roughly four acres in Grass Valley, CA.

They market through a CSA, a local coop, various wholesale accounts, and weddings.

Their mission statement as seen on their website:

We pride ourselves on growing great soil and the quality, flavorful produce that follows. Through the use of integrated organic systems and the farm’s many microclimates, we produce food, flowers and nursery starts that are healthy and vibrant. We have a diversity of crops and markets that will build a healthy farm and business. Farming brings us close to the land, which we will preserve and improve for the future. Our business management and sustainable agricultural practices will eventually support our family while providing equal access for a diversity of community members.

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Take aways:

Are you actively keeping the big picture in your head?

How are you preparing for next year?

Farm quote of the episode:

"If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself." - Henry Ford

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Thanks for taking the time to listen in, and let me know what you think. You can leave a comment below, send me an e-mail, reach me on Facebook , or leave a 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

November 12, 2014

GFP060: Finding a farming model that works

November 12, 2014/ John

It takes a long time to figure out what your farm is and what it is going to be. Even if you think you have an idea of exactly what you want to do on your farm that vision is bound to change. Today's podcast talks to this theme with Forrest Prit.

Just like Forrest I am trying, experimenting, documenting, and learning different ways to enjoy my farm while making it profitable. With such an unconventional start-up story it's a little hard to say when it actually started, but for me it really started just about a year ago. I took over management of Camps Road Farm and integrated my farm FoodCyclist Farm. With one business it was time to settle on one vision. But what exactly is that vision?chard, a guy who has tried just about everything to make his farm succeed and is still evolving his vision.

With the help of Alan Savory's book Holistic Management I am making strides in finding out exactly what we're doing here at Camps Road Farm. Sure I know what we're doing now, and I have a good idea of where I want to be in 10 years, it is the getting there safely and securely that is the trick.

It is a weird position to be in to know where you want to future to go, but not really knowing where it is going to take you. There is a lot of excitement, even more anxiety, and a whole lot of wishing for a crystal ball. I take solace in knowing that I am not alone. The smartest farmers that I know never stop experimenting and trying new things. Not every experiment is a success as your goals in life are evolving with your business.

As you start your or continue you journey in agriculture always keep your eyes and ears open, never assume you know it all, and be modest.

Right click here to download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

How to better your customer retention
Ways to find what farming operation is right for you
The benefit of celebrating the little triumphs
Remain connected to your customers
Tell your story

Interview with Forrest Pritchard of Smith Meadows

Forrest Pritchard is a professional farmer and writer, holding degrees in English and Geology from the College of William and Mary. His farm Smith Meadows was one of the first “grass finished” farms in the country, and has sold at leading farmers’ markets in Washington DC for more than fifteen years. His book Gaining Ground, A Story of Farmers’ Markets, Local Food and Saving the Family Farm was named a Top Read by Publishers Weekly, The Washington Post and NPR’s The Splendid Table.

Forrest’s new book is slated for release Fall 2015, from the award-winning press The Experiment.

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Take aways:

What will be your biggest influences when choosing your farm business?

5 years ago did you think you would be where you are today? (Listening to the Growing Farm Podcast, haha!)

Farm quote of the episode:

"Taking time to do nothing often brings everything into perspective."
- Zoe Zantamata

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Thanks for taking the time to listen in, and let me know what you think. You can leave a comment below, send me an e-mail, reach me on Facebook , or leave a 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

October 22, 2014

GFP059: Starting a farm at your College

October 22, 2014/ John

Starting a farm anywhere can be an uphill battle. The thing you have to focus is is that you are (hopefully) doing it with good intentions, and you have to want to live your passions. If you focus on those two things the rest will fall into place. If you want to start a farm at a College or University you may be in luck. We live in a time where more and more people are open to and interested in small scale sustainable agriculture. While it is nerve racking to just jump in and do it, sometimes that is what it takes. If you do decide to go rogue and start gardening in the Quad there's a few things you might want to keep in mind first. Let's start by asking these questions:

Are there other students on campus who might be interested in helping out?
What other schools have tried this and succeded/failed? Why?
How would a garden or farm benefit your school besides being self-serving to you?
Do you have the experience necessary to start a farm?
What other areas of the school might be able to build AG into their curriculum?
What branch of your school would adopt your farm?

Going ahead and starting a farm without permission (which we discuss in the podcast) is all well and good but you should have a plan going into it. When the farm arrests you for vandalism what are you going to say? Where is the food that you're going to grow headed after harvest? Sit down and think through every scenario and then nothing can take you by surprised.

Be warned: There will still be surprises. It will be amazing. You're parents may get pissed.

There is a lot of potential for good in the world, though sometimes you have to give people a visual and tangible example before they will believe it.

Some ideas for incorporating a farm into your school:

Science experiments
Supplemental class time
Traditional food gardens to supports multi-cultural organizations
Food for dining hall
Supporting area restaurants
Buzz-worthy for school marketing

Right click here to download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

How to start a farm at your College or University
What can happen when the faculty challenges the dreams of the community
How to build an adobe home
What my farm plan for 2015 is
How my many small scale operations makes up my one large scale operation

Interview with Nai de Gracia of Pamona College Farm

Nai grew up abroad and came to the US from Cairo for college in 2010. She was a student at Pomona College and graduated in 2014, starting as full time farm manager the summer after that. She majored in Biology and was involved with the farm all four years as a student employee and as a member of farm club. Interests include urban farming, the soil food web, composting tea, vermiculture and permaculture. She can be contacted at farmmanager@pomona.edu.

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Visual farm update:

Take aways:

What would starting a farm do for you?

How do you think your family/friends/school/community respond to you starting a farm?

Farm quote of the episode:

"It is often easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission." - Grace Hopper

Our proud sponsor:

The show must go on! That's the way that FatCow.com feels. FatCow is a website hosting company that supports farmers and the Growing Farms Podcast. For listeners of the show they offer a special price of $3.15 a month for a website and a ton of other good stuff. I have been a customer of theirs since 2009 and so far I couldn't be happier.

Don't have a website and don't know where to start? I created a 100% free tutorial walking you through building a website without writing any code. Click here for the tutorial.

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Thanks for taking the time to listen in, and let me know what you think. You can leave a comment below, send me an e-mail, reach me on Facebook , or leave a 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

October 08, 2014

GFP058: What type of chickens should you raise for meat?

October 08, 2014/ John

The are SO many farming operations to choose from when starting a farm. The one I chose to start with, and that has become the cornerstone of my farming operation is pastured poultry. That specifically means in this instance raising chickens on pasture with the intention of selling them for meat. When raising meat chickens there are a number of factors that you have to take into account when you are choosing a breed. Any option can be a good option as long as it works for you.

There are three options in my eyes for which direction you can go. At least in the United States there is. There's the Cornish Cross which is the production breed used in most larger scale poultry operations. There are Freedom Rangers which are quickly becoming a favorite with small-scale farmers. Then there are dual purpose egg laying/meat birds. Each breed has its' positives and negatives. To determine which breed is going to be best for you and your farm start by asking a few of these questions:

Is pastured poultry going to be a main focus of your farm?
Do profits matter to you?
What kind of production system do you think your land can support? (Can you test it small first?)
What type of chickens are readily available in your area?
Can you handle the physical labor of the different types of production systems?

Thoroughly answering these questions will help you get started in choosing a breed. The other thing to try is, well, to try it. Start with 25-50 birds of any given kind. Raise them, take notes, and then try another breed. You will find what works for you and what you think you will be able to scale up and sell. It is not like a cow that can take 2 years to see a result. You will have a case-study in two months time.

Right click here to download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

What the main differences in the different types of broiler chickens are
Typical systems for raising meat chickens on pasture
Farm business advice on how to get started in agriculture

Interview with Joel Slezak of Free Union Grass Farm

Joel was born and raised on the farm in Free Union. When he was young, his father David milked Jersey dairy cows and “gave away” raw milk to all the neighbors, and also kept a flock of laying hens for eggs. He home-schooled Joel and his siblings, which gave them plenty of time to help out on the farm. Joel took an early interest in the animals and would often help with milking and chicken chores, which laid a foundation for his future as a farmer. He attended high school at Tandem Friends School and received a political science degree at Guilford College in North Carolina. Various adventures on sailboats and yachts followed, but Joel returned home to Free Union and spent a couple years working as a cheesemonger at Feast! in Charlottesville. Selling artisan cheeses and finely cured meats to the masses gave rise to an obsession with quality food and reawakened his life-long love for farming.

While working on an organic farm in Scottsville, Joel came across the now ubiquitous “Pastured Poultry Profits” by Joel Salatin. He kicked off his career as a farmer by raising and processing several hundred chickens of his own.

Photo Credit: Modern Farmer

Items Mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Take aways:

If you're thinking about adding poultry into your operation, what breed do you think would best suit you?

How can the mentality of "whatever works for my situation" be applied to your farm in the choices that you've made? Explain in the comments below.

Farm quote of the episode:

"The cost of being wrong is less than the cost of doing nothing."
- Seth Godin

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Thanks for taking the time to listen in, and let me know what you think. You can leave a comment below, send me an e-mail, reach me on Facebook , or leave a 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

September 24, 2014

GFP057: On Farm Events for Marketing and Fun

September 24, 2014/ John

Having people come visit your farm can simultaneously be very stressful and the most fun you've had all year. With how much transparency is playing a part in small farm marketing these days, on farm events are a great way to get your customers (or potential customers) involved in the farm. This farm podcast is about our first annual Hop Harvest Festival at Camps Road Farm. What we did to plan it, how we pulled it off, and what we plan to do differently next year. We had great success this year inviting over 50 people to the farm to take part in our hop harvest, hang out and socialize, eat some great farm food, and enjoy the fruits of our labor. The attendees ran the gamut from long-time dedicated CSA members to people who had just heard about the farm and wanted to come and check it out. Across the board good times were had by all.

Our Hop Harvest Event was more to save our behinds on labor than it was to get people to the farm to sell them stuff. In that case mission accomplished. The "money earned" was the money we saved on labor. It was also great marketing for us in terms of getting people involved and actual press coverage.

We're definitely going to plan more events like this in the future. Some we'll sell tickets or "seats" to classes and workshops, and some we'll have people on as volunteers to help us get stuff done on farm. I actually have a good one coming up that is going to be great for the farm.

How I topped my best Farmers' Market day for 100th the effort:

In the coming weeks we are having a fleet of school children come to the farm to get the farm experience. We have built a relationship with a couple of the local schools and mutually came up with the idea to get the kids involved in local agriculture.

We were happy to host the kids on farm and the schools insisted that we give the a number, per kid, of what we would charge. We asked around, mulled it over, and gave them a number. They responded right away that it was a reasonable price and we're moving forward. Here's the breakdown:

3 groups of kids in one day
45 kids in each session
$12.50 per kid
Grand total of: $1687.50

Now I've had better Farmers' Markets than that sure, but with months of work leading up to it. There isn't that much we have to prepare on farm that we don't already do to have 135 school kids come visit. We keep the farm beautiful and safe, we have working and clean bathrooms, and there's always plenty of things to look at, talk about, and get involved in. So NET dollars, we are going to blow our best market sales out of the water. That being said, we are going to invest the majority of that into purchasing supplies for hosting big groups like this. I'm very interested in looking into farm events as a serious part of our farm business plan.

Right click here to download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

What it takes to host an on farm event.
How we planned and executed our first harvest festival.
What we would change in the future to have a better experience for ourselves and our guests.

Interview with Barry Labendz of Kent Falls Brewing Company

Picture of Barry hold a lamb: Check!

Barry is one of the best “go-to” guys on the planet. As co-brewery manager Barry has proven an invaluable resource to the farm as the brewery takes time to go through the licensing process.

Barry has been surrounded by small local businesses his entire life. His grandparents moved to the United States in 1947 and started a small bakery in Lake Hiawatha, NJ, to support their young family. Barry’s father has owned and operated Merit Financial, a small mortgage bank, just down the road from his parents’ still-standing bakery.

After graduating from Muhlenberg College in 2004 with a B.A. in Philosophy and Business Administration, he moved to New York City and began his own career in mortgage banking. Soon Barry would open and manage a branch of another company in downtown Manhattan. By the end of 2007, with the credit crunch tightening, he decided to exit the mortgage industry. Barry took this time to travel, reassess his priorities and explore what would be next for him.

While traveling, Barry became enthralled with how local environment, cuisine and history shapes a region’s beer styles and traditions. Barry has always enjoyed culinary creativity, whether baking with his grandparents as a child, or hosting dinner parties as an adult. These ideas led Barry to first consider opening a brewery.

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Take aways:

What does your farm have to offer for people coming to visit?

Would adding in events be a feasible and viable part of your agricultural venture?

Farm quote of the episode:

I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it.
Groucho Marx

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Thanks for taking the time to listen in, and let me know what you think. You can leave a comment below, send me an e-mail, reach me on Facebook , or leave a 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

September 10, 2014

GFP056: Hiring Farm Workers

September 10, 2014/ John

The hiring of farm workers can be a really tricky process. How do you know you're going to hire the right person? What's the process like if you've never done it before? That's what we're talking about (and more) in today's podcast episode. I have had several changes with staff on farm lately. People moving on, moving up, moving sideways, moving West. I need to fill some spots to ensure that all the work gets done that needs to get done. I have had a pretty successful time hiring new employees, even on a temporary basis.

For general farm labor I look for a couple of things:

Physically able to do the hard work required on farm
Willingness to take direction and work as part of a team
Good attitude and flexibility to handle diversified tasks
Earnest desire to make the world a better place

Those are pretty hard and fast rules to figure out in the interview process (for me). I've been burned before when someone doesn't hit those points. Note that I didn't necessarily say anything about farm experience or experience with an particular agricultural enterprise. If you know what you are doing on your farm there's a safe bet that you can teach the right person just about any part of it.

I had a lot of luck with searching out local farm help (which solves the housing question) by putting an ad up on Craigslist. I was pretty specific about what I wanted in the ad. Here's the exact text that I included:

Diversified farm specializing in poultry seeks part time farm hands Camps Road Farm in Kent, CT
Job requires: - ability to repeatedly lift 50lbs (feed bags) - comfort working with chickens - work in all types of weather - work well as part of a team or by yourself - punctuality
About the job: We are looking for motivated individuals looking for some extra work throughout the summer and fall with potential for the future. Typical tasks are gathering and washing eggs, putting out feed for chickens, and other poultry-related chores. We also have an apple orchard, hop yard, and some vegetable production that have big projects this fall, but we're mainly looking for pastured poultry help.
This is a great opportunity for someone who wants to come a couple hours a day to collect and wash eggs.
To apply: All applicants must have appropriate documentation for working in the US. Please respond to this e-mail with some information about yourself while requesting application.
Hablamos un poco de espanol en la granja.

Right click here to download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

A simple process for finding farm labor
What it is like to take over a farm someone else started
Moving an existing farm to a new piece of land
How leveraging your network of customers can help you find farm land

Interview with Ruth Blackwell of Mud Creek Farm

Ruthie grew up in Cabot, Vermont, surrounded by dairy farms. When she was a kid, her parents grew pansies and sold them wholesale to farm stands. As soon as she was old enough, they had her and her brother out in the field transplanting, boxing, and watering. They also planted an enormous garden, and she remembers her and her brother being told to “go graze” when they asked for a snack; they would eat dirty carrots and freshly shelled peas for hours.

Once Ruth started working, she had a million different jobs. She always loved working with her hands and being creative, and she went to art school. But after floating around doing different things, she went to New Zealand and WWOOFed (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) for half a year, and it reminded her how much she likes the dirt. When she came home, her dad and his partner decided to turn the old homestead into a farm again, but vegetables this time. She moved back to a little house next door and helped get things off the ground, then migrated to the Rochester area, where she worked at PeaceworkFarm for four years. She fell in love with the CSA model. She loves knowing the people she's feeding and having that direct connection to the community around her.

In 2013, she started working at Mud Creek as Farmer Erin’s assistant manager. She learned a whole lot from her, and is proud and humbled that she was taught to take over the farm.

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Take aways:

If you had to hire someone tomorrow what questions would you ask them to figure out if they would "cut it" on your farm?

What have you learned from past hiring experiences that will help you going forward with new hires?

Farm quote of the episode:

I am convinced that nothing we do is more important than hiring and developing people. At the end of the day you bet on people, not on strategies.

Larry Bossidy

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Thanks for taking the time to listen in, and let me know what you think. You can leave a comment below, send me an e-mail, reach me on Facebook , or leave a 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

August 27, 2014

GFP055: Getting over the summer hump with good farm management

August 27, 2014/ John

It will never cease to amaze me the amount of things that farmers will take on in a season. There are many factors that play into how that happens, but at the end of the day it is how you deal with it that defines you.

One of the biggest factors that plays into crushing responsibility:

This factor is often over-looked. That factor is your own decisions in the winter that lead to insanity in the summer. The hitch with farming is that most operations are simple or inexpensive to start on a certain scale. The problems start when the 1,000 variables come into play as you reach the scale you have to be at to make a profit. It's very easy to sit down with a spreadsheet to say "I'm going to do this, and this is how much I am going to make in order to keep my farm dream alive." How can I write this sentence, because I am INCREDIBLY guilty of this fault myself. Now that I am into the summer I am regretting some of the decisions I made this winter that are causing some serious stress this summer. The beautiful thing is that I can admit that, and that I am willing to learn from my mistakes and miss-steps. The best thing you can do in any area in life is to take note of all your successes and failures and learn a lesson from each one. I know over the last 2 years I have learned an incredible amount about myself, my farm, and my future. Right click here to download the MP3

Three elements of good management:

1. Organization

Write it down! I have some of my farms information in my head and some written down. I keep my tasks organized primarily through my trusty notebook and our staff dry-erase board. I have been carrying a small notebook in my pocket that has proven to be very helpful in organizing tasks. Also making sure nothing gets over looked. If I see something on farm that needs to be done I do my best to write it down, that way when I sit down with the farm team later I know what needs to get done that day that we may not have already discussed. Getting things written down has been great for keeping me organized. Whether it's in a notebook or on a computer, get it in writing!

2. Prioritization

Episode 50 talked about this. It is importantnot only to create the list of things to do, but to properly prioritize it. Task can break down into the different variable that effect them. Whether or not other people are involved, whether you have to buy something or set it up, or even if it's something that you can live without but it would be nice to have. Every task is going to have its' different level of urgency. It takes time and practice to know what is going to require what. I am definitely still learning.

3. Delegation

This is crucial for getting anything done. Part of writing down the tasks that you have to accomplish is that you can share that list with others. Even people you have known for a long time will surprise you will what they will choose to volunteer for. You have to make sure you ask. Human beings need direction. We love it. It takes the stress of the decision making off of our plates, and at the end of the day if it doesn’t work out, it is someone else’s fault. Now, if you’re the person calling the shots make sure to be clear, concise, and simple simple simple. If you have something complicated make sure you are there to walk people through it.

In this farm podcast you will learn:

Powerful tools for good farm management
Some dos and don'ts of getting the job done
Lessons learned from a budding farm entrepreneur (farmepreneur?)

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Visual farm update:

Quote of the episode:

“Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.” Norman Vincent Peale

Take aways:

How do you plan to overcome your next big obstacle?

What experiences have you had in the past that you can draw from to make better decisions going forward?

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Thanks for taking the time to listen in, and let me know what you think. You can leave a comment below, send me an e-mail, reach me on Facebook , or leave a 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

August 13, 2014

GFP054: Being part of the food fight

August 13, 2014/ John

Every farmers' journey through life will be as uniquely theirs as their farm will be. Today's podcast episode shares a great story of how a vegetable farm was started in Missouri not just by one woman, but by a community of people working to support that one woman. I found out very early on that it is not the individual that succeeds, but the group. I could not be where I am today, and I know I couldn't go where I am headed without the support of those people around me.

Sometimes that support means they will tell you not to do something, like the recent NY Times article stating "Don't let your children grow up to be farmers."

I think that article raises some good points, but is mis-titled. We should not let our children grow up to be farmers that farm like we do today. In this instance I'm not talking about organic or conventional, small or large scale. I am talking about farming within a system built against the farmer where we are faced with often insurmountable tasks on top of the challenge of farming.

At its' very base level farming provides people with the basic elements that people need for survival. Food. Even as a tech-friendly guy it baffles me that more time and money is spent on iPhones than learning and investing in what we eat. How is something so necessary so often swept aside.

It is our job as small farmers, who are intimately connected to our communities, to help educate and empower others so that they will help fight the food fight for our team.

Right click here to download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

How to plan for success in your farm business
What role community plays in starting your farm
Tips and tricks for record keeping
Getting your organic certification
What it means to be part of the food fight

Interview with Liz Graznak of Happy Hollow Farm

Happy Hollow Farm is nestled among the rolling hills along the Missouri River. The primary growing fields border the Little Splice Creek bottom and thus benefit from beautiful silt loam soils that are rich in organic matter. The farming techniques used on this farm are a combination of highly managed cover cropping, crop rotations, the application of compost, mulch and small quantities of minerals and nutrients. Liz's goal is to give back more to the soil than she take.

Items mentioned in this farm podcast:

Take aways:

How are you contributing toward making our world a better place through food?

What do you think our biggest obstacle is? How do you think we'll overcome it?

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Thanks for taking the time to listen in, and let me know what you think. You can leave a comment below, send me an e-mail, reach me on Facebook , or leave a 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

July 30, 2014

GFP053: Introducing New Farm Products

July 30, 2014/ John

"The riches are in the niches." Or so I've been told. The problem is often that there is a lot of consumer educating involved with introducing a niche product onto the market. What do you do when no one knows how to use what you have to offer, but you know it's going to be a good business? One of the answers that I have found is to try everything. And I mean everything to get the information in front of your customers. If you are in multiple forms of media you will be able to reach people in the way that best fits their learning style.

To date I've tried (and had success with):

Traditional media (newspaper)
Hanging fliers
Farm website
YouTube
Facebook
E-mail newsletter

I had/have plans to try other media as well, but quite frankly, it's July on a farm and I don't have time for it. Instead of spreading myself too thin my plan is to concentrate on those areas, measure my results as best I can, and see what happens.

Maybe in the future I will try Google Ads, Facebook Ads, taking an ad in the paper, getting on radio, getting on tv, etc... But right now I don't see it happening any time soon. (Quick aside, yes I have experience getting on Radio and TV, I'll cover that in another episode.)

What can you do now?

Pick one area that you are not already focusing enough attention on from the list above and put more effort into it.

As farmers we're used to hard work. There is so much to do on the farm that we often lose sight of the big picture stuff including marketing our products. I know I am guilty of it. There are times where I definitely like the "outside work" better than the "inside work".

However, I have noticed a drop in sales lately that I am working to fix. My marketing flagged and I am paying for it, literally. My freezers are filling with chickens and I need to get them sold. I will be revisiting my marketing and making sure I'm giving it the attention it deserves so that I can get all my products sold and I can sleep a little easier.

Right click here to download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

Tips for introducing a new product to market
How to narrow down what you're growing to find what works best
Dealing with inconsistency and how that can be a benefit
The power of believing in what you do
The benefit of keeping organized
How to keep your cell phone safe on the farm

Interview with Jacob Cowgill of Prairie Heritage Farm, Montana

Prairie Heritage Farm is a certified organic, diversified farm near Great Falls, Montana, just outside Power, on the short grass prairie where the Rocky Mountains meet the plains.

They grow fresh vegetables, heritage turkeys, ancient and heritage grains (Prairie Farro being their favorite), lamb and kiddos. They sell most of what they grow through Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA, farm shares in the Great Falls area.

The farm is owned and operated by Jacob and Courtney Cowgill, two central Montanans returning to their roots. Jacob grew up on Red Butte Lane, near Sand Coulee and Courtney spent her childhood on a farm between Dutton and Brady. They both left Central Montana as young adults, for school and careers but came back as soon as they possibly could.

They wanted to find a way to make a life in Central Montana but also wanted to give back to the communities that raised them-- to be part of sustaining and reinvigorating the culture and economy of rural Montana.

Items mentioned in this podcast include:

Prairie Heritage Farm
PHF on Facebook
LifeProof fre Series Case (keeping your iPhone safe on farm)

Visual farm update:

Today's quote:

"We overcome this dilemma by first forming a temporary holistic goal and starting toward that, much as a military pilot might head generally toward the action before knowing the precise destination. To wait on the ground for perfect intelligence or to burn up fuel circling randomly would waste his chances, his resources, or both. Like the pilot, as you obtain more information and a clearer picture, you can refine your holistic goal so that by the time you know the target, you are well on your way without having wasted time or fuel." - Allan Savory in Holistic Management: A New Framework for Decision Making

Take aways:

Have you been fighting an uphill battle to get a new farm product to market? What are you doing to educate your consumer?

Are you delivering your message in places where people are there and ready to hear it?

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Thanks for taking the time to listen in, and let me know what you think. You can leave a comment below, send me an e-mail, reach me on Facebook , or leave a 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

July 08, 2014

GFP052: Using Video for your Farm Marketing

July 08, 2014/ John

The most common misconception about video marketing is that it is hard. That doesn't have to be true at all. I recorded, edited, and published my latest farm video right from my cell phone. Quite honestly, that blows my mind, and I'm a geek. Let's take a look at the three biggest fears that people have when it comes to video marketing.

3 Fears of Video Marketing

1. I will look like a fool on camera.

So? If you are yourself, you're honest, and you have a good message you will not look like a fool. When I think back to my beginning videos I cringe. I have done some really embarrassing stuff in my day. The good thing is, if it's terrible, you can delete it! If it's not half bad then you need to post it before you over-think it.

Take a second to make sure your hair isn't insane (unless that's what you're going for), make sure your surroundings are at least a little orderly (at least what's in frame), and speak with confidence.

2. I have no idea how to work a video camera.

Learning a piece of "video equipment" is no different then learning to use any other piece of farm equipment. All you have to possess is the earnest desire to learn and the knowledge that this new skill will help your business. Through the owners manual, the internet, and some young tech geek you will be shooting tons of video in no time.

3. I can't edit the video once I have shot it.

Again, I refer to #2. Earnest desire to learn, and the knowledge that this will help your business. For every person out there who wants to learn something there is a teacher. Just start asking people. You can find a pro video editor in one of your kids, in a friend, or even in an actual professional who wants to trade for some veggies.

Once you've conquered those fears just upload it to YouTube, figure out how to embed it on your website, and make sure to share it with your customers. If this still scares you that is ok, write me a note in the comments section asking me to create a tutorial on video creation and editing and I will make it happen.

Right click here to download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

Getting started on Youtube
Creating video to illustrate a point or farming technique
Using video to educate
Why simple videos are often more effective
The elements of an effective video
What elements of your online marketing benefit your offline store
How Christie got to speak for TEDX
What it means to be “on” all the time
What is a “Content Management System”
What’s the best practice for Search Engine Optimization?
Let the perfection go!

Interview with Christy Hemenway of Gold Star Honey Bees:

Just what did bees do before beekeepers?

Searching for the answer to what seemed like it should have been a simple question, Christy Hemenway launched her own investigation into what was really behind the growing problems with honeybees. She soon came to the conclusion that with honeybees, “less is more,” in other words, less human manipulation is better for the honeybee.

This led Christy to found Gold Star Honeybees – to advance a low-tech, natural beekeeping system known as the top bar hive. The most important feature of a top bar hive is that it allows the bees to make their own natural beeswax honeycomb. Because for bees, ”It’s all about the wax.”

Gold Star’s top bar hive beekeeping equipment is all natural, non-toxic, clean and green, and supports the making of natural beeswax - beeswax made BY bees, FOR bees!

At TEDxDirigo in 2011, Christy highlighted the important connection between honeybees, pesticide-free food, and people in her TED Talk – “Making the Connection – Honeybees, Food and YOU.” The inter-relatedness of bees, human health, the health of the planet and in fact, all of nature suddenly becomes very clear. You can watch it here: http://bit.ly/TedxDirigoTalk

Christy Hemenway is the author of The Thinking Beekeeper – A Guide to Natural Beekeeping in Top Bar Hives. Published in 2013 by New Society Publishers – this book contains the practical how-to information you need to begin keeping bees in this natural method. http://www.thinkingbeekeeper.com/

Christy advocates and agitates for MORE organic food, LESS industrial agriculture, and of course, for BETTER beekeeping – natural and sustainable. It’s a case of understanding that instead of one beekeeper industrially managing 50,000 beehives, and lots of trucks and treatments, shouldn’t it really be 50,000 beekeepers each tending a few hives of their own in their own backyard garden?

gold star honey bees

Gold Star Honeybees supports top bar beekeepers with education. A Gold Star Honeybees Weekend Intensive offers a bee’s eye view of the reasons that top bar hives make sense – for bees, for beekeepers, and for the planet. Learn where to site a hive, how to inspect and manage it, what to do about “cross-comb,” and how to conduct the “dual harvest” that top bar hives are famous for. This comprehensive weekend class inspires people to be confident natural beekeepers.

If you are interested in a shorter workshop: The How and Why of Keeping Bees in Top Bar Hives offers a quick overview of the “how-to” and “why-to” of stewarding bees in top bar hives. This workshop is ideal for those just getting into, or beginning to learn about, natural beekeeping.

Classes are offered nationally, and we’d be happy to bring these opportunities to your area. Call for information about hosting a live Weekend Intensive or The How and Why of Keeping Bees in Top Bar Hives where you live! 207-449-1121.

Christy encourages people to think outside the box and reminds us, in the words of John Muir:

“When one tugs at a single thing in nature, one finds it attached to the rest of the world.”

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

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Visual Farm Update

Today's quote:

Video Marketing solidifies your online presence whilst building deep and meaningful relationships with your customers. It adds a personal touch to your brand whilst increasing your conversions!” – Lilach Bullock

Take aways:

What common questions do you get about your farm that can be cleared up with a simple video?

What is one thing you wish your customers knew about you, your farm, or your products? Would a video help them learn?

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Thanks for taking the time to listen in, and let me know what you think. You can leave a comment below, send me an e-mail, reach me on Facebook , or leave a 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

June 25, 2014

GFP051: Starting a farm, is it as stressful as everyone says?

June 25, 2014/ John

"Farming is hard." I hear it over and over again. But what does it mean? Farming is going to mean a million things to a million different people. There are an infinite number of scenarios that can play out when it comes to starting and running a farm. Now having interviewed dozens of other farmers on how they got their start in agriculture I can tell you one thing, it's hard, and it's worth it.

Oh sure, there will be times when you want to throw your hands p and walk away. Many of those times you should, then come back to whatever you were doing with a fresh mind and a better attitude.

There may come a day when I am too over-whelmed by what is going on with the farm and a year may come that beats me down to the point where I find a new occupation. That day is not today, nor is this year the year.

The best I can do with Farm Marketing Solutions is to give you my perspective on what is stressing me out and how I am dealing with it. I found that regardless of how many things go poorly, (and they will, it's part of learning) you have to concentrate on the positive things in life.

As a new format for the matching blog post in addition to the podcast I want to share some photos from around the farm to give you visual perspective to go with the audio.

Right click here to download the MP3

Items mentioned in this farm podcast:

Take aways:

What are you thankful for? How does that effect the decisions that you make?

What is one small thing you can do right now to make yourself a little happier?

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Thanks for taking the time to listen in, and let me know what you think. You can leave a comment below, send me an e-mail, reach me on Facebook , or leave a 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

June 10, 2014

GFP050: Prioritizing and organizing your farm to do list

June 10, 2014/ John

The list of things to do is ever expanding on the farm. There is always more to do, and even simple tasks become complicated if left to long. The worst is to repeat a past mistake because you had forgotten about it, or you have remembered it wrong. I have been working for years to find a system that works for me in terms of organizing and record keeping. Am I done? Heck no! I have a long way to go yet, but I have learned some good things along the way. In today's farm podcast episode I share many of those strategies that I have used and the ones that I still am using today.

Life is about balance. I don't have to tell you is you tend toward doing everything in the "analog" world, keeping a notebook, writing on the free monthly calendar with the beautiful natures scenes on that you got from church or the volunteer fire department fundraiser. Or if you tend towards the "digital" world where everything happens on your smart phone, tablet, or desktop computer. What I can do is point you to a few creative ways to use those systems that have been working for me.

Right click here to download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

Different strategies for organizing tasks on your farm
How record keeping keeps you from making the same mistakes over and over
Pointers for the Luddites and the tech geeks in all of us

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

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Quote of the episode:

"The role of leadership is to transform the complex situation into small pieces and prioritize them." - Carlos Ghosn

Take aways:

How are you keeping organized so you can prioritize your tasks?

Are you keeping records so you know what happened when you're faced with same situation in the future?

Share your answers in the comments section below.

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Thanks for taking the time to listen in, and let me know what you think. You can leave a comment below, send me an e-mail, reach me on Facebook , or leave a 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

May 27, 2014

GFP049: Being able to pivot your farm business

May 27, 2014/ John

Agility in your agricultural business can be the difference between coming back for another growing season, or putting the farm to rest. That agility starts with listening. Your customers will tell you what they want you to produce. It is then up to you to decide whether you want to listen, and if that will work for both you and your business. I had no idea that I would end up where I am today. If you told me 10 years ago that I would be a chicken farmer running a 50 acre farm, hosting a podcast, and selling eBooks on the side, I would have told you that you were crazy.

When I first got mixed up with agriculture I thought I was going to be an heirloom vegetable farmer. Then I tried vegetable farming. When I got into vegetables I realized I liked them, but I didn't love them. Not the way I do chickens. I also found that there were way more vegetable farms than poultry farms. I listened to the market, started a poultry farm, and the farm continues to grow in popularity.

I have learned, through some very hard lessons, to watch for and embrace change. You may have a plan, but life has another one, and there's no way you are going to know all the details until they're happening to you. Who knows where I will be in another 10 years? All I know is that I am excited for whatever comes my way.

Right click here to download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

What is a service as a business?
Different ways to make money in agriculture
How to leverage your skills, passion, and knowledge
What flexibility can bring to you
What you get from listening to your customers
How to get over impostor syndrome
How to grow your business and give yourself more time

Interview with Christy Hemenway of Gold Star Honey Bees:

Just what did bees do before beekeepers?

Searching for the answer to what seemed like it should have been a simple question, Christy Hemenway launched her own investigation into what was really behind the growing problems with honeybees. She soon came to the conclusion that with honeybees, "less is more," in other words, less human manipulation is better for the honeybee.

This led Christy to found Gold Star Honeybees - to advance a low-tech, natural beekeeping system known as the top bar hive. The most important feature of a top bar hive is that it allows the bees to make their own natural beeswax honeycomb. Because for bees, "It's all about the wax."

Gold Star's top bar hive beekeeping equipment is all natural, non-toxic, clean and green, and supports the making of natural beeswax - beeswax made BY bees, FOR bees!

At TEDxDirigo in 2011, Christy highlighted the important connection between honeybees, pesticide-free food, and people in her TED Talk - "Making the Connection – Honeybees, Food and YOU." The inter-relatedness of bees, human health, the health of the planet and in fact, all of nature suddenly becomes very clear. You can watch it here: http://bit.ly/TedxDirigoTalk

Christy Hemenway is the author of The Thinking Beekeeper – A Guide to Natural Beekeeping in Top Bar Hives. Published in 2013 by New Society Publishers – this book contains the practical how-to information you need to begin keeping bees in this natural method. http://www.thinkingbeekeeper.com/

Christy advocates and agitates for MORE organic food, LESS industrial agriculture, and of course, for BETTER beekeeping – natural and sustainable. It's a case of understanding that instead of one beekeeper industrially managing 50,000 beehives, and lots of trucks and treatments, shouldn't it really be 50,000 beekeepers each tending a few hives of their own in their own backyard garden?

Gold Star Honeybees supports top bar beekeepers with education. A Gold Star Honeybees Weekend Intensive offers a bee’s eye view of the reasons that top bar hives make sense - for bees, for beekeepers, and for the planet. Learn where to site a hive, how to inspect and manage it, what to do about "cross-comb,” and how to conduct the "dual harvest” that top bar hives are famous for. This comprehensive weekend class inspires people to be confident natural beekeepers.

If you are interested in a shorter workshop: The How and Why of Keeping Bees in Top Bar Hives offers a quick overview of the "how-to" and "why-to" of stewarding bees in top bar hives. This workshop is ideal for those just getting into, or beginning to learn about, natural beekeeping.

Classes are offered nationally, and we'd be happy to bring these opportunities to your area. Call for information about hosting a live Weekend Intensive or The How and Why of Keeping Bees in Top Bar Hives where you live! 207-449-1121.

Christy encourages people to think outside the box and reminds us, in the words of John Muir:

"When one tugs at a single thing in nature, one finds it attached to the rest of the world."

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Take aways:

Are you listening to your customers? What is something they have been asking for that you don't yet provide?

Are you ready to adapt and change with the times/economy/whims of the public? How are you prepared?

Share your answers in the comments section below.

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Thanks for taking the time to listen in, and let me know what you think. You can leave a comment below, send me an e-mail, reach me on Facebook , or leave a 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

May 14, 2014

GFP048: Sustainable farming is good for business

May 14, 2014/ John

Sustainable farming is the path I have chosen for my career in agriculture. When you think about it, it's kind of a no-brainer. It's right there in the name, "sustainable". That means I get to keep going. I get to keep doing what I love because it is sustainable. That word sustainable has given me pause lately. What exactly does it mean to be sustainable? What does that mean on a big scale for the world at large? What does that mean on a small scale for me, my family, and my farm? I have been giving it thought while moving chicken coops, talking with the other farmers who work with me, and while working on this podcast episode.

I have come to a conclusion, one that will be shaped and developed in time. True sustainability is born from good community building. I do not believe in being completely self-sustainable. You will always rely on outside inputs of some kind. That does not have to be a bad thing. Even if I used no fossil fuels on the farm, grew everything I needed to live and feed my livestock, and produced enough solar energy to run my podcasting equipment I would still need money to pay for taxes and the things that I absolutely cannot produce here. That requires a community of people willing to support my effort of self-sustainability.

Camps Road Farm, the farm that I manage has a ways to go before I will consider it "very sustainable". Right now I have to buy in grain to feed my chickens, I run a tractor that uses diesel, and there are a other areas that I wish to improve upon and plan to in time (I just don't want to list them all and give you the wrong idea about my farm). While it's not perfect now, I know there's a goal that I am working towards and I make decisions every day that effect the long term outcome of the farm and its' impact on the world.

I'll give you the brewery we're starting as an example. I have a 1.4 acre hop yard on farm to service the brewery that we are also starting on the farm. That brewery is working with a local grain grower to supply grains. Those grains used for brewing will then be used as chicken feed. The manure from the chickens will go either directly onto the pasture where they live, or will be composted to feed the hops, which in turn are used in making beer.

There are three businesses in that example that benefit from supporting each other. Because (officially certified or not) we are all growing according to the organic methods so the earth benefits as well. The brewery grains will help me cut costs to make my business more viable, the brewery has great marketing from being part of a farm, and the grain farmer has consistent business from a production brewery. I love it!

At best, all we can do is strive toward our best interpretation on what it means to be sustainable. For me that is being a part of a community that is mutually supportive of each other's efforts. I work to create healthy soil, to create healthy food, and results in healthy people who then have the strength to go out and do good in the world.

Right click here to download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

Who put "organic" and "agriculture" together originally
How big organic agriculture's market share has grown in the last decade
Why, at some point you just need to make things happen!
The benefits of being a good listener
What the Rodale Institute has done for sustainable agriculture
The longest running field study in agriculture
How organic ag can "feed the world" just as well if not better than chemical or conventional ag

Interview with Coach Mark Smallwood, Executive Director at Rodale Institute

Coach’s professional experience has been dedicated to environmental sustainability, efficiency and conservation. Since joining Rodale Institute in December 2010, he has brought heritage livestock back to Rodale Institute’s 333-acre farm, expanded and enhanced Rodale Institute’s research efforts, as well as launched “Your 2 Cents,” a national campaign to support and promote new organic farmers.

Prior to joining Rodale Institute, Coach served as the Mid-Atlantic Green Mission Specialist and Local Forager at Whole Foods, where he was a 2010 National Award Winner for “Best Whole Foods Market Spokesperson.” While at Whole Foods, Coach initiated a composting and recycling program throughout the Mid-Atlantic region – an effort that resulted in an 80% diversion of waste from landfills. In recognition for his sustainability efforts, Coach was chosen as a messenger for Al Gore’s Climate Project presenting to over 15,000 people on the effects of Global Warming. Last, but certainly not least, as a long-time organic farmer and biodynamic gardener, Coach has raised chickens, goats, sheep, pigs, and driven a team of oxen. Given his array of experiences, Coach is uniquely suited to lead Rodale Institute.

Items mentioned in the farm podcast include:

Take aways:

How do your views shape the type of business you choose to work in?

What does "truly sustainable" mean to you?

Write you answers in the comment section below.

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Thanks for taking the time to listen in, and let me know what you think. You can leave a comment below, send me an e-mail, reach me on Facebook , or leave a 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

April 30, 2014

GFP047: Creating a marketing plan is easier than you think

April 30, 2014/ John

Everything goes smoother when you have a plan. There have been so many unplanned surprises on the farm this year that I am glad my marketing hasn't thrown me too many curve balls. I took the time initially to lay out what I needed to do to market my farm, and now I am executing that plan. I will admit that when I first sat down to create a marketing plan, I found the task to be a little daunting. My marketing plan got a little involved. That is in part because marketing takes a significant amount of effort, and in part because I wanted to focus on it for my How to Start A CSA project.

Once I got everything down on paper it felt good to have a plan of action. Since then I have found it invaluable as far as keeping me focused and on track. When the work on farm wears me down or seems overwhelming the last thing I want to do is to think about how I am going to sell my farm products to people. The only thing I can think about is playing with my daughter and having a beer before bed.

That being said, even on the tough days I have been making an effort to do something to market my farm every day and stick to my marketing plan.

Come to find out, there's more than one way to write a marketing plan. It doesn't have to be scary, it doesn't have to be long, it just has to exist and hit some important point. I brought today's guest on the show to share her expertise on creating a marketing plan specific to your farm.

Right click here to download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

How to create a one page marketing plan
What elements should be included in a good marketing plan
What each of those elements are and how to define them
What to do with your marketing plan once you have created it
What your plan can do for you
How to make the most out of a wholesale account

Interview with Myrna Greenfield of Good Egg Marketing

Good Egg Marketing is a Massachusetts-based business that specializes in promoting good food and good causes. Good Egg was hatched by Myrna Greenfield, a seasoned marketer with a passion for sharing good food, helping people, and making marketing fun.

A “good egg” is a phrase that is typically used to describe a “good person,” someone who likes to help others.

A good egg is also an egg that is safe to eat and tastes good. And any egg that deserves to be called good should also be humanely and sustainably produced. Good Egg Marketing aspires to be all of these things: helpful, safe, tasty (tasteful), humane and sustainable.

While Good Egg Marketing is particularly devoted to working with businesses and organizations that produce, provide or promote delicious, healthy, sustainable food for all, it offers services to anyone who is a good egg.

Good Egg clients are based in Massachusetts and nationally, and include farms and food enterprises, small businesses, nonprofits, and consultants. Founder and “Top Egg” Myrna Greenfield works with associates in graphic design, web development, video production, and social media to create effective, affordable marketing campaigns.

Greenfield was raised in the Chicago area and is now a proud resident of Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. She holds an MBA from Simmons School of Management.

Click to view Myrna's Sample Marketing Plan

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Take aways:

What have you been doing to market you farm?

Do you have a marketing plan? What direction does it point you in?

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Thanks for taking the time to listen in, and let me know what you think. You can leave a comment below, send me an e-mail, reach me on Facebook , or leave a 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show.

Blog

Primary:

Secondary:

Farm Website Posts on FMS:

Farm Email List Posts:

Other useful links:

Take aways:

Creating your broiler budget:

What things did I include in my budget?:

Labor costs:

Chicken feed costs:

Chicken processing:

How I raise my chickens:

What I hope to improve on in time:

Tips from the Field: Apple Orchard

What do the stakes come delivered as?

Painted or Unpainted Tree Stakes?

How do you put them in?

Where do you put them in relation to the apple tree?

Do you have anything to add? Please keep the conversation going in the comments below.

Updates to FMS:

Farm quote of the episode:

1. Spend more time with family

2. Get on top of my record keeping

3. Get better at outsourcing and delegation

In this farm podcast you will learn:

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Take the 12 Month Farmer Finances Challenge With Me

Take aways:

Farm quote of the episode:

In this farm podcast you will learn:

Interview with Robbie & Deena of Sweet Roots Farm

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Take aways:

Farm quote of the episode:

In this farm podcast you will learn:

Interview with Forrest Pritchard of Smith Meadows

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Take aways:

Farm quote of the episode:

In this farm podcast you will learn:

Interview with Nai de Gracia of Pamona College Farm

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Visual farm update:

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Our proud sponsor:

In this farm podcast you will learn:

Interview with Joel Slezak of Free Union Grass Farm

Items Mentioned in this farm podcast include:

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Farm quote of the episode:

How I topped my best Farmers' Market day for 100th the effort:

In this farm podcast you will learn:

Interview with Barry Labendz of Kent Falls Brewing Company

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Farm quote of the episode:

In this farm podcast you will learn:

Interview with Ruth Blackwell of Mud Creek Farm

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Take aways:

Farm quote of the episode:

One of the biggest factors that plays into crushing responsibility:

Three elements of good management:

1. Organization

2. Prioritization

3. Delegation

In this farm podcast you will learn:

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Visual farm update:

Quote of the episode:

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Interview with Liz Graznak of Happy Hollow Farm

Items mentioned in this farm podcast:

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What can you do now?

In this farm podcast you will learn:

Interview with Jacob Cowgill of Prairie Heritage Farm, Montana