GFP084: Starting a Farm Crawl

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There was a problem that I now had a farm stand, I did a lot of work to make my farm beautiful and accessible, but no one was showing up. How do you get people on your farm without breaking your marketing budget? The answer: Farm Crawl

A farm crawl is a one day event where multiple farms in the same area open their doors, hold tours, and cross-market each other to the benefit of all. Customers travel from farm to farm to see what the farms have to offer, get tours, meet the farmers where they work, and become more connected to their food.

My farm is off a back road that’s off a back road. There is no such thing as incidental traffic from someone just driving by. I needed to think of something that would draw people to let them know that I was back here. As usual when looking for inspiration I looked to the other farmers that I know. Ethan Book of Crooked Gap Farm has a great podcast where he talks about his farming journey. Some one those episodes mentioned a farm crawl and BOOM, inspired.

I borrowed the concept from listening to the Beginning Farmer Show with Ethan to start my own farm crawl. In this episode Ethan and I discuss my new farm crawl, his established farm crawl, and how both of them came to be.

 

In this farm podcast you will learn:

  • How setting up systems will make your life better

  • How to look for efficiencies on your farm

  • How to start your own Farm Crawl

  • My “first world problems” with getting a new computer

 

Interview with Ethan Book of Crooked Gap Farm


Ethan Book grew up on a quaint little street in Cedar Falls, Iowa playing with toy tractors on his bedroom floor and pretending to farm with his John Deere pedal tractor in the driveway.

Weekends were often spent on his dad’s farm or the farms of his uncles and extended family. As Ethan grew up his dreams of being a farmer faded a little bit, but never truly went away.

Ethan has pursued that dream of becoming a farmer and has done a great job of documenting his journey through his blog and podcast over at The Beginning Farmer. I am honored to call him a friend. Though we have never met in person I feel like I know so much about him through the stories he shares on his podcast, through his writing, and in conversations I have had with him “off air”.



Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:



Take aways:

How are you going to get people onto your farm?

What is one area on your farm that is in desparate need of increased efficiency?


Farmer quote of the episode:

“Computers are like Old testament gods; lots of rules and no mercy.” – Joseph Campbell

“Never trust a computer that you can’t throw out a window.”- Steve Wozniak

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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.

GFP083: 5 Lessons Learned On Farm This Year

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I know we have all learned a lot this year. There have been good times, there have been bad times, and everything in between. This farm podcast episode focuses on five lessons learned by one of the Farm Finance Challenge participants Jonathan Woodford of Sugarwood Acres.

  • Better record keeping is the key to success.

  • Things don’t always go according to plan.

  • It’s important to take time to help others.

  • Do what it takes to get the job done.

  • A farm is a wonderful place to raise a family.

 

What is my name?

Jonathan Woodford

What is the name of my farm?

SugarWood Acres

A brief description of my farm:

160 acre certified organic farm on which we produce hay, maple syrup, small amount of grain and corn. We raise couple beef and pork for meat.

Where is my farm located?

388 North Third St. West Farmington Ohio, 44491

What are my main operations?

In 2013, we ran a 700 bucket operation, increased to 1200 buckets for 2014. 2014 we sold small square bales, mostly for horse feed. We also did some large round bales, which sold for a beef operation. We bought two angus heifers to start a breeding stock. We have raised a couple feeder cows in our front yard for a few years prior. This year we started with three feeder pigs. For 2015, we are looking into expanding into bees, more feeder pigs, two dozen chickens and half dozen turkeys.

How big is my farm?

We have about hundred acres of fields and forty acres of woods. My wife and I both work at the local school. I farm to provide my family with food that we know where it comes from and how it was raised. I enjoy farming and try to make a little extra money while doing it.

How would I want people to contact me?

SugarWood Acres on Facebook

@SugarWoodAcres on Twitter

Why am I participating in the Farm Finance Challenge?

I started keeping track of hours spent collecting sap for the past two years. I try to start keeping track of tractor time but failed to do a good job at it. I have wanted to get a better idea of how much time we spend doing things and if we are making our time back in our sales.

What is one thing you are struggling with on your farm?

This year will be the first time doing farm taxes. I have no clue what to expect. I have a hard time pricing my products for sale.

What do you hope to get out of the Challenge by the end?

At the end of this challenge, I hope to have a better understanding of where I spend my time. I also will have a better idea of how much time and money it will cost me to run the farm.

 

Take aways:

How will better records effect your decision making?

How do you create those positive habits that will propel your farm forward?

 

Farm quote of the episode:

“Decisions are the hardest things to make. Especially when it is a choice between where you should be and where you want to be.” – Anonymous

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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.

GFP082: Managing Employees

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I am super pleased to bring Curtis Stone back on the show for another episode to talk all about managing the farm, employees, and growing more farmers for the future. We cover the nitty-gritty of harvesting information on farm and what to do with that information once you have it.

Managing employees can be one of the most emotional and difficult things you can do farming. Forget crop losses, acts of God, and poor markets, other humans have the potential to drive you insane like nothing else. I am finding however that there is a way to mitigate and even eliminate that stress. Data.

Data is the key to most things. Knowing where you’ve been, where you are at, and where you are going using cold hard data to drive your decision making.

Alright, so I have fun writing “cold hard data” because I’m sure I saw it in a movie once. I’m not a cold hard person. Far from it. I mean, have you seen my daughter Mabel? She turns me to mush every time I think of her. The problem I run into as a manager is that at times I need to be cold and hard and without concrete facts that can be very difficult to do.

However you do it, and for whatever reason, tracking things on your farm is critical to growing your business. I get asked all the time, “John, I want to start farming, where do I begin?” Begin by tracking your personal finances, budgeting for yourself, using a calendar to keep organized, and if you do all that go out and try to grow some stuff.

 

In this farm podcast you will learn:

  • Spreadsheets don’t have to be scary

  • Curtis’s three most used spreadsheets on farm

  • It’s good to dork out about data management

  • Using data to:

  • discovery market trends

  • sort out best practices

  • maintain a financial picture of your farm

 

Interview with Curtis Stone of Green City Acres

Before starting his urban farm in the fall of 2009, Curtis had absolutely no previous experience in farming or even gardening. Up until 2008, he had been living in Montreal, trying to make a go at being a working musician. It was many years ago, when he heard the old cliche, “if you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem”. That was a turning point for him in that he knew that it was important for us to be active participants in our society, rather than just being by-standers.

But it wasn’t until Curtis discovered Permaculture, while searching around on the internet for sustainable building methods, that it opened up a pandora’s box of information and inspiration for him. From there, he knew that he wanted to live in a way that was life affirming, not destructive. He left Montreal in March of 2008 to return to his home town of Kelowna, BC, to try and pursue this kind of life style. It was a bike tour down the west coast from Kelowna to San Diego in fall 2008 where he visited off-grid homesteads, eco villages, and urban farms, that inspired him to try to make a difference through his own actions.

Upon returning from the trip totally inspired and ready to do something involved in sustainable ag, but not exactly sure what yet, a friend of his directed him towards SPIN farming. The stars must have aligned at that movement because once Curtis discovered that there was a way to farm that required very little investment, no need to own land or heavy machinery, he was confident that he could do it. He spent the rest of the fall and winter of 2009 studying SPIN farming and various other gardening and farming books, and then decided to go for it. With a little bit of money saved from a 6 month season of tree-planting, he had everything he needed to start a farm.

After completing a successful and profitable first season in 2010, Curtis is a case study example that the methods taught in the SPIN farming models, are simple and easily transferable to anyone, including those who have no experience.

Through the off-season, Curtis works as public speaker on food related issues, and is a consultant for multiple community food projects throughout Kelowna. In September 2010 he was awarded ‘gardener of the year’ from the city of Kelowna’s Communities in Bloom.

 

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

 


Take aways:

Can you think of at least one stressor in your life that could have been solved by having better information?

Ever want to strangle an employee? Think about it. Was it actually your fault as a manager or theirs as a worker?


Farm quote of the episode:

“Efficiency is intelligent laziness.” – David Dunham

—

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.

GFP081: On The Shoulders of Giants

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What separates professionals from amateurs is experience. There’s no getting around experience. You can read all the books, watch all the videos, take all the classes, but until you try and do whatever it is you’re trying to do it’s all just theory. What I cannot help be be fixated on these days is tracking that experience, documenting it, so it is easier to learn from past experiences and work toward my holistic goals on farm.

“Standing on the shoulders of giants” means that you are picking up where someone else left off. Learning from their experiences and building your own. We live in an age where information is processed and passed along at lightning speed, why not take advantage of it and start to share some of your own?

There are two sets of “giants” in your life. The first are the farmers that came before you who have written books, made the videos, set the stage, and carved the path that we’re following now. Those include the people who are discussing what they are doing in real time much the way I am doing with Farm Marketing Solutions.

The second giant is YOU! You have the opportunity every day to gain experience and build on what you have already done. You don’t need to share your experiences with anyone else. Not everyone is comfortable with airing their dirty laundry for everyone to see. But internally, within your farm, you can take pictures, take notes, create records, and detail your actions so that at any time you can go back and see exactly how and why you did something.

You make the best decisions you can at the time based on the tools (which includes knowledge) you have at the time. Looking back and thinking “man I wished I had done that” is pointless. Instead look back and say, “man, I did that and it didn’t work out. Why? What can I do to improve?” Figure out how to improve, and then go do it! Take action! No more theory! Get out there and gain more experience and embrace failure as openly as you do success.

Thomas Edison is quoted as saying, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”

 

In this farm podcast you will learn:

  • the story of a guy who keeps trying

  • $75k on 1/3 of an acre farming

  • the benefits of being specialized

  • the necessity of being agile

  • how being organized can save time, money, and headaches

  • DATA, F-ING DATA

  • it’s ok to make mistakes

 

Interview with Curtis Stone of Green City Acres

Before starting his urban farm in the fall of 2009, Curtis had absolutely no previous experience in farming or even gardening. Up until 2008, he had been living in Montreal, trying to make a go at being a working musician. It was many years ago, when he heard the old cliche, “if you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem”. That was a turning point for him in that he knew that it was important for us to be active participants in our society, rather than just being by-standers.

But it wasn’t until Curtis discovered Permaculture, while searching around on the internet for sustainable building methods, that it opened up a pandora’s box of information and inspiration for him. From there, he knew that he wanted to live in a way that was life affirming, not destructive. He left Montreal in March of 2008 to return to his home town of Kelowna, BC, to try and pursue this kind of life style. It was a bike tour down the west coast from Kelowna to San Diego in fall 2008 where he visited off-grid homesteads, eco villages, and urban farms, that inspired him to try to make a difference through his own actions.

Upon returning from the trip totally inspired and ready to do something involved in sustainable ag, but not exactly sure what yet, a friend of his directed him towards SPIN farming. The stars must have aligned at that movement because once Curtis discovered that there was a way to farm that required very little investment, no need to own land or heavy machinery, he was confident that he could do it. He spent the rest of the fall and winter of 2009 studying SPIN farming and various other gardening and farming books, and then decided to go for it. With a little bit of money saved from a 6 month season of tree-planting, he had everything he needed to start a farm.

After completing a successful and profitable first season in 2010, Curtis is a case study example that the methods taught in the SPIN farming models, are simple and easily transferable to anyone, including those who have no experience.

Through the off-season, Curtis works as public speaker on food related issues, and is a consultant for multiple community food projects throughout Kelowna. In September 2010 he was awarded ‘gardener of the year’ from the city of Kelowna’s Communities in Bloom.


Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:


Take aways:

What are you doing to document and learn from your mistakes?

Are you making time on farm for record keeping? Is it enough time?


Farm quote of the episode:

“To achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan, and not quite enough time.” – Leonard Bernstein

—

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.

GFP080: Welcome Back

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Hello everyone! The podcast was on hiatus as we deal with the technical issues of a 3 year old website and podcast. Technologies change and I was unable to farm and keep on top of the changing times.

But that’s OK!

Because the Growing Farms Podcast is back. Back with the every other week schedule. Scott has a new day-job which is monopolizing his time so Farm Fantasy Camp is on hiatus until further notice.

In today’s show I go over what I’ve been up to on farm and with Farm Marketing Solutions as well.

 

Items Mentioned in Today’s Farm Podcast

 

Take aways:

If you had to pare-down to the minimum you needed to do to get by, what would that look like?

Is there anything you can take a break from in order to come back fresher?

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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 iniTunes if you liked the show.

FFC004: Lightbulbs

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Topics covered in this farm podcast:

  1. John & Scott do not like Skype

  2. Windows 10 might reinvent how we look at garbage

  3. John’s going on vacation, Scott too has gone on vacation

  4. Is there valor in working long hours?

  5. Hours Tracker App on iPhone for logging work hours

  6. Accepting that things will not be perfect

  7. How many things would fix themselves if I did not touch them?

  8. John uses an iPhone 6+ to shoot, edit, and upload videos

  9. Lower polish and increased iteration

  10. Adjusting what you grow to suit your needs and the needs of your market

  11. John goes camping in Canada

  12. Why take time off in the summer?

  13. Things are going to go wrong, and that is OK!

  14. John speaks nonsense…

  15. Mabel is the 4th generation going to this camp ground in the Suscovich family

  16. Sugar Island of the American Canoe Association

  17. Does camping losing its’ novelty when you live on a farm?

  18. Scott loves to take trees out of the ground, very exciting.

  19. Flame weeders are not sophisticated

  20. Work-life blend vs. work-life balance

  21. Finding work that you love makes everything easier (surprise)

  22. Four lightbulb theory: family, friends, work, health

  23. Getting to the core of why John & Scott work together

  24. John strokes his ego and thinks he’s super-human

  25. How easy is it to “check out” and quiet the chatter in your brain?

  26. The E-Myth Revisited

  27. Diego and Curtis on The Urban Farmer: Systems

  28. John recaps the Farm Crawl, it was a success

GFP079: How to Start a Hop Yard

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Topics covered in this farm podcast include:

  • Mistakes made when starting a hop yard

  • What hops are

  • How hops are grown

  • How many plants can you fit per acre for production

  • Sometimes there’s just no choice but to spray

  • Insight into the Craft Beer Industry’s effect on hop production

  • Where do you find good farming information

 

Interview with Geoff Keating of The Hop Yard

Geoff has spent the majority of his life as a Maine resident, leaving only to earn his bachelor in Communication and study the principles of marketing at colleges and universities in Vermont, New Hampshire and London England. He returned to Maine in his 20’s to co-found Level8 Design Studio, a design and development studio focused on innovative web solutions.

Beyond internet technologies, Geoff’s passion and curiosity has led him into the world of craft beer. Captured by the allure of beers intangible flavors, and retained by the continuous exploration of craft beers industry pioneers, Geoff has embedded himself into this exciting field.

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

 

Farm Quote of the Episode:

“The basic thing is that I want to do the best work possible, and I can only do that if I’m relaxed and have a lot of energy. And that can only come from taking time off.” – Jason Scott Lee

 

Take aways:

How can you help spread useful information for other farmers?

What mistakes have you learned from that you wish you knew when you were starting out?

 

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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 iniTunes if you liked the show.

FFC003: Talking Nonsense

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Topics covered in this farm podcast:

  1. Scott’s microphone is marginally improved, though slightly robotic

  2. John’s feelin’ good post-meltdown and the farm’s running smoothly

  3. Bears! A bear on the farm

  4. There are B.S. artists out there. Dr. Oz is one. The Food Babe is another

  5. The Food Babe makes some pretty outrageous claims

  6. John gets questions about “chicken hormones” at the market

  7. Among other things, worrying about food trends (e.g. uh oh, eggs are bad for you again) encouraged John to pay closer attention to food

  8. John read a book about how information spreads on the internet, Trust Me I’m Lying by Ryan Holiday

  9. Generating ad revenue from content tends to dilute credibility

  10. A portion of the internet runs on “Google University”

  11. John started Food Cyclist Farm as a result of reading about how approachable and profitable farming can be

  12. We think Joel Salatin is great…

  13. Poultry farming was tough, but it resulted in an opportunity to manage Camps Road Farm

  14. The “farming is easy” content seems to mostly homesteading-skewed

  15. Young people getting into farming use the blog posts and books as a means to convince them it’s easily achievable

  16. Call to action: share your story. Share your insights with the farming community

  17. YouTube has become the great source for how-to; a major change from 10 years ago

  18. Hacking/remix culture has been a great way to iteratively improve methods over time

GFP078: Commercial Kitchen on Farm

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Have you considered diversifying with a commercial kitchen?

Diversifying your farms’ offerings is always a good idea. Many of the guests who have been on this podcast have talked about it, and it is a large part of my business model. Have you considered diversifying with a commercial kitchen?

On today’s episode Laura McKinney of Riverbank Farm talks about how her kitchen got started. She also talks about life on farm, how she got started in AG, and where she sees it all going.

In this farm podcast you will learn:

  • triumphs and failures from an experienced farmer

  • pros and cons of starting a commercial kitchen on farm

  • good advice for farm apprentices

  • great advice for dealing with farm apprentices

  • perspective on why we toil

Riverbank Farm

Since colonial times, the farm has passed through the hands of four different families who raised crops and milked cows. Currently, Riverbank Farm grows a diversity of certified organic vegetables, cut flowers and hay. Nourished by the fertile bottomland soil of the Shepaug River, the farm uses no herbicides, synthetic fertilizers or synthetic pesticides.

Laura & David, Farm Owners

David Blyn founded Riverbank Farm twenty years ago and was joined by his wife, Laura, in 1996. David originally moved to the farm in 1989 in hopes of running a carpentry business. Although, the barn and house were in poor condition, David was drawn to the landscape and river bordering the farm and decided to call it home.

As David began to work on the barn, he also decided to grow a half acre of vegetables. The half acre increased each year until David began farming full time in 1991. He continued to farm on his own, jumping from tractor to tractor as he managed his small, diversified operation with old cultivating equipment and an array of farm machinery.

In the summer of 1996, while delivering produce during a full moon in Long Island, David met Laura. She had come east for the summer after finishing sustainable agriculture studies in Santa Cruz, CA. Laura knew she wanted to farm, but never anticipated being on the east coast. Their love for farming and each other blossomed into a bountiful farm.

Through hail storms, deer damage, late work nights, frosts, unpredictable weather patterns, and bug and weed outbreaks, they have learned to build a resilient farming operation and truly enjoy the harvest. They now have three children, Lily(8) and Alice(5) and Stella (2) who add love and laughter to each farm day. David and Laura believe that once you eat vegetables from the farm, the farm becomes part of you.

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

 

Take aways:

How can you add value to your unsold harvest?

Do you have an “apprentice guide” that you have new workers sign? Could save you a lot of headaches.

 

Farm quote of the episode:

“The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings.” – Masanobu Fukuoka

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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 iniTunes if you liked the show.

FFC002: I Call Shenanigans

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Topics covered in this farm podcast:

  1. Scott traveled to Iceland and Denmark

  2. John tailoring FMS to different situations than New England farming

  3. John disliking possessions/responsibilities as it relates to travel

  4. Scott taking stock of possessions while moving, realizing there’s very little

  5. Micromanagement and preventive measures to extend the life of possessions

  6. Having “your name on something” resulting in high standards

  7. Soylent follow-up: John had Soylent, Scott might not rebuy, case closed

  8. John’s getting a root canal, Scott hadn’t been to a dentist in a long while, Dr. Oppenheimer

  9. Mini excavators versus regular ones

  10. Dr. Oppenheimer wants some chickens

  11. We’re not yet very good at segues

  12. John’s still post-meltdown

  13. Recycling doesn’t matter? Sustainable farming doesn’t matter?

  14. Chipotle is great. Scott even had it three meals in a row

 Right click here to download the MP3

GFP077: Permaculture Voices

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What we are about at Permaculture Voices..

How can you change the world if you can’t make a living in the process?

It’s too common for people within the permaculture and sustainability movement to do work that they care about, but scrape by financially.

And the reality of that is, at the end of the day that type of lifestyle isn’t sustainable – the values are there, but the economics are not.

Can you make a living from a career that aligns with your values?

We believe you can.

Our mission at PV is to help people who embrace permaculture’s ethics to make a profitable and comfortable living doing work that aligns with who they are and what they stand for.

This means doing work that is financially profitable,and looking beyond the numbers to make sure that the work is environmentally, social, and emotionally profitable.  Think of it as whole systems business.  Without looking after each of these components the whole thing falls apart.

And we believe that when more people start doing that type of work, then we change the world.

We are at a point in time where there is a lot wrong out there. And we can either complain about it and accept it and live with it, or we can step out of our comfort zone and change it.

Permaculture Voices is a catalyst for that change.

Many times that change comes in the form of business. Whether we work for someone else or for ourselves we spend a huge part of our lives doing work.

Does that work matter? Does the world care about your work? And more importantly do you care about your work?

On the flipside, are you doing work that matters to you, but is it financially sustainable? Not just now, but into the future. Will the work that you love support the life that you want to live?

These are important questions to ask, and difficult questions to answer. We are here to help you with that process.

We want to see you align your work with your values and grow your business, revenue and impact so your life both purposeful and sustainable.

diego footer

diego footer

It’s totally possible.

Stick around for a while and you will hear the real stories of people out there doing it.

Cheers,

Diego

Founder & Head Story Teller

 Right-click here to download the MP3

In This Farm Podcast You Will Learn

  • Ideas evolve, keep them in check

  • "Behind the Scenes" of Permaculture Voices

  • "You are not going to achieve great things flying close to the middle."- Diego Footer

Resources Mentioned in This Farm Podcast

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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.

FFC001: Farm Fantasy Camp

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The Growing Farms Podcast was started to share my journey into agriculture. Like most journeys this one has been made more enjoyable by sharing it with others. One of the people I share my agriculture experiences with is my good friend and business partner Scott.

In this every other week podcast series we talk about the kind of things that come up when one friend lives in the City and the other in the Country. Scott works in advertising in New York City and I manage a 52 acre farm in Connecticut. The dichotomy of our lifestyles is married with our shared values for a better world.

This is an experiment for us without a clear ending. We are counting on you, the listening audience, to provide feedback, share your stories, and if nothing else enjoy being a fly on the wall for a conversation between two good friends who are trying to make sense of what it all means.

If you have opinions about the show or would like us to cover a specific topic please let us know in the comment section below.

Links mentioned in this podcast:

GFP076: Burnout Follow Up

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Losing your sh** is not an easy thing to talk about. No one is really proud of not being able to keep it together under pressure, yet as small business owners it is something we all go through.

While I do not feel comfortable being this open and vulnerable (yeah, even me) I think that it is an important topic to merit a few episodes about the different elements of why burnout happens. I am bringing on some guests to discuss the topic and we'll keep it light.

There is a community that has formed around Farm Marketing Solutions of honest hard-working people. You are literally and figuratively out in the weeds just as I am, and you know what it is like to be in my shoes.

Right click here to download the MP3

In this farm podcast episode you will learn:

  • Contributing factors to burnout

  • What to do if you feel yourself in the "tornado of negativity"

  • How deep the politics can go at a farmers' market

  • How Humble Hill Farm has developed over 15 years

Interview with Courtney Sullivan of Humble Hill Farm

courtney-sullivan-humble-hill-farm.jpg

Humble Hill Farm is a family-run farm in New York’s beautiful Finger Lakes region, close to Ithaca.

For almost 15 years we’ve been growing flavorful food which is totally free from pesticide residues.

We passionately practice sustainable agriculture by relying only on natural methods to increase our soil fertility and never use chemical fertilizers.

We offer affordable accommodations in the hills of Spencer, just 18 miles south of Ithaca, NY. In less than 30 min you can trade the constant construction, traffic and heat of the city for a peaceful stay in the country.

Humble Hill Lodge is one of the Ithaca area’s longest running culinary agri-tourism destinations.

Fuel up with our delicious breakfasts made from farm fresh foods. If you have special dietary needs or preferences please let us know in advance so we can meet your needs with excellence.

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

That's right, you have the opportunity to support and sponsor the podcast. Patreon is like a recurring KickStarter where you donate $1-3 per episode that I publish. That way it is a little easier for me to keep generating content which makes everyone happy.

How do you do it?

  1. Visit the FMS Patreon Page

  2. Create an account

  3. Choose to donate either $1 or $3 per episode

  4. Walk through the rest of the set-up (it's easy)

  5. Wait for me to publish new episodes

By supporting me on a per-episode basis it encourages me to create more of the shows you have come to enjoy. By having flexible support options (like putting a monthly cap on your donations) it keeps me from abusing our relationship. That, and you can quit any time.

Scott and I plan on maxing out at a once a week podcast to ensure we keep the quality up and to make sure we do not detract from the farm. That's 4 episodes a month tops.

You support will:

  • Pay my hosting fees

  • Help me repair my equipment

  • Help me purchase new equipment to produce better content

  • Compensate me (and Scott) for the many hours we commit to serving you

  • Help to keep the content free for those who need it but cannot afford it (farming is a tough gig)

Take Aways:

What repetitive stress injuries, physical or mental, can you avoid with a slight shift in your work or mindset?

When is the last time you took time for yourself?

Farm quote of the episode:

You can do anything as long as you have the passion, the drive, the focus, and the support." - Sabrina Bryan

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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.

GFP075: My Big Meltdown

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This was a tough podcast episode for me to publish. I have been dealing with burn out lately and that has lead to depression. I am definitely not the only person to have run a small business and have experienced this. There are high highs and low lows when it comes to small business management and farming is perhaps worse than most.

I wanted to share this story, as vulnerable as it makes me feel because:

  • This is the stuff you will not find in any text books

  • I'm not the only one going through this right now

  • If you get into agriculture there is a very good chance you will go through this

  • You have my support

Right-click here to download the MP3

Please Do Not Worry

Yes, I have felt lower than I ever have in my life. And no, it's not over yet. I am actively working on changing my mindset and getting myself emotionally back on track. I have already instituted changes that have had a positive effect on my well being.

The day this publishes is a day off for me. Something that I really haven't let myself have this year. I am sleeping in, the farm is covered, and I am going to take it easy.

As low as I felt it never reached complete rock bottom. I am coming back up for air a little quicker than I imagined. I am definitely able to put on a happy face when I need to and part of the vulnerability I feel is the people close to me finding out. But trust me, I'm going to be fine. I just need a readjustment of my goals, my perspective, and my work load.

This All Ends Positively

Most people would not have known about this if I had not said anything. I am only sharing because I have fully embraced transparency with Farm Marketing Solutions. This is my case study of my journey through agriculture. It would not be complete without the lows as well as the highs.

The beautiful part of all of this is that I have an amazing support system. Thanks especially to Kate.

The next podcast episode will be back on track and all positive, I can already feel it. Scott and I have some great stuff in store for the coming months and we are planning to implement them in a way that does not add to my work load. In fact, the new stuff we're going to roll out actually decreases my workload if you'll believe that.

Both on farm and on Farm Marketing Solutions I am regrouping, getting focused, and spending time working on me.

Quote of the episode:

"Success is not to be pursued; it is to be attracted by the person you become." - Jim Rohn

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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.

GFP074: Farmers Using Instagram

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Is social media all it's cracked up to be? It is still working for some and yet, not for others. I speak with one farmer in this podcast episode who is gaining some attention through his efforts in Social Media. I have found that in particular I have been unhappy with Facebook as a platform. You have to pay to get people to like your page, then, if you have a post that is popular or you want people to see you have to pay to reach all of your "fans". These are people who have liked you page and would like to see your update show up on their home page.

In the end I'm calling shenanigans on the lot of it. Yes, it is still useful, but I have a feeling that we're in for a big shit in how people are using the internet. For me, that shift is going back to a time before Social Media. I am narrowing my scope and my efforts this year not to try and capture everyone on every platform, but to deliver a lot of value on the platforms that I remain active on.

Right click here to download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

  • My opinion on the current state of Social Media

  • What hashtags are

    • How to find them

    • How to use them to get discovered

    • What Instagram take-overs are and how they are good for all involved

    • The benefits a smartphone can bring to the farm

Interview with Colby Layton of Sandia Pastured Meats

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Howdy!

I am Colby.  On the 14th of May, I took over as the full time Farm Manager and the President of the business.

It was outside of the middle of nowhere on a warm day in the midst of the watermelon ripening season  when I was born to a cotton farming family.  Later we then moved to the city where I attended high school learning that people talk back to the teachers and other enlightening aspects of the city.  Before senior year, I enlisted as a medic in the Army and attended basic training with the medic training occurring between high school and college.  Coming from the farm and being in the military influenced my collegiate school choice.  From Texas A&M I gathered a baccalaureate degree in Animal Science, an Army commission in the Medical Services Corps branch, and a wife whom you will meet below.

After Texas A&M, Kelly and I moved to the employ of Sandia Agricultural Enterprises, Inc.  SAEI was a dairy milking purebred Jersey cattle.  This land and family was a part of the former "World's Largest Jersey Dairy, the Knolle farms.  From this chapter in our lives, we determined that we would need to have a career change in order for us to obtain our own piece of the pastoral lifestyle.   In order to achieve this lifestyle, I earned my doctorate in microbiology from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.  With this new piece of paper in hand, our first child, as well as a tour in Iraq during OIF I & II, we moved to New Mexico where I performed research in biodefense areas.  This research moved us to a position in Kansas City, MO.

During our first moths in KC, we searched a 60 mile radius from downtown for a large tract of land.  Our criteria included a small home, outbuildings, fencing, and a nearby country church.  We also talked with the extension agencies in both Missouri and Kansas.  From these talks and the information provided we concluded that our dream of a commodity-cattle-ranch was not feasible for us with having only limited capital.  We then reduced our land size requirements and found the place we now reside, our home.

While settling into our home, we began to learn more about nontraditional, non-commodity ways of agriculture which were not included in our formal nor in our experiential education.  We are now practicing beyond organic, natural animal stewardship to directly bring you the nutritious products you deserve.

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Take Aways:

What ways are you approaching farm marketing this season?

What do you think of Social Media and has it had an impact on your farm?

Farm Quote of the Episode:

"There is no passion to be found playing small in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living." - Nelson Mandela

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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.

GFP073: How to Start A Slaughter House

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Imagine that you built a business that relied on someone else doing their job well in order to properly satisfy and impress your customers. Sounds like a lot of small businesses right? Now imagine that you lost that important connection and you are suddenly up a creek without a paddle. There are people in this world more brave than I am who are willing to take a seriously leap of faith and take control of the critical step in their business. One of those people is my guest on the show today. She saw that her business relied too heavily on outside resources, and not only that, she was paying a lot of money to those sources as well.

She took matters into her own hands when she decided to start her own on farm slaughterhouse or abattoir.

Right click here to download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

  • To "go big or go home"

  • What it means to "go big"

  • What vertical integration can do for your farm

  • What happens when you keep hearing "yes"

Interview with Kate Stillman of Stillman's At The Turkey Farm

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kate stillman

Kate quite literally grew up in the business of farming- helping on her parents veggie and her grandparents dairy farms- she learned early to embrace her farming roots and hone her skills as an entrepreneur, caretaker, manager, vet, sales person -even undertaker- she has managed to leave no stone unturned.

Kate attended the University of Massachusetts, today she farms her two properties with her sons Trace and Jaide. (They have a little ways to go before they approach helpful!).

Kate has successfully brought Stillman’s at the Turkey Farm to Stillman Quality Meats- developing am extensive CSA network, and creating a vibrant farmers market system.

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Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Farm quote of the episode:

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Take aways:

What is one thing you currently out-source that is crucial for your business? Would it make sense to take that task over yourself?

If you took no this new project, what would it mean for your farm?

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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.

GFP072: Proper Farm Planning Makes All The Difference

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Does it feel like sometimes you want to just not have a plan? If you don't have a plan then nothing can go wrong, right? Let me tell you, it is that time spent planning that helps you figure out what is going to wrong and how you will be able to handle it when things take a turn. Without my planning time and the time spent researching and organizing I would be a total wreck right now. My farm plans for the year have completely been turned on their heads several times already and we're only not just about to get into May.

Today I interview two farmers from my area that are taking their planning and analysis to make some very positive changes on their farm. I'm even going to cut the text short today and really encourage you to listen to what Paul and Rebecca have to say.

 

In this farm podcast you will learn:

  • Analyzing what your farm goals are

  • How farming kicks your butt every year

  • How farming is a business if you want to make a living off it (I know that seems obvious, but trust me)

  • How the CSA model can end up costing you (the farmer) a lot of money

Interview with Paul and Rebecca of Fort Hill Farm

Paul Bucciaglia

Like many small-scale, direct market farmers, Paul did not grow up on a farm. He grew up gardening at the family home in Naugatuc, CT, and studied agriculture at Penn State University and plant biology at the University of Minnesota. After spending time in mid 1990s working with Paul and Chris Burkhouse on their operation, Foxtail Farm, just northeast of the Twin Cities, Paul decided to leave the laboratory and explore small scale organic farming.

In 1999, Paul returned to New England to apprentice at  Brookfield Farm CSA in Massachusetts, and later mangaged Holcomb Farm CSA in Granby, CT. After two successful seasons at Holcomb, Paul had a clear vision of what his own farm would look like. In the fall of 2002, Paul moved to New Milford and plowed the first four acres of what would become Fort Hill Farm on the sandy soils of the Sunny Valley Preserve.

Now, after many years of cultivation and the hard work of friends and family, Paul and Rebecca continue to work the land with the help of a talented crew of aspiring farmers and workers.

Rebecca Batchie

Rebecca came to farming through her combined love of plants and food. She trained in horticulture at Stonecrop Gardens in Cold Spring, NY, and then ran her own horticultural business for 10 years. During that time, she became increasingly drawn to vegetable crops and spent much of her time designing, building, and growing vegetable gardens.

Farming was a natural transition for Rebecca. She worked summers with Paul while earning a degree in Critical Social Thought at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, MA. After graduating in 2011, she joined Paul in running Fort Hill Farm. She and Paul joyfully welcomed their son, Luca, into their lives in July of 2013. In her “spare time,” she enjoys hiking, sourdough bread baking, photography, spiritual practice, traveling, and (in her next life), cheese making and fiber arts.

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Take aways:

Are you giving away too much on your farm?

What is one thing you could track better to make your farm more efficient?

Farm Quote of the Episode:

"Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort." - Paul J. Meyer

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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.

Honest and Open Marketing

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honest farm marketing sheep It just so happens that I really love the marketing and business side of farming. Well, I love the marketing side at least. Some of the business stuff I struggle with (here's looking at you small town zoning regulations). Whether it is social media, traditional printed materials, attending events, updating my website and keeping a blog, or just randomly walking around town kissing babies, I've tried it all.

Through all of it, and in conversation with at least dozens of farms all over the country, I have found one thing that is by far the most successful strategy. It also happens to work on every single marketing platform that you might want to choose.

 

Honest, Open, and Transparent Farm Marketing

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At Camps Road Farm we are "customer certified". Being the only show in town for pastured poultry and being one of the bigger pastured egg producers in the area we get a fair amount of attention and loads of questions. When a customer comes up and starts talking chicken we are very open about all of our management practices, as well as everything else, and it is working.

Our doors are open to the public all the time (though now establishing some more official "open hours" just because people keep interrupting my dinner with Kate and Mabel). At any given time I will get someone new on farm and I take the time to give them a tour and explain how it all happens. If they like it they usually make a purchase, at least to try it. If they don't like my practices then we have a chance for conversation as to why they don't like it.

This sort of open door policy establishes a relationship of trust between you and the customer that has a lot of value to the both of you. For you it creates a relationship where that person will most likely become a repeat customer because what you are doing is (hopefully) the best option in town. For the customer, they know you're not a slimy used-car salesman trying to pull one over on them.

 

Know the Facts

It is your job as a producer to know all the facts about your industry. That's a big undertaking, but it's important to be good at what you do. You may have read someone on a blog somewhere saying this or that about how food is grown, or you found someone else's marketing language that you liked and might work for you, but take the time to ask why that person is making that claim, and if indeed that claim is substantiated. Remember that anyone can say anything on the internet, and it's not always true. (Did I just invalidate myself with that last sentence? I don't think so.)

This example focuses on chickens because I love chickens, but having the facts applies to any operation.

 

Hormones in Chicken

Here's my semi-scientific take on hormones in chickens. Please do your own research.

Growth hormones are a protein. Your digestive enzymes break down proteins in your gut, just they way they do for other livestock. If you put growth hormones in feed then the animal will just digest it and poop it out.

To be effective you have to inject the hormones into the blood stream. Plausible if you are running a dairy and you handle each individual cow on a regular basis. Hormones are injected under the skin and are gradually absorbed in the blood stream.

Now say you have chicken house with 40,000 chickens in it. Who do you think is going out with a little syringe and injecting 40,000 chickens with hormones every day? I'm pretty sure no one. Growth hormones don't work in industrial chicken farming.

So advertising a small chicken farm model that "has no hormones" is kind of schenanigans. So don't do it. Instead focus on what you are doing that is benefitting the health and welfare of your birds.

When asked if my birds are given any hormones I typically respond with, "No, and no chicken is. But let me tell you about their life on pasture..." If the customer digs deeper then we have more conversation.

This comparative conversation brings up another good point.

 

Focus on Yourself

I initially started this post because of a new chicken-based product I found on the internet that is complete and utter bullsh**. I'm not going to directly reference it or link to it as I am not in the business of throwing anyone else under the bus and it would be hypocritical of me based on what I'm about to say.

Yes, there are some deplorable things that come out of our food system. Honestly, we all see it, and we hear about it a lot. If a customer has found you at a farmers' market or is coming to your farm it stands to reason that they have heard about it all already. Why bring it up?

I do not believe in building a business based on the perceived negatives of someone else's practices. Yes that can be a reason to do what you do, to provide an alternative, but there's no need to highlight what you believe to be a bad way to raise an animal or vegetable. Guess what, that person believes what they are doing it right, and who are you to judge? There's probably stuff you're doing that is pure schenanigans too.

Instead of your marketing saying "Buy our stuff because that guy is gross", focus instead on "Buy our stuff because we are awesome, and here's why..."

Right now there is a place in the market for eveyone. Organic and conventional, large and small. Who am I to say that someone else should or should not be in business? The market will decide that. Instead of focusing on the negative, focus on the positive and let your customers decide whether they want to buy from you or not.

GFP070: Multiple Income Streams From One Product

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It is not the small farm's place to count on the grain elevator to set the prices. It is our job to go out, market out products in new and creative ways, and hustle in a way that sees out small businesses succeed (hopefully). This is a topic that I've covered in previous podcasts but since I am currently and constantly refining it, I feel it needs revisiting. I also have a guest on the show who is diversifying her farm not only in production but in marketing as a way to deal with the swings in the market.

Weather, global economies, local economies, food trends, etc... can effect how your farm products are selling. If you put all your eggs in one basket you will be in big trouble if that basket falls. If you build variety in to how your business is supported the likelihood that you will be able to weather a storm increases.

Right click here to download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

  • Tips for what to look for when finding land

  • One way to design and layout a farm

  • How to bring educational value to your apprentices and why.

  • The benefits of small farm diversity

Interview with Emily of Anderson Acres Farm

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Anderson Acres is located just around "the block" from me here in Kent, CT. Along with us they are participating in the CRAFT program that we have here in Western CT.

CRAFT stands for Collaborative Regional Alliane for Farmer Training

The goal of CRAFT is to promote:

  • Training of farm workers and apprentices in the craft of small scale agriculture and horticulture with emphasis on food production.

  • Exchange of ideas among farm people.

  • Community of farmers, farm workers, and others who are interested in local agriculture.

Over 2015 I will be interviewing different CRAFT farmers from my area to support the CRAFT program.

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

Take aways:

Are you covered if one of your sales channels runs dry?

What creative ways can you grow your business?

Farm quote of the episode:

"A friend is one who knows you and loves you just the same." - Elbert Hubbard

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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.

GFP069: Farm Education Programs, What You Need To Know

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Information, like matter, cannot be created or destroyed, just changed. Even the most creative works are just the imaginative reworkings of some artists mind. All of our thoughts are distillations of our life experiences. Knowing that, how would you feel if you knew you had the chance to influence the thought patterns of others with your work in sustainable agriculture. I know how I'd feel, pretty darn cool!

Today's podcast guest is a farm educator who has accomplished some pretty amazing things in his area of the world. In this podcast episode he and I talk about motivations for bringing kids on farm, opening your farm up to the public, and weaving an educational element into farm life. Farm life in and of itself is an education. I know that I learn something new every day.  I am now excited that I can share those experiences with others.

Right click here to download the MP3

In this farm podcast you will learn:

  • How an educational background and a love of farming can bloom into a successful farm education program

  • How bringing kids back for repeat visits keeps them engaged

  • What the most popular activities are on farm for kids

  • How you can work with schools to bring farming to the kids

Interview with John Belber of Holly Hill Farm

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It was great talking to John for the interview. He has done some amazing things as part of the crew over at Holly Hill Farm.

Holly Hill Farm is an organic farm located 25 miles southeast of Boston in the beautiful coastal town of Cohasset MA and has been in the White family for 5 generations. The Farm consists of 140 acres of land which includes 10 acres of open fields of which 3 acres are growing fields, historic buildings, greenhouses and diversified natural areas for educational purposes. We grow organic vegetables, herbs and flowers that are sold at our Farm Stand, at the Cohasset Farmers Market, and to select restaurants. Seedlings are sold at our annual plant sales.

Friends of Holly Hill Farm, is a non-profit educational organization that uses the Farm as its outdoor classroom. Hands-on education programs for children and adults teach the importance of food grown organically – to us and to the environment. We also design curriculum, partner with area schools, and conduct programs for local community organizations.

Items mentioned in this farm podcast include:

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Take aways:

When you think to how your actions today are going to effect the future, are you inspired to start educating others?

In what way would you farm benefit from trying out some sort of educational programs?

Farm quote of the episode:

"An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." - Benjamin Franklin

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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.