Stay ConnectedInsights for vegetable farmers and market gardeners who earn, or want to earn, a living growing vegetables profitably.
In each episode, I talk with a beginning or experienced farmer, diving deep into their story to find out what makes their market farm successful. I focus on in-the-field farming. Soil preparation, weed management, post-harvest processing, appropriate technology, farm tools and equipment, and growing crops.
Hosted and produced by Diego Footer’s Modern Grower Podcast Network.
Copyright: © Modern Grower
In this episode, host Diego and farmer Alec talk about Alec's experience selling at their local farmer's market 10 weekends in. They also break down the potential reasons for the underwhelming sales in their market, as well as Alec's strategies to adapt and reach their sales goals.
Get time and labor-saving farm tools at shop.modern grower.co
Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:
Check out Diego's book, Sell Everything You Grow, which is only $0.99 on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Sell-Everything-You-Grow-Homestead-ebook/dp/B0CJC9NTZF
In this episode, host Diego and farmer Alec welcome a special guest, Alec's wife, Sarah, to talk about what it's like to be part of a family that's starting a farm business. She shares her experience balancing family life and supporting the farming venture while running her own business, as well as the challenges and expectations of running a new farm.
Get time and labor-saving farm tools at shop.modern grower.co
Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:
Check out Diego's book, Sell Everything You Grow, which is only $0.99 on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Sell-Everything-You-Grow-Homestead-ebook/dp/B0CJC9NTZF
Catch returning guest microgreens grower Vincent Cuneo of Agrarian Feast to share how his business has fared since it began in 2018.
Vincent details his strategy of partnering with grocers and supermarkets, which helped cushion the impact of the restaurant industry's downturn. He talks about diversifying into specialty mushrooms and underscores the importance of producing high-quality products. Key topics include inventory management, product pricing strategies, effective marketing, and maintaining strong packaging. The episode also offers practical advice for starting a microgreens business, emphasizing consistent practice, business knowledge, and market research, with a suggestion to initially test market demand on a small scale.
Get time and labor-saving farm tools and microgreen seeds at shop.modern grower.co
Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:
Check out Diego's book Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Sell-Everything-You-Grow-Homestead-ebook/dp/B0CJC9NTZF
In this episode, farmer Alec and host Diego talk about running a farm business when something unexpected happens—maybe you get crazy weather events, maybe you get crop failure, or maybe your farmer's market shuts down on short notice. What do you do to minimize the losses in the business? Farmer Alec shares his experience pivoting from his farmer's market after they announced a cancelled weekend in less than 48 hours.
Get time and labor-saving farm tools at shop.modern grower.co
Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:
Check out Diego's book, Sell Everything You Grow, which is only $0.99 on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Sell-Everything-You-Grow-Homestead-ebook/dp/B0CJC9NTZF
In this episode, host Diego and Farmer Alec talk about farming in transitioning seasons. Farmer Alec talks about the difference between growing his usual crops in the spring versus in the summer and the challenges that go along the changing seasons. They also touch on hypotheticals around farm expansion and using tools to improve efficiency on the farm.
Get time and labor-saving farm tools at shop.modern grower.co
Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:
Check out Diego's book, Sell Everything You Grow, which is only $0.99 on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Sell-Everything-You-Grow-Homestead-ebook/dp/B0CJC9NTZF
In this episode, host Diego and farmer Alec take a look at how his first month at the farmer's market went after it kicked off well at opening week. Farmer Alec talks about how the following weeks went, his thoughts on the fluctuating sales, and what he plans to do next should he ever need to bolster sales for the farm.
Get time and labor-saving farm tools at shop.modern grower.co
Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:
Check out Diego's book, Sell Everything You Grow, which is only $0.99 on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Sell-Everything-You-Grow-Homestead-ebook/dp/B0CJC9NTZF
In this episode, host Diego and farmer Alec dive into Alec's journey of pulling back from his full-time job at Crystal Organic Farm and transitioning into part-time work to make more time to focus on his own business. They take a look at what going part-time has allowed him to do and what he plans to do with the extra time, and they even talk about Alec bringing on additional help.
Get time and labor-saving farm tools at shop.modern grower.co
Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:
Check out Diego's book, Sell Everything You Grow, which is only $0.99 on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Sell-Everything-You-Grow-Homestead-ebook/dp/B0CJC9NTZF
Jackie Hinchey, who has a background in agriculture, transitioned from a mom with a simple veggie garden to establishing Blue Dog Farm, known for its premium 'really fancy salad.' Initially started as a hobby, her farm grew into a successful business.
Jackie discusses growing diverse crops on a small scale, ensuring high product quality, managing the business efficiently, and adapting to challenges, including climatic conditions. They delve into pricing strategies, market targeting, and maintaining ethical and high-quality food production. The conversation concludes with reflections on life choices, the impacts of the podcast on Jackie's journey, and advice for both young and older aspiring farmers.
Blue Dog Farm: https://www.instagram.com/blue_dog_farm
Get time and labor-saving farm tools and microgreen seeds at shop.modern grower.co
Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:
Check out Diego's book Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Sell-Everything-You-Grow-Homestead-ebook/dp/B0CJC9NTZF
In this episode, host Diego and farmer Alec welcome Chaz Daughtry of Sweetwater Farms in Houston, Texas to the show to talk about selling to chefs, dealing with crop planning, and selling to multiple markets. Chaz also shares his experience building a value-added shelf-stable brand that works in parallel with the farm business.
Get time and labor-saving farm tools at shop.modern grower.co
Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:
Check out Diego's book, Sell Everything You Grow, which is only $0.99 on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Sell-Everything-You-Grow-Homestead-ebook/dp/B0CJC9NTZF
In this episode, Diego and Alec break down Farmer Alec's second farmer's market of the season: the difference in the crowd of marketgoers between the first and second weeks, the adjustments Farmer Alec made in his products and bundles, and the sales he made that week. They also dive into his product offering in the coming weeks, as well as other changes he'll be making moving forward.
Connect with Alec: https://www.instagram.com/cropculturefarm/
Get time and labor-saving farm tools at shop.modern grower.co
Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:
Check out Diego's book, Sell Everything You Grow, which is only $0.99 on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Sell-Everything-You-Grow-Homestead-ebook/dp/B0CJC9NTZF
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