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
Today farmer Taylor Rogers talks about how he started his farm and sells to restaurants - his primary market. He currently grows of 20 different crops, and it's that variety that has been one of the keys to his success. In this episode he'll also talk about some of the other things that have made him successful such as growing what chefs want, how they want it, and bringing it when you say you're going to bring it. All keys to his current success and keys he learned before he even got into farming when he saw these problems first hand working behind the scenes in the kitchen. Taylor's going to share a lot of information and insight in this one about working with chefs.
Listen to past episodes at: https://www.paperpot.co/podcast
Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/
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Today is another episode where Curtis and I will be widening the scope, stepping back and zooming out from the tools and techniques and his 1/3 of an acre farm, to take a look at some of the macro issues surrounding agriculture. The focus today is on employees. Curtis will take about his thoughts on hiring employees, and what he looks for in employees. We'll also get into some of the complications that having employees bring to a business owner and what other options other than hiring someone are available.
Listen to past episodes at: https://www.paperpot.co/podcast
Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/
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When you start your farm business, one think that you need to think about is your business structure.
Sole proprietorships and LLCs are common ways to go, but there are also other options, like co-operatives...
That's how farmer Chris Thoreau of Food Pedalers structure his business, and that's the subject of today's show...
Today I'm going up to Vancouver to talk to microgreen farmer Chris Thoreau about a topic that you don't hear discussed a lot in small scale farming circles - how he organized his business..
Chris initially started his business as a sole proprietor, but as he began to grow, both in the size of the business and the amount of people working in the business, he realized he needed to change that.
After looking at all of the options, Chris decided that he wanted to do something different, something that went more against the status quo, and something that was equitable for everyone involved - so Chris organized his business as a co-operative.
It's an interesting business structure and it's one that most people wouldn't think of when organizing their business.
If your business is growing, or if you are thinking about expanding your team, then a coop structure might make sense for you...
Today Chris will talk about why he chose that structure, the advantages and disadvantages of it, and what it takes to have a successful member-owner business.
Chris's online course Growing Your Profitable Microgreens Business http://bit.ly/learntogrowmicrogreens
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This week I'll pick up where last week left off with market gardener Ray Tyler of Rosecreek Farms.
While last week's episode was more inspiration, this week's more of the perspiration side of things as Ray talks about some of his production methods and big changes that he made turn go from grossing $35,000 in 2015 to $120,000 in 2016 on less land.
Ray's going to go talk about some of the big changes that made that huge increase in gross sales possible.
He'll also get into how he controls weeds on the farm, and how he established a market for his product early on given that he only lives in a town of 2000 people.
Today it's all about production and sales, with Ray Tyler of Rosecreek Farms in Selmer, TN.
Listen to past episodes at: https://www.paperpot.co/podcast
Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/
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From laid off and in debt to grossing $120,000 on one acre. Ray started out like a lot of people who get into farming, he was inspired by to get into farming by Joel Salatin's You Can farm... He started raising livestock, and then life got real... Imagine yourself as a new farmer running a full time livestock operation raising 50 pigs and a few thousand chickens a year. And then imagine running a two acre market garden on top of that... And along the way the, your 5 year old daughter gets caner... It was a moment that put Ray's farm and life on the ropes... it's the story of Ray Tyler or Rosecreek Farms.
Listen to past episodes at: https://www.paperpot.co/podcast
Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/
Follow PaperpotCo on Instagram: http://bit.ly/2B45VKQ
Today, we are going to start out by taking a look at interns and farms. What's good, what's bad, and what could be improved upon.
It's an issue that's really relevant and timely, because it's one that Curtis is dealing with right now, doing something that I never, ever, thought he would do, get an intern.
Let's find out why, in this episode of The Urban Farmer.
Listen to past episodes at: https://www.paperpot.co/podcast
Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/
Follow PaperpotCo on Instagram: http://bit.ly/2B45VKQ
Today I will be talking with someone who likely inspired many of you to get into farming, to consider farming, or to farm better, not bigger.
I'll be talking to market gardener, Jean-Martin Fortier.
We'll start out talking about his days before he farmed and how he figured out exactly who Jean-Martin Fortier was and what he was about. And we'll end up in the fields talking about something that still gets JM excited today, the soil.
Growing Your Microgreens Business Course with Chris Thoreau: http://www.permaculturevoices.com/microgreens
Listen to past episodes at: https://www.paperpot.co/podcast
Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/
Follow PaperpotCo on Instagram: http://bit.ly/2B45VKQ
When you think about what your selling, don't forget that what you are selling isn't just what's in the cooler behind your booth.
You're selling yourself, your story, and the role that you play in a bigger movement; all intangible assets that can allow you to succeed without having a diversity of products.
But if you want to grow, and you don't have more products to sell to customers, then you need to find more customers, and that likely means diversifying beyond the farmers market.
That's the subject of today's show where farmers market is one of the market streams that we dig into as Chris talks about his experiences selling to a diversity of market streams without a diversity of crops.
Growing Your Microgreens Business Course with Chris Thoreau: http://www.permaculturevoices.com/microgreens
Listen to past episodes at: https://www.paperpot.co/podcast
Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/
Follow PaperpotCo on Instagram: http://bit.ly/2B45VKQ
Chris has shown what's possible. And given that and the relatively low capital investment required to start a microgreens business, it's a business that attracts a lot of people.
People that likely focus on the high dollar value per tray, and people that dream about how much money they can make.
This is where it gets dangerous, because you can't just look at the income side of the business. You have to look at the expenses as well.
When you do that with microgreens that high dollar per tray, isn't as high as it might appear.
There are a number of cost that need to be considered - the soil, the seed, and the big one - the labor.
There's a decent amount of labor that goes into producing each tray of microgreens. Labor that needs to be priced into the product, and labor that might turn some people off from growing microgreens.
When over 60% of your time will be spent harvesting, cleaning, and sanitizing trays, some of the allure of that $50 tray goes away.
Add in the need for rigorous observations and recording keeping, and you will find yourself in a position that Chris describes as part automaton and part scientist.
Not for everyone.
Especially when people enter the business looking to make a quick buck.
If you are thinking about starting a microgreens operation, there's a lot to consider, especially the negatives.
Growing Your Microgreens Business Course with Chris Thoreau: http://www.permaculturevoices.com/microgreens
Listen to past episodes at: https://www.paperpot.co/podcast
Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/
Follow PaperpotCo on Instagram: http://bit.ly/2B45VKQ
"They weren't just buying the product, they were buying the whole package."
That's how Chris Thoreau was able to go to a farmer's market selling one crop. Just one. Sunflower shoots. He was able to go to market with just one crop because he was selling a product that had a great story.
There's a lot in this one and at its core this interview focuses heavily on core success principles - relentless testing and experimentation, constant record keeping and analysis, and knowing what to focus on.
Growing Your Microgreens Business Course with Chris Thoreau: http://www.permaculturevoices.com/microgreens
Listen to past episodes at: https://www.paperpot.co/podcast
Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/
Follow PaperpotCo on Instagram: http://bit.ly/2B45VKQ
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