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
Set yourself up for success by having realistic plans and expectations for the first year. Match your lifestyle and your budgeting to those realistic expectations.
If you are going to start out farming with a gun to the head survival mentality then it makes things very hard. Long term learning gets displaced for the need to put money into the till today.
Work to learn, not to earn.
The goal is to farm for a career. Not make a bunch of money this year and then do something else next year. And the only way to do that is day after day for the long run, learning as much as you can in the process.
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
Big isn't always better. More just for the sake of having more is pointless.
Just because you have access to more land doesn't mean you need to take it.
If you are getting bigger then you better have a reason why you are getting bigger...
If you are thinking about expanding stop and ask why? Does it fit within the overall plan that you have for your business, your farm, and your life?
If not, then don't do it.
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
Think about how much work you do on the farm now. How much of that work is actually being done efficiently and effectively?
Are you making the best use of your time by focusing on the 20% of the tasks that generate the most return?
Getting rid of crops can actually be a good thing. It allow you to work more efficiently and effectively by focusing on the task at hand instead of always trying to keep you head above water. It's very hard for any one person to do many things well, but each of us can do a few things really well. Crops are no different. And odds are you can grow a few crops a lot better than you can grow a lot of crops.
Take a look at your farm and the crops that you grow. Which crops generate 20% of your revenue? And how would your farm and life look if you just focused on those?
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
How can you a lot mistakes and wasting valuable resources by overproducing a crop, and the inverse of that, not producing enough?
Good record keeping.
Records on the farm are extremely valuable. When you start to get a few years of records and can notice trends, those records become very valuable because the records are what dictates your future action.
Action that can save you work down the line and put the right amount of product in your walk in so you can sell it.
This type of planning directly translates to maximizing your farm income.
And it's not actually that hard to do. Don't over-complicate it. Start by keeping simple records and get into the habit of doing it, then expand and adapt your records as time goes on.
If you want to be successful as a farmer, then this is something that you need to do. It's one of the principals that has made Curtis as successful as he is.
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
Can you accept in the beginning that what you are doing may not work?
Because, guess what, it might not.
But as long as you keep trying something will..
You just have to be willing to continue on until then. And if you are willing to accept that, then save yourself the time, money, and stress and quit now.
This path isn't for everyone and that's fine.
Regardless of what decision you make, just be content with you own decision.
Do yourself a favor and think about this long and hard, because it is a life changer. 20 years from now, do you want to look back and say you went for it, or regret not going for it.
Hopefully this show will lead you down the path of no regrets, and make your journey a little bit easier.
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
Understand where you want to go, understand why you want to get into it, figure out a smart systematic way to get there, and work hard in the process.
And give yourself the forgiveness to make mistakes, but have the wherewithal to analyze those mistakes so you can adapt going forward.
That's what this episode is all about.
Taking the time to think long term and setting yourself up for long term success in the beginning.
Part of setting yourself up for success is knowing some of the common pitfalls, so you can avoid them.
In this episode we delve into more common reasons why many farmers struggle.
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
It's August 25, 2015 which means we are at the tail end of summer and shorter, cooler days are coming as fall nears.
We are in one of those unique periods in the year known as the shoulder season, the transition periods at the end of one season and the beginning of another.
They can be tricky time periods for farmers to navigate.
Day lengths start getting shorter, temperatures start getting cooler, and the weather starts to change.
As a farmer this is one of those time periods where it critical to be able to adapt.
You need to be able to understand the changes that are taking place in your biome and plan your crop rotations accordingly.
With an ever changing climate each situation is different and each climate is different, making these shoulder seasons tough to explain.
This episode should shine some light on the topic and give you a general approach that works.
It's this approach, and methodology, that lies at the core of every farmers ability to adapt.
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
As a farmer, how do you communicate what you have to sell each week, how much it costs, and when you need orders placed by, so you can deliver it on time?
You use what is called a fresh sheet.
At it's simplest a fresh sheet is a list of what you are selling currently on the farm, and for what price.
A fresh sheet is more than a current inventory list. It also reminds ever-busy chefs that you have product that they probably want.
If you've never made a fresh sheet before, this episode may prompt you to make one.
It's a whole bunch of little tips and tricks to help you design, create, and maintain an effective fresh sheet.
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
This episode is all about the art of farming.
Creating a framework, and understanding the overlying philosophy about why you do what you do, and leaving yourself some room to maneuver within that philosophy.
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
This episode is all about being a better provider to your customers...
In this episode we dig deep into sourcing products from other farmers, breaking into new markets, working with chefs and soliciting feedback.
It's currently August 4, 2015 and the inevitable has happened. Curtis is short product, and he is having to source those products from other farmers to keep his restaurant customers happy.
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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