Growers Daily

Latest Episodes:

Water Management on the Compost Farm with Steven Wisbaum of Champlain Valley Compost Sep 04, 2023

Show notes

Steven Wisbaum, of Champlain Valley Compost Co & CV Compost, has been growing organic food and making compost for over 30 years. Today, we talk about water management on the compost farm. He provides custom composting services to farms and makes his own premium manure-based compost. In addition writing a variety of compost related articles and guides, Steven has also become the largest distributor of ComposTex compost covers. Through these, he has helped composters around the world make a better compost using less labor and fuel. I use Steven's ComposTex covers to cover our finished compost piles and they've made a big difference with the quality of our product.

Folks who make this show possible...

Optimize commercial compost production while maintaining high-quality with Komptech. Use our link here to learn more, get a consultation, and let them know we sent you.

Vermont Compost Company for premium living soils, composts, and potting mixes. Invest in your soil!

High Country News is an independent, non-profit, publication covering the land, wildlife, and communities of the Western US for over 50+ years. Check them out using our link here.

Xsense provides home safety and environmental monitoring products for your peace of mind.

The Composting for Community Initiative with Brenda Platt of The Institute for Local Self-Reliance Aug 28, 2023

Show notes

Brenda Platt is the director and life-force behind the Composting for Community Initiative of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. ILSR has a vision of thriving, diverse, equitable communities. To reach this vision, they build local power to fight corporate control. They are a national research and advocacy organization that partners with allies across the country to build an American economy driven by local priorities accountable to people and the planet. Today, we're going to talk about one of the institutes five key initiatives: the Composting for Community Initiative is advancing local composting to create jobs, enhance soils, protect the climate, and reduce waste through advocacy, training, research, demonstration sites, and coalition building.

Mentioned in the show...

The wealth of resources provided by the ISLR on composting

Folks who make this show possible...

Optimize commercial compost production while maintaining high-quality with Komptech. Use our link here to learn more, get a consultation, and let them know we sent you.

Vermont Compost Company for premium living soils, composts, and potting mixes. Invest in your soil!

High Country News is an independent, non-profit, publication covering the land, wildlife, and communities of the Western US for over 50+ years. Check them out using our link here.

Xsense provides home safety and environmental monitoring products for your peace of mind.

Building Community through Community Composting with Michael Martinez of LA Compost Aug 21, 2023

Show notes

Michael Martinez is the founder and executive director of LA Compost. He has chosen compost as a way to show his care for humanity and build a healthy community. His work has been incredibly impactful. LA Compost now has a diverse network of 41 community composting locations across LA county. I heard Michael speak at the US Compost Conference last Winter. He often brings people to happy tears as he speaks from the heart about his love of compost. Hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did.

Editorial note, we had some technical difficulties and are only able to publish the last half of our wonderful talk. Please take a moment to learn more about the amazing work Michael and LA Compost are doing!

Folks who make this show possible...

Optimize commercial compost production while maintaining high-quality with Komptech. Use our link here to learn more, get a consultation, and let them know we sent you.

Vermont Compost Company for premium living soils, composts, and potting mixes. Invest in your soil!

High Country News is an independent, non-profit, publication covering the land, wildlife, and communities of the Western US for over 50+ years. Check them out using our link here.

Xsense provides home safety and environmental monitoring products for your peace of mind.

The Composter, Season Two, Begins Tomorrow Aug 20, 2023

Show notes

Hey Composters and compost lovers, it's Jayne Merner of Earth Care Farm! Episode one of season two of The Composter will air Monday, August 21st, and continue with a new episode every Monday for ten weeks. We have an awesome lineup, chatting with composters behind many compost facilities like LA Compost, Vermont Compost, Champlain Valley Compost, and more. And, I'll be headed to Austria to tour compost facilities in late-August. Expect some news from me from the country that composts the most organic matter in all of Europe. I'm hoping to bring back some tips for all of us to adapt. It's going to be a rich, fertile season two. If you love compost as much as me, join me!

Seasoned Winter Growers & Farming for the Long Haul with Paul & Sandy Arnold of Pleasant Valley Farm Aug 14, 2023

Show notes

Paul and Sandy Arnold of Pleasant Valley Farm in upstate NY are seasoned expert winter growers. They have been involved with winter growing since they first purchased their 60-acre property 35 years ago. With three large RIMOL high-tunnels, numerous caterpillar and field tunnels, dedicated wash/pack, and climate controlled storage facilities, they have honed their year-round systems on three cultivated acres and have achieved financial stability for themselves and their family. Until recently, 90% of their sales were from farmers markets. Due to the initial impacts of COVID, they transitioned to almost all online sales without missing a beat. As they are approaching retirement, their farm business is in transition and they are considering how best to keep the land actively farmed. Their two children, Robert and Kim, Followed in their footsteps and each have their own farm businesses, Smart Farm Innovations and Pleasant Valley Flowers, respectively. Both Sandy and Paul offer an incredible wealth of knowledge and experience with winter production and farming for the long haul. It was truly and honor to speak with them for the last episode of this fourth Winter Growers podcast season.

Folks who make the show possible...

Vermont Compost Company premium living soils, composts, and potting mixes. Invest in your soil!

SeedTime Planner crop planning tool for home gardeners and market farmers. Get your free account and $5 seed coupon ->> seedtime.us/notillpodcast

Johnny's Selected Seeds vegetable, flower, and cover crop seeds. Visit the Growers Library for a wealth of growing resources.

RIMOL Greenhouses quality greenhouses and high-tunnels.

Overwinter Flowers with Joy Longfellow of Johnny's Selected Seeds Aug 07, 2023

Show notes

Joy Longfellow is a flowers trial technician on the flowers team at Johnny's research farm. I invited Joy to speak about their overwinter flower trials and the info they have gathered over the past few years. The Johnny's research farm is 200+ acres acres in size with 60+ acres in crop production that includes both field and greenhouse growing for plant breeding, seed production, trialing, and cover crop rotation. The overwintering flower trials focus on cool season annuals, and a few perrenial, biannual, and bulb crops. Everything is grown for research purposes. Using unheated high-tunnels and meticulous record keeping, they're able to determine the best timing of the top five flower crops to grow in an over-winter tunnel for northern climates. All of their work is a great free resource for farmers interested in getting early high quality flower crops without having to do the time consuming and often costly experimentation on their own. Joy offers a wealth of of information about growing, selecting, and managing overwinter flowers and her expertise is an excellent resource for winter growers.

Folks who make the show possible...

SeedTime Planner crop planning tool for home gardeners and market farmers. Get your free account and $5 seed coupon ->> seedtime.us/notillpodcast

Vermont Compost Company premium living soils, composts, and potting mixes. Invest in your soil!

Johnny's Selected Seeds vegetable, flower, and cover crop seeds. Visit the Growers Library for a wealth of growing resources.

RIMOL Greenhouses quality greenhouses and high-tunnels.

Adapting Crops to Climatic Conditions through Seed Work with Brian Campbell of Uprising Seeds Jul 31, 2023

Show notes

Located in the Pacific Northwest, Brian and his partner Chrystine first started as a fresh market farm is 2004, producing their first seed catalog in 2007, and then transitioned entirely to seed production in 2011. Uprising Seeds is WA fist 100% certified organic seed company, producing over 70% of the seeds they sell with the rest being sourced from a network of regional family farms. Brian is passionate about exploring the relationship between grower security and open pollinated seeds and the ability to seasonally adapt varieties to climactic conditions specifically through seed work. Brian is also involved with a collaborative project between Uprising Seeds, The Culinary Breeding Network, and northern Italian vegetable breeder Smarties to further establish radicchio as an anchor crop for the fall and winter seasons in North America. Overall, a great conversation for better understanding how seed production and selection can effect winter crop production.

Mentioned in the show…

Brian's favorite tool, the Winnow Wizard by Luterra

Lane Selman and The Culinary Breeding Network (A podcast with Lane on Collab Farm about CBN)

For more on seed production, check out The Seed Growers Podcast with Dan Brisebois

Folks who make the show possible...

SeedTime Planner crop planning tool for home gardeners and market farmers. Get your free account and $5 seed coupon ->> seedtime.us/notillpodcast

Vermont Compost Company premium living soils, composts, and potting mixes. Invest in your soil!

Johnny's Selected Seeds vegetable, flower, and cover crop seeds. Visit the Growers Library for a wealth of growing resources.

RIMOL Greenhouses quality greenhouses and high-tunnels.

From Winter-only to Year-round Production with Erin & Sam of Long Season Farm Jul 24, 2023

Show notes

Erin and Sam started Long Season Farm in Ulster County, NY, in 2014 as a winter-only operation, but have since expanded to year-round production and market the majority of their produce at two year-round farmers markets. With seven acres in production, they have four 30' x 96' unheated high-tunnels, plus a prop house, multiple cat/ tunnels, a moveable tunnel, and a large heated greenhouse that includes their wash station. Unheated winter tunnel crops have been very successful, especially when coupled with a diverse array of storage crops. Erin is also very active in her local community and was elected to the town board in 2019. While they both appreciate the year-round cash-flow and access to new markets that winter production allows, the farm revenue only covers expenses, and they've found it challenging to save meaningfully while also avoiding the burnout that can come from year-round farming. I enjoyed hearing about their experiences and insights and what motivates them to continue farming year-round.

Folks who make the show possible...

RIMOL Greenhouses quality greenhouses and high-tunnels.

Johnny's Selected Seeds vegetable, flower, and cover crop seeds. Visit the Growers Library for a wealth of growing resources.

SeedTime Planner crop planning tool for home gardeners and market farmers. Get your free account and $5 seed coupon ->> seedtime.us/notillpodcast

Vermont Compost Company premium living soils, composts, and potting mixes. Invest in your soil!

Growing through Extreme Lows in the South with Jamila Norman of Patchwork City Farm Jul 17, 2023

Show notes

Jamila Norman of Patchwork City Farms in Atlanta, GA, is a first generation daughter to Caribbean parents whose history is rooted in agriculture. After a career in environmental engineering, she founded Patchwork City Farms in 2010, an acre+ urban farm with one 30'x96' high-tunnel and four caterpillar tunnels that supplies two farmers markets, a couple of local restaurants, and a farmstand. I reached out to Jamila in January after an arctic blast with lows in the teens hit Atlanta and decimated 90% of her winter crops and severely impacted local winter crop availability. I wanted to see if I could offer any help or suggestions in preparing for future extreme cold weather events not normally experienced so far south, but what I learned from Jamila was just how difficult it is to prepare for extreme unpredictable cold unless adequate infrastructure, like high-tunnels, are already in use, which are not typically needed for winter hardy crops in the south. We also talk about her television series, Homegrown, on Magnolia Network, which just launched it's third season. The series focuses on helping families in the Atlanta area transform their outdoor spaces into beautiful and functional backyard farms and gardens. It can be streamed on HBO Max. Jamila is a warm-hearted leader and resource for the urban farming community and I truly enjoyed this conversation.

Mentioned in the show…

Homegrown from Magnolia Network on HBO Max

Folks who make the show possible...

Vermont Compost Company premium living soils, composts, and potting mixes. Invest in your soil!

SeedTime Planner crop planning tool for home gardeners and market farmers. Get your free account and $5 seed coupon ->> seedtime.us/notillpodcast

RIMOL Greenhouses quality greenhouses and high-tunnels.

Johnny's Selected Seeds vegetable, flower, and cover crop seeds. Visit the Growers Library for a wealth of growing resources.

Rapid Growth from Small to Mid-scale Diversified Production with Amy & Jacob of Boldly Grown Farm Jul 10, 2023

Show notes

In 2015, Amy Frye and Jacob Slosberg of Boldly Grown Farm in Bow, WA, started a one-acre farm at an incubator farm shortly after meeting and working on their university farm. Now, in their ninth season, they've purchased their own farm property and currently cultivate 30 acres of vegetables, a couple acres of grains, dry beans, seed crops, and flowers. Winter crops have always been the focus from the beginning. Eighty percent of sales are through wholesale channels including distributors and food hubs, plus they operate a 250+ member winter CSA and recently opened an on-site farmstand. Amy and Jacob's story is a great example of rapid growth of their farming goals combined with mechanized and scaled winter production, while simultaneously raising a family and anchoring their farm business and home on permanent land.

Mentioned in the show…

VIVA Farms farm incubator, listen to their conversation on Collab Farm here

NOLS Leadership Course, Year in Patagonia

Folks who make the show possible...

RIMOL Greenhouses quality greenhouses and high-tunnels.

Johnny's Selected Seeds vegetable, flower, and cover crop seeds. Visit the Growers Library for a wealth of growing resources.

SeedTime Planner crop planning tool for home gardeners and market farmers. Get your free account and $5 seed coupon ->> seedtime.us/notillpodcast

Vermont Compost Company premium living soils, composts, and potting mixes. Invest in your soil!