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Description
Insights 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.
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.
382 Episodes
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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. Get time and labor-saving farm tools at shop.modern grower.co Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network: Farm Small, Farm Smart Farm Small, Farm Smart Daily The Growing Microgreens Podcast 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 do a post-mortem of farmer Alec’s first farmer’s market of the season. They talk about the struggle of deciding how much product to harvest, as well as the unexpected amount of work that goes into last-minute prep for the market. Alec also walks us through how the market flowed, how much he sold, how much he was left with, and how he felt on the drive home after all was said and done. Get time and labor-saving farm tools at shop.modern grower.co Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network: Farm Small, Farm Smart Farm Small, Farm Smart Daily The Growing Microgreens Podcast 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
1In this episode, Diego and Alec dive into the practical side of managing life around running a farm business. They talk about the mental and physical load of running a business without spreading yourself too thin: when are tasks too big that you should say no? When should you double down on your niche to hit that market share? How do you go about managing your time effectively? Get time and labor-saving farm tools at shop.modern grower.co Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network: Farm Small, Farm Smart Farm Small, Farm Smart Daily The Growing Microgreens Podcast 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
Jill Duncan introduces her small-scale urban farm, Loving Roots Urban Farm, located in Ferguson, Missouri. Operating on just an eighth of an acre, Jill discusses the practices she uses, such as no-till farming and focusing on high-value, quick-growing crops like salad mixes and cherry tomatoes. Despite the limited space, she makes a living wage and shares insights into her methods for efficiency, problem-solving, and building a strong relationship-based customer base. 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: Farm Small, Farm Smart Farm Small, Farm Smart Daily The Growing Microgreens Podcast 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 is days away from his first farmers market, and he and Diego talk about the steps he’s taking to make sure he’s ready for it—from gauging how much product he should bring to market, to setting up his market booth, to managing the logistics of selling produce without cold storage, to final adjustments on his pricing strategy. He also shares his thoughts, expectations, and hopes for this coming first farmers market run. Get time and labor-saving farm tools at shop.modern grower.co Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network: Farm Small, Farm Smart Farm Small, Farm Smart Daily The Growing Microgreens Podcast 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 talk about what Farmer Alec is doing to prepare for Crop Culture Farm’s first farmers market of the season—from sending in applications to visualizing and laying out the displays to thinking about signages and slogans to put up on their stand. Afterward, Alec and Diego have an interesting discussion about Farmer Alec’s insights on just how important the quality of seed plays on production in a market farm. Get time and labor-saving farm tools at shop.modern grower.co Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network: Farm Small, Farm Smart Farm Small, Farm Smart Daily The Growing Microgreens Podcast 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 talk about one business lesson Alec learned from his previous entrepreneurial endeavor: the importance of knowing your operating costs and your margins and staying true to the price you need to charge to keep the business running. Farmer Alec also shares an account of how he learned that lesson, as well as some interesting strategies he employs to determine a good price to charge for his produce. Get time and labor-saving farm tools at shop.modern grower.co Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network: Farm Small, Farm Smart Farm Small, Farm Smart Daily The Growing Microgreens Podcast 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 step away from the field and dive into the business aspect of running a farm, zeroing in on admin work like bookkeeping, expense tracking, tax management, and even software tools. They also touch on crop planning, sales outlets, and leveraging personal connections for sales. Lastly, Diego and Alec explore the viability of aggregating products from other producers in the area to expand the business. Get time and labor-saving farm tools at shop.modern grower.co Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network: Farm Small, Farm Smart Farm Small, Farm Smart Daily The Growing Microgreens Podcast 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 delve into the winding journey of entrepreneurship. They touch on the excitement around starting a new business and the burnout that comes with crunching the startup phase. They also talk about Alec’s thoughts on the mental load of entrepreneurship, his hopes and expectations for the coming growing season, and his strategy for making adjustments on his farm in the future. Want to Venmo Farmer Alec so he could take a month off to work on his farm? Get time and labor-saving farm tools at shop.modern grower.co Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network: Farm Small, Farm Smart Farm Small, Farm Smart Daily The Growing Microgreens Podcast 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 talk about balancing personal life and farm life, all while managing time and navigating a path toward full-time farming. They touch on potentials and hypotheticals for hiring out labor on the farm, whether or not to stay a part-time farm, as well as financial goals to be able to make the leap into full-time farming. Lastly, Diego and Alec delve into the motivation behind starting a farm as well as the personal fulfillment that comes from starting a business. Get time and labor-saving farm tools at shop.modern grower.co Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network: Farm Small, Farm Smart Farm Small, Farm Smart Daily The Growing Microgreens Podcast 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 talk about equipment challenges and crops. Farmer Alec first shares his experience dealing with wash-pack constraints while preparing a wholesale order. Afterward, Diego and Alec into selecting which crops to grow, which crops Alec is excited for and crops that did interestingly well at the market. Alec also talks about his experience growing different crops so far, as well as varieties he hopes will do well this farming season. Get time and labor-saving farm tools at shop.modern grower.co Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network: Farm Small, Farm Smart Farm Small, Farm Smart Daily The Growing Microgreens Podcast 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 delve into the thought process behind choosing a farm business model, going beyond and touching on market fit, other additional sales avenues, and pricing. Farmer Alec also talks about selling produce to a wholesaler for the first time, as well as his experience selling at his first farmers market of the season. Get time and labor-saving farm tools at shop.modern grower.co Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network: Farm Small, Farm Smart Farm Small, Farm Smart Daily The Growing Microgreens Podcast 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 talks to farmer Alec Smith about the budgeting aspect of building out a farm business. They go over time management when it comes to administrative tasks, budgeting for equipment and infrastructure, as well as the challenges of spending and investing wisely while operating within a limited budget. Get time and labor-saving farm tools at shop.modern grower.co Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network: Farm Small, Farm Smart Farm Small, Farm Smart Daily The Growing Microgreens Podcast 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 talks to farmer Alec Smith about how he planned the layout of his farm and built out his beds. Alec describes the initial state of the farm, including its flat terrain, low organic matter, and issues with weeds. Afterward, they go over the process of evaluating and adapting the property for market garden production, as well as the decisions Alec made on bed sizing, pathways, and layout, all while accommodating physical constraints. Get time and labor-saving farm tools at shop.modern grower.co Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network: Farm Small, Farm Smart Farm Small, Farm Smart Daily The Growing Microgreens Podcast 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 look back a year ago and compare Alec’s initial expectations of starting a farm versus the reality of actually starting a farm. Alec talks about the ups and downs of setting up a farm business, the successes and challenges, and the strategic decisions he had to make along the way. Alec also shares his future plans for the farm, the hurdles he anticipates, as well as his insights on how to approach farming as a business in order to farm full-time on his farm. Get time and labor-saving farm tools at shop.modern grower.co Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network: Farm Small, Farm Smart Farm Small, Farm Smart Daily The Growing Microgreens Podcast 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 talk about the process Alec went through to find suitable land to set up his farm. They go through factors worth considering before choosing where to farm such as accessibility to water and power, the cost of the property, proximity to the market and the home, soil condition, existing infrastructure, and even the relationship with the landowner. Alec shares his personal experiences and the lessons he learned while looking for a good property to farm on, as well as getting his farm started. Get time and labor-saving farm tools at shop.modern grower.co Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network: Farm Small, Farm Smart Farm Small, Farm Smart Daily The Growing Microgreens Podcast 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, podcast host Diego interviews Alec Smith from Crop Culture Farm, a farmer starting his farm. Alec shares his experiences and challenges in balancing his farm startup with working part-time at another farm, the steps taken to set up his farm, improvements made over time, and their plans and expectations for their farm business. He also dives into the compromise between perfection and practicality in farm setup, constraints, and challenges such as time and resource management, recent achievements, and positive feedback that motivate and validate Alec's efforts. Get time and labor-saving farm tools at shop.modern grower.co Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network: Farm Small, Farm Smart Farm Small, Farm Smart Daily The Growing Microgreens Podcast 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
Megan Neubauer from Pure Land Farm joins me to discuss her revolutionary you-pick farming model. The model is extremely profitable and gives her a lot of extra time each year to do things off the farm. Megan goes through her strategies for sales, marketing, and crop planning. You can learn more in Megan's book: Pick-Your-Own-Farming Get time and labor-saving farm tools at shop.modern grower.co Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network: Farm Small, Farm Smart Farm Small, Farm Smart Daily The Growing Microgreens Podcast 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
Paul Dysinger, co-founder of Seedtime, joins me to talk about his journey to build the best farm and garden software ever. He shares lessons that have helped him manage time, prioritize tasks, and balance work and life. Learn more about Seedtime [Affiliate link] Shop all of our farm tools and equipment: https://shop.moderngrower.co/
(0:00) Thanksgiving food talk. Is the food better the next day? Top 5 sides. Pumpkin pie is gross. (0:31:56) Farmer Mark DeRespinis describes how he has built a very successful no-till farm raising high-quality vegetables and selling them to restaurants in the Boulder, CO area. (2:05:35) Drunk Ideas - The Michelin Star guide for produce. Mark's farm: https://www.instagram.com/esoterraculinary/ Check out our Black Friday Sale: https://shop.moderngrower.co/
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Hey, really enjoying this series, lots of useful tips and it's totally where in at. The retail market is especially interesting, just wanted to know if any of the retailers or supermarket is taking a cut of the sale price? Thanks
Thank you Diego and Josh for putting this out!!
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What episode did you have a guest talk about a European model on how they tax land? They don't regulate anything, they just test the soil or water. If it's clean they don't get taxed, if not they get get taxed heavily.
Diego, this podcast blows ever since you got on the bandwagon with curtis stone and saturated the podcast with libertarian rhetoric. now. it seems every episode has some sort of political bullshit to wade through, for mediocrity that is only sometimes found. Just quit.
What was the name of the speaker he mentioned? Salitor or something like that???
The sound quality on this was poor. There are sections that Conor's comments could not be distinguished over the echo and background noise.
Can you list the books here or add them to the description?