Farm Small Farm Smart

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.

Soil Microarthropods Gardening Beyond Basics E40

Soil microbiologist and founder of The Soil Food Web Dr. Elaine Ingham goes macro as she discusses the different roles of soil macroarthropods in maintaining soil health.   Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights!   Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower. Follow Modern Grower:  Instagram  Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:  Carrot Cashflow  Farm Small Farm Smart  Farm Small Farm Smart Daily  The Growing Microgreens Podcast  The Urban Farmer Podcast  The Rookie Farmer Podcast  In Search of Soil Podcast Check out Diego's books:  Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon   Ready Farmer One on Amazon **** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

10-26
08:39

Seed Storage & Shelf Life - Gardening Beyond Basics E41

Seed farmer Dan Brisebois of Tourne-Sol Co-Operative Farm discusses how to properly store seed for maximum longevity.  Check out Dan's new book: The Seed Farmer: A Complete Guide to Growing, Using, and Selling Your Own Seeds Click here to learn more about Dan Brisebois and his work.   Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights!   Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower. Follow Modern Grower:  Instagram  Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:  Carrot Cashflow  Farm Small Farm Smart  Farm Small Farm Smart Daily  The Growing Microgreens Podcast  The Urban Farmer Podcast  The Rookie Farmer Podcast  In Search of Soil Podcast Check out Diego's books:  Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon   Ready Farmer One on Amazon **** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

10-19
11:09

From Poor Soil to Good Soil - Gardening Beyond Basics E39

Microbiologist and co-creator of the Johnson-Su bioreactor, Dr. David Johnson, talks about agricultural management practices that can bring poor soil back to life.   Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights!   Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower. Follow Modern Grower:  Instagram  Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:  Carrot Cashflow  Farm Small Farm Smart  Farm Small Farm Smart Daily  The Growing Microgreens Podcast  The Urban Farmer Podcast  The Rookie Farmer Podcast  In Search of Soil Podcast Check out Diego's books:  Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon   Ready Farmer One on Amazon **** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

10-12
07:34

How Much Work Does It Actually Take to Save Seed? - Gardening Beyond Basics E38

Seed farmer Dan Brisebois of Tourne-Sol Co-Operative Farm breaks down the actual time and labor that goes into seed saving. Check out Dan's new book: The Seed Farmer: A Complete Guide to Growing, Using, and Selling Your Own Seeds Click here to learn more about Dan Brisebois and his work.  Interested in watching the series? Hop on over to our YouTube Channel!   Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights!   Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower. Follow Modern Grower:  Instagram  Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:  Carrot Cashflow  Farm Small Farm Smart  Farm Small Farm Smart Daily  The Growing Microgreens Podcast  The Urban Farmer Podcast  The Rookie Farmer Podcast  In Search of Soil Podcast Check out Diego's books:  Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon   Ready Farmer One on Amazon **** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

09-28
15:49

Healing Plants and Trees with Copper Electroculture Antennae - Gardening Beyond Basics E37

Farmer and Qigong practitioner Chris Winters of The Fertile Current discusses how copper electroculture antennae can help invigorate and revitalize plants and trees. Click here to learn more about Chris and The Fertile Current here.  Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights!   Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower. Follow Modern Grower:  Instagram  Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:  Carrot Cashflow  Farm Small Farm Smart  Farm Small Farm Smart Daily  The Growing Microgreens Podcast  The Urban Farmer Podcast  The Rookie Farmer Podcast  In Search of Soil Podcast Check out Diego's books:  Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon   Ready Farmer One on Amazon **** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

09-21
08:45

Healthy Soils Don't Need Supplementing - Gardening Beyond Basics E36

Russell Taylor of Live Earth Products, Inc. talks about how healthy soils might not need help from their humic and fulvic acid products. Learn more about Live Earth Products, Inc. here.   Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights!   Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower. Follow Modern Grower:  Instagram  Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:  Carrot Cashflow  Farm Small Farm Smart  Farm Small Farm Smart Daily  The Growing Microgreens Podcast  The Urban Farmer Podcast  The Rookie Farmer Podcast  In Search of Soil Podcast Check out Diego's books:  Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon   Ready Farmer One on Amazon **** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

09-14
11:50

Spice Up Your Farm Profits with Signature Greens Mixes (MFB 19)

Growing spicy greens mixes can be a highly profitable crop for your farm thanks to their short time to harvest (21-40 days), high yield potential (up to 45 lbs per 30x100 ft bed), and good selling price at most markets (around $10/lb).  Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights!   Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower. Follow Modern Grower:  Instagram  Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:  Carrot Cashflow  Farm Small Farm Smart  Farm Small Farm Smart Daily  The Growing Microgreens Podcast  The Urban Farmer Podcast  The Rookie Farmer Podcast  In Search of Soil Podcast Check out Diego's books:  Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon   Ready Farmer One on Amazon **** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

09-09
23:32

How Much Crops to Set Aside for Seed Saving - Gardening Beyond Basics E35

Seed farmer Dan Brisebois of Tourne-Sol Co-Operative Farm sheds light on just how much crops we really need to save enough seed for on-farm use. Check out Dan's new book: The Seed Farmer: A Complete Guide to Growing, Using, and Selling Your Own Seeds Click here to learn more about Dan Brisebois and his work.  Interested in watching the series? Hop on over to our YouTube Channel!   Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights!   Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower. Follow Modern Grower:  Instagram  Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:  Carrot Cashflow  Farm Small Farm Smart  Farm Small Farm Smart Daily  The Growing Microgreens Podcast  The Urban Farmer Podcast  The Rookie Farmer Podcast  In Search of Soil Podcast Check out Diego's books:  Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon   Ready Farmer One on Amazon **** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

09-07
14:39

Salad Mix Success: Economics of Baby Greens (MFB 18)

In this episode, we dive into the economics of growing and selling salad mix. We talk about how to maximize yields while minimizing costs, as well as which varieties to grow with what spacing, and how to package and price your greens to boost your bottom line.   Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights!   Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower. Follow Modern Grower:  Instagram  Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:  Carrot Cashflow  Farm Small Farm Smart  Farm Small Farm Smart Daily  The Growing Microgreens Podcast  The Urban Farmer Podcast  The Rookie Farmer Podcast  In Search of Soil Podcast Check out Diego's books:  Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon   Ready Farmer One on Amazon **** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

09-02
10:53

Keeping Plants Healthy with the Right Substrates - Gardening Beyond Basics E34

Associate Professor Dr. Ben Hoover of California Polytechnic State University sheds light on how different substrates behave and how their individual properties can affect plants and crops growing in it.  Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights!   Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower. Follow Modern Grower:  Instagram  Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:  Carrot Cashflow  Farm Small Farm Smart  Farm Small Farm Smart Daily  The Growing Microgreens Podcast  The Urban Farmer Podcast  The Rookie Farmer Podcast  In Search of Soil Podcast Check out Diego's books:  Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon   Ready Farmer One on Amazon **** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

08-31
08:19

Maximizing Your Farm's Profits with Spinach (MFB 17)

In this episode, we talk about why spinach is a top crop to grow for many market gardeners, namely: its ease of growth, high scores on the crop value rating system, and adaptability to various markets. We also get into the factors that influence spinach profitability, such as days to maturity, yield per bed, and flexible pricing strategies.  Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights!   Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower. Follow Modern Grower:  Instagram  Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:  Carrot Cashflow  Farm Small Farm Smart  Farm Small Farm Smart Daily  The Growing Microgreens Podcast  The Urban Farmer Podcast  The Rookie Farmer Podcast  In Search of Soil Podcast Check out Diego's books:  Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon   Ready Farmer One on Amazon **** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.  

08-26
16:47

Electroculture Experiment: Compost Model - Gardening Beyond Basics E33

Farmer and Medical Qigong practitioner Chris Winters of The Fertile Current shares the results of his experiment applying electroculture equipment into a compost pile. Click here to learn more about Chris and The Fertile Current here.  Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights!   Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower. Follow Modern Grower:  Instagram  Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:  Carrot Cashflow  Farm Small Farm Smart  Farm Small Farm Smart Daily  The Growing Microgreens Podcast  The Urban Farmer Podcast  The Rookie Farmer Podcast  In Search of Soil Podcast Check out Diego's books:  Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon   Ready Farmer One on Amazon **** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

08-24
11:09

The Surprising Truth About Carrots: Are They Really Profitable for Farmers? (MFB 16)

Are carrots profitable? In this episode, we dive deep into the economics of growing and selling carrots to help you determine if this popular vegetable is worth adding to your farm's crop lineup.  Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights!   Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower. Follow Modern Grower:  Instagram  Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:  Carrot Cashflow  Farm Small Farm Smart  Farm Small Farm Smart Daily  The Growing Microgreens Podcast  The Urban Farmer Podcast  The Rookie Farmer Podcast  In Search of Soil Podcast Check out Diego's books:  Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon   Ready Farmer One on Amazon **** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

08-19
24:06

Practical On-Farm Uses for Humic and Fulvic Acids - Gardening Beyond Basics E32

Join Russell Taylor of Live Earth Products, Inc. shares the different applications of their humic and fulvic acids products on a farm production setting. Learn more about Live Earth Products, Inc. here.   Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights!   Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower. Follow Modern Grower:  Instagram  Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:  Carrot Cashflow  Farm Small Farm Smart  Farm Small Farm Smart Daily  The Growing Microgreens Podcast  The Urban Farmer Podcast  The Rookie Farmer Podcast  In Search of Soil Podcast Check out Diego's books:  Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon   Ready Farmer One on Amazon **** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

08-17
07:50

Crop Value Rating #5: Popularity (MFB 15)

The last criterion in the Crop Value Rating System: popularity! Even if the crop you want to grow has a short day to maturity, has a high dollar value, can be densely planted, and continuously harvested, it won't mean anything if people don't want to buy it, so make sure the crop you want to grow is a good seller!  Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights!   Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower. Follow Modern Grower:  Instagram  Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:  Carrot Cashflow  Farm Small Farm Smart  Farm Small Farm Smart Daily  The Growing Microgreens Podcast  The Urban Farmer Podcast  The Rookie Farmer Podcast  In Search of Soil Podcast Check out Diego's books:  Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon   Ready Farmer One on Amazon **** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

08-12
17:26

Disease-Resistant Hybrids vs. Selectively Bred Heirloom Varieties - Gardening Beyond Basics E31

Farmer Jay Tracy of The Cucumber Shop cautions us not to discount the power of selective breeding in preserving heirloom varieties. Click here to learn more about Jay Tracy and The Cucumber Shop.  Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights!   Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower. Follow Modern Grower:  Instagram  Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:  Carrot Cashflow  Farm Small Farm Smart  Farm Small Farm Smart Daily  The Growing Microgreens Podcast  The Urban Farmer Podcast  The Rookie Farmer Podcast  In Search of Soil Podcast Check out Diego's books:  Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon   Ready Farmer One on Amazon **** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

08-10
26:53

Crop Value Rating #4: Extended Harvest (MFB 14)

Maximize your land use with extended harvest crops: either crops you only plant once and harvest multiple times into the growing season, or crops you can continuously replant and continuously harvest!   Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights!   Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower. Follow Modern Grower:  Instagram  Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:  Carrot Cashflow  Farm Small Farm Smart  Farm Small Farm Smart Daily  The Growing Microgreens Podcast  The Urban Farmer Podcast  The Rookie Farmer Podcast  In Search of Soil Podcast Check out Diego's books:  Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon   Ready Farmer One on Amazon **** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

08-05
18:59

Genetics vs. Environment: Why Plants Perform Well - Gardening Beyond Basics E30

Seed farmer and author Dan Brisebois of Tourne-Sol Co-Operative Farm breaks down the difference between nature and nurture when it comes to seeds and the plants they produce. Check out Dan's new book: The Seed Farmer: A Complete Guide to Growing, Using, and Selling Your Own Seeds Click here to learn more about Dan Brisebois and his work.  Interested in watching the series? Hop on over to our YouTube Channel!   Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights!   Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower. Follow Modern Grower:  Instagram  Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:  Carrot Cashflow  Farm Small Farm Smart  Farm Small Farm Smart Daily  The Growing Microgreens Podcast  The Urban Farmer Podcast  The Rookie Farmer Podcast  In Search of Soil Podcast Check out Diego's books:  Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon   Ready Farmer One on Amazon **** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

08-03
07:32

Crop Value Rating #3: High Value Crops (MFB 13)

Costs don't necessarily increase proportionally with price. Which produce fetches the best prices at your market, ones that sell for AT LEAST $4 a pound? If you're able to grow and sell those high-value crops, you're sure to cover your input costs, labor included!   Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights!   Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower. Follow Modern Grower:  Instagram  Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:  Carrot Cashflow  Farm Small Farm Smart  Farm Small Farm Smart Daily  The Growing Microgreens Podcast  The Urban Farmer Podcast  The Rookie Farmer Podcast  In Search of Soil Podcast Check out Diego's books:  Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon   Ready Farmer One on Amazon **** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

07-29
26:10

Practical Concerns on Biochar: Quality, Cost, Usage, and Alternatives - Gardening Beyond Basics E29

Associate Professor Dr. Ben Hoover of California Polytechnic State University shares some of his concerns on the production, cost, and usage of biochar.  Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights!   Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower. Follow Modern Grower:  Instagram  Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:  Carrot Cashflow  Farm Small Farm Smart  Farm Small Farm Smart Daily  The Growing Microgreens Podcast  The Urban Farmer Podcast  The Rookie Farmer Podcast  In Search of Soil Podcast Check out Diego's books:  Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon   Ready Farmer One on Amazon **** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

07-27
07:49

Tom Flynn

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

07-28 Reply

Mike Hausser

Thank you Diego and Josh for putting this out!!

03-08 Reply

Preeti Sharma

Very nice article! I'm Preeti, I write for educational blogs. I make a collection of wonderful educational blogs from where I could take inspiration for writing. This article really inspires me though it is a little different from my domain but nonetheless it is a good writing. I sometime write for a education site blogs www.clearexam.ac.in Let me know your thoughts if I could contribute to your blog too.

04-12 Reply

Craig N Carrie Nellis

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.

10-06 Reply

LCF

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.

05-15 Reply

05-21

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01-09

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