Farm Small Farm Smart

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