Farm Small Farm Smart

In this episode Chris Thoreau joins me to explore the idea - Can you actually make a living growing microgreens? Is it actually possible or just an unrealistic dream?

If it is possible what does that look like? How big does the business need to be? How much do you need to be selling? Would you need employees?

TLDR: It is possible, with the right combination of luck, skills and hard work. Some people will find it's a fit for them and their lifestyle, but they'll need to be committed.

Learn how to start a Profitable Microgreens Business https://microgreens.teachable.com/

Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow Diego on IG https://instagram.com/diegofooter Follow PaperpotCo on IG https://instagram.com/paperpot

Podcasts by Diego Footer: Microgreens: https://apple.co/2m1QXmW Vegetable Farming: https://apple.co/2lCuv3m Livestock Farming: https://apple.co/2m75EVG Large Scale Farming: https://apple.co/2kxj39i

Small Farm Tools https://www.paperpot.co/

Today's episode is a BEST OF episode, which is a replay of a previously aired episode. Enjoy!

John Kitsteiner of Temperate Climate Permaculture joins me to discuss his series of blog posts, The Myth of the Perfect Job.

So many of us are stuck in the rat race. We want to be farmers, homesteaders, or something else that involves working closer to home, and not for the man. But we never end up doing that. Why? I think people are either afraid to take a risk and start, or they don't know where to start.

This podcast should start to address both of those issues and at least get you thinking.

Read More: http://tcpermaculture.com/site/2013/10/15/the-myth-of-the-perfect-job-part-1/

Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow Diego on IG https://instagram.com/diegofooter Follow PaperpotCo on IG https://instagram.com/paperpot

Podcasts by Diego Footer: Microgreens: https://apple.co/2m1QXmW Vegetable Farming: https://apple.co/2lCuv3m Livestock Farming: https://apple.co/2m75EVG Large Scale Farming: https://apple.co/2kxj39i

Small Farm Tools https://www.paperpot.co/

Jordan MacPhee of Maple Bloom farm joins me to talk about facing challenges on the farm this year, just like any of us out there in the field. Physical and mental challenges that he had to deal with. Right now, just postseason, when all of the problems you've just faced are fresh in your mind, do a mental inventory of what you've faced. Think about what you can do to better mitigate or handle those problems next year. You're not going to be perfect, none of us ever are. But we can reflect and learn, and that's what this episode is all about.

Follow Jordan https://www.instagram.com/maplebloomfarm/

Learn how to start a Profitable Microgreens Business http://bit.ly/learntogrowmicrogreens

Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow Diego on IG https://instagram.com/diegofooter Follow PaperpotCo on IG https://instagram.com/paperpot

Podcasts by Diego Footer: Microgreens: https://apple.co/2m1QXmW Vegetable Farming: https://apple.co/2lCuv3m Livestock Farming: https://apple.co/2m75EVG Large Scale Farming: https://apple.co/2kxj39i

Small Farm Tools https://www.paperpot.co/

Today's episode is a BEST OF episode, which is a replay of a previously aired episode. Enjoy!

Stefan Sobkowiak of The Miracle Farm is encouraging more vegetable farmers to consider planting some fruit trees. And to start planting some trees now, so they are established and producing when you or the vegetable farming gets old. Now you may be saying, "I barely have enough time to do the work that I am doing now." Establishing this orchard might not take as much time as you think. And the slow growth of trees might be on your side. As Stefan will talk about in this episode he manages his whole operation on just 50 hours per year. That includes all pruning, training, irrigation, spraying, clean-up, the whole lot. And he thinks that one person could maintain 4 to 6 acres. Overall making it a doable takes that makes your farming enterprise less fragile while adding some diversity to your farmer's market booth or CSA box. If that sounds intriguing stay tuned.

Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow Diego on IG https://instagram.com/diegofooter Follow PaperpotCo on IG https://instagram.com/paperpot

Podcasts by Diego Footer: Microgreens: https://apple.co/2m1QXmW Vegetable Farming: https://apple.co/2lCuv3m Livestock Farming: https://apple.co/2m75EVG Large Scale Farming: https://apple.co/2kxj39i

Small Farm Tools https://www.paperpot.co/

Farmer and Homesteader Jesse Frost joins me to talk about his journey into homesteading and farming. How and when did it go from homesteading to farming, and what was that like? Jesse also hosts the No-Till Growers Podcast https://www.notillgrowers.com/

Follow Jesse https://www.instagram.com/roughdraftfarmstead

Learn how to start a Profitable Microgreens Business http://bit.ly/learntogrowmicrogreens

Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow Diego on IG https://instagram.com/diegofooter Follow PaperpotCo on IG https://instagram.com/paperpot

Podcasts by Diego Footer: Microgreens: https://apple.co/2m1QXmW Vegetable Farming: https://apple.co/2lCuv3m Livestock Farming: https://apple.co/2m75EVG Large Scale Farming: https://apple.co/2kxj39i

Small Farm Tools https://www.paperpot.co/

Molds, fungus, viruses - oh my! Depending on your growing environment you may encounter one or perhaps even all of these diseases. And what do you do once you encounter them? If there's a small section of mold on your tray, for example, what do you do with that tray? Do you scrap the whole tray or can you harvest the unaffected part? We ask these questions with long-time grower and microgreen expert Chis Thoreau, this week, on FSFS.

Learn how to start a Profitable Microgreens Business https://microgreens.teachable.com/

Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow Diego on IG https://instagram.com/diegofooter Follow PaperpotCo on IG https://instagram.com/paperpot

Podcasts by Diego Footer: Microgreens: https://apple.co/2m1QXmW Vegetable Farming: https://apple.co/2lCuv3m Livestock Farming: https://apple.co/2m75EVG Large Scale Farming: https://apple.co/2kxj39i

Small Farm Tools https://www.paperpot.co/

Farmer Josh Sattin from Sattin Hill Farm joins me to talk about how he built up a farm following for his new farm pretty quickly - both online and in-person with local chefs. He shares strategies for how he did that and how it has helped with sales.

He also gets into the various ways he is building soil on-farm from his no-till methods to using wood chip mulch in his pathways to utilizing chickens to prepare new growing areas.

Follow Josh:

https://www.instagram.com/sattinhillfarm

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHynVrKVZtTXf3hndd2ZR4A

No-Till Growers:

https://www.notillgrowers.com/

Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow Diego on IG https://instagram.com/diegofooter Follow PaperpotCo on IG https://instagram.com/paperpot

Podcasts by Diego Footer: Microgreens: https://apple.co/2m1QXmW Vegetable Farming: https://apple.co/2lCuv3m Livestock Farming: https://apple.co/2m75EVG Large Scale Farming: https://apple.co/2kxj39i

Small Farm Tools https://www.paperpot.co/

Today's episode is a BEST OF episode, which is a replay of a previously aired episode.  Enjoy!

FSFS #107

Sam's taken a perspective that he gained on hiking the Appalachian trail and he has used it to help navigate the equally hard journey into being a full-time vegetable farmer. Like the trail, Sam's career as a farmer has spanned a lot of land going from 1/8 of an acre in town to two fenced acres a few years later.

Today Sam and I will talk about some of the challenges of growing crops on two acres, how Sam has to design his market streams to his land base, working with limited labor, and the trade-offs between growing niche crops and a wide variety of CSA crops. We'll also touch on some of Sam's big takeaways from his days on the trail and how that's helped him as a farmer.

Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow Diego on IG https://instagram.com/diegofooter
Follow PaperpotCo on IG https://instagram.com/paperpot

Podcasts by Diego Footer:
Microgreens: https://apple.co/2m1QXmW
Vegetable Farming: https://apple.co/2lCuv3m
Livestock Farming: https://apple.co/2m75EVG
Large Scale Farming: https://apple.co/2kxj39i

Small Farm Tools https://www.paperpot.co/

This week's interview on FSFS features a season's end reflection on a timeless topic; the challenges of farming. More specifically, the challenges unique to a small scale farm with Benny and Courtney Pino of Loblolly Farm. Specifically, we discuss caterpillar tunnels, weed pressure, and irrigation. We also address their plans for solutions to these issues coming into 2020.

Follow Loblolly:

https://www.instagram.com/loblollyfarm/

Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow Diego on IG https://instagram.com/diegofooter Follow PaperpotCo on IG https://instagram.com/paperpot

Podcasts by Diego Footer: Microgreens: https://apple.co/2m1QXmW Vegetable Farming: https://apple.co/2lCuv3m Livestock Farming: https://apple.co/2m75EVG Large Scale Farming: https://apple.co/2kxj39i

Small Farm Tools https://www.paperpot.co/

Nicolas Donck of Crystal Organic farm joins me to talk about how growing cover crops for the past 20 years have impacted his soil. How have trace minerals and compost teas helped with his soil and crops. Why he grows so much under high tunnels and what are some of the big challenges to growing crops in the south. Nicolas grows on a multigenerational farm, with 7 acres in production, 2 of which are under protected culture. Crystal Organic Farm is one of the oldest certified organic farms in the SouthEast.

Follow Nicolas:

https://www.instagram.com/crystalorganicfarm/

Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow Diego on IG https://instagram.com/diegofooter Follow PaperpotCo on IG https://instagram.com/paperpot

Podcasts by Diego Footer: Microgreens: https://apple.co/2m1QXmW Vegetable Farming: https://apple.co/2lCuv3m Livestock Farming: https://apple.co/2m75EVG Large Scale Farming: https://apple.co/2kxj39i

Small Farm Tools https://www.paperpot.co/