A smart farmer looks for every way he or she can use what they already have on farm to help make the farm money. Farm Stays are a great way to use the infrastructure that you already have to increase your profits, diversify your income, and add a little more security. On my farm, the farm I am farm manager of, I have a little bit of start-up capital, but I still have to worry about making the most of what I have available to me. One of the assets to this property is that there is an old farm house that would be perfect for a Bed & Breakfast. Of course since the B&B is on a working farm, I have something to offer my guests that no other business in the area can, a farm. Farming is the new “hip” thing to do. I know that bothers some of you. There are some fears that it may be a fad. Something that is here today, gone tomorrow. I don’t think that’s the case. As I see it, there are two unique opportunities that you have with farm stays: As a farm you can capitalize on agriculture’s current popularity. As a Farm Stay host you have the ability to nurture that popularity and ensure its longevity by providing a great experience to those who are interested. Starting your own Farm Stay doesn’t have to be expensive, and it doesn’t have to be difficult. Scottie Jones joins us today to talk about how simple and how profitable it really is. It is a really good idea for farmers who don’t already have good road frontage. Another way to get people to come to the farm. Scottie is not only a great resource for farm stays, but she has created a great resource for farm stays. FarmStayUs.com is the website to go to if you’re looking to register your farm and increase exposure.

A smart farmer looks for every way he or she can use what they already have on farm to help make the farm money. Farm Stays are a great way to use the infrastructure that you already have to increase your profits, diversify your income, and add a little more security. On my farm, the farm I am farm manager of, I have a little bit of start-up capital, but I still have to worry about making the most of what I have available to me. One of the assets to this property is that there is an old farm house that would be perfect for a Bed & Breakfast. Of course since the B&B is on a working farm, I have something to offer my guests that no other business in the area can, a farm. Farming is the new “hip” thing to do. I know that bothers some of you. There are some fears that it may be a fad. Something that is here today, gone tomorrow. I don’t think that’s the case. As I see it, there are two unique opportunities that you have with farm stays: As a farm you can capitalize on agriculture’s current popularity. As a Farm Stay host you have the ability to nurture that popularity and ensure its longevity by providing a great experience to those who are interested. Starting your own Farm Stay doesn’t have to be expensive, and it doesn’t have to be difficult. Scottie Jones joins us today to talk about how simple and how profitable it really is. It is a really good idea for farmers who don’t already have good road frontage. Another way to get people to come to the farm. Scottie is not only a great resource for farm stays, but she has created a great resource for farm stays. FarmStayUs.com is the website to go to if you’re looking to register your farm and increase exposure.

There are few others for understand order and efficiency better than our veterans. Today’s guest is no exception. Terrell Spencer “Spence” of Across the Creek Farm in West Fork, Arkansas has a great many things to say about what it takes to be a truly sustainable farmer. “The real sustainable farmer is a profitable farmer.” Profit does not have to come at a sacrifice to the quality of your plants or animals. Rather it comes as a product of good planning and better record keeping. Spence has really been able to drill down into exactly what his net profit is per chicken, and that is helping him work toward his goal of financial success. While the concentration of this discussion if that of finances and record keeping I think it is important to take stock of what I chose that topic. I did not get into farming to make money, but I do see it as a necessity to keep farming. First and foremost in my life come my new daughter Mabel and my wife Kate. The most important duty I can serve is to be a good provider for them not only in bringing home the bacon, but making sure that bacon was raised in a healthy manner, haha. Hooray farm metaphors! I farm because I love it, and I love my family. I focus my efforts on financial stability because I want to keep farming and I want to support my family. That is definitely something Spence and I have in common. During the interview Spence shares with me his strategy for growing his farm as well as more information on a great organization connecting veterans with agricultural resources called theFarmer Veteran Coalition.

There are few others for understand order and efficiency better than our veterans. Today’s guest is no exception. Terrell Spencer “Spence” of Across the Creek Farm in West Fork, Arkansas has a great many things to say about what it takes to be a truly sustainable farmer. “The real sustainable farmer is a profitable farmer.” Profit does not have to come at a sacrifice to the quality of your plants or animals. Rather it comes as a product of good planning and better record keeping. Spence has really been able to drill down into exactly what his net profit is per chicken, and that is helping him work toward his goal of financial success. While the concentration of this discussion if that of finances and record keeping I think it is important to take stock of what I chose that topic. I did not get into farming to make money, but I do see it as a necessity to keep farming. First and foremost in my life come my new daughter Mabel and my wife Kate. The most important duty I can serve is to be a good provider for them not only in bringing home the bacon, but making sure that bacon was raised in a healthy manner, haha. Hooray farm metaphors! I farm because I love it, and I love my family. I focus my efforts on financial stability because I want to keep farming and I want to support my family. That is definitely something Spence and I have in common. During the interview Spence shares with me his strategy for growing his farm as well as more information on a great organization connecting veterans with agricultural resources called theFarmer Veteran Coalition.

In farming you not only have to do what is best for your business, you have to do what is best for you as well. Sometimes that means changing what you grow, sometimes that means down-sizing, and sometimes it means scaling up. Other times is simply means you need to change the way you manage sales to take the stress off yourself. In today’s farm podcast episode I speak with Dan Heckler from Jack’s Farm in Pennsylvania who has done just that. In today’s interview he tells us how he markets his CSA vegetables to best serve the customer and himself. Innovation is a cornerstone of business. Companies that are constantly thinking of new ways to either produce or market their goods are the companies that are continuing to see growth. You can be the country’s oldest apple orchard or be a third generation vegetable farmer, but you cannot relay on what was done in the past to get you through tomorrow. You farm might not have to change, but the market will change, and you have to change how you market to them. Also, your values may shift as well. I know when Kate and I had Mabel my values shifted greatly. Now everything I do is for Mabel and Kate. I am making decisions to ensure I have more time with them, be able to support them, and provide healthy food from the “backyard”.

In farming you not only have to do what is best for your business, you have to do what is best for you as well. Sometimes that means changing what you grow, sometimes that means down-sizing, and sometimes it means scaling up. Other times is simply means you need to change the way you manage sales to take the stress off yourself. In today’s farm podcast episode I speak with Dan Heckler from Jack’s Farm in Pennsylvania who has done just that. In today’s interview he tells us how he markets his CSA vegetables to best serve the customer and himself. Innovation is a cornerstone of business. Companies that are constantly thinking of new ways to either produce or market their goods are the companies that are continuing to see growth. You can be the country’s oldest apple orchard or be a third generation vegetable farmer, but you cannot relay on what was done in the past to get you through tomorrow. You farm might not have to change, but the market will change, and you have to change how you market to them. Also, your values may shift as well. I know when Kate and I had Mabel my values shifted greatly. Now everything I do is for Mabel and Kate. I am making decisions to ensure I have more time with them, be able to support them, and provide healthy food from the “backyard”.

There is so much more to starting a career in agriculture than growing vegetables or herding cattle. It is a common misconception that anyone can farm. That is where the important distinction between gardening and farming comes in. To be a farmer takes true grit, a steel sense of resolve, and the willingness to smile in the face of any and every adversary. Almost once a week I get a very inspired e-mail from someone who is today where I was a few years ago. My own thoughts were, “I am going to give up the City life and start my life as a farmer.” I love getting these e-mails. That passion is contagious and I totally encourage it. That said, today’s podcast deals with the reality of that decision as it plays out through my very own farm. While I love what I do, and I will do what I can to encourage others to follow in my footsteps, my encouragement comes with a note of caution. Farming is way more than just growing vegetables. Most farmers who are making a living from the land spend more time doing paperwork than hoeing potatoes, moving chicken tractors, or herding cattle. They have other people to do that for them and they are dealing with the business side of things. Now as a small farmer you are going to have to deal with weeding those rows of veggies AND the business side of the farm. The best advice I can give to those of you thinking to leave it all behind and reconnect with the land is to pump the breaks! There is a lot to learn and if you just jump into it you might find yourself in over your head. Than again, you might now, sometimes you throw caution to the wind and what happens happens. There are different paths for everyone and you will end up choosing the one that is right for you. I have laid out more of my advice and strategies on the How to Start A Farm section of this website.

There is so much more to starting a career in agriculture than growing vegetables or herding cattle. It is a common misconception that anyone can farm. That is where the important distinction between gardening and farming comes in. To be a farmer takes true grit, a steel sense of resolve, and the willingness to smile in the face of any and every adversary. Almost once a week I get a very inspired e-mail from someone who is today where I was a few years ago. My own thoughts were, “I am going to give up the City life and start my life as a farmer.” I love getting these e-mails. That passion is contagious and I totally encourage it. That said, today’s podcast deals with the reality of that decision as it plays out through my very own farm. While I love what I do, and I will do what I can to encourage others to follow in my footsteps, my encouragement comes with a note of caution. Farming is way more than just growing vegetables. Most farmers who are making a living from the land spend more time doing paperwork than hoeing potatoes, moving chicken tractors, or herding cattle. They have other people to do that for them and they are dealing with the business side of things. Now as a small farmer you are going to have to deal with weeding those rows of veggies AND the business side of the farm. The best advice I can give to those of you thinking to leave it all behind and reconnect with the land is to pump the breaks! There is a lot to learn and if you just jump into it you might find yourself in over your head. Than again, you might now, sometimes you throw caution to the wind and what happens happens. There are different paths for everyone and you will end up choosing the one that is right for you. I have laid out more of my advice and strategies on the How to Start A Farm section of this website.

The single most important thing when starting a farm is research. This podcast covers some great research information used by myself and my guest Shawn as we start and run our own farms. It does seem at times like there are a million things to learn and get done when starting and running a farm. It takes copious amounts of planning, diligent note-taking, and a whole lot of luck to get it right. In the end, “getting it right” is entirely up to you. There are as many types of farms as there are farmers to work on them. I am doing my best to talk with as many types of farms as I can through the podcast and even just for my own personal growth. I have found that as the market shifts and changes there are three things that many farmers use (at least one of) and that I use in my farm marketing. Farm Website E-Mail List Printed Materials My farm website acts as a digital brochure for my farm letting everyone who visits know what I produce and where they can buy it. I also build value into my products and my business by sharing my story and updating visitors. My e-mail list has been a money-maker for me. With just a small e-mail list I managed to sell out all of my chickens every week. In my e-mails I update people when I have chicken available, what vegetables I may be selling, and I also include recipes and farm news. Printed materials work the good old-fashioned way. Whether it’s business cards that someone can take home to remember to visit the website, or a flier in a store window announcing the beginning of my CSA and the start of my farm, printed materials have surely helped me build an audience. After all, not everyone spends a lot of time online.

The single most important thing when starting a farm is research. This podcast covers some great research information used by myself and my guest Shawn as we start and run our own farms. It does seem at times like there are a million things to learn and get done when starting and running a farm. It takes copious amounts of planning, diligent note-taking, and a whole lot of luck to get it right. In the end, “getting it right” is entirely up to you. There are as many types of farms as there are farmers to work on them. I am doing my best to talk with as many types of farms as I can through the podcast and even just for my own personal growth. I have found that as the market shifts and changes there are three things that many farmers use (at least one of) and that I use in my farm marketing. Farm Website E-Mail List Printed Materials My farm website acts as a digital brochure for my farm letting everyone who visits know what I produce and where they can buy it. I also build value into my products and my business by sharing my story and updating visitors. My e-mail list has been a money-maker for me. With just a small e-mail list I managed to sell out all of my chickens every week. In my e-mails I update people when I have chicken available, what vegetables I may be selling, and I also include recipes and farm news. Printed materials work the good old-fashioned way. Whether it’s business cards that someone can take home to remember to visit the website, or a flier in a store window announcing the beginning of my CSA and the start of my farm, printed materials have surely helped me build an audience. After all, not everyone spends a lot of time online.