“Every accomplishment starts with a decision to try.” – Gail Devers That statement is so simple, and so very true. I am 28 years old and I feel like I have already accomplished so much in my life. I have lived in New York City after growing up in Connecticut. I worked for the “King of All Media”. Competed as a road bicycle racer in Manhattan. Married the woman of my dreams. Rode a bicycle across the United States (with dream-woman-wife-lady). Fed 1,000 people for a summer working on an organic farm. I started a successful farm of my own from scratch. And I now have a healthy beautiful daughter. Those are some of the larger accomplishments. They all happened because I decided to do something with my life. Those who never get off the couch and “try” have no right to complain that life is boring. I am not saying that you have to ride your bicycle 5,500 miles visiting family farms (though I highly recommend it). My dreams are not everyone’s dreams, that is what makes them unique. I am saying that you should find something you are passionate about and pursue it. Was it easy? Hell no. Some of those decisions were no-brainers, and some took me years to act on, but act I did. Will you fail at some things? Absolutely, but not always. Will people put you down, call you stupid, “poo poo” your dreams, and treat you like a fool? For sure. Will there be times where you hate what you are doing and you will wish for your old life back? Haha, yeah, but those times don’t happen too often. Is it all worth it? With all of my heart and from a place of having done it myself, YES! Good or bad, it is worth every second. You will never know if you do not try. It is both simple and horribly complex. When it comes down to it, your life is what you make it. If you wait until retirement you life will pass you by and you will be too old to do some of the things you wanted. “But John, I don’t have money. I have kids. I have a house. I have obligations. I can’t because of this. I cannot because of that.” There are a million reasons to say no to something. And at least one good reason to say yes, because YOU want to. I know a family who bicycled around SouthEast Asia for six months. Husband, wife, and two little girls who were toddlers at the time. Kate and I afforded to bike across the states because we lived off peanut butter and jelly and illegally camped in the woods. If you really want to do something you will find a way to make it work. I have been intensely fortunate in life. If you use my fortune (which was not financial fortune) as a comparison to your own life then that’s just another reason you are creating to stay in your safe zone. I believe that good things happen to and for me because I work my a** off to bring good to the world. The fact that the world sees fit to give good back makes me work that much harder. This farm podcast episode and my show notes here are purposefully passionate. I put my heart into everything I do. I hope that you come away from this with some of my fire and some of my energy to do good in your life, and for the lives of others.

“Every accomplishment starts with a decision to try.” – Gail Devers That statement is so simple, and so very true. I am 28 years old and I feel like I have already accomplished so much in my life. I have lived in New York City after growing up in Connecticut. I worked for the “King of All Media”. Competed as a road bicycle racer in Manhattan. Married the woman of my dreams. Rode a bicycle across the United States (with dream-woman-wife-lady). Fed 1,000 people for a summer working on an organic farm. I started a successful farm of my own from scratch. And I now have a healthy beautiful daughter. Those are some of the larger accomplishments. They all happened because I decided to do something with my life. Those who never get off the couch and “try” have no right to complain that life is boring. I am not saying that you have to ride your bicycle 5,500 miles visiting family farms (though I highly recommend it). My dreams are not everyone’s dreams, that is what makes them unique. I am saying that you should find something you are passionate about and pursue it. Was it easy? Hell no. Some of those decisions were no-brainers, and some took me years to act on, but act I did. Will you fail at some things? Absolutely, but not always. Will people put you down, call you stupid, “poo poo” your dreams, and treat you like a fool? For sure. Will there be times where you hate what you are doing and you will wish for your old life back? Haha, yeah, but those times don’t happen too often. Is it all worth it? With all of my heart and from a place of having done it myself, YES! Good or bad, it is worth every second. You will never know if you do not try. It is both simple and horribly complex. When it comes down to it, your life is what you make it. If you wait until retirement you life will pass you by and you will be too old to do some of the things you wanted. “But John, I don’t have money. I have kids. I have a house. I have obligations. I can’t because of this. I cannot because of that.” There are a million reasons to say no to something. And at least one good reason to say yes, because YOU want to. I know a family who bicycled around SouthEast Asia for six months. Husband, wife, and two little girls who were toddlers at the time. Kate and I afforded to bike across the states because we lived off peanut butter and jelly and illegally camped in the woods. If you really want to do something you will find a way to make it work. I have been intensely fortunate in life. If you use my fortune (which was not financial fortune) as a comparison to your own life then that’s just another reason you are creating to stay in your safe zone. I believe that good things happen to and for me because I work my a** off to bring good to the world. The fact that the world sees fit to give good back makes me work that much harder. This farm podcast episode and my show notes here are purposefully passionate. I put my heart into everything I do. I hope that you come away from this with some of my fire and some of my energy to do good in your life, and for the lives of others.

If you want to succeed as a small (or large) business you have to market your products. The only problem with farm is that the margins can get pretty slim. That is when us crafty folks break out the guerrilla marketing techniques and find out way into free or cheap media exposure. In today’s episode I share a story about some free media attention that I received this year that led to me landing a place to farm, getting me some customers, and giving me a little security about land in the future. You can find my press release and article a little further down in the show notes. Even if you cannot find the time to send press releases now or to really put out any marketing, you should be taking pictures. The pictures you take now while your farm is in full bloom with come in handy when you are getting press out of season. I walk you through some basic photo editing on myfarm photo page here. I bring on the show an experienced farmer and journalist Troy Bishopp the Grass Whisperer. Troy brings a great knowledge-set to the podcast with both perspectives from being a farmer and working in the media. This episode is a “must listen” if you want to get some free exposure for your farm.

If you want to succeed as a small (or large) business you have to market your products. The only problem with farm is that the margins can get pretty slim. That is when us crafty folks break out the guerrilla marketing techniques and find out way into free or cheap media exposure. In today’s episode I share a story about some free media attention that I received this year that led to me landing a place to farm, getting me some customers, and giving me a little security about land in the future. You can find my press release and article a little further down in the show notes. Even if you cannot find the time to send press releases now or to really put out any marketing, you should be taking pictures. The pictures you take now while your farm is in full bloom with come in handy when you are getting press out of season. I walk you through some basic photo editing on myfarm photo page here. I bring on the show an experienced farmer and journalist Troy Bishopp the Grass Whisperer. Troy brings a great knowledge-set to the podcast with both perspectives from being a farmer and working in the media. This episode is a “must listen” if you want to get some free exposure for your farm.

I had a hard time with the title of this podcast because I couldn’t decided whether I should write that I have big news AND the Grass Whisperer came to visit my farm, or it IS the big news that the Grass Whisperer came to my farm. It was a tough call because it sure was great having Troy on my farm. There was a bunch of big news preceding the interview with Troy Bishopp the Grass Whisperer. The first is that I got a job. That’s right, I took a job, and I am super excited about it. I am going to be the a farm manager and operations director for a farm that is starting a brewery and distillery in addition to their pastured egg operation. Over the next month I will be moving my entire farm operation to their land where I can run my chickens and fulfill my work obligations to the new farm at the same time. Sure it is going to be a lot of work making the transition, but I will manage. I just love that I can keep my business and make some extra money on the side. Takes a little pressure off me, and I really think it is a match made in heaven with this farm.

I had a hard time with the title of this podcast because I couldn’t decided whether I should write that I have big news AND the Grass Whisperer came to visit my farm, or it IS the big news that the Grass Whisperer came to my farm. It was a tough call because it sure was great having Troy on my farm. There was a bunch of big news preceding the interview with Troy Bishopp the Grass Whisperer. The first is that I got a job. That’s right, I took a job, and I am super excited about it. I am going to be the a farm manager and operations director for a farm that is starting a brewery and distillery in addition to their pastured egg operation. Over the next month I will be moving my entire farm operation to their land where I can run my chickens and fulfill my work obligations to the new farm at the same time. Sure it is going to be a lot of work making the transition, but I will manage. I just love that I can keep my business and make some extra money on the side. Takes a little pressure off me, and I really think it is a match made in heaven with this farm.

It can be awkward, weird, tough, and uncomfortable to mix family and business. It can also be great. Any which way you do it you need to get everything in writing, and keep all the details straight. I will be the first to admit, Kate and I have not been as up on this as we should be. There is a lot we have talked about, but we haven’t been so good about putting it down on paper. I find in general getting things down on paper when times are good gives you something to fall back on when times are bad. Even if it just an answer to the question, “Why did we even do this in the first place?”

It can be awkward, weird, tough, and uncomfortable to mix family and business. It can also be great. Any which way you do it you need to get everything in writing, and keep all the details straight. I will be the first to admit, Kate and I have not been as up on this as we should be. There is a lot we have talked about, but we haven’t been so good about putting it down on paper. I find in general getting things down on paper when times are good gives you something to fall back on when times are bad. Even if it just an answer to the question, “Why did we even do this in the first place?”

Time and money. Never feels like there is enough of either. Wouldn’t it be great if we could all have a little more time in our day. Perhaps you could use it to spend time with family, grow more crops, or herd more cattle. Who knows? The point is, we need a way to make the most out of our waking and working hours on the farm. That is where efficiency comes in. Becoming more efficient at what you are doing on the farm will make you more productive you will get more done. Being able to get more things done would be huge. I know there are things I would love to do for my business and in my personal life, but I just do not have the time. I do not have the time because I have some inefficiencies in my work routine. I spend a lot of time thinking about this as I am out in the field. In today’s episode I discuss what some of my inefficiencies are and what my plans are to change them. I also talk more about my farm and how I am doing with sales and production.

Time and money. Never feels like there is enough of either. Wouldn’t it be great if we could all have a little more time in our day. Perhaps you could use it to spend time with family, grow more crops, or herd more cattle. Who knows? The point is, we need a way to make the most out of our waking and working hours on the farm. That is where efficiency comes in. Becoming more efficient at what you are doing on the farm will make you more productive you will get more done. Being able to get more things done would be huge. I know there are things I would love to do for my business and in my personal life, but I just do not have the time. I do not have the time because I have some inefficiencies in my work routine. I spend a lot of time thinking about this as I am out in the field. In today’s episode I discuss what some of my inefficiencies are and what my plans are to change them. I also talk more about my farm and how I am doing with sales and production.