Dan Brisebois has over 20 years of market farming and seed growing experience as a founding member of Tourne-Sol Cooperative farm in Quebec, Canada. In this interview and discussion of his new book, The Seed Farmer, we hear how his interest in seed growing goes all the way back to the beginning of his farming career. Now, he can tell us from experience what it’s like to grow many seed crops, since roughly half of the farm income derives from seed sales, with the other half coming from a 500-member CSA.

This interview and Dan’s book cover the practicalities of how to grow a seed crop, whether for your own use or for sale. Topics covered include choosing a crop, pollination, isolation distances, inbreeders vs outcrossers, harvest and processing for good germination, storage and more! This interview gives an overview of the differences between growing for a crop of fresh vegetables vs. for seed. For the nitty-gritty details, order The Seed Farmer, which is now shipping from Growing for Market; magazine subscribers always get 20% off all books, including The Seed Farmer. Dan is also the author of the book Crop Planning for Vegetable Growers and founder of the Farmer Spreadsheet Academy that offers courses in farm planning, including a seed farmer mentorship.

 

Connect With Guest:

 

Dan’s book The Seed Farmer: https://growingformarket.com/store/products/262

Website: https://www.fermetournesol.qc.ca/en

Farmer spreadsheet academy: http://spreadsheet.farm/bcp

Instagram: @danbrisebois.farm

Instagram: @fermetournesol

 

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PanAmerican Seed brings to market novel, high-quality vegetables for the fresh market grower and hobby farmer. This year, to help make choices for vegetable programs easier, we’ve grouped our assortment into four categories where these edible favorites perform their best. Look for our easy-to-identify symbols in our latest brochure! Visit panamseed.com/vegetables to learn more and find a seed supplier today.

 

Farmhand is the only ready-to-ride assistant made by and for farmers. Through a simple text or email to Farmhand, you can offload admin tasks, automate your CSA, update your website, and sell more to your customers. Learn more and take one of our many time-saving tasks for a test drive to see firsthand how Farmhand can help you earn more, and work less at farmhand.partners/gfm.

 

Bootstrap Farmer offers a complete range of growing supplies including heat mats, ground cover, frost blankets, silage tarps, irrigation, and trellising. They also make all-metal, all-inclusive greenhouse kits, constructed of steel made in the USA and fabricated in Texas. Their heavy-duty, Midwest-made propagation and microgreens trays will last for years and are available in a full spectrum of colors. For all that plus experienced support for everything they sell, check out Bootstrap Farmer at bootstrapfarmer.com. 

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