The Beginning Farmer Show

What's The Beginning Farmer Show about?

The Beginning Farmer Show chronicles the good, bad, and ugly of starting a farm from scratch. Listen each week as beginning farmer Ethan Book share updates from the farm, insight into farm decision making, and lessons that he has had to learn the hard way.

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The Beginning Farmer Show episodes:

11.22.2022
TBF 158 :: Things Needed to Change
The first episode in two years needs no introduction. Basically this is an episode of me sharing what I've found out I needed to do differently over the last two years. Or, to be more correct ... it is an...
11.11.2020
TBF 157 :: Crooked Gap Farm v2.0
I have come to the realization that it is time to reboot the farm! Not that everything that we have been doing for the past twelve years has been bad, but rather there are some changes that I realize...
08.26.2020
TBF 156 :: Three Needed Changes and a Hard Lesson Learned
Crooked Gap Farm has come a long ways in the roughly 12 years of it's existence! Sometimes I forget how far we have come from an empty 40 acre parcel in the middle of Iowa, but when I stop...
08.19.2020
TBF 155 :: Let's Talk About Meat Chickens
Let's talk about chickens! We've raised meat chickens off and on for about 10 years now, and it has never really been our strong suit. But, the demand is there and I would really like to increase our...
07.26.2020
TBF 154 :: Pandemic Farm Marketing and a Hard Lesson Learned
Hello Beginning Farmer Friends! We are back and better than ever. Well I'm not sure about better than ever, but we are back and I am getting pretty excited about being back (even though it is one episode)! I...
04.20.2020
TBF 153 :: Family, Fun, and a Hard Lesson Learned
In a time of unknown, I sit down and do what is needed: I have fun. Today I talk with my oldest son, Caleb, about his interests on the farm and where he goes and is wanting to go with...
04.13.2020
TBF 152 :: Back Again and More Farm Updates
I am going to ignore the elephant in the room (this episode is being released during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic) and attempt to pick-up where I left off about one year ago! On the last episode of The Beginning Farmer...
02.04.2019
TBF 151 :: Changing the Inventory of a Farm
Now that you know the large collection of things that we have on the farm I want to share some of my thoughts on what needs to head down the road, what needs to be added, and where I am...
01.28.2019
TBF 150 :: Taking Stock and Deciding What to Do
I'm just going to be completely honest here. I have forgotten most of what it takes to post a podcast episode since it has been such a long time since I have regularly released episodes! With that in mind these...
10.12.2018
TBF 149 :: This is Sort of a Test, Farm Updates, and a Hard Lesson Learned
Subscribe to "The Beginning Farmer" YouTube Channel! Hey there! This is a BRAND NEW EPISODE of "The Beginning Farmer Show"!!! I'm not sure when the next one will be, but for now this one is here and I'm looking for...
09.06.2017
TBF 148 :: Hello Again, Farm Updates, and a Hard Lesson Learned
Subscribe to "The Beginning Farmer" YouTube Channel! What can I say? It has been a day or two since the last episode of the podcast was released and there has been a thing or two that has happened. On the...
12.15.2016
TBF 147 :: The Not How To Episode, Other News, and a Hard Lesson Learned
Subscribe to "The Beginning Farmer" YouTube Channel! It is story time! Plans were made, forms were formed, rock was moved, compactors were used, rain came, snow came, everything became muddy, even more rock was moved, concrete was poured,...
12.02.2016
TBF 146 :: Gifts for Farmers, Now What's Happening, and the Family
Subscribe to "The Beginning Farmer" YouTube Channel! With Christmas coming up before we know it (and possibly putting an end to my concrete dreams) I thought it would be good to share my Top Ten Gifts for...
11.24.2016
TBF 145 :: Thanksgiving!, A Difficult Week, and the Family
Subscribe to "The Beginning Farmer" YouTube Channel! This past week was "one of those weeks" on the farm! A hydraulic line exploded on the tractor, but thankfully my cousin was able to fix it. We dug in the...
11.17.2016
TBF 144 :: Your Answers to My Questions, Content, and a Hard Lesson Learned
Subscribe to "The Beginning Farmer" YouTube Channel! Do you know the greatest thing about The Beginning Farmer Podcast/Blog? It is YOU of course! Two episodes ago I flipped the tables, and instead of doing my typical "question...
11.09.2016
TBF 143 :: Net Fence for Sheep, The Farm Crawl, and a Hard Lesson Learned
Subscribe to "The Beginning Farmer" YouTube Channel! We physically survived The Farm Crawl, but it was a bit mentally taxing. The day was beautiful, the farm was in great shape, we had a good selection of pork...
09.17.2016
TBF 142 :: This Farmer Has Questions, Cattle Sold, and a Hard Lesson Learned
Subscribe to "The Beginning Farmer" YouTube Channel! Our farm has been a farm for eight years now, which I suppose means I have been a farmer for eight years as well. But, I don't want anyone...
09.14.2016
TBF 141 :: Quit Buying Herefords, Meat Chicks, and a Hard Lesson Learned
Subscribe to "The Beginning Farmer" YouTube Channel! In many ways our farm began before the farm even began. I was reading books, talking to farmers, dreaming dreams, and making plans. All of that lead to me thinking...
08.29.2016
TBF 140 :: Applying Farm Knowledge, Farm News, and a Hard Lesson Learned
Subscribe to "The Beginning Farmer" YouTube Channel! Earlier this month I was able to take a long drive to northwestern Iowa and visit Seven W Farm during their Practical Farmers of Iowa Field Day. This was the...
08.25.2016
TBF 139 :: Field Day Follow-Up, Cattle Sale, and a Hard Lesson Learned
Subscribe to "The Beginning Farmer" YouTube Channel! More questions have rolled in from our Practical Farmers of Iowa Field Day, and the folks at PFI have even put up a blog post that recaps the day. The...
08.11.2016
TBF 138 :: Questions, Answers, Farm Tours, and a Hard Lesson Learned
Subscribe to "The Beginning Farmer" YouTube Channel! Over the past two weeks we have hosted well over 100 farmers and farm fans out to Crooked Gap Farm! That has meant a lot of time getting the farm...
07.29.2016
TBF 137 :: Changes on the Farm, Farm Visits, and a Hard Lesson Learned
Subscribe to "The Beginning Farmer" YouTube Channel! Changes are often difficult to make, even if you love change and moving forward. I find it difficult not so much because I don't notice that there are things to...
07.06.2016
TBF 136 :: Former Farmer, Vet Visits, and a Hard Lesson Learned
Subscribe to "The Beginning Farmer" YouTube Channel! My career as a "beginning farmer" has always been as bi-vocational something or other. Along with trying to learn how to farm I've been a youth pastor, worked at a...
06.29.2016
TBF 135 :: It's Not a Comeback, Lots of Updates, and a Hard Lesson Learned
Subscribe to "The Beginning Farmer" YouTube Channel! What happens when The Beginning Farmer disappears for months on end? Well, actually lots things happen! Just recently I've been to Arizona to talk farming and finances, we've been making small...
02.05.2016
TBF 134 :: Super-Duper Farm Q & A, Farm News, and a Hard Lesson Learned
Subscribe to "The Beginning Farmer" YouTube Channel! I asked for questions and you listeners came back with some great questions! The only bummer thing about all of those great questions is that I'm not sure that I had equally great answers....
01.27.2016
TBF 133 :: Handling Hogs on Pasture, New Life, and a Hard Lesson Learned
Subscribe to "The Beginning Farmer" YouTube Channel! When it comes to raising pigs on pasture and in the woodlot one of the most frequently asked questions is about how you handle the pigs in that setting. If you've ever been around...
12.24.2015
TBF 132 :: Merry Christmas from The Beginning Farmer!
Subscribe to "The Beginning Farmer" YouTube Channel! The Christmas season would not be complete with out some reflection on the season and a reading of one of the best Christmas stories I've ever had the chance to hear. My memories of...
12.22.2015
TBF 131 :: Five Farm Successes in 2015 and a Hard Lesson Learned
Subscribe to "The Beginning Farmer" YouTube Channel! Last episode was all about the failures from 2015, but this time we are going to keep it positive and we are going to talk about the successes that we had on Crooked Gap...
12.21.2015
TBF 130 :: Five Farm Failures in 2015 and a Hard Lesson Learned
Subscribe to "The Beginning Farmer" YouTube Channel! Sometimes admitting that you have failed is difficult because you don't want to think about the fact that you haven't accomplished a goal or something that you are passionate about. Other times admitting a...
11.25.2015
TBF 129 :: Thanksgiving on the Farm, Lots of Farming, and a Hard Lesson Learned
Subscribe to "The Beginning Farmer" YouTube Channel! Thanksgiving :: Farm, Field, and Fireside :: Nov. 27, 1897 With corn so low how can I be thankful? So says an Illinoisan. With transportation so high what ground is there for me to do anything...
10.29.2015
TBF 128 :: Our Wood Burning Workflow, Goodbye Grass, and a Hard Lesson Learned
Subscribe to "The Beginning Farmer" YouTube Channel! When we began looking for a place to start our farm we quickly realized that we could either have roughly 40 acres of land or a house and about 20 acres of land for...
10.21.2015
TBF 127 :: Buying Grain Brings Profit, Too Much Dark, and a Hard Lesson Learned
Subscribe to "The Beginning Farmer" YouTube Channel! Sometimes I say things that I forget about, sometimes I say things that should be forgotten, and then sometimes there are the things that I say that need a bit of clarification. The latter...
10.07.2015
TBF 126 :: Farm Crawl, Being on T.V., and a Hard Lesson Learned
Subscribe to "The Beginning Farmer" YouTube Channel! October 4th, 2015 was the 9th Annual Farm Crawl, and the 5th that our farm has been a part of. This is an amazing event that was begun by some farmer friends of ours...
09.26.2015
TBF 125 :: Adding & Subtracting on the Farm, Updates, and a Hard Lesson Learned
Subscribe to "The Beginning Farmer" YouTube Channel! Have you ever had a moment when someone asks you the exact question that you have been spending a lot of time thinking about? Well that is what this episode is all about because...
08.26.2015
TBF 124 :: Crop Failures, The State Fair, and a Hard Lesson Learned
Subscribe to "The Beginning Farmer" YouTube Channel! If you spend any amount of time at all as a farmer (full-time, part-time, or any amount of time) you are going to have crop failures. On our farm we've had failures with our...
07.30.2015
TBF 123 :: Heritage Meat Chickens, Harvesting Oats, and a Hard Lesson Learned
Subscribe to "The Beginning Farmer" YouTube Channel! There have been a lot of "happenings" lately on the farm that I have been wanting to share on the podcast, but I just haven't made the time. On this weeks episode I'm making...
07.27.2015
TBF 122 :: Farming Exit Interview, Sheep Fencing, and a Hard Lesson Learned
:: Warning :: There were some equipment issues while recording this episode and there is a very annoying audio hum during the opening and closing sections. I will try to remedy this issue as soon as possible. For the past six...
07.22.2015
TBF 121 :: Farm Questions, The County Fair , and a Hard Lesson Learned
Subscribe to "The Beginning Farmer" YouTube Channel! If you're a beginning farmer like I am a beginning farmer then you have lots of questions! Sometimes what you need isn't always the "right" answer as much as it is an answer that...
07.09.2015
TBF 120 :: Farms are Work, The Right Product , and a Hard Lesson Learned
Subscribe to "The Beginning Farmer" YouTube Channel! There is a great line from one of my all time favorite movies ("Dances With Wolves") that goes something like this, "Somebody back east is saying, 'Now why don't he write?'" If you're a...
06.24.2015
TBF 119 :: An On-Farm Extern, The Garden Grows, and a Hard Lesson Learned
Subscribe to "The Beginning Farmer" YouTube Channel! Two sets of hard working hands are better than one, and two quick thinking brains will always trump one! Those are just a couple of reasons that we are enjoying having our summer "extern"...
06.10.2015
TBF 118 :: Pastured Rabbit Talk, Muggy & Muddy, and a Hard Lesson Learned
Subscribe to "The Beginning Farmer" YouTube Channel! One of the newest ventures on our farm (although we've been at it for three years) is the pasture raised rabbit operation that was begun by our son when he was 8-years old. Over...
06.03.2015
TBF 117 :: How Many Acres, Help on the Farm, and a Hard Lesson Learned
Subscribe to "The Beginning Farmer" YouTube Channel! Of the many challenges that beginning farmers face (access to land, lack of farming skills, need for capital) one that I often find myself thinking about is just "how many acres" I need to...
05.27.2015
TBF 116 :: Fun Farming Questions, Electric Fence Upkeep, and a Hard Lesson Learned
Subscribe to "The Beginning Farmer" YouTube Channel! Do you know what? You don't have to feel guilty about your prices for the products your raise and produce on your farm! It is perfectly acceptable for you to make a decent...
05.23.2015
TBF 115 :: Dairy Goats & Cheese Making, Cattle on Pasture, and a Hard Lesson Learned
If you've listened to my "Hard Lessons Learned" over the past two years of "The Beginning Farmer Show" it would be very much aware of the fact that I am a beginning farmer. As you watch the video below it...
05.13.2015
TBF 114 :: Technology and Homesteading, Moving Pigs, and a Hard Lesson Learned
I am a small-scale diversified livestock farmer who doesn't use GPS guided tractors, robotic feed controllers, or large amounts of bio-tech seeds. But, I do very much depend on technology for my farming and marketing. The rotational grazing would not...
05.06.2015
TBF 113 :: "Despite What You've Heard", Grow Grass Grow, and a Hard Lesson Learned
"Despite What You've Heard, Small Farmers are Doing Just Fine". That is the title of a recent article by Brent Preston who runs an organic farm with his wife in Canada. What is so striking about this brief but compelling...
04.29.2015
TBF 112 :: The Kickstarter Special on Pigs, Quick News, and a Hard Lesson Learned
Pigs! I love to talk about pigs, and that is exactly what this episode is all about thanks to the generous Kickstarter backer's Paul and Delanie of Oak Grove Valley Farm. More specifically though it is a discussion of my...
04.15.2015
TBF 111 :: Spring Updates & Goals, Locker Trips, and a Hard Lesson Learned
As much as possible we try to do our planning in the winter season, but there are just some plans and goals that can't be made until spring comes and you can get a handle on the state of farm....
04.08.2015
TBF 110 :: The Snowball Effect, a Sick Cow, and a Hard Lesson Learned
Do you remember those cartoons where a character starts rolling down a snowy mountain and eventually a snowball is formed with the cartoon character in the middle? And then, as they are rolling down, the snowball gets bigger and bigger...
04.01.2015
TBF 109 :: Guineas No More, Beef in the Freezer, and a Hard Lesson Learned
Just when I think everything is chugging along like a "sort of" well oiled machine something comes along and seemingly derails everything. This time the "something" was our Guinea Fowl. In the past you have heard me say all sorts...

What's The Beginning Farmer Show about?

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The Beginning Farmer Show episodes:

TBF 158 :: Things Needed to Change

TBF 157 :: Crooked Gap Farm v2.0

TBF 156 :: Three Needed Changes and a Hard Lesson Learned

TBF 155 :: Let's Talk About Meat Chickens

TBF 154 :: Pandemic Farm Marketing and a Hard Lesson Learned

TBF 153 :: Family, Fun, and a Hard Lesson Learned

TBF 152 :: Back Again and More Farm Updates

TBF 151 :: Changing the Inventory of a Farm

TBF 150 :: Taking Stock and Deciding What to Do

TBF 149 :: This is Sort of a Test, Farm Updates, and a Hard Lesson Learned

TBF 148 :: Hello Again, Farm Updates, and a Hard Lesson Learned

TBF 147 :: The Not How To Episode, Other News, and a Hard Lesson Learned

TBF 146 :: Gifts for Farmers, Now What's Happening, and the Family

TBF 145 :: Thanksgiving!, A Difficult Week, and the Family

TBF 144 :: Your Answers to My Questions, Content, and a Hard Lesson Learned

TBF 143 :: Net Fence for Sheep, The Farm Crawl, and a Hard Lesson Learned

TBF 142 :: This Farmer Has Questions, Cattle Sold, and a Hard Lesson Learned

TBF 141 :: Quit Buying Herefords, Meat Chicks, and a Hard Lesson Learned

TBF 140 :: Applying Farm Knowledge, Farm News, and a Hard Lesson Learned

TBF 139 :: Field Day Follow-Up, Cattle Sale, and a Hard Lesson Learned

TBF 138 :: Questions, Answers, Farm Tours, and a Hard Lesson Learned

TBF 137 :: Changes on the Farm, Farm Visits, and a Hard Lesson Learned

TBF 136 :: Former Farmer, Vet Visits, and a Hard Lesson Learned

TBF 135 :: It's Not a Comeback, Lots of Updates, and a Hard Lesson Learned

TBF 134 :: Super-Duper Farm Q & A, Farm News, and a Hard Lesson Learned

TBF 133 :: Handling Hogs on Pasture, New Life, and a Hard Lesson Learned

TBF 132 :: Merry Christmas from The Beginning Farmer!

TBF 131 :: Five Farm Successes in 2015 and a Hard Lesson Learned

TBF 130 :: Five Farm Failures in 2015 and a Hard Lesson Learned

TBF 129 :: Thanksgiving on the Farm, Lots of Farming, and a Hard Lesson Learned

TBF 128 :: Our Wood Burning Workflow, Goodbye Grass, and a Hard Lesson Learned

TBF 127 :: Buying Grain Brings Profit, Too Much Dark, and a Hard Lesson Learned

TBF 126 :: Farm Crawl, Being on T.V., and a Hard Lesson Learned

TBF 125 :: Adding & Subtracting on the Farm, Updates, and a Hard Lesson Learned

TBF 124 :: Crop Failures, The State Fair, and a Hard Lesson Learned

TBF 123 :: Heritage Meat Chickens, Harvesting Oats, and a Hard Lesson Learned

TBF 122 :: Farming Exit Interview, Sheep Fencing, and a Hard Lesson Learned

TBF 121 :: Farm Questions, The County Fair , and a Hard Lesson Learned

TBF 120 :: Farms are Work, The Right Product , and a Hard Lesson Learned

TBF 119 :: An On-Farm Extern, The Garden Grows, and a Hard Lesson Learned

TBF 118 :: Pastured Rabbit Talk, Muggy & Muddy, and a Hard Lesson Learned

TBF 117 :: How Many Acres, Help on the Farm, and a Hard Lesson Learned

TBF 116 :: Fun Farming Questions, Electric Fence Upkeep, and a Hard Lesson Learned

TBF 115 :: Dairy Goats & Cheese Making, Cattle on Pasture, and a Hard Lesson Learned

TBF 114 :: Technology and Homesteading, Moving Pigs, and a Hard Lesson Learned

TBF 113 :: "Despite What You've Heard", Grow Grass Grow, and a Hard Lesson Learned

TBF 112 :: The Kickstarter Special on Pigs, Quick News, and a Hard Lesson Learned

TBF 111 :: Spring Updates & Goals, Locker Trips, and a Hard Lesson Learned

TBF 110 :: The Snowball Effect, a Sick Cow, and a Hard Lesson Learned

TBF 109 :: Guineas No More, Beef in the Freezer, and a Hard Lesson Learned