In this episode, farmer Alec sits down with Krisztian Varsa, Director of Farms Fund at the Conservation Fund and Marc Bernard of Rustic Road Farm in Illinois to shed light on how the Conservation Fund is revolutionizing farmland access for next-generation farmers through their innovative lease-to-own program. Chef-turned-farmer Marc Bernard shares how they scaled their farm from 5 acres to 30 acres as they diversify their agricultural enterprise, and Krisztian Varsa walks us through the Conservation Fund's process, requirements, and support system that's helping small-scale farmers build sustainable businesses without the crushing debt of traditional land ownership.

Click here to learn more about The Conservation Fund.

Click here to learn more about Rustic Road Farm here.

Click here to check out farmer Alec and Crop Culture Farm.

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Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:  Carrot Cashflow  Farm Small Farm Smart  Farm Small Farm Smart Daily  The Growing Microgreens Podcast  The Urban Farmer Podcast  The Rookie Farmer Podcast  In Search of Soil Podcast

Check out Diego's books:  Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon   Ready Farmer One on Amazon

**** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

In this episode of the Rookie Farmer Podcast, we're talking to farmer Steven Beltram of TendWell Farm and Roland McReynolds, Executive Director of Carolina Farm Stewards Association to walk us through the harsh reality facing Western North Carolina farmers one year after Hurricane Helene devastated their communities. Steven and Roland shed light on the untold story of agricultural disaster, failed government response, and ongoing struggles that mainstream media has forgotten.

In this episode, farmer Alec shares the reality of transitioning to full-time farming, including the mental health challenges and day-to-day grind that farmers rarely talk about. He gives us an update of how his summer went: what sold well, what new crop he tried, and the pricey mistakes he made with tomatoes, peppers, and summer squash.

Click here to learn more about the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association.

Click here to learn more about TendWell Farm.

Click here to check out farmer Alec and Crop Culture Farm.

Click here to shop on Modern Grower with Alec's affiliate link.

 Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights! 

 Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower.

Follow Modern Grower:  Instagram  Instagram

Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:  Carrot Cashflow  Farm Small Farm Smart  Farm Small Farm Smart Daily  The Growing Microgreens Podcast  The Urban Farmer Podcast  The Rookie Farmer Podcast  In Search of Soil Podcast

Check out Diego's books:  Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon   Ready Farmer One on Amazon

**** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

In this episode, farmer Alec shares the reality of transitioning to full-time farming, including the mental health challenges and day-to-day grind that farmers rarely talk about. He gives us an update of how his summer went: what sold well, what new crop he tried, and the pricey mistakes he made with tomatoes, peppers, and summer squash.

Click here to check out farmer Alec and Crop Culture Farm.

Shop on Modern Grower with Alec's affiliate link: https://shop.moderngrower.co?sca_ref=9551856.eplsLKegQSh7n

 Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights! 

 Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower.

Follow Modern Grower:  Instagram  Instagram

Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:  Carrot Cashflow  Farm Small Farm Smart  Farm Small Farm Smart Daily  The Growing Microgreens Podcast  The Urban Farmer Podcast  The Rookie Farmer Podcast  In Search of Soil Podcast

Check out Diego's books:  Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon   Ready Farmer One on Amazon

**** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

In this episode, Alec welcomes GrownBy's Director of Accounts and Partnerships, Eric Sannerud, to talk about GrownBy: a farmer-owned cooperative e-commerce platform designed specifically for farms selling directly to consumers. Unlike other tech solutions, GrownBy was built with a unique understanding of the challenges of local food sales. If you're a farmer looking for a platform to sell in, maybe GrownBy's the one for you!

Click here to learn more about GrownBy.

Click here to check out farmer Alec and Crop Culture Farm.

 Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights! 

 Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower.

Follow Modern Grower:  Instagram  Instagram

Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:  Carrot Cashflow  Farm Small Farm Smart  Farm Small Farm Smart Daily  The Growing Microgreens Podcast  The Urban Farmer Podcast  The Rookie Farmer Podcast  In Search of Soil Podcast

Check out Diego's books:  Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon   Ready Farmer One on Amazon

**** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Chett Clayton of Hillside Harvest Farm shares his journey from growing 25 pounds of garlic to 700+ pounds annually. He talks about how he and his wife turned their backyard garlic production into a thriving business by creating value-added products like seasonings that now represent 60% of farm sales. Lastly, he touches on how they expanded their business into mushrooms and their plans on creating innovative value-added products like shiitake jerky.

Click here to learn more about Hillside Harvest Farm.

Click here to check out farmer Alec and Crop Culture Farm.

 Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights! 

 Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower.

Follow Modern Grower:  Instagram  Instagram

Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:  Carrot Cashflow  Farm Small Farm Smart  Farm Small Farm Smart Daily  The Growing Microgreens Podcast  The Urban Farmer Podcast  The Rookie Farmer Podcast  In Search of Soil Podcast

Check out Diego's books:  Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon   Ready Farmer One on Amazon

**** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

In this farm blog episode, Alex shares his experience transitioning from working part-time at Crystal Organic Farm to full-time farming at Crop Culture Farm. He talks about financial realities, time management challenges, and mindset shifts he had to make as he starts farming full-time. He also shares his strategies for summer growing, farmers market success, and how he redefines what success means beyond just profit margins.

Click here to check out farmer Alec and Crop Culture Farm.

 Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights! 

 Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower.

Follow Modern Grower:  Instagram  Instagram

Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:  Carrot Cashflow  Farm Small Farm Smart  Farm Small Farm Smart Daily  The Growing Microgreens Podcast  The Urban Farmer Podcast  The Rookie Farmer Podcast  In Search of Soil Podcast

Check out Diego's books:  Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon   Ready Farmer One on Amazon

**** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Sara Landry shares their answer to food insecurity: by starting Collective Acres, a nonprofit farm that donates 80% of its harvest to food banks and shelters. Sara talks about her journey from shelter worker to farm founder, revealing the challenges of starting with minimal experience and resources, and how a passionate team is making it work. 

Click here to learn more about Collective Acres Farm.

Click here to check out farmer Alec and Crop Culture Farm.

 Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights! 

 Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower.

Follow Modern Grower:  Instagram  Instagram

Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:  Carrot Cashflow  Farm Small Farm Smart  Farm Small Farm Smart Daily  The Growing Microgreens Podcast  The Urban Farmer Podcast  The Rookie Farmer Podcast  In Search of Soil Podcast

Check out Diego's books:  Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon   Ready Farmer One on Amazon

**** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

In this episode, Alec sits down with Cyndi and Savannah of Love Equals Farm in his hometown of Tennessee to talk about how they turned their disabilities and neurodivergence into advantages in building a profitable small farm business in a food desert. They share practical strategies for farming with physical limitations, managing neurodivergence while running an agricultural enterprise, and building a premium brand that commands top dollar even in small markets.

Click here to learn more about Cyndi, Savannah, and Love Equals Farm.

Click here to check out farmer Alec and Crop Culture Farm.

 Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights! 

 Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower.

Follow Modern Grower:  Instagram  Instagram

Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:  Carrot Cashflow  Farm Small Farm Smart  Farm Small Farm Smart Daily  The Growing Microgreens Podcast  The Urban Farmer Podcast  The Rookie Farmer Podcast  In Search of Soil Podcast

Check out Diego's books:  Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon   Ready Farmer One on Amazon

**** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

In this farm blog episode, Alex shares the unfiltered truth about small-scale as he puts his no-till dogma in his back pocket and starts using tillage to boost crop yields. He talks about his costly pest management mistakes, the daily harvest strategy that's differentiating his produce at market, and the work that goes into doubling farm their income from $700 to $1300+ per week.

Click here to check out farmer Alec and Crop Culture Farm.

 Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights! 

 Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower.

Follow Modern Grower:  Instagram  Instagram

Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:  Carrot Cashflow  Farm Small Farm Smart  Farm Small Farm Smart Daily  The Growing Microgreens Podcast  The Urban Farmer Podcast  The Rookie Farmer Podcast  In Search of Soil Podcast

Check out Diego's books:  Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon   Ready Farmer One on Amazon

**** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

In this sobering episode of The Rookie Farmer Podcast, Alec talks to Abigail Darwin of Wholesome Wave Georgia, one of the many organizations revolutionizing food access while supporting local farmers through SNAP benefit doubling. Their eye-opening conversation reveals the realities faced by food-insecure families and how farmer's markets and food assistance programs are playing a vital role in bridging the gap between those families and food security.

Click here to learn more about Wholesome Wave Georgia.

Click here to check out farmer Alec and Crop Culture Farm.

 Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights! 

 Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower.

Follow Modern Grower:  Instagram  Instagram

Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:  Carrot Cashflow  Farm Small Farm Smart  Farm Small Farm Smart Daily  The Growing Microgreens Podcast  The Urban Farmer Podcast  The Rookie Farmer Podcast  In Search of Soil Podcast

Check out Diego's books:  Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon   Ready Farmer One on Amazon

**** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.