In this episode of The Rookie Farmer Podcast, host Alec Smith welcomes farmer Jill Duncan of Loving Roots Urban Farm as she shares her journey from renting farm land in the city to owning a thriving 1/3-acre market garden: growing on two farms at the same time, keeping her customer base, and the growing pains of moving to a new location. She also talks about how she grows lettuce year-round, builds deep customer relationships that drive business growth, and manages a profitable solo operation growing high-value crops.

Click here to learn more about farmer Jill and Loving Roots Urban Farm.

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

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

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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.

While "winter growing" might conjure up images of heated high tunnels, covered beds, and doing wash pack in freezing water, you might just be surprised that that's not all there is to it! In this farm blog episode, host Alec of Crop Culture Farm is joined by farmer Richard from Sun and Soil Farm to talk about the growing-related and non-growing -related realities of winter farming: from timing your plantings, deciding when (or if!) to cover crops, to navigating unpredictable winter markets. They share their own strategies for succession planting in cold weather, the impact of having high tunnels on accelerating crop growth even in short days, and some tips and tricks to using the Jang direct seeder.

Click here to learn more about farmer Richard and Sun and Soil 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.

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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, we dive into some insider secrets to farmers market success courtesy of Brian Strickland, Director of the Athens Farmers Market. Brian and host Alec dig into why working at an established farm first can save you thousands of dollars, how to choose the right market for your scale, and the presentation tactics that make or break your booth. Brian shares the hard-won wisdom that helped Alec make the jump from a small-town market to thriving at one of Georgia's premier farmer's markets in just one season.

Click here to learn more about Athens Farmers Market!

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, we talk to Patrick Samuels of Sunnyside Egg Co. as he shares how he scaled from 50 backyard chickens to 7,000 birds across multiple farms in just 6 months—all while staying true to regenerative principles.

Not only that, we also uncover the shocking truth about what "pasture raised" really means in the commercial egg industry, why the co-op model crushes the solo farmer approach, and how profitable partnerships can reduce overall operating costs by 50% or more.

Learn more about Patrick Samuels and Sunnyside Egg Co. through their Instagram or their website.

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.

We're mixing it up in this new farm blog episode as host Alec welcomes a returning guest, Richard from Sun & Soil Farm, for an unfiltered conversation about the challenges and successes they've had this past growing season. They touch on no-till practices, which crops are absolute winners (and losers), how high tunnels changed everything, and the honest truth about scaling production when you're growing more than you can sell.

Click here to learn more about Richard and Sun and Soil 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 welcomes pesticide scientist-turned-citrus farmer Herb Young of Squeeze Citrus to discuss why and how regenerative farming practices produce food that's 3-8 times more nutrient-dense than conventional produce. Herb talks about their citrus products' lab results, practical soil-building techniques, and why feeding soil microbes is more important than fertilizing plants.

Click here to learn more about Herb Young and Squeeze Citrus.

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, Rookie Farmer Alec Smith welcomes herb farmer Emily Erickson Mills as she shares how she transformed her passion for herbalism into a thriving farm business specializing in medicinal herbs and value-added goods like hydrosols, teas, and beauty products. She breaks down the realistic challenges and opportunities of adding herbal products to your farm operation, from processing infrastructure to profit margins...all while taking care of a brand new baby.

Click here to learn more about Emily and Moonrise Meadows 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.

Coming in with a new farm blog episode with Alec Smith as he shares their experience transitioning into their first full-time winter season! He talks about the real challenges of scaling up production and their favorite fall crops (including some surprising off-season winners). Things also get real as Alec talks about the real-life impacts of government funding cuts on food access programs, both to beneficiaries and local farmers.

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, 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.

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 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.