This episode pulls no punches about starting a new farm: the sacrifices, struggles, and tough decisions that separate dreamers from doers. Curtis Stone and Diego Footer discuss why successful farmers like Jean-Martin Fortier started in tents and teepees, how to prepare for worst-case scenarios, and the one question that will either motivate or haunt you for decades: "Why didn't you just go for it?"

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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.

Why do the most successful farmers barely break even in year one? How could chasing profits too early destroy your farm business? In this episode, we're answering all that and more as we dive into the counterintuitive strategy that transforms struggling growers into profitable operations by year three, including actionable exercises to track what really matters: your cost per square foot, true profit margins, and which crops are secretly draining your time and money. Diego breaks down the exact approach that helped Curtis Stone build a thriving urban farm, including a 90-day learning sprint that will teach you more about your farm's economics than most farmers learn in years.

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, Diego schools us in on the four critical principles that separate successful farms from the 90% that fail within three years. We dive deep into all the reasons why starting small (just 5,000 square feet) gives you the validation, data, and sustainability you need before scaling up. Siego also breaks down how to track unit economics, understand your true capacity, and avoid the complexity cascade that destroys farm businesses.

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.

Thinking about starting a farm? In this episode, Curtis and Diego talk about why most new farmers fail and the counter-intuitive strategy that leads to long-term success. They double down on the value of working for knowledge instead of profits in your first year, starting with less land, and how building systematically will set you up for a thriving farm business. Curtis shares his hard-earned lessons on how to avoid the burnout, overwhelm, and financial struggle that sink most beginning farmers.

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 take a look at how farmer Curtis Stone survived a 75% revenue drop by using 10-day feedback cycles to pivot before losses mounted. We'll talk about ways to detect failures fast, test cheaply, and adapt quickly to rapidly changing markets.

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 rewind episode, we're taking a look at how farmer Curtis Stone achieved a 35% revenue increase while taking daily naps during peak season: by completely restructuring his workflow. We're breaking down how to stage work across optimal time windows, avoid burnout, and build systems that work with natural rhythms instead of against them—helping you scale sustainably without sacrificing your health or sanity.

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.

The Urban Farmer Curtis Stone shares some practical strategies that helped increase his farm revenue by 35% without adding more land or working longer hours. He'll talk about exact planting dates for fall crops, heat management techniques that protect both you and your employees, and why strategic napping might be your secret weapon against burnout.

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 rewind episode, we're breaking down why automating simple tasks like invoicing doesn't just save you 10+ hours per season...it also unlocks your farm's growth. We're looking at automation strategies you can implement this week—from digital invoicing to voice-to-text workflows—that will free you from repetitive manual work and give you more time to focus on sales, strategy, and scaling your business.

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 rewind episode, we're breaking down how farmer Curtis Stone increased his farm sales by 30% without adding land or changing crops—just by consistently sending weekly fresh sheets to his restaurant customers. We'll take a closer look at his email template, timing strategy, and follow-up system that transforms sporadic orders into predictable revenue.

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 take a look at how urban farmer Curtis Stone scaled from $100 restaurant orders to $1,500 distributor deals—and why he almost lost everything when one customer disappeared overnight. In this rewind episode, we're looking at the exact three-phase framework (overflow, negotiate, diversify) that helped Curtis manage high-stakes distributor relationships while protecting his business from catastrophic risk.

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.