The Winter Growers Podcast

Mark and Kristen Kimball of Essex Farm in Essex, New York, have farmed for over 20 years together. Mark and Kristen are known for their year-round, free-choice, whole-diet CSA model on 130 acres, with 22 acres and vegetables and access to 1,100 acres per grazing, haymaking, and sugaring, producing everything from veggies, fruit, grains, meat, dairy, eggs, and more. They balance the complexities of a year-round whole diet CSA model and their approach to winter food in the form of not only storage crops, but through the animals they raise who harvest the sun's abundance in the form of grass, forbs, and legumes, and store it as nutrient-dense, protein, and fat. They believe that this is season extension too, and complementary to fresh vegetable production. A very insightful conversation…

Mentioned in the show…

Kristen’s books: Good Husbandry & The Dirty Life

Check out the folks who make the show possible...

RIMOL Greenhouses quality greenhouses and high-tunnels.

Johnny's Selected Seeds vegetable, flower, and cover crop seeds. Visit the Growers Library for a wealth of growing resources.

BCS America for two wheel tractors + implements.

... and, as always, our work is powered by the individual growers who support us every month over at patreon.com/notillgrowers. You can pick up a copy of The Living Soil Handbook if you don't have one already, as well as a No-Till Growers hat or other merch, check out our YouTube channel, and you can ask you questions or share your insights into ecological market gardening on our free growers forum at notillgrowers.community.chat

Farmer Sarah Patterson of Red Acre Farm in Cedar City, Utah, was just 14 years old when she started her first CSA on her parents' land after they moved to Utah from LA. Now, 15 years later, she has built Red Acre Farm into a thriving one-acre certified organic farm with a year-round, full-diet CSA, farm stand, farm kitchen, AND farm stay, along with hosting farm dinners, workshops, and other community events. She also founded the Utah Farm and Food Conference, now in its eighth year, and with her mom established the Red Acre Center for Food and Agriculture, a nonprofit with a focus on farmer education and advocating for farmers at the state level. Since 2015, she and her mom have worked together to pass more than 19 bills directly related to small agriculture and artisan producers in Utah. Sarah is a powerhouse of energy and drive to make small-scale farming and local food accessible to all in her community and to inspire others to do the same.

Check out the folks who make the show possible...

RIMOL Greenhouses quality greenhouses and high-tunnels.

Johnny's Selected Seeds vegetable, flower, and cover crop seeds. Visit the Growers Library for a wealth of growing resources.

BCS America for two wheel tractors + implements.

... and, as always, our work is powered by the individual growers who support us every month over at patreon.com/notillgrowers. You can pick up a copy of The Living Soil Handbook if you don't have one already, as well as a No-Till Growers hat or other merch, check out our YouTube channel, and you can ask you questions or share your insights into ecological market gardening on our free growers forum at notillgrowers.community.chat

Kate Woods, farm manager of Beetlebung Farm in Chilmark, Massachusetts, along with her partner Nick, are the co-managers of a two-acre regenerative and primarily no-till farm on the island of Martha's Vineyard. Before its current iteration, the land had a rich history in agriculture, something of which that has been important to carry on for the island community, as well as a commitment to year-round production and innovation. With only two acres, the focus is on direct retail through a farm stand, farmer's markets, and a handful of wholesale clients, plus some educational opportunities for local school children and the larger island community. On the horizon is the opening of a farm store and a bakery with a focus on the culinary creations of local island products, which is a passion of Kate's. We speak about her background, how the farm started, and her role in helping to realize a vision of a robust and nimble four-season farm with a deep passion and mission to serve the island community.

Check out the folks who make the show possible...

RIMOL Greenhouses quality greenhouses and high-tunnels.

Johnny's Selected Seeds vegetable, flower, and cover crop seeds. Visit the Growers Library for a wealth of growing resources.

BCS America for two wheel tractors + implements.

... and, as always, our work is powered by the individual growers who support us every month over at patreon.com/notillgrowers. You can pick up a copy of The Living Soil Handbook if you don't have one already, as well as a No-Till Growers hat or other merch, check out our YouTube channel, and you can ask you questions or share your insights into ecological market gardening on our free growers forum at notillgrowers.community.chat

As their farm name suggests, Montana farmers Max Smith and Katie Madden of Winter Kissed Farm focus on growing vegetable crops year-round, especially during the winter seasons. On 15 acres and at 3,500 feet in elevation, they use multiple high-tunnels and caterpillar-tunnels to grow crops and sell them through a CSA, an online store, and to some area restaurants. They've had an interesting journey with marketing and production by focusing on winter- and spring-only sales during some recent years, but they are bringing back their summer CSA this year to meet the increasing demand for local, year-round veggies. With a crew of five full-time employees and following the Japanese philosophy of Kaizen and the holistic goal framework, Max and Katie are very intentional with their farm and business practices. Even in the face of challenges, they are flexible and mindful and offer an inspiring example of how to work together and build a farm as a team.

Check out the folks who make the show possible...

RIMOL Greenhouses quality greenhouses and high-tunnels.

Johnny's Selected Seeds vegetable, flower, and cover crop seeds. Visit the Growers Library for a wealth of growing resources.

BCS America for two wheel tractors + implements.

... and, as always, our work is powered by the individual growers who support us every month over at patreon.com/notillgrowers. You can pick up a copy of The Living Soil Handbook if you don't have one already, as well as a No-Till Growers hat or other merch, check out our YouTube channel, and you can ask you questions or share your insights into ecological market gardening on our free growers forum at notillgrowers.community.chat

Elizabeth Keen of Indian Line Farm in Western Massachusetts, has been farming for 27 years and began her farm with her husband on land that was the birthplace of the CSA model popularized by Robyn Van En in 1986. Stewarding this important property, Elizabeth started her CSA with 12 member shares in 1997, which has since grown to 250 members, plus sales at a farmer's market and some restaurants and stores, all from five acres of production. The farm is certified naturally grown, and Elizabeth is an active member of CRAFT, the Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training Program, which trains future farmers. The farm has three high-tunnels--she uses no heat in winter--and focuses on producing chard, kale, spinach, lettuce, scallions, radicchio, and cilantro as fresh winter crops. The farm is financially stable and viable, and Elizabeth has been the full-time grower since 2003, deriving all her income from the farm. Not only is Elizabeth a seasoned farmer with a successful CSA model and story, she is also a farmer who prioritizes community, family, self-care, and a healthy work-life balance as an inspiring example for others to follow.

Check out the folks who make the show possible...

RIMOL Greenhouses quality greenhouses and high-tunnels.

Johnny's Selected Seeds vegetable, flower, and cover crop seeds. Visit the Growers Library for a wealth of growing resources.

BCS America for two wheel tractors + implements.

... and, as always, our work is powered by the individual growers who support us every month over at patreon.com/notillgrowers. You can pick up a copy of The Living Soil Handbook if you don't have one already, as well as a No-Till Growers hat or other merch, check out our YouTube channel, and you can ask you questions or share your insights into ecological market gardening on our free growers forum at notillgrowers.community.chat

Ellie Goldstein and Dan Bryant of Small Holding Farm in Morganton, North Carolina, were recommended by a fan of the show as young, new, year-round farmers. Ellie and Dan started their farm in 2020 during the early months of the pandemic. Ellie has a background in psychology and works part-time in the mental health field and Dan is a certified arborist and carpenter… skills that have undoubtedly helped their recent transition into starting a farm and homestead with a focus on year-round production and building community. Farming on one acre with three high-tunnels, they prioritize building soil using primarily no-till methods, and they experiment with finding the best ways their bodies, the land, and their business can benefit and grow from these choices. I appreciate the full approach Dan and Ellie have taken in building their farm and business, and I hope our conversation can offer other new farmers inspiration as well.

Mentioned in the show...

Previous podcast guest Urbavore Farm

Previous podcast guest Ten Mothers Farm

Check out the folks who make the show possible...

RIMOL Greenhouses quality greenhouses and high-tunnels.

Johnny's Selected Seeds vegetable, flower, and cover crop seeds. Visit the Growers Library for a wealth of growing resources.

BCS America for two wheel tractors + implements.

... and, as always, our work is powered by the individual growers who support us every month over at patreon.com/notillgrowers. You can pick up a copy of The Living Soil Handbook if you don't have one already, as well as a No-Till Growers hat or other merch, check out our YouTube channel, and you can ask you questions or share your insights into ecological market gardening on our free growers forum at notillgrowers.community.chat

Aidan Feeney of Fog Town Farm is located on Nantucket Island, 30 miles off of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Growing up on Nantucket as an outdoor enthusiast and working in landscaping and doing tree work during high school, Aidan became inspired to learn about agriculture and spent time in New York and in Vermont in college working on farms. In 2019, he returned to the island to start Fogtown Farm on leased conservation land. Now five years later, he has two acres under cultivation and is expanding to an additional three and a half acres on newly leased land. The demand for local produce year-round on the island is great. So, over the years, he's added caterpillar tunnels along with more high tunnels in the coming seasons. The wind and winter storms make year-round growing on the island especially challenging, but Aidan has found creative ways to persevere and grow his farm business. Along with his wife Natasha and their new son Arlo, Aidan is committed to year-round growing and supplying his island community with the freshest vegetables around.

Check out the folks who make the show possible...

RIMOL Greenhouses quality greenhouses and high-tunnels.

Johnny's Selected Seeds vegetable, flower, and cover crop seeds. Visit the Growers Library for a wealth of growing resources.

BCS America for two wheel tractors + implements.

... and, as always, our work is powered by the individual growers who support us every month over at patreon.com/notillgrowers. You can pick up a copy of The Living Soil Handbook if you don't have one already, as well as a No-Till Growers hat or other merch, check out our YouTube channel, and you can ask you questions or share your insights into ecological market gardening on our free growers forum at notillgrowers.community.chat

Nate & Gabrielle of Six River Farm are located just north of Portland, ME. As early apprentices of Paul and Sandy Arnold of Pleasant Valley Farm—also former guests on the show—Nate and Gabrielle are now in their 18th! year of farming. Starting Six River Farm in 2007, on 2.5 acres of leased land, AND utilizing a collective farm model with four farms sharing infrastructure, they now have grown to 25 acres of vegetable production, with 20 employees during the main-season, 10 of whom work year-round. Farming on a mix of owned and leased land, they use eleven high-tunnels and 11 caterpillar tunnels for their year-round production supplying a self-serve farm-stand that’s set up in a greenhouse, year-round farmers markets, and direct wholesale to natural food stores. They are a beloved farm in central Maine, and as a family with two kids they prioritize a healthy farm-life balance by taking time away from the farm to travel… and visit other farms, too. Nate and Gabrielle offer a tremendous amount of experience and wisdom. They are an inspiring example of four-season farming done well.

Check out the folks who make the show possible...

RIMOL Greenhouses quality greenhouses and high-tunnels.

Johnny's Selected Seeds vegetable, flower, and cover crop seeds. Visit the Growers Library for a wealth of growing resources.

BCS America for two wheel tractors + implements.

... and, as always, our work is powered by the individual growers who support us every month over at patreon.com/notillgrowers. You can pick up a copy of The Living Soil Handbook if you don't have one already, as well as a No-Till Growers hat or other merch, check out our YouTube channel, and you can ask you questions or share your insights into ecological market gardening on our free growers forum at notillgrowers.community.chat

Today, I have TWO guests, Emily Von-Trapp of Von Trapp Flowers in VT and Linda D’arco of Little Farmhouse Flowers in NY. Emily and Linda each operate their own cut flower businesses with a focus on wholesale and winter flower bulb forcing AND they collaborate to teach flower farmers how to bring beautiful flowers to bloom during the coldest and darkest months of the year through The Tulip Workshop online course and on-farm classes. Along with a second Lilly workshop, their collaboration has inspired hundreds of flower farmers to grow local blooms during the dark winter months. We talk about their backgrounds, how they met, along with an uncanny list of similarities they share and some of the specifics of their farms in terms of growing infrastructure and systems. Lots of great information shared in this episode by two wonderful women with a passion for local winter blooms and friendship.

Folks who make the show possible...

RIMOL Greenhouses quality greenhouses and high-tunnels.

Johnny's Selected Seeds vegetable, flower, and cover crop seeds. Visit the Growers Library for a wealth of growing resources.

BCS America for two wheel tractors + implements.

... and, as always, our work is powered by the individual growers who support us every month over at patreon.com/notillgrowers. You can pick up a copy of The Living Soil Handbook if you don't have one already, as well as a No-Till Growers hat or other merch, check out our YouTube channel, and you can ask you questions or share your insights into ecological market gardening on our free growers forum at notillgrowers.community.chat

Over the last 14 years, Ray Tyler of Rose Creek Farms has been passionate about developing growing systems to successfully grow and sell certified organic produce fifty-two weeks a year in western Tennessee. Along with his wife Ashley and six homeschooled children, he is committed to creating a family-focused farm that allows for a sustainable and healthy work-life balance. Using a meticulous system of eighteen caterpillar tunnels on one acre, Ray is able to supply three farmers markets and a farm stand. His market displays are called "the salad bar" and they are always stacked high with bunches of carrots, radish, celery, lettuce heads, and a varied assortment of greens. The early years, however, were a challenge for Ray, and we speak about how he and his family persevered with a lot of trial and error to become the successful farm and business they have today. Ray is an inspiring example of a passionate farmer who is committed to the health and well-being of his family, his business, the community, and the land.

Folks who make the show possible...

RIMOL Greenhouses quality greenhouses and high-tunnels.

Johnny's Selected Seeds vegetable, flower, and cover crop seeds. Visit the Growers Library for a wealth of growing resources.

BCS America for two wheel tractors + implements.

... and, as always, our work is powered by the individual growers who support us every month over at patreon.com/notillgrowers. You can pick up a copy of The Living Soil Handbook if you don't have one already, as well as a No-Till Growers hat or other merch, check out our YouTube channel, and you can ask you questions or share your insights into ecological market gardening on our free growers forum at notillgrowers.community.chat