The Thriving Farmer Podcast

In This Episode: >> How a workshop in 1993 on holistic management changed the trajectory of Richard’s farm and made it much more profitable >> The three areas that have to be transitioned to the next farmer and which one is the hardest >> What the early days of organic agriculture were like in Vermont >> Why smaller farms can frequently make higher profit margins

In This Episode: >> A deep dive into all things garlic and the mulching methods that decrease fusarium. >> How a SARE fellowship works and the places that Crystal visited on her trip. >> How growers are dealing with allium leaf miner in NY >> Some varieties of carrots that show promise for storage

In This Episode: >> The big change that Ray made in 2015 to simplify his life and give him back time on his farm >> How they attract and keep high-quality help on their farm and who Ray likes to hire >> The niche marketing channels that Ray is seeing explode for them and how they make that work for their farm. >> The importance of a mentor and how to make sure you value their input

Here's a bonus episode that I put together after meeting up with Becky at the Frozen Ground 3 winter growing conference in July. I wanted to share her research about overwintering onions since it's an opportunity that some of you may want to try out or perfect on your farm. Takeaways >> Her favorite varieties for overwintered onions include bridger, gatekeeper, forum, walla walla and desert sunrise. >> An overview of overwintered onion trials

In This Episode: >> How Darren developed the Regrarians platform and the original framework it is based off of >> Darren’s advice to new farmers and the key areas they should focus on >> How so much of farming is the climate that you are are in, and the climate of your mind is an important part of that >> Why Darren prefers the word 'team' over 'staff'

In This Episode: >> What Erika's experience as a customer, then a stand manager, and finally running her own farm taught her >> What over 15 years in sales taught her about customer service and what your farm can do to offer superior customer service >> Erika’s top tips for farms looking to grow their social media presence >> How to hire the best people to work at your market stands Sign up for the Farmers' Market Challenge here: https://www.farmersmarketchallenge.com

This week's episode is a bit different...I brought on Alex Judd, my own business coach to talk about how to set yourself up for success in small business. We talk about goal setting, pushing yourself, working with Millennials, and much more. You may not think this is for you if you're a farmer, but I'd disagree with that. I always encourage farmers to look at their farm through a business lens and this is a great conversation for that!

In This Episode: >> The 3 different types of farm stress and how to manage them >> Why working on other farms as you start is so key for a great education >> Dan’s physical planning process that sets him up for success every day >> Why even in the crazy busiest times it's so important to step back, spend time with friends, family and get perspective. >> How Tourne Sol consistently finds excellent workers to help their farm grow

Brian Bates farms with his wife Anne at Bear Creek Organic Farm in Petoskey, Michigan. In this episode, we dive into what it takes to run a successful farm business, how Brian innovates constantly on his farm, how he believes that his team is his most valuable asset and the process he uses to train them, his foray into super sustainable packaging, and why his favorite tool is a calculator.

This week we're doing a round-up of season 1 to highlight the best of the podcast so far and look ahead to what's coming up in season 2. A big thank you to all of our loyal listeners for making Season 1 a success!

In This episode: >> How communication is key across any farm but especially when you are renting or leasing land from others. >>what he learned from his mentors that has made a huge difference in structuring their marketing >>why he is in favor of hiring employees vs a bunch of interns on his farm >>How they accomplish a tremendous amount of work with only 4 people on the farm. >> Jordan’s 3 recommendations for any new farmer when getting started

This week, I talk to Daniel Mays about his diversified farm and how he manages a no-till, intensive vegetable operation and pastured livestock near Portland, Maine. Daniel started Frith Farm in November of 2010. He believes farmers should be stewards of the land, not miners of its resources, and that farms should be hubs of the community, not distant sources of its calories.

Corinna Bench is the co-owner of Shared Legacy Farms — a 400 member certified organic vegetable farm outside Toledo, OH. In 2017, their retention rate jumped from 65% to 78% in just one season after teaching her members "the Roadmap to CSA Success" inside her CSA private Facebook group. In this episode, we discuss all things CSA, marketing, and digital tools that farmers can use to share their story.

Vern Grubinger is the vegetable and berry specialist and Extension Professor with the University of Vermont, and coordinator of USDA’s Northeast SARE program. In this interview, we draw on Vern’s several decades as an educator and extension agent and talk about the changes, innovations, and breakthrough’s he’s seen over the years. We discuss how he suggests new farmers get started, and how a culture of shared learning has only brought the industry forward.

In This Episode: >> Why Steve and Gretel farm and how it looks different for each of them >> The planning system that they use to easily manage a full team of employees with many moving parts on the farm >> The diverse stream of incomes that grow their business and how that creates self-insurance from an economic downturn. >> The challenges and advantages of farming together and how they share the workload