Farm Small Farm Smart

Why Your Farm Will Fail Charging Low Prices (1 of 2)

There's a number most farmers never calculate: the minimum price you need just to break even. Diego walks through the math that separates small farms that survive from

Increasing Carbon Stores in the Soil - Gardening Beyond Basics 90

In this episode, Dr. Johannes Lehmann of Cornell University talks about where the long-term carbon stores in the soil actually come from.  Subscribe for more content on

The Profit Pie: Why Smart Farmers Choose Their Market Before Their Land (3 of 3)

Margin tells you how much to keep. Volume tells you how much to grow. But none of it matters without the right place to sell it. In part 3 of the Profit Pie series, we

Putting Fungi in the Soil - Gardening Beyond Basics 89

In this episode, author and educator Peter McCoy of Mycologos discusses putting fungi into soil by building up the soil.   Subscribe for more content on sustainable far

The Profit Pie: 70% Profit Margin Doesn't Pay the Rent (2 of 3)

In Part 1, we built the Profit Pie, the framework for how much you keep on every bed. Here's what it doesn't tell you: a 70% margin on a bed doesn't pay the rent. Margin

Depending on What You Grow - Gardening Beyond Basics 88

In this episode, compost specialist and owner of Living Roots Compost Tea Troy Hinke breaks down the nuances of making and using compost tea depending on what you're grow

Refusing Expansion (MFB 61)

Most entrepreneurs see growth as progress. What if the smartest move is to stop?  Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business i

The Profit Pie: What Actually Moves Your Farm's Profit (1 of 3)

Ask most farmers what has the biggest effect on profit and they'll say inputs: seeds, soil, amendments, the stuff you put in the ground. They're wrong.  After a decad

Farming on the Conservation Reserve Program - Gardening Beyond Basics 87

In this episode, soil specialist and consultant Dr. Jim Hoorman of Hoorman Soil discusses farming within the bounds of the Conservation Reserve Program.   Subscribe for

7 Years, 100k Invested, Zero Products (MFB 60)

Struggling founders: detailed plans slowly, never execute. Successful founders: Build basic version, get it to customers, learn what actually matters, iterate. Differ

The Symbiotic Relationship Between Trichoderma and Plants - Gardening Beyond Basics 86

In this episode, Professor Emeritus at Cornell University College of Agricultural and Life Sciences breaks down what happens in a symbiotic relationship between trichoder

Farming Below Minimum Wage (MFB 59)

Do you know how much labor goes into growing that bed of lettuce? Not just the planting and harvesting, the weeding, the washing, the selling, too? If you don't know yo

7 Things That Happen When You Go From Employee to Farm Owner

Everybody fantasizes about being their own boss, but nobody fantasizes about standing in front of a field at 6 AM wondering if you made the right call, or about the part

What are Efficient Microbes - Gardening Beyond Basics 85

In this episode, one of the pioneers of probiotic technology, Dr. Matthew Wood of Probiotic Holdings, sheds light on what efficient microbes are and what they do.   Sub

400 Trays/Week at $20/Tray (MFB 58)

While $20/tray of microgreens seems like a wildly profitable venture, do you know the kind of logistics, inputs, and labor that go into that $20 tray?  Subscribe for mo

The Farmer Too Busy to Plan Will Always Be Too Busy

How many hours did you work on your farm last week? And the harder question: how many of those hours were spent running the business versus improving it? "Work on your

Not All Biochar is Created Equal - Gardening Beyond Basics 84

In this episode, USDA soil scientist Dr. Kurt Spokas explains why not all biochar is exactly the same and why some are better than others.  Subscribe for more content o

A Profitable Farm Business on 1000Sqft. (MFB 57)

With a solid crop selection, tight crop succession, and unwavering customer base, you can ABSOLUTELY run a profitable business on 1000sqft. of land.   Subscribe for mor

The One Number That Separates Six-Figure Farms From Struggling Ones

Your farm has a salary cap. Land and time are finite, and every crop you plant spends some of both. The question isn't "what makes me the most money," it's "what makes me

Misconceptions About Clay Soils - Gardening Beyond Basics 83

In this episode, Dr. David Laird of Iowa State University breaks down the most common beliefs around growing in clay soils.   Subscribe for more content on sustainable