Growing For Market Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

There are a lot of regulations that cover farm products, and running afoul of them can be costly or even put you out of business. Alexia Kulwiec, Executive Director of the Farm-To-Consumer Legal Defense Fund (FTCLDF) is on the podcast this week to talk about how her organization protects the rights of farmers to sell directly to the public. This is especially important since, with a patchwork of state and federal regulations, sometimes the wrong regulations have been applied to farmers, or been applied improperly.

The FTCLDF is helping farmers proactively, by working to influence state and local policy to ease the regulatory burden placed on farmers, and they also help farmers who are facing inspection and other regulatory issues. In this interview with host April Parms Jones, hear what the legal issues are that farmers have been facing, how FTCLDF is helping, and why this can help decentralize of our food system.
 

Connect With Guest:

Website: https://www.farmtoconsumer.org

Instagram: @farmtoconsumer
 

Podcast Sponsors:

Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support:
 

Do you have more tasks on your farm than you have time? Stop interruptions and focus on what matters most. Delegate repetitive duties in your tunnel to Orisha, get rid of diseases for good and get the most out of your tunnels. Sleep better, knowing that they’ll call you if anything goes wrong in your greenhouse. For tips and tricks on how to simplify your farm activities, check out their free ebooks at orisha.io/tools and sign up to Orisha’s newsletter at orisha.io/newsletter.

Farmhand is the only ready-to-ride assistant made by and for farmers. Through a simple text or email to Farmhand, you can offload admin tasks, automate your CSA, update your website, and sell more to your customers. Learn more and take one of our many time-saving tasks for a test drive to see firsthand how Farmhand can help you earn more, and work less at farmhand.partners/gfm.

Bootstrap Farmer offers a complete range of growing supplies including heat mats, ground cover, frost blankets, silage tarps, irrigation, and trellising. They also make all-metal, all-inclusive greenhouse frames, constructed of steel made in the USA and fabricated in Texas. Their heavy-duty, Midwest-made propagation and microgreens trays will last for years and are available in a full range of colors, great for keeping farm seedlings separate from retail, or just for fun. For all that and more, check out Bootstrap Farmer at bootstrapfarmer.com.

Our Website: www.GrowingForMarket.com

Jeff Poppen, longtime farmer and owner of Long Hungry Creek Farm in Tennessee, discusses his farming journey and the principles of biodynamic farming which led to his new book, Barefoot Biodynamics. Jeff shares his approach to farming, including the use of compost, cover crops, and crop rotations. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the specific needs of the soil and the benefits of incorporating diverse elements into the farm. He shares how he got started in farming and the transition to organic and biodynamic methods.

Jeff emphasizes the importance of paying attention to the accumulated wisdom of farming and studying pre-chemical farming practices. He also talks about the unique aspects of his farm, including the diverse landscape and the role of animals in maintaining fertility. Jeff explains the climate in Tennessee and how he manages without irrigation. He delves into the philosophy of biodynamics and Rudolf Steiner's teachings, highlighting the importance of observation, consciousness, and the connection between humans, animals, plants, and the environment. Throughout the conversation, Jeff's down-to-earth and accessible style shines through.
 

Connect With Guest:

Website: https://barefootfarmer.com
Instagram: @barefootfarmer
Facebook: Barefoot Farmer
Jeff's Book: https://chelseagreen.biz/product/barefoot-biodynamics/

Podcast Sponsors:
Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support:

Do you have more tasks on your farm than you have time? Stop interruptions and focus on what matters most. Delegate repetitive duties in your tunnel to Orisha, get rid of diseases for good and get the most out of your tunnels. Sleep better, knowing that they’ll call you if anything goes wrong in your greenhouse. For tips and tricks on how to simplify your farm activities, check out their free ebooks at orisha.io/tools and sign up to Orisha’s newsletter at orisha.io/newsletter.

Discover innovative packaging solutions at A-ROO Company, your one-stop destination for customizable and eco-friendly packaging, including floral, produce, and specialty packaging. Enjoy an exclusive 10% discount with code "GFM10" for Growing for Market Podcast listeners at shop.a-roo.com.

Farmhand is the only ready-to-ride assistant made by and for farmers. Through a simple text or email to Farmhand, you can offload admin tasks, automate your CSA, update your website, and sell more to your customers. Learn more and take one of our many time-saving tasks for a test drive to see firsthand how Farmhand can help you earn more, and work less at farmhand.partners/gfm.

Bootstrap Farmer offers a complete range of growing supplies including heat mats, ground cover, frost blankets, silage tarps, irrigation, and trellising. They also make all-metal, all-inclusive greenhouse kits, constructed of steel made in the USA and fabricated in Texas. Their heavy-duty, Midwest-made propagation and microgreens trays will last for years and are available in a full spectrum of colors. For all that plus experienced support for everything they sell, check out Bootstrap Farmer at bootstrapfarmer.com.

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Our Website: www.GrowingForMarket.com

The good news is that local farms are reaching more customers than ever through their websites, email, text messaging, search engine optimization and more. The rub is that most small farmers already wear so many hats, it’s unlikely they’re making the most of all those platforms for finding and communicating with customers. That’s why founder and CEO Ari Memar created Farmhand- so their team can handle the digital side of the business, and you can stay outstanding in your field.

With his background in tech, Ari knew the potential these new technologies could have to elevate local farms and how to maximize it. But from his hobby farm in California and seeing the farms around him, it was clear most market farms were not getting the most out of these new technologies. Which is why Ari created Farmhand- to take care of the digital side of the business for farmers. Hear how Farmhand can streamline operations for farmers with website design, SEO, email newsletters, text messaging, CSA management, communications with wholesalers, and more in this week’s interview with host April Parms Jones.
 

Connect With Guest:

Instagram: @gofarmhand

Website: gofarmhand.com

Email: [email protected]
 

Podcast Sponsors:

Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support:

Ball Seed and Ball ColorLink are your complete source for quality cut-flower seeds, plugs, liners, and bulbs. We work closely with the world's top breeders to bring you a wide selection of all the best genetics in the top-selling classes. Connect with Ball Seed today at ballseed.com/cutflowers or call 800-879-BALL.

Bootstrap Farmer offers a complete range of growing supplies including heat mats, ground cover, frost blankets, silage tarps, irrigation, and trellising. They also make all-metal, all-inclusive greenhouse kits, constructed of steel made in the USA and fabricated in Texas. Their heavy-duty, Midwest-made propagation and microgreens trays will last for years and are available in a full spectrum of colors. For all that plus experienced support for everything they sell, check out Bootstrap Farmer at bootstrapfarmer.com.

It's a new host special episode! We’re so excited to be welcoming April Parms Jones to the podcast as one of our co-hosts, we wanted to make sure and record an episode to properly introduce everyone to April. She has a wide range of agricultural experiences and interests that inform her perspective as an interviewer. In addition to founding a farmers market, April has contributed to publications including Growing for Market, Mother Earth News, The Natural Farmer, Grit and more.

Based in Akron, Ohio, April grows a variety of crops, is a member of the Ohio Farmers Union, and was a delegate for Ohio at the National Farmers Union Convention. In this interview she shares her passion for and activity in the movements for seed sovereignty and creating a more just food system. Much of her work focuses on the intersectionality of food, culture, and sense of place. There’s so much more than we have space for here, you’ll just have to listen to get to know your new podcast host!

Ball Seed and Ball ColorLink are your complete source for quality cut-flower seeds, plugs, liners, and bulbs. We work closely with the world's top breeders to bring you a wide selection of all the best genetics in the top-selling classes. Connect with Ball Seed today at ballseed.com/cutflowers or call 800-879-BALL.
 

BCS two-wheel tractors are designed and built in Italy where small-scale farming has been a way of life for generations. BCS @bcs_america has select tractors and attachments on sale now through the end of the year. Visit bcsamerica.com to find sale pricing and your nearest dealer.
 

Local Line is the all-in-one sales platform for direct-market farms and food hubs of all sizes. Increase your sales and streamline your processes with features including e-commerce, inventory management, subscriptions, online payments, and more! Get 15% off marketing services and one premium feature for a year with the code Growing4market at site.localline.ca/claim-your-offer-growing-for-market

Bootstrap Farmer offers a complete range of growing supplies including heat mats, ground cover, frost blankets, silage tarps, irrigation, and trellising. They also make all-metal, all-inclusive greenhouse kits, constructed of steel made in the USA and fabricated in Texas. Their heavy-duty, Midwest-made propagation and microgreens trays will last for years and are available in a full spectrum of colors. For all that plus experienced support for everything they sell, check out Bootstrap Farmer at bootstrapfarmer.com.

Connect With Guest:

Instagram: @pinehurstfarmersmarket

Alex Ball started his farm when he was 14, so he’s had a lot of opportunities to refine the model over the years! He shares how and why he has moved the farm many times, and how he landed on the flexible CSA model he’s now using. This model allows for flexibility for the farmer by sourcing some of the produce from other growers. Plus, the credit-based system allows a wider group of people to participate, who might not otherwise be able to commit to a full box of food every week.

We also talk about what last mile logistics is, and how Alex has used it to make CSA drop off efficient for him with out-of-home delivery, and efficient for the customer as well by finding dropoff sites in high-traffic locations. He tells us how he has made extensive use of plugins in a Wordpress website to get a customized CSA interface that lets his customers choose exactly what they want from week to week. Alex is also one of the hosts of the No-Till Market Garden Podcast, and we talk about how he found his voice as a podcaster interviewing fellow farmers.  

Connect with Alex:

Website: https://www.oldcityacres.com

Instagram: @oldcityacres

Podcast Sponsors:

Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support!

Ball Seed and Ball ColorLink are your complete source for quality cut-flower seeds, plugs, liners, and bulbs. We work closely with the world's top breeders to bring you a wide selection of all the best genetics in the top-selling classes. Connect with Ball Seed today at ballseed.com/cutflowers or call 800-879-BALL.

BCS two-wheel tractors are designed and built in Italy where small-scale farming has been a way of life for generations. BCS @bcs_america has select tractors and attachments on sale now through the end of the year. Visit bcsamerica.com to find sale pricing and your nearest dealer.

Local Line is the all-in-one sales platform for direct-market farms and food hubs of all sizes. Increase your sales and streamline your processes with features including e-commerce, inventory management, subscriptions, online payments, and more! Get 15% off marketing services and one premium feature for a year with the code Growing4market at site.localline.ca/claim-your-offer-growing-for-market

Bootstrap Farmer offers a complete range of growing supplies including heat mats, ground cover, frost blankets, silage tarps, irrigation, and trellising. They also make all-metal, all-inclusive greenhouse kits, constructed of steel made in the USA and fabricated in Texas. Their heavy-duty, Midwest-made propagation and microgreens trays will last for years and are available in a full spectrum of colors. For all that plus experienced support for everything they sell, check out Bootstrap Farmer at bootstrapfarmer.com.

Our Website: www.GrowingForMarket.com

Cole Jones tells us how he went from selling potatoes from local farmers out of his car for chefs to founding Local Line, which now helps thousands of farmers sell food and flowers online. Though Local Line was founded in 2015 as a matchmaking service connecting local farms with chefs, we discuss how the COVID-19 Pandemic accelerated their business overnight as farmers tried to cope with disrupted markets. Cole tells us how most of the farmers who went online during the pandemic have maintained their online storefronts post-pandemic, because selling online has opened up so many more opportunities for local farmers.

We discuss how one of the highest-profile opportunities for local farmers to sell to a large chain exists with Chipotle, who uses Local Line to buy from farmers close to their restaurants. Whether you’re already selling online or thinking about it, this interview is a must-listen for local growers to understand the full range of opportunities for selling to other businesses and directly to consumer. As it has grown, Local Line has developed a wide range of services that are customizable to an individual farm’s needs, including online sales, marketing, and multiple price lists to serve customers from individuals who want local delivery, to grocery stores and restaurants.

Connect With Guest:

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.localline.ca

Instagram: @locallineinc

Facebook: Local Line

Podcast Sponsors:

Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support:

Bootstrap Farmer offers a complete range of growing supplies including heat mats, ground cover, frost blankets, silage tarps, irrigation, and trellising. They also make all-metal, all-inclusive greenhouse frames, constructed of steel made in the USA and fabricated in Texas. Their heavy-duty, Midwest-made propagation and microgreens trays will last for years and are available in a full range of colors, great for keeping farm seedlings separate from retail, or just for fun. For all that and more, check out Bootstrap Farmer at bootstrapfarmer.com.

Ball Seed and Ball ColorLink are your complete source for quality cut-flower seeds, plugs, liners, and bulbs. We work closely with the world's top breeders to bring you a wide selection of all the best genetics in the top-selling classes. Connect with Ball Seed today at ballseed.com/cutflowers or call 800-879-BALL.

Local Line is the all-in-one sales platform for direct-market farms and food hubs of all sizes. Increase your sales and streamline your processes with features including e-commerce, inventory management, subscriptions, online payments, and more! Get 15% off marketing services and one premium feature for a year with the code Growing4market at https://hubs.la/Q02bpWQV0

Our Website: www.GrowingForMarket.com

Jaymie Michelle Thurler tells us how she went from a dairy farming background to start Rutabaga Ranch, a certified organic bio-diverse market garden in Brinston, Ontario. At Rutabaga Ranch, they have a farmstand, sell at two farmers markets, have a CSA and sell to local restaurants. Jaymie conveys a lot of farm wisdom with humor, including advice on how to find a farm, how to stay married, and how some peculiar local ag laws led to them starting their on-farm store in a silo, which ended up being much more successful than they ever imagined.

Hear how Jaymie started the farm after burning out on her first career, which involved the huge task of rehabbing a very old house and removing 17 chest freezers from the property! She talks about what they learned from big box stores that has helped make their farm store a success. An important part of their focus as a farm is on spring season extension, since they heat their farm exclusively with waste wood from Jaymie’s husband’s arborist business. As Jaymie says, “We love great grub and having a great time growing it!”

Connect With Guest:

Website: https://rutabaga-ranch.com/

Instagram: The Rutabaga Ranch

Facebook: Rutabaga Ranch

Podcast Sponsors:

Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support:

Ball Seed and Ball ColorLink are your complete source for quality cut-flower seeds, plugs, liners, and bulbs. We work closely with the world's top breeders to bring you a wide selection of all the best genetics in the top-selling classes. Connect with Ball Seed today at ballseed.com/cutflowers or call 800-879-BALL.

Local Line is the all-in-one sales platform for direct-market farms and food hubs of all sizes. Increase your sales and streamline your processes with features including e-commerce, inventory management, subscriptions, online payments, and more! Get 15% off marketing services and one premium feature for a year with the code Growing4market at https://hubs.la/Q02bpWQV0

Bootstrap Farmer offers a complete range of growing supplies including heat mats, lighting, ground cover, frost blankets, silage tarps, irrigation, and trellising. They also make all-metal, all-inclusive greenhouse frames, constructed of steel made in the USA and fabricated in Texas. Their heavy-duty, Midwest-made propagation and microgreens trays will last for years and are available in a full spectrum of colors. For all that plus experienced support for everything they sell, check out Bootstrap Farmer.

Our Website: www.GrowingForMarket.com

We cover a lot of ground in this interview, including how Sarah and Tom decided to leave their careers to start a flower farm, how Grateful Gardeners is the only cut flower farm we know of to be incorporating aquaponics, and what the heck aquaponics even is. We talk about the ups and downs of raising money from investors to help establish a farm- and how this is routine in Silicon Valley but in farming, not so much. We discuss how outside investment could accelerate the development of local farms; however one of the barriers to attracting investors to farming is that the returns are not typically as high as from the tech sector. So investors have to have a desire to help advance regenerative farming in addition to the capital to get investment to work in farming.

We also talk about how the Grateful Gardeners’ business and markets have changed as their farm has grown, and their work to incorporate aquaponics into the farm. Aquaponics is a soilless growing system, where the fertility is provided by fish living in tanks connected to the water for the plants. Instead of adding fertilizer, the fish provide the fertility through their natural biological processes moderated by bacteria that naturally occur in the environment, though there is an art and a science to managing the system. Hear all about it on this week’s pod!

Connect With Guest:

Website: www.gratefulgardeners.co

www.floraponics.co

Instagram: @grateful_gardeners

Facebook: Grateful Gardeners

Podcast Sponsors:

Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support:

Ball Seed and Ball ColorLink are your complete source for quality cut-flower seeds, plugs, liners, and bulbs. Ball works closely with the world's top breeders to bring you a wide selection of all the best genetics in the top-selling classes. Connect with Ball Seed today at ballseed.com/cutflowers or call 800-879-BALL.

BCS America BCS two-wheel tractors are designed and built in Italy where small-scale farming has been a way of life for generations. Discover the beauty of BCS on your farm with PTO-driven implements for soil-working, shredding cover crops, spreading compost, mowing under fences, clearing snow, and more – all powered by a single, gear-driven machine that’s tailored to the size and scale of your operation. To learn more, view sale pricing, or locate your nearest dealer, visit BCS America.

Local Line is the all-in-one sales platform for direct-market farms and food hubs of all sizes. Increase your sales and streamline your processes with features including e-commerce, inventory management, subscriptions, online payments, and more! Get 15% off marketing services and one premium feature for a year with the code Growing4market at https://hubs.la/Q02bpWQV0

Bootstrap Farmer offers a complete range of growing supplies including heat mats, ground cover, frost blankets, silage tarps, irrigation, and trellising. They also make all-metal, all-inclusive greenhouse frames, constructed of steel made in the USA and fabricated in Texas. Their heavy-duty, Midwest-made propagation and microgreens trays will last for years and are available in a full range of colors, great for keeping farm seedlings separate from retail, or just for fun. For all that and more, check out Bootstrap Farmer at bootstrapfarmer.com.

Our Website: www.GrowingForMarket.com

This week we hear from Joshua Hughes, who is the Fresh Moves Logistics Coordinator for the Fresh Moves Mobile Market, one of the many programs of the non-profit Urban Growers Collective in Chicago. Host Katie Kulla talks with Joshua about the UGC and their work in general, but more specifically about how the organization is working to “close the food access gap.” Expanding access to food is something we’ve talked about before on this podcast and it’s something that motivates many farmers and organizations to think outside the box when it comes to marketing and distributing produce — UGC and the Fresh Moves Mobile Market represent some truly innovative thinking on the part of many people committed to evolving food systems.

As the manager of UGC’s Fresh Moves Mobile Market, Joshua works to further assist the development of food security in Chicago as a continued action in social justice. Joshua has worked in food access with UGC since late 2019 through the height of the pandemic and emergency food distribution. He has helped lead the Fresh Moves Mobile Market to create new sustainable systems to better serve Chicago’s South and West Side communities.

Connect With Guest:

Website: https://www.urbangrowerscollective.org

Podcast Sponsors:

Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support:

Local Line is the all-in-one sales platform for direct-market farms and food hubs of all sizes. Increase your sales and streamline your processes with features including e-commerce, inventory management, subscriptions, online payments, and more! Get 15% off marketing services and one premium feature for a year with the code Growing4market at https://hubs.la/Q02bpWQV0

Bootstrap Farmer offers a complete range of growing supplies including heat mats, ground cover, frost blankets, silage tarps, irrigation, and trellising. They also make all-metal, all-inclusive greenhouse frames, constructed of steel made in the USA and fabricated in Texas. Their heavy-duty, Midwest-made propagation and microgreens trays will last for years and are available in a full range of colors, great for keeping farm seedlings separate from retail, or just for fun. For all that and more, check out Bootstrap Farmer at bootstrapfarmer.com.

BCS two-wheel tractors are designed and built in Italy where small-scale farming has been a way of life for generations. Discover the beauty of BCS on your farm with PTO-driven implements for soil-working, shredding cover crops, spreading compost, mowing under fences, clearing snow, and more – all powered by a single, gear-driven machine that’s tailored to the size and scale of your operation. To learn more, view sale pricing, or locate your nearest dealer, visit BCS America

Our Website: www.GrowingForMarket.com

Growers have long used deposits from ancient seas as a source of micronutrients- and over 50 years ago, Dr. Maynard Murray started researching the use of minerals- naturally dried and derived from mineral-rich seawater- as a source of micronutrients. Today on the podcast we talk with Chief Mineral Officer Michael Sileck about how Sea-90 Ocean Minerals continues the work of Dr. Murray today, through their naturally-dried, unprocessed and unrefined soil amendments.

We talk about how the benefits of sea minerals were discovered and established, where SEA-90 is made in the original location in the Sea of Cortez identified by Dr. Murray, and how the natural drying process preserves the natural minerals and trace elements that can help feed soil bacteria, enzymes, and fungi, and ultimately your plants. Find out why SEA-90 is combined with organic humate, what micronutrients it provides, how to apply it and more!

Here's a link to a GFM article about how fungi can help improve micronutrient availability-

Understanding the basic ecology of mycorrhizal fungi to benefit your farm

https://growingformarket.com/articles/20190729_1

Connect With Guest:

Email:

[email protected]

Websites:

https://www.bajagoldsaltco.com

https://www.sea-90.com

Instagram:

@sea90

@bajagoldsaltco

Podcast Sponsors:

Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support:

Farmhand - Tired of admin work and technology trouble? You need Farmhand on your team. Farmhand is the all-in-one software platform and virtual assistant built by and for independent farmers. Through a simple text or email to Farmhand, you can offload admin tasks, automate your CSA, update your website, and sell more to your customers. Learn more and take the quiz to see how much you can save at farmhand.partners/GFM

Johnny's Selected Seeds - Johnny’s Selected Seeds has provided superior seeds, tools, information, and service since 1973. Consider us your trusted growing partner when you need proven varieties you can count on and detailed guidance from seeding to harvest. Turning to Johnny’s means you can plant high-quality, trial-proven varieties with confidence, knowing that our expert staff is ready to help with first-hand knowledge—because we’ve grown them ourselves. We’re here to help you grow good food.

Local Line is the all-in-one sales platform for direct-market farms and food hubs of all sizes. Increase your sales and streamline your processes with features including e-commerce, inventory management, subscriptions, online payments, and more! Get 15% off marketing services and one premium feature for a year with the code Growing4market at https://hubs.la/Q02bpWQV0

Neptune’s Harvest is a family company that makes organic fertilizers from the by-products of the fishing industry, in Gloucester, MA. Products from the cold, mineral rich, North Atlantic Ocean contain all the nutrients to make your soil and plants healthy. Available in retail and bulk sizes at neptunesharvest.com.

Bootstrap Farmer offers a complete range of growing supplies including heat mats, ground cover, frost blankets, silage tarps, irrigation, and trellising. They also make all-metal, all-inclusive greenhouse frames, constructed of steel made in the USA and fabricated in Texas. Their heavy-duty, Midwest-made propagation and microgreens trays will last for years and are available in a full range of colors, great for keeping farm seedlings separate from retail, or just for fun. For all that and more, check out Bootstrap Farmer at bootstrapfarmer.com.

Our Website: www.GrowingForMarket.com