Farm Small Farm Smart

Russell Taylor of Live Earth Products, Inc. dives into the difference between humic acid and fulvic acid: what they're made of and the different applications they're used for across many different industries. Learn more about Live Earth Products, Inc. here.    Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights!    Get market farming tools, seeds, and supp...

Seed farmer Dan Brisebois of Tourne-Sol Co-Operative Farm talks about the practicality of isolating plants when you're planning on saving seeds. Should you do it? Or can you get away with cramming as many plants as possible onto one bed to maximize production? Check out Dan's new book:  The Seed Farmer: A Complete Guide to Growing, Using, and Selling Your Own Seeds Click here to learn more about D...

Associate Professor Dr. Ben Hoover of California Polytechnic State University shares some of the biggest advancements in agriculture and the nuances behind creating the optimum substrate for your plants' needs.  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:   In...

Soil scientist Bruce Davison of Soilsmith Ag talks about how to get the best representative soil samples from your farm to get the most accurate readings and formulate the best amendments for your soil's needs. Click here to learn more about Bruce Davison and Soilsmith!    Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights!    Get market farming tools, se...

Farmer Jay Tracy of The Cucumber Shop sheds light on the difference between cucumbers and melons grown as cucumbers: traits unique to each of them and which one to grow that best suits you. Learn more about Jay Tracy and Cucumber Shop here.  Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights!    Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grow...

Seed farmer Dan Brisebois of Tourne-Sol Co-Operative Farm talks about the common mistakes beginner seed savers are most likely to make, how to avoid them, and the opportunities they're missing out on.  Check out Dan's new book:  The Seed Farmer: A Complete Guide to Growing, Using, and Selling Your Own Seeds Click here to learn more about Dan Brisebois and his work.   Interested in watching the ser...

Farmer and Medical Qigong practitioner Chris Winters of The Fertile Current discusses the nature of the free energy around us and lays down the principles of electroculture of harnessing this energy. Click here to learn more about Chris and The Fertile Current here.  Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights!    Get market farming tools, seeds, a...

When people hear "humic substances," most people would immediately think "soil." But apart from finding humic substances in the soil, did you know that it can also be mined? Join Russell Taylor of Live Earth Products, Inc. to shed light on what humic substances are and how they're mined from deposits and used in various industries.  Learn more about Live Earth Products, Inc. here.    Subscribe for...

Join soil scientist Bruce Davison of Soilsmith Ag as he discusses what it means to have balanced soils. He talks about how soils lose their balance and the consequences that come with unbalanced soils, as well as the fairly simple ways of bringing the soil back into balance to keep it performing in tip-top shape. Click here to learn more about Bruce Davison and Soilsmith! Interested in watching th...

In this episode, farmer Jodi and Diego talk about choosing the right irrigation system for your farm. They talk about the pros and cons as well as the nuances of each type, and they take a closer look at a specific irrigation system, the Sumi Soaker, and why farmer Jodi has used this system for the better part of the decade.  Sumi Soaker Max Irrigation System: https://shop.moderngrower.co/products...

Seed farmer Dan Brisebois of Tourne-Sol Co-Operative Farm shares some advice for beginners looking to save their first seeds: keep things simple to avoid overwhelm and burning out early!🌱 Check out Dan's new book:  The Seed Farmer: A Complete Guide to Growing, Using, and Selling Your Own Seeds Click here to learn more about Dan Brisebois and his work.   Interested in watching the series?  Hop on...

Cucumbers we get from grocery stores sometimes turn out to be bitter, and the bitterness can make it hard to eat. Why is that? Did it turn bitter because of how it was stored? Did it turn bitter because of how it was pollinated? Or was the variety already bitter to begin with?  Farmer Jay Tracy of The Cucumber Shop breaks down bitterness in cucumbers and dispels myths about why cucumbers turn out...

In honor of its 10th anniversary, we are releasing The Urban Farmer, as it originally aired in 2015. Subscribe to The Urban Farmer Podcast to follow Curtis Stone's journey as he transforms urban plots into profitable market gardens, grossing $85,000 on just a third of an acre. This documentary series takes you behind the scenes of a successful urban farming operation in Kelowna, BC, revealing the...

In this episode, farmer Jodi and host Diego talk about the most common mistakes that new farmers make and how to avoid them to increase your chances of success in running a profitable and sustainable farm business.    Learn more about farmer and educator Jodi Roebuck: https://www.roebuckfarm.com/ @roebuckfarm Kwik Hoops are eligible for NRCS low-tunnel grants. Protect your valuable crop from rain,...

Many farmers' go-to solution to underperforming crops is to add more compost, but unfortunately, piling on inches upon inches of compost might actually do more harm than good. Soil Consultant Bruce Davison of Soilsmith talks about the dire consequences of applying copious amounts of compost into production beds.  Click here to learn more about Bruce Davison and Soilsmith! Interested in watching th...

Seed farmer and author Dan Brisebois of Tourne-Sol Co-Operative Farm shares his expertise on seed-saving by ranking the top 3 easiest market garden crops to start saving seed from, how to process the seeds to use the next year, and how to tell when the seeds are ready to be harvested and processed. 🌱 Check out Dan's new book: The Seed Farmer: A Complete Guide to Growing, Using, and Selling Your O...

Welcome to The Rookie Farmer Podcast, a brand new series on the Modern Grower Podcast Network hosted by Rookie Farmer Alec Smith!  Farmer Alec kicks off the show with guest farmer Zach Richards of Levity Farms in Blairsville, Georgia. They pack a lot in this episode, from biodynamic farming for new farmers, getting started with selling produce to chefs and restaurants, unique ways to go about vegg...

In this episode, farmer Jodi and host Diego discuss strategies for building a sustainable farm business. They talk about the different and occasionally difficult decisions involved in making sure a farm is financially viable such as controlling costs, scaling mindfully, and differentiating your farm's products, among other things. Hopefully, these strategies can help every farm's game plan this co...

We're smack in the middle of winter, and most farmers are drafting their game plan come spring, thinking about what to grow and maybe considering new additions to their farming operation. Farmer Jay Tracy of The Cucumber Shop talks about one potential add-on project for market gardeners: contract growing crops for seed companies.  Learn more about Jay Tracy and Cucumber Shop here. Interested in wa...

Dustin LaBat of Specklebelly Farms in Weimar, Texas shares their you-pick farming model that includes not only vegetables but also cut flowers and blackberries, which is the biggest draw. He talks about the labor, economics, and marketing strategies that go into running their farm, as well as how blackberries can be an incredibly profitable crop for market farmers. Lastly, he touches on plant sale...

In this episode, farmer Jodi Roebuck talks about navigating running a farm business during an economic downturn while making strategic investments on the farm. He also drills down the importance of having a financial buffer to cushion expenses during tough times.    Learn more about farmer and educator Jodi Roebuck: https://www.roebuckfarm.com/ @roebuckfarm Kwik Hoops are eligible for NRCS low-tun...

So you want to grow your own cucumbers...but where do you even start?  Farmer Jay Tracy of The Cucumber Shop walks us through the whole process of growing the best cucumbers, from choosing which cucumbers to grow, to how to start them, to the kind of soil to grow them in, to how to maintain your cucumber plants to keep them pumping out fruit for weeks and weeks! Learn more about Jay Tracy and Cucu...

Jay Tracy of CucumberShop.com talks about common—and not-so-common—varieties of cucumbers based on their uses.  Learn more about Jay Tracy and Cucumber Shop here. Interested in watching the series? Hop on over to our YouTube Channel!  Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network: Farm Small, Farm Smart Farm Small, Farm Smart Daily The Growing Microgreens Podcast Carrot Cashflow Po...

In this new series, we invite experts in the field of agriculture—plant breeders, soil specialists, seed specialists, flower experts, you name it!—and take a deep dive into specific topics related to their area of expertise.  Starting off the first episode, we have Jay Tracy of CucumberShop.com to shed light on cucumber terminologies and de-mystify common misconceptions about growing cucumbers.  L...

In this episode, farmer Jodi Roebuck takes us through his very circuitous journey into farming. He shares how farming has been like for him as he navigated through economic downturns, the importance of adaptability in the face of challenges, and the importance of hard work, persistence, and focusing on the positives in the face of adversity.    Learn more about farmer and educator Jodi Roebuck: ht...