Farm Small Farm Smart

In this episode, host Diego and farmer Alec welcome a special guest, Alec's wife, Sarah, to talk about what it's like to be part of a family that's starting a farm business. She shares her experience balancing family life and supporting the farming venture while running her own business, as well as the challenges and expectations of running a new farm.  Get time and labor-saving farm tools at  sho...

Catch returning guest microgreens grower Vincent Cuneo of Agrarian Feast to share how his business has fared since it began in 2018.  Vincent details his strategy of partnering with grocers and supermarkets, which helped cushion the impact of the restaurant industry's downturn. He talks about diversifying into specialty mushrooms and underscores the importance of producing high-quality products. K...

In this episode, farmer Alec and host Diego talk about running a farm business when something unexpected happens—maybe you get crazy weather events, maybe you get crop failure, or maybe your farmer's market shuts down on short notice. What do you do to minimize the losses in the business? Farmer Alec shares his experience pivoting from his farmer's market after they announced a cancelled weekend i...

In this episode, host Diego and Farmer Alec talk about farming in transitioning seasons. Farmer Alec talks about the difference between growing his usual crops in the spring versus in the summer and the challenges that go along the changing seasons. They also touch on hypotheticals around farm expansion and using tools to improve efficiency on the farm.  Get time and labor-saving farm tools at sho...

In this episode, host Diego and farmer Alec take a look at how his first month at the farmer's market went after it kicked off well at opening week. Farmer Alec talks about how the following weeks went, his thoughts on the fluctuating sales, and what he plans to do next should he ever need to bolster sales for the farm.  Get time and labor-saving farm tools at  shop.modern grower.co Listen to othe...

In this episode, host Diego and farmer Alec dive into Alec's journey of pulling back from his full-time job at Crystal Organic Farm and transitioning into part-time work to make more time to focus on his own business. They take a look at what going part-time has allowed him to do and what he plans to do with the extra time, and they even talk about Alec bringing on additional help.  Get time and l...

Jackie Hinchey, who has a background in agriculture, transitioned from a mom with a simple veggie garden to establishing Blue Dog Farm, known for its premium 'really fancy salad.' Initially started as a hobby, her farm grew into a successful business. Jackie discusses growing diverse crops on a small scale, ensuring high product quality, managing the business efficiently, and adapting to challenge...

In this episode, host Diego and farmer Alec welcome Chaz Daughtry of Sweetwater Farms in Houston, Texas to the show to talk about selling to chefs, dealing with crop planning, and selling to multiple markets. Chaz also shares his experience building a value-added shelf-stable brand that works in parallel with the farm business.  Get time and labor-saving farm tools at shop.modern grower.co Listen...

In this episode, Diego and Alec break down Farmer Alec's second farmer's market of the season: the difference in the crowd of marketgoers between the first and second weeks, the adjustments Farmer Alec made in his products and bundles, and the sales he made that week. They also dive into his product offering in the coming weeks, as well as other changes he'll be making moving forward. Connect with...

In this episode, Diego and Alec do a post-mortem of farmer Alec's first farmer's market of the season. They talk about the struggle of deciding how much product to harvest, as well as the unexpected amount of work that goes into last-minute prep for the market. Alec also walks us through how the market flowed, how much he sold, how much he was left with, and how he felt on the drive home after all...

In this episode, Diego and Alec dive into the practical side of managing life around running a farm business. They talk about the mental and physical load of   running a business without spreading yourself too thin: when are tasks too big that you should say no? When should you double down on your niche to hit that market share? How do you go about managing your time effectively? Connect with Alec...

Jill Duncan introduces her small-scale urban farm, Loving Roots Urban Farm, located in Ferguson, Missouri. Operating on just an eighth of an acre, Jill discusses the practices she uses, such as no-till farming and focusing on high-value, quick-growing crops like salad mixes and cherry tomatoes. Despite the limited space, she makes a living wage and shares insights into her methods for efficiency,...

In this episode, Farmer Alec is days away from his first farmers market, and he and Diego talk about the steps he's taking to make sure he's ready for it—from gauging how much product he should bring to market, to setting up his market booth, to managing the logistics of selling produce without cold storage, to final adjustments on his pricing strategy. He also shares his thoughts, expectations, a...

In this episode, Diego and Alec talk about what Farmer Alec is doing to prepare for Crop Culture Farm's first farmers market of the season—from sending in applications to visualizing and laying out the displays to thinking about signages and slogans to put up on their stand. Afterward, Alec and Diego have an interesting discussion about Farmer Alec's insights on just how important the quality of s...

In this episode, Diego and Alec talk about one business lesson Alec learned from his previous entrepreneurial endeavor: the importance of knowing your operating costs and your margins and staying true to the price you need to charge to keep the business running. Farmer Alec also shares an account of how he learned that lesson, as well as some interesting strategies he employs to determine a good p...

In this episode, Diego and Alec step away from the field and dive into the business aspect of running a farm, zeroing in on admin work like bookkeeping, expense tracking, tax management, and even software tools. They also touch on crop planning, sales outlets, and leveraging personal connections for sales. Lastly, Diego and Alec explore the viability of aggregating products from other producers in...

In this episode, Diego and Alec delve into the winding journey of entrepreneurship. They touch on the excitement around starting a new business and the burnout that comes with crunching the startup phase. They also talk about Alec's thoughts on the mental load of entrepreneurship, his hopes and expectations for the coming growing season, and his strategy for making adjustments on his farm in the f...

In this episode, Diego and Alec talk about balancing personal life and farm life, all while managing time and navigating a path toward full-time farming. They touch on potentials and hypotheticals for hiring out labor on the farm, whether or not to stay a part-time farm, as well as financial goals to be able to make the leap into full-time farming. Lastly, Diego and Alec delve into the motivation...

In this episode, Diego and Alec talk about equipment challenges and crops. Farmer Alec first shares his experience dealing with wash-pack constraints while preparing a wholesale order. Afterward, Diego and Alec into selecting which crops to grow, which crops Alec is excited for and crops that did interestingly well at the market. Alec also talks about his experience growing different crops so far,...

In this episode, Diego and Alec delve into the thought process behind choosing a farm business model, going beyond and touching on market fit, other additional sales avenues, and pricing. Farmer Alec also talks about selling produce to a wholesaler for the first time, as well as his experience selling at his first farmers market of the season.   Get time and labor-saving farm tools at  shop.modern...

In this episode, Diego talks to farmer Alec Smith about the budgeting aspect of building out a farm business. They go over time management when it comes to administrative tasks, budgeting for equipment and infrastructure, as well as the challenges of spending and investing wisely while operating within a limited budget.   Get time and labor-saving farm tools at  shop.modern grower.co Listen to oth...

In this episode, Diego talks to farmer Alec Smith about how he planned the layout of his farm and built out his beds. Alec describes the initial state of the farm, including its flat terrain, low organic matter, and issues with weeds. Afterward, they go over the process of evaluating and adapting the property for market garden production, as well as the decisions Alec made on bed sizing, pathways,...

In this episode, Diego and Alec look back a year ago and compare Alec's initial expectations of starting a farm versus the reality of actually starting a farm. Alec talks about the ups and downs of setting up a farm business, the successes and challenges, and the strategic decisions he had to make along the way. Alec also shares his future plans for the farm, the hurdles he anticipates, as well as...

In this episode, Diego and Alec talk about the process Alec went through to find suitable land to set up his farm. They go through factors worth considering before choosing where to farm such as accessibility to water and power, the cost of the property, proximity to the market and the home, soil condition, existing infrastructure, and even the relationship with the landowner. Alec shares his pers...

In this episode, podcast host Diego interviews Alec Smith from Crop Culture Farm, a farmer starting his farm. Alec shares his experiences and challenges in balancing his farm startup with working part-time at another farm, the steps taken to set up his farm, improvements made over time, and  their plans and expectations for their farm business. He also dives into the compromise between perfection...