REKO rings gained popularity during the pandemic as a way to keep selling direct to the public when markets were shut down. One of the obstacles to more widespread adoption of the REKO system- reliance on closed Facebook groups to communicate with customers- has been eliminated by Tyler Taggart and REKO Hub. They have developed software to facilitate REKO rings without using Facebook, plus the software is free for producers to use. Instead of charging producers, a small fee is charged to customers when they place an order through REKO Hub. 2024-04-23T05:00:00-00:00 ..read more

This week we talk with Hannah Rose Weber and Nate Lada, two of the owners at Green Things Farm Collective in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Green Things is a majority women-owned farm business that has evolved out of several businesses. Nate and his wife Jill first started Green Things farm in 2011 at a local farm incubator program. Then they purchased 64 acres where the farm is now settled. In 2020, Green Things joined with Ann Arbor Seed Company and the Land Loom to expand production, share management of running a diverse farm business and develop a model of sustainable, cooperative, and responsible f ..read more

Sometimes it feels like my flower farm, Moonshot Farm in East Windsor, New Jersey, is an entomologist’s dream and a farmer’s nightmare. Surrounded on all sides by conventionally sprayed farms, our property is an oasis for all kinds of cut flower pests. We grow the majority of our highest value stems under cover — both heated and unheated greenhouses — where pest issues can be magnified. 2024-04-11T11:28:00-00:00 ..read more

Does it make any sense for a market vegetable or flower grower to plant an apple orchard?  It’s a question I’ve asked myself a fair bit over the last eight years of both growing for a 100-plus member CSA and managing a small, 500-tree certified organic orchard. As our orchard matures and we find ourselves putting certified organic apples (and smaller numbers of pears and plums) in summer, fall, and winter CSA boxes, I think the answer now, for us, is – YES! 2024-04-11T11:09:00-00:00 ..read more

Youth team members aged 12-17 are a valuable and ready supply of labor on our farm. We developed this labor model over the course of eight years as we went from part-time to full-time farmers in 2019. Going into 2024, my wife Julie and I are entering our 14th year of farming in rural northwest Indiana, our fifth year of full-time farming. Our gross sales in 2023 from farm produce (1.25 acres of permanent no-till deep compost beds) and value-added kitchen items is over 185K. 2024-04-11T09:59:00-00:00 ..read more

When driving a vehicle on the farm we tend to do a lot of stopping and starting, drive at relatively low speeds, and to get in and out of the vehicle many times. Electric vehicles don’t require any warm up on cold mornings, just turn the key, press the pedal and they go. The utility carts are also really easy to slide in and out of, and there’s little worry about getting the interior all muddy or dusty. Getting in and out is easier partly because they’re closer to the ground, a feature that makes loading up the bed of the vehicle with whatever it is that you’re carrying easier, too. They’re co ..read more

I met Yoko Takemura in the fall of 2019 when I was no-till curious and searching for successful models. For several years, I had been experimenting with no-till methods here and there on our three acres of organic vegetables in northwest Connecticut. I had done some tarping between successions where it was convenient and hand flipping beds when we had time. Yet, I wanted inspiration and an equipment primer from people already more committed to no-till.  2024-04-11T10:26:00-00:00 ..read more

We step back and look at the big picture in this wide-ranging conversation with Jean-Martin Fortier, talking about the systemic barriers to local food and farmers and strategies to overcome them. We also talk about Jean-Martin’s many projects, including the recently-released Heirloom farm planning software, and his forthcoming podcast. We also catch up on his other projects, including the Old Mill farm-to-table restaurant in Quebec, which was named one of the top ten new restaurants in Canada, the Market Gardener Masterclass, Growers and Co. tool and clothing company, and how he works with a t ..read more

On this week’s pod we talk with Brian Campbell and Crystine Goldberg. They own Uprising Seeds, the Certified Organic, farm-based seed business in Bellingham, WA. Brian and Crystine started as fresh market growers in 2004, growing specialty produce for local restaurants, food coops, and farmers markets. During that time they also started one of the country's first food-stamp based CSA programs.  2024-04-02T05:00:00-00:00 ..read more

Erin Benzakein pioneered connecting with people who want to support local farms through social media. In this podcast we talk about how to use your own story to connect with potential customers. Read more in an article she wrote for Growing for Market Magazine called “Become the face of your farm,” linked in the show notes.   We also talk about the years of work that went into breeding the first round of seeds for Floret Originals that were released this winter, including dahlias, celosia and zinnias. We discuss the mechanics of breeding, including converting many of Erin’s hoophouses to ..read more