The Urban Farmer Podcast

Diego Footer
  • 5.0 (2)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Re-released for its 10th anniversary. The Urban Farmer is a documentary-style podcast that takes you behind the scenes of a real urban farming business to show you what it truly takes to run a successful farm in the city. Follow farmer Curtis Stone's journey over an entire growing season as he produces food on just a third of an acre in Kelowna, BC, Canada. The show was initially recorded in 2015. This series, hosted by Diego Footer, explores the daily struggles and successes of urban farming. Curtis shares his hard-earned knowledge of intensive production methods, season extension, optimal crop selection, farm planning, and financial management. But this podcast goes beyond the nuts and bolts of growing—it gives an honest look at the entrepreneurial, social, and lifestyle aspects of urban farming. Whether you are a new grower dreaming of starting your own urban farm or a seasoned producer looking to refine your systems, The Urban Farmer will inform and inspire you. Follow along as Curtis demonstrates how to produce an abundance of food in the most unlikely places and build a viable business supporting a high quality of life. If you've ever wanted to see how profitable and rewarding small-scale farming can be, this podcast is for you.

  1. The Hidden Profit in Your Existing Farm Space (S1W30)

    JAN 14

    The Hidden Profit in Your Existing Farm Space (S1W30)

    If you're planning on expanding your farm, STOP!...at least for a second. Listen first to this episode, where we challenge the "bigger is better" mentality that's destroying small farms. We'll talk about how refining what you already have often beats expansion, along with practical strategies to increase production by 21% without adding land. Hear some real examples of how doing less can actually make you more money.  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:  Instagram  Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:  Carrot Cashflow  Farm Small Farm Smart  Farm Small Farm Smart Daily  The Growing Microgreens Podcast  The Urban Farmer Podcast  The Rookie Farmer Podcast  In Search of Soil Podcast Check out Diego's books:  Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon   Ready Farmer One on Amazon **** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

    42 min
  2. Cutting 80 Crops and Doubling My Profit: The 80/20 Rule for Farmers

    12/31/2025

    Cutting 80 Crops and Doubling My Profit: The 80/20 Rule for Farmers

    In this episode, we're taking a look at the counterintuitive strategy of cutting out 80% of your crops to drastically increase your farm profits. Farmer Curtis Stone shares the exact analysis he used to identify which of the 10 crops he grew generated 80% of his income on just a quarter acre and how eliminating the rest gave him more free time, less stress, and higher net earnings.  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:  Instagram  Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:  Carrot Cashflow  Farm Small Farm Smart  Farm Small Farm Smart Daily  The Growing Microgreens Podcast  The Urban Farmer Podcast  The Rookie Farmer Podcast  In Search of Soil Podcast Check out Diego's books:  Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon   Ready Farmer One on Amazon **** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

    49 min
  3. Should You Grow It? The Simple Formula for Crop Selection (S1W28)

    12/17/2025

    Should You Grow It? The Simple Formula for Crop Selection (S1W28)

    In this episode, Urban Farmer Curtis Stone talks about the one solid principle that transformed his struggling farm into a thriving, profitable operation: detailed record keeping. Learn exactly how tracking your plantings, harvests, and sales prevents costly overproduction, eliminates waste, and helps you dial in perfect timing for shoulder-season crops. Curtis dives deep into the ins and outs of his system for greenhouse interplanting, managing year-round production in minimal space, and making data-driven decisions that maximize income while minimizing wasted labor.  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:  Instagram  Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:  Carrot Cashflow  Farm Small Farm Smart  Farm Small Farm Smart Daily  The Growing Microgreens Podcast  The Urban Farmer Podcast  The Rookie Farmer Podcast  In Search of Soil Podcast Check out Diego's books:  Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon   Ready Farmer One on Amazon **** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

    45 min
  4. Stop Waiting for Perfect: Start Your Farm With $5,000 (S1W27)

    12/03/2025

    Stop Waiting for Perfect: Start Your Farm With $5,000 (S1W27)

    This episode pulls no punches about starting a new farm: the sacrifices, struggles, and tough decisions that separate dreamers from doers. Curtis Stone and Diego Footer discuss why successful farmers like Jean-Martin Fortier started in tents and teepees, how to prepare for worst-case scenarios, and the one question that will either motivate or haunt you for decades: "Why didn't you just go for it?"  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:  Instagram  Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:  Carrot Cashflow  Farm Small Farm Smart  Farm Small Farm Smart Daily  The Growing Microgreens Podcast  The Urban Farmer Podcast  The Rookie Farmer Podcast  In Search of Soil Podcast Check out Diego's books:  Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon   Ready Farmer One on Amazon **** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

    47 min
  5. Why Working to Learn Beats Working to Earn in Your First Farm Year (Rewind S1W26 - 2)

    11/26/2025

    Why Working to Learn Beats Working to Earn in Your First Farm Year (Rewind S1W26 - 2)

    Why do the most successful farmers barely break even in year one? How could chasing profits too early destroy your farm business? In this episode, we're answering all that and more as we dive into the counterintuitive strategy that transforms struggling growers into profitable operations by year three, including actionable exercises to track what really matters: your cost per square foot, true profit margins, and which crops are secretly draining your time and money. Diego breaks down the exact approach that helped Curtis Stone build a thriving urban farm, including a 90-day learning sprint that will teach you more about your farm's economics than most farmers learn in years.  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:  Instagram  Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:  Carrot Cashflow  Farm Small Farm Smart  Farm Small Farm Smart Daily  The Growing Microgreens Podcast  The Urban Farmer Podcast  The Rookie Farmer Podcast  In Search of Soil Podcast Check out Diego's books:  Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon   Ready Farmer One on Amazon **** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

    16 min
  6. The Hidden Trap of Starting Too Big: Why 5,000 Square Feet Beats 2 Acres (Rewind S1W26 - 1)

    11/25/2025

    The Hidden Trap of Starting Too Big: Why 5,000 Square Feet Beats 2 Acres (Rewind S1W26 - 1)

    In this episode, Diego schools us in on the four critical principles that separate successful farms from the 90% that fail within three years. We dive deep into all the reasons why starting small (just 5,000 square feet) gives you the validation, data, and sustainability you need before scaling up. Siego also breaks down how to track unit economics, understand your true capacity, and avoid the complexity cascade that destroys farm businesses.  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:  Instagram  Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:  Carrot Cashflow  Farm Small Farm Smart  Farm Small Farm Smart Daily  The Growing Microgreens Podcast  The Urban Farmer Podcast  The Rookie Farmer Podcast  In Search of Soil Podcast Check out Diego's books:  Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon   Ready Farmer One on Amazon **** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

    12 min
  7. Work to Learn, Not Earn: Building a Sustainable Farm (S1W26)

    11/19/2025

    Work to Learn, Not Earn: Building a Sustainable Farm (S1W26)

    Thinking about starting a farm? In this episode, Curtis and Diego talk about why most new farmers fail and the counter-intuitive strategy that leads to long-term success. They double down on the value of working for knowledge instead of profits in your first year, starting with less land, and how building systematically will set you up for a thriving farm business. Curtis shares his hard-earned lessons on how to avoid the burnout, overwhelm, and financial struggle that sink most beginning farmers.  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:  Instagram  Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:  Carrot Cashflow  Farm Small Farm Smart  Farm Small Farm Smart Daily  The Growing Microgreens Podcast  The Urban Farmer Podcast  The Rookie Farmer Podcast  In Search of Soil Podcast Check out Diego's books:  Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon   Ready Farmer One on Amazon **** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

    54 min
  8. The 10-Day Pivot: Why Fast Feedback Loops Save Businesses (Rewind S1W25 - 2)

    11/13/2025

    The 10-Day Pivot: Why Fast Feedback Loops Save Businesses (Rewind S1W25 - 2)

    In this episode, we take a look at how farmer Curtis Stone survived a 75% revenue drop by using 10-day feedback cycles to pivot before losses mounted. We'll talk about ways to detect failures fast, test cheaply, and adapt quickly to rapidly changing markets.    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:  Instagram  Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:  Carrot Cashflow  Farm Small Farm Smart  Farm Small Farm Smart Daily  The Growing Microgreens Podcast  The Urban Farmer Podcast  The Rookie Farmer Podcast  In Search of Soil Podcast Check out Diego's books:  Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon   Ready Farmer One on Amazon **** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

    13 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Re-released for its 10th anniversary. The Urban Farmer is a documentary-style podcast that takes you behind the scenes of a real urban farming business to show you what it truly takes to run a successful farm in the city. Follow farmer Curtis Stone's journey over an entire growing season as he produces food on just a third of an acre in Kelowna, BC, Canada. The show was initially recorded in 2015. This series, hosted by Diego Footer, explores the daily struggles and successes of urban farming. Curtis shares his hard-earned knowledge of intensive production methods, season extension, optimal crop selection, farm planning, and financial management. But this podcast goes beyond the nuts and bolts of growing—it gives an honest look at the entrepreneurial, social, and lifestyle aspects of urban farming. Whether you are a new grower dreaming of starting your own urban farm or a seasoned producer looking to refine your systems, The Urban Farmer will inform and inspire you. Follow along as Curtis demonstrates how to produce an abundance of food in the most unlikely places and build a viable business supporting a high quality of life. If you've ever wanted to see how profitable and rewarding small-scale farming can be, this podcast is for you.

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