376 episodes

Insights for vegetable farmers and market gardeners who earn, or want to earn, a living growing vegetables profitably.

In each episode, I talk with a beginning or experienced farmer, diving deep into their story to find out what makes their market farm successful. I focus on in-the-field farming. Soil preparation, weed management, post-harvest processing, appropriate technology, farm tools and equipment, and growing crops.

Hosted and produced by Diego Footer's Modern Grower Podcast Network.

Farm Small Farm Smart The Modern Grower Podcast Network

    • Science
    • 4.7 • 249 Ratings

Insights for vegetable farmers and market gardeners who earn, or want to earn, a living growing vegetables profitably.

In each episode, I talk with a beginning or experienced farmer, diving deep into their story to find out what makes their market farm successful. I focus on in-the-field farming. Soil preparation, weed management, post-harvest processing, appropriate technology, farm tools and equipment, and growing crops.

Hosted and produced by Diego Footer's Modern Grower Podcast Network.

    Knowing Your Operational Costs - Farm Startup - Episode 11

    Knowing Your Operational Costs - Farm Startup - Episode 11

    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 price to charge for his produce.
     
    Get time and labor-saving farm tools at shop.modern grower.co
    Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:
    Farm Small, Farm Smart Farm Small, Farm Smart Daily The Growing Microgreens Podcast Check out Diego's book, Sell Everything You Grow, which is only $0.99 on  Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Sell-Everything-You-Grow-Homestead-ebook/dp/B0CJC9NTZF

    • 55 min
    The Business Side of Starting a Farm - Farm Startup - Episode 10

    The Business Side of Starting a Farm - Farm Startup - Episode 10

    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 the area to expand the business.
     
    Get time and labor-saving farm tools at shop.modern grower.co
    Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:
    Farm Small, Farm Smart Farm Small, Farm Smart Daily The Growing Microgreens Podcast Check out Diego's book, Sell Everything You Grow, which is only $0.99 on  Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Sell-Everything-You-Grow-Homestead-ebook/dp/B0CJC9NTZF

    • 53 min
    The Journey of Entrepreneurship - Farm Startup - Episode 9

    The Journey of Entrepreneurship - Farm Startup - Episode 9

    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 future.
    Want to Venmo Farmer Alec so he could take a month off to work on his farm?
     
    Get time and labor-saving farm tools at shop.modern grower.co
    Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:
    Farm Small, Farm Smart Farm Small, Farm Smart Daily The Growing Microgreens Podcast Check out Diego's book, Sell Everything You Grow, which is only $0.99 on  Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Sell-Everything-You-Grow-Homestead-ebook/dp/B0CJC9NTZF

    • 46 min
    Managing Time & Balancing Personal Life and Business Life - Farm Startup - Episode 8

    Managing Time & Balancing Personal Life and Business Life - Farm Startup - Episode 8

    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 behind starting a farm as well as the personal fulfillment that comes from starting a business.
     
    Get time and labor-saving farm tools at shop.modern grower.co
    Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:
    Farm Small, Farm Smart Farm Small, Farm Smart Daily The Growing Microgreens Podcast Check out Diego's book, Sell Everything You Grow, which is only $0.99 on  Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Sell-Everything-You-Grow-Homestead-ebook/dp/B0CJC9NTZF

    • 51 min
    Equipment Challenges and Crop Pricing - Farm Startup - Episode 7

    Equipment Challenges and Crop Pricing - Farm Startup - Episode 7

    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, as well as varieties he hopes will do well this farming season.
     
    Get time and labor-saving farm tools at shop.modern grower.co
    Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:
    Farm Small, Farm Smart Farm Small, Farm Smart Daily The Growing Microgreens Podcast Check out Diego's book, Sell Everything You Grow, which is only $0.99 on  Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Sell-Everything-You-Grow-Homestead-ebook/dp/B0CJC9NTZF

    • 43 min
    Choosing a Farm Business Model - Farm Startup - Episode 6

    Choosing a Farm Business Model - Farm Startup - Episode 6

    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 grower.co
    Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:
    Farm Small, Farm Smart Farm Small, Farm Smart Daily The Growing Microgreens Podcast Check out Diego's book, Sell Everything You Grow, which is only $0.99 on  Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Sell-Everything-You-Grow-Homestead-ebook/dp/B0CJC9NTZF

    • 46 min

Customer Reviews

4.7 out of 5
249 Ratings

249 Ratings

kellman55 ,

unparalleled insight

Love everything about this podcast. Listen every week

Zukeep ,

Diego asks the right questions

I’ve lost count of how many times Diego has asked the exact question I wanted an answer to from his guest. They can’t always have the answer but it’s always a good and informative conversation.

Simoney Says ,

My favorite car podcast

Driving past open land and imagining all the possibilities for improving the health and productivity of the land is a great way to make a drive go by fast.
Try it and you make like it I say

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