The Thriving Farmer Podcast Michael Kilpatrick

How do you manage through a crisis and what lessons come from such a time?

In this episode of the Thriving Farmer Podcast, we’re joined by Ian and Rachel Harding of Wet Knot Farms, located in Marietta, South Carolina. Ian and Rachel started their farm to get back to nature, and to raise their three boys playing in the dirt and eating healthy, tasty food.


Now their mission is to cultivate community by bettering health through sustainable agricultural practices. Folks love how long Wet Knot’s salads last in the fridge and how some veggies never even make it out of the car before the kids gobble them up.


Join us today to hear all about their unique journey in the farming world!

 
 
You’ll hear:

What is the location of Wet Knot Farms and what is the historical significance behind it? 2:04 What kinds of flowers and vegetables do they grow? 5:58 What are their favorite flowers to grow? 8:16 Where do they sell their products? 10:54 How has their flower bar worked out for them so far? 17:31 What are yearly cycles on the farm like? 23:24 Why did Ian have brain surgery, and how did it impact their farm and family? 29:16 What would they say the most impactful outcome of this situation has been? 41:56 About the Guests: Ian and Rachel Harding started Wet Knot Farms to get back to nature and raise their boys on a farm where they could play in the dirt that also supplied them with healthy, tasty foods. While farming came with many lessons, a sudden need for brain surgery taught them even more. Ian says, “Each day is a gift, and I hope I’m ready to receive each one as such. I hope to savor the joy and to grow from the pain that comes each new day.”
Resources: Website: https://www.wetknotfarms.com/


The Thriving Farmer Podcast Team would like to thank our amazing sponsors!




Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement that provides an add-on certification held by over 1,000 certified organic, family-owned operations across North America. Real Organic Project strives to uplift farms working within the spirit, not just the letter, of organic principles. Real Organic certified farmers use practices that are centered around the foundational organic principles of soil-based crop production and pasture-based livestock agriculture. To remain accessible to all types of farmers, Real Organic Project fundraises year round to keep this certification available at no cost to farmers.
You can apply today at realorganicproject.org/thrivingfarmer.



Steward is transforming agriculture by equipping regenerative farms and food systems with the capital they need to grow. As a mission-driven financial partner, Steward works closely with agricultural businesses to scale their operations, improve the health of their lands and waters, and bolster local-to-regional food systems. To date, Steward has provided over $15M in business loans to fund 75 unique projects, backed by more than 1,500 participating lenders. Steward is proud to be a Certified B Corp. Seek financing or support a loan campaign at gosteward.com
 

What ways can your farm bring more value to your community?
 
In this week’s podcast, we’re hosting Kelly Shepherd, Co-Owner of What the Farm, located in Virginia Beach, Virginia. What the Farm is focusing on the health and vitality of the land through regenerative farming, and their mission is simple: serve the soil, serve the animals, and serve the community. 
 
They recently expanded their operations and opened What The Farm Store so they can share farm to table with others. What the Farm aims to provide local families with an affordable way to bring home food free of chemicals and hormones, and they do so swimmingly!
 
Come hear all about how they do it in this episode. 
You’ll hear: What prompted Kelly to shift from business coaching to farming 2:03 The first sales outlets for the farm 6:05 Classes the farm offers to homeschoolers 10:09 How Kelly handles the farm’s meat CSA 17:39 What What the Farm does with the Savory Institute 21:20 What Kelly would do differently if she could go back to the beginning of her farm 31:56 Kelly’s favorite farming tool 33:30 About the Guest: Kelly Shepherd is the co-owner of What The Farm, a regenerative farm that specializes in chicken, pork, lamb, and beef in Virginia Beach, VA. With a background in business coaching, her primary focus is helping farmers achieve profitability through agritourism, education, and subscription-based sales. Kelly believes that the only way to grow the sustainable farm movement is to make it a win/win for both farmers and consumers. 
Resources: Website: https://whatthefarmlife.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhatTheFarmVa
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatthefarmva/
 
The Thriving Farmer Podcast Team would like to thank our amazing sponsors!

Steward is transforming agriculture by equipping regenerative farms and food systems with the capital they need to grow. As a mission-driven financial partner, Steward works closely with agricultural businesses to scale their operations, improve the health of their lands and waters, and bolster local-to-regional food systems. To date, Steward has provided over $15M in business loans to fund 75 unique projects, backed by more than 1,500 participating lenders. Steward is proud to be a Certified B Corp. Seek financing or support a loan campaign at gosteward.com




 
GrownBy is the farmer-owned online marketplace. In the last three years, their 200 farmers have sold over $2M of products to shoppers on the GrownBy app.
GrownBy works for all scales and types of farm sales. Spring Plant Sale? Yup. Annual Freezer Meat Emptying? Check. Multi-season, multi-farm 300 member CSA operation? Absolutely. GrownBy supports it all.
As a cooperative, farmer success is their #1 priority. They are the first farmer-owned cooperative ecommerce platform in the world. With auto-payments, built-in customer notifications, CSA subscriptions, and customers helping to pay site fees, GrownBy is a tailored fit for your farm’s online sales. Upcoming, GrownBy will be the first online platform accepting SNAP/EBT with authorized farms.
Startup is free, and pricing is transparent and affordable. The cooperative collects 2% of each transaction, but customers often contribute to this fee and bring down farmer costs significantly.
Listeners to the Thriving Farmers Podcast get 50% off their first three months on GrownBy. Just email Grow@farmgenerations.coop to get this offer. You can learn more at GrownBy.com, or download the app on the Google Play or Apple App stores.

Do you know what it takes to grow specialty apples to make organic apple cider and brandy?
 
In this Thriving Farmer podcast, we’re joined by Deirdre Birmingham, Co-Founder of The Cider Farm, located in Madison, Wisconsin. 
 
The Cider Farm grows true cider apples organically for the purposes of making The Cider Farm brand of (hard) ciders and apple brandy. They are arguably the only orchard in the US that started for this purpose.
 
The Cider Farm’s products are not intended to compete with the mass-market ciders or brandies. Rather, they use special ingredients, small batch attention, and handcrafting to provide a complex and unique flavor experience. Their standards are inspired by European and American traditions. The Cider Farm staff is dedicated to their art and to providing folks with something special.
 
Tune in today to hear how this fascinating apple farm operates!
You’ll hear: How Deirdre got into farming 2:03 The struggles and things Deidre has learned from producing quality apples 8:54 How different apple varieties are harvested differently 16:45 How long apples are fermented for 26:32 Size of the current Cider Farm team 29:32 Percentage of the farm’s products sold in their tasting room as opposed to what they ship across the nation 35:13 How the business is managed, and what Deirdre would change as the business was being built 37:44 How The Cider Farm has driven traffic into their tasting room 45:19 Deirdre’s favorite farming tool 48:27 About the Guest: Deirdre Birmingham co-owns the business with her husband, John Biondi, and she manages The Cider Farm in Wisconsin. They are a 166-acre farm, including an 18-acre certified organic cider apple orchard. Deirdre and John started the orchard in 2003 by taking a class on grafting. They wanted to get the English and French tannic apple varieties for the purpose of fermenting their apple juice to ciders and apple brandy. While Deirdre has three degrees in agriculture, she never took a class on horticulture, nor did she grow up on a farm. But she and John have learned from hands-on experience and research how to build and run a successful cider farm business.
Resources: Website: https://www.theciderfarm.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theciderfarm
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_cider_farm/

The Thriving Farmer Podcast Team would like to thank our amazing sponsor!
 

Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement that provides an add-on certification held by over 1,000 certified organic, family-owned operations across North America. Real Organic Project strives to uplift farms working within the spirit, not just the letter, of organic principles. Real Organic certified farmers use practices that are centered around the foundational organic principles of soil-based crop production and pasture-based livestock agriculture. To remain accessible to all types of farmers, Real Organic Project fundraises year round to keep this certification available at no cost to farmers.
You can apply today at realorganicproject.org/thrivingfarmer.
 

How has your farm evolved and what changes have you made to scale your business?

On this week’s Thriving Farmer Podcast, we’re joined by Matt Carr, Owner of Linden Lane Farms, a family operated farm located in Krestova, Canada. Linden Lane Farms has been in operation since 1978.
 
The farm started as five acres of land used to produce food for the Carr family. Eventually, the farm grew onto a new 150-acre property primarily used for raising and processing livestock.
 
In the early 2000s, new meat regulations and policies severely limited the productivity of the farm and pushed them out of the local niche, leading to many tough years.
 
Around 2010, grandson Matt became seriously interested in horticulture, growing a garden and propagating ornamental plants at the farm. Matt currently manages the daily operations of the farm, as well as the weekly farmer’s markets.
 
Join us to hear all about this Canadian farm’s unique approach to their generational farm!
You’ll hear: What Linden Lane Farms was like in the beginning 3:00 What initially got Matt into farming 5:53 The farm’s sales model 8:34 Products are they shipping nationwide 13:18 The story behind the farm’s name 18:47 Systems and equipment used on the farm 25:01 Matt’s other business 36:41 Matt’s favorite farming tool 45:59 About the Guest: Matt is the owner and production manager of Linden Lane Farms, a diversified organic market garden and nursery that focuses on production, research, and education. Along with managing the farm’s day to day operations in Krestova, Matt is the lead agrologist for Cultivate Horticulture, which provides innovative tools, technology, and equipment, as well as horticultural agronomy consultation, for both hobbyists and commercial producers. He has a passion for farming and innovation, and is on a mission to inspire the next generation of growers faced with the future challenges of food production.
Resources: Website: www.lindenlanefarms.ca
Facebook: www.facebook.com/lindenlanefarms and www.facebook.com/cultivatehort.ca
Instagram: www.instagram.com/lindenlanefarms

The Thriving Farmer Podcast Team would like to thank our amazing sponsor!



GrownBy is the farmer-owned online marketplace. In the last three years, their 200 farmers have sold over $2M of products to shoppers on the GrownBy app.
GrownBy works for all scales and types of farm sales. Spring Plant Sale? Yup. Annual Freezer Meat Emptying? Check. Multi-season, multi-farm 300 member CSA operation? Absolutely. GrownBy supports it all.
As a cooperative, farmer success is their #1 priority. They are the first farmer-owned cooperative ecommerce platform in the world. With auto-payments, built-in customer notifications, CSA subscriptions, and customers helping to pay site fees, GrownBy is a tailored fit for your farm’s online sales. Upcoming, GrownBy will be the first online platform accepting SNAP/EBT with authorized farms.
Startup is free, and pricing is transparent and affordable. The cooperative collects 2% of each transaction, but customers often contribute to this fee and bring down farmer costs significantly.
Listeners to the Thriving Farmers Podcast get 50% off their first three months on GrownBy. Just email Grow@farmgenerations.coop to get this offer. You can learn more at GrownBy.com, or download the app on the Google Play or Apple App stores.
 

What Sasha Learned Implementing Permaculture and Starting a Farm Store

In this Thriving Farmer Podcast, we are joined by Sasha Miller, Co-Founder of Purplebrown Farmstead. Sasha and her husband, Jimmy, started Purplebrown Farmstead with their two kids, Ohlen & Ivan, in 2016. Sasha is the full-time farmer, but everyone has their integral role. 

Purplebrown applied the permaculture design process to make choices for what, how, when, and why they grow and do what they do. They are growing a very diversified bunch of perennial goodies in their orchard, like mushrooms, perennial vegetables, berries, flowers, and herbs. They also raise poultry for meat and eggs, and pork, as essential parts of this resilient system.

Tune in to hear about Sasha’s unique journey into the farming universe!
You’ll hear: How Sasha got started in farming 1:36
Changes at Purplebrown Farmstead as the farm has progressed 3:59
How Sasha was introduced to Purplebrown’s vendors 8:27
How Sasha goes about staffing for the farm and the store 11:16
Marketing at Purplebrown 14:18
What the farm produces 15:34
How Sasha set up the farm’s orchard 24:47
The types of ducks Purplebrown uses 28:54
The breeds of pigs that have been working well at Purplebrown 34:01
About the Guest: Sasha started Purplebrown Farmstead with her husband in 2016, as part of the Countryside Initiative Program, in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. It is a 12-acre, certified organic, diversified farm, designed and managed using permaculture principles. Main products include pork, mushrooms, perennial vegetables, fruit, eggs, and more. 
Resources: Website: www.purplebrownfarmstead.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/purplebrownfarmstead
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/purplebrownohio/
 
 
The Thriving Farmer Podcast Team would like to thank our amazing sponsor!
 

Steward is transforming agriculture by equipping regenerative farms and food systems with the capital they need to grow. As a mission-driven financial partner, Steward works closely with agricultural businesses to scale their operations, improve the health of their lands and waters, and bolster local-to-regional food systems. To date, Steward has provided over $15M in business loans to fund 75 unique projects, backed by more than 1,500 participating lenders. Steward is proud to be a Certified B Corp. Seek financing or support a loan campaign at gosteward.com

What tools do you use to reach more customers?
 
In this Thriving Farmer podcast, we’re joined by Lindsey Lusher Shute: farmer, co-founder and former executive director of the National Young Farmers Coalition, and co-owner of Hearty Roots Community Farm. 
 
An Ohio native, Lindsey first developed her love of farming on her grandfather’s land in the rolling hills of Appalachia. As executive director of Young Farmers, Lindsey grew the organization from a few volunteer farmers to a nationwide network with 40 chapters in 39 states and a grassroots base of over 120,000.
 
Lindsey edited and authored nine reports for the coalition, including Building a Future with Farmers: Challenges Faced by Young, American Farmers and a Strategy to Help Them Succeed. 
 
Lindsey is the co-founder of Farm Generations Cooperative, the makers of GrownBy, the Farmer-Owned Marketplace.
 
Tune in to hear all about Lindsey’s remarkable and unique journey in the farming world!
You’ll hear: How Lindsey got started in farming 2:16 How she got the idea to start the business 8:08 Overview of Hearty Roots Community Farm 13:16 What it was like for Lindsey to create a software product 25:19 New features in GrownBy 3.0 31:54 Next steps for GrownBy 39:46 About the Guest: Lindsey Lusher Shute is the co-founder of Farm Generations Cooperative, the makers of GrownBy. GrownBy is the first cooperatively-owned sales app for farms. Before co-founding Farm Generations Cooperative, Lindsey co-founded the National Young Farmers Coalition and led the organization as Executive Director for a decade. Under her leadership, Young Farmers influenced two farm bills and won change for farmers on the state and federal levels. Lindsey and her husband Ben are the owners of Hearty Roots Community Farm, an organic vegetable farm and CSA, in the Hudson Valley of New York. 
Resources: Website: https://grownby.app/ and https://www.farmgenerations.coop/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/farmgenerationscoop
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/farmgenerationscoop/
 
The Thriving Farmer Podcast Team would like to thank our amazing sponsor!
 

 
GrownBy is the farmer-owned online marketplace. In the last three years, their 200 farmers have sold over $2M of products to shoppers on the GrownBy app.
GrownBy works for all scales and types of farm sales. Spring Plant Sale? Yup. Annual Freezer Meat Emptying? Check. Multi-season, multi-farm 300 member CSA operation? Absolutely. GrownBy supports it all.
As a cooperative, farmer success is their #1 priority. They are the first farmer-owned cooperative ecommerce platform in the world. With auto-payments, built-in customer notifications, CSA subscriptions, and customers helping to pay site fees, GrownBy is a tailored fit for your farm’s online sales. Upcoming, GrownBy will be the first online platform accepting SNAP/EBT with authorized farms.
Startup is free, and pricing is transparent and affordable. The cooperative collects 2% of each transaction, but customers often contribute to this fee and bring down farmer costs significantly.
Listeners to the Thriving Farmers Podcast get 50% off their first three months on GrownBy. Just email Grow@farmgenerations.coop to get this offer. You can learn more at GrownBy.com, or download the app on the Google Play or Apple App stores.