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Farm Small Farm Smart

Farm Small Farm Smart

The Modern Grower Podcast Network 551 episodes Latest Jun 4, 2026

Farm Small Farm Smart provides insights for vegetable farmers and market gardeners who want to earn a living growing vegetables profitably. Each episode features interviews with beginning or experienced farmers, diving deep into their stories to uncover what makes their market farms successful. Topics include soil preparation, weed management, post-harvest processing, appropriate technology, farm tools and equipment, and growing crops. The podcast is hosted and produced by Diego Footer's Modern Grower Podcast Network.

Episodes

The Planning Habits that Turned a Farm Profitable (MFB 47) Jun 11, 2026 06:25 Taylor Mendell was drowning. Nothing was working on Footprint Farm until she discovered something unexpected: brain science and habit formation could fix her farming chaos. What started as a desperate loan application turned into an annual planning system that transformed their operation.  Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights!   Get market f
Market Gardening Explained: Can You Actually Make a Living on Under 2 Acres? Jun 8, 2026 16:23 Most people hear "farming" and picture tractors and hundreds of acres. Market gardening is different: under five acres (often under two), vegetables grown intensively, sold directly to customers at retail prices. A well-run market garden can return over $100,000 per acre. Click here to watch the full episode on our YouTube Channel.  Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming
The Conventional Pushback on No-Till - Gardening Beyond Basics 73 Jun 7, 2026 16:51 In this episode, Dr. Gabe Kenne of the University of South Carolina talks about conventional farmers' concerns on no-till growing.   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:
Why Better Products Lose to Worse Competitors (MFB 46) Jun 4, 2026 14:16 Drawing from Harvard, MIT, and McKinsey research, Diego breaks down why farmers with superior produce lose to competitors with worse products.  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 Podca
How Profitable Is Market Gardening? (The Real Math) Jun 2, 2026 14:26 Revenue per acre in market gardening ranges from $20,000 to $400,000. Same crops, same square footage, 20x different results. After 10 years interviewing hundreds of farmers, the difference isn't luck — it's six factors working together. Click here to watch the full episode on our YouTube Channel.  Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights!   Get
Weeds in Soil Health - Gardening Beyond Basics 72 May 31, 2026 15:16 In this episode, Dr. Paul Zorner of Locus Ag Solutions sheds light on the role of weeds in maintaining soil health and in soil succession.   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
7 Steps to $160,000 Growing Lettuce (MFB 45) May 28, 2026 14:32 After years of failed crops and poor germination, farmer Ray Tyler cracked the code on consistent lettuce production. Now growing 400 pounds weekly at 75% profit margins, he shares the complete system that generates $160,000 annually from lettuce alone—on less than half an acre.  Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights!   Get market farming too
Our Understanding of Humus - Gardening Beyond Basics - 71 May 24, 2026 23:41 In this episode, Dr. Johannes Lehmann of Cornell University talks about how our knowledge of soil and humus evolved through decades of research.   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 Po
Making $500,000 on Lettuce (MFB 44) May 21, 2026 10:01 Ray Tyler rejected the race-to-the-bottom pricing that destroys most small farms. Instead, he discovered customers willing to pay $10/pound for premium lettuce—5x what big farms charge. With 75% profit margins and weekly harvests creating constant cash flow, Ray built a farm that supports his family plus 4 employees on just one acre.  Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farmi
Nitrogen & Soil Cover - Gardening Beyond Basics 70 May 17, 2026 12:12 In this episode, Dr. Bruno Basso of CIBO Technologies how keeping the soil covered can help keep nitrogen in place.   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 Cashfl
Why 90% of Farms Fail and How to Avoid It (MFB 43) May 14, 2026 18:40 In this episode, Diego talks about uncomfortable financial questions any aspiring farmer MUST answer before starting their farm business.  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 Ne
Ex-Chef Makes $2,100/Week Farming: No Farming Experience, No Degree May 11, 2026 12:34 Michael Russo spent 20 years as a chef — 80-hour weeks, sometimes 100. Seven weddings in a single day. Then he looked at the executive chefs above him: seventies, still working 100-hour weeks, miserable. He walked away at 40 with no farming experience, no degree, and no business background. First real growing season: $2,100 in his best week ($600 restaurant, $1,500 farmer's market). Even off weeks

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