Farm Small Farm Smart
Farm Small Farm Smart offers practical advice for vegetable farmers and market gardeners aiming to run profitable small farms. The show features interviews with both novice and experienced growers who share their strategies for soil preparation, weed control, post-harvest handling, and appropriate technology. Hosted by Diego Footer's Modern Grower Podcast Network, it provides actionable insights on farm tools, equipment, and crop management.
Episodes
A Profitable Farm Business on 1000Sqft. (MFB 57)
With a solid crop selection, tight crop succession, and unwavering customer base, you can ABSOLUTELY run a profitable business on 1000sqft. of land. 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 Growe
The One Number That Separates Six-Figure Farms From Struggling Ones
Your farm has a salary cap. Land and time are finite, and every crop you plant spends some of both. The question isn't "what makes me the most money," it's "what makes me the most money per day it occupies my bed." That's dollars per day (DPD), and after interviewing over 200 farmers, it's the number the highest earners track that struggling farms don't even know exists. Watch the episode here! In
Misconceptions About Clay Soils - Gardening Beyond Basics 83
In this episode, Dr. David Laird of Iowa State University breaks down the most common beliefs around growing in clay soils. 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: Carro
How Hiring Can Boost Your Business (MFB 56)
You can only grow so much by yourself. If you're planning on growing your business, you'll eventually need to hire out help. 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: Carr
7 Money Mistakes That Kill New Farms Before They Start
More than half of new farms fail in their first five years. In almost every case, it's not a growing problem...it's a money problem. After a decade interviewing hundreds of farmers and running a farm supply business serving thousands of customers, the same financial mistakes show up again and again. Watch the episode here! Interested in watching the series? Hop on over to our YouTube Channel! S
Multiplying Microbes and Their Regionality - Gardening Beyond Basics 82
In this episode, Dr. Jane Fife of 3Bar Biologics talks about how to multiply microbial populations and how different types may multiply better in different regions. 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
Making Over 230k in Year 2 of Farming (MFB 55)
Vincent Cuneo started his microgreens business with zero growing experience. Year two revenue: $230K. But money was tight, stress was crushing, and crop failures meant lost revenue. His advice now? Get good before going pro. 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
How the Smartest Farmers I Know Stopped Competing and Started Winning
A farmer I interviewed was doing everything right — certified organic, quality product, good prices, showing up every week. Three years in, the farm was cash-neutral. Not losing money, not making it. Then he moved towns. Same farmer, same crops, same methods. First market day in the new town: $247. By peak season: $1,500 days. Within five years: over $200,000 gross. Nothing about his farming chang
Finished & Unfinished Compost - Gardening Beyond Basics 81
In this episode, Malibu Compost Founder Randy Ritchie talks about the many differences between using finished and unfinished compost. 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 Netwo
Build a Plan that Fits Your Farm (MFB 54)
What does your farm have to do for you? Does it need to net you a livable income? Or does it just need to supplement your current income? Plan out your farm based on what you need to do lest you overreach and stretch yourself too thin. Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights! Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower. F
Why Trying to Sell to Everyone Is Killing Your Business
When you try to be everything to everyone, you become nothing to anyone. The farm selling "fresh local vegetables" to whoever walks by is invisible. The farm known for the best salad mix in the county, or the only source of specialty greens for high-end restaurants, is the one people seek out and pay more for. Watch the episode here! Interested in watching the series? Hop on over to our YouTube Ch
Tillage and Carbon in the Soil - Gardening Beyond Basics 80
In this episode, Dr. Bruno Basso of CIBO Technologies discusses the effects of tillage on the carbon in the soil. 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
Making a Living Farming (MFB 53)
Is small-scale farming a viable source of income? It definitely could be! But there's no free lunch: it's something you're going to have to put work into. 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
Potential Cons to Cover Cropping - Gardening Beyond Basics 79
In this episode, Research Associate Professor Dr. Buz Kloot of Soil Health Labs talks about the potential reasons why farmers would choose not to cover crop. 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 Mode
Farmers Markets vs CSAs (MFB 52)
Which should you sell to, farmer's markets, or CSAs? The answer: it depends. Can you grow consistently? Can you deliver on your weekly orders? Have you already built a solid customer base? 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 Lis
5 Variables That Turn an Underperforming Crop Into a Top Earner
Jodi Robuck's first beet harvest: one bunch. Maybe $3. Twelve months later, the same bed produces over $850. Not luck — he changed one variable at a time until the math worked. 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 market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower.
Plant-Fungi Relationships - Gardening Beyond Basics 78
In this episode, author and educator Peter McCoy of Mycologos sheds light on the symbiotic relationship between plants and fungi. 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:
DIY Costs More Than You Think (MFB 51)
Sometimes, you can cheap out and MacGyver your way to get your farm business going...but not always. 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
Mature Compost is Better Quality - Gardening Beyond Basics 77
In this episode, compost specialist and owner of Living Roots Compost Tea Troy Hinke explains the importance of allowing compost to take its time maturing before application. 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 po
Farms that Fail, Farms that Thrive (MFB 50)
In this episode, Diego talks about the small differences that make up the difference between farms that make it...and farms that don't. 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 Net
5 Common Farm Purchases vs. the $10,000 Question
5 purchases, one filter. Every year farmers spend thousands on equipment they're told they need. Almost nobody asks one question before swiping the card: Will this generate or save me $10,000 in the next 12 months? 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 market farming tools,
Assessing Soil Health and Quality - Gardening Beyond Basics 76
In this episode, microbiologist and co-creator of the Johnson-Su bioreactor, Dr. David Johnson, schools us on how to tell if a soil is healthy and of good quality. 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 t
The Real Reason Why Farmers Quit (MFB 49)
Diego has identified what breaks farm business owners. It's not the physical work: it's everything else. And the difference between farmers who barely survive and those who thrive? Systems. 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 Lis
The Most Profitable Crops for a Market Garden
Search "most profitable crops" on YouTube and you'll get saffron, ginseng, cannabis. After interviewing 200+ small-scale farmers over a decade and running a farm supply company, I can tell you almost nobody is making real money on anything from those lists. Click here to watch the full episode on our YouTube Channel! Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and busi
Cover Crops, Biomass, and Nutrient Cycling - Gardening Beyond Basics 75
In this episode, soil specialist and consultant Dr. Jim Hoorman of Hoorman Soil discusses how increasing above-soil biomass plays a role in nutrient cycling. 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 Mod
Year-Round Farming on 1.5 Acres (MFB 48)
When Taylor Mendell moved from California to Vermont, she made every mistake possible: spent their entire budget on irrigation during the wettest year on record. By year three, everything felt out of control. Then they built something remarkable: a year-round CSA grossing over $200,000 on just 1.5 acres of growing space. Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and
The Exact Math Behind $250 of Lettuce a Week
How many beds of lettuce do you actually need to hit $250, $500, or $1,000 a week? Using production data from Ray Tyler's Rose Creek Farms in Tennessee — a farm that's done over $400,000 in sales on ¾ acre — here's the exact math. 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 market
Replacing Lost Nutrients in the Soil - Gardening Beyond Basics 74
In this episode, soil microbiologist and founder of The Soil Food Web Dr. Elaine Ingham talks about how farmers can go about replenishing soil nutrients for future 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 podc
The Planning Habits that Turned a Farm Profitable (MFB 47)
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?
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
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)
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)
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
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)
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
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)
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
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)
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
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
Agricultural Practices vs. Agricultural Principles - Gardening Beyond Basics 69
In this episode, Research Associate Professor Dr. Buz Kloot of Soil Health Labs talks about the difference between practices and principles and how one principle can have many different practices for execution. 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: Inst
Which Farm Products are Worth Your Money (MFB 42)
Stop buying hope. Start making informed decisions. 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 Growi
7 Revenue-Per-Bed Benchmarks Every Market Gardener Should Know
How much should a market garden bed generate? After analyzing numbers from hundreds of farmers, the range is massive: $300 per bed to $1,500+ from the same bed size and season. This episode breaks down seven per-bed revenue benchmarks by crop, from the $500 baseline that keeps you alive to the $1,500+ hero crops that keep your farm profitable. Click here to watch the full episode on our YouTube Ch
Fungal Tissue and Their Carbon - Gardening Beyond Basics 68
In this episode, author and educator Peter McCoy of Mycologos breaks down fungi and the carbon they hold. 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 S
Making a Living on an 1/8th of an Acre (MFB 40)
Jill Duncan generates $65,000 annually from just 1/8 acre - smaller than most suburban backyards. With no employees, no electricity on site, no wash station, and working just 40 hours per week during peak season, she's redefined what profitable farming looks like. Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights! Get market farming tools, seeds, and
One Crop to Fund the Entire Farm (The Cash Flywheel Crop)
A caterpillar tunnel costs $1,400. One harvest of lettuce at $6/lb produces 400–425 pounds — $2,400 in revenue. The tunnel pays for itself in a single harvest. From that point on, it's free infrastructure. Click here to learn more about farmer Elliot and Fair Share Farm. Click here to watch the full episode on our YouTube Channel. Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming
Mature Compost, Better Quality - Gardening Beyond Basics 67
In this episode, compost specialist and owner of Living Roots Compost Tea Troy Hinke explains why compost that have sat longer are generally better quality than newer composts. 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
Making $4,700 Daily on a You-Pick Farm (MFB 41)
In this episode, Diego breaks down the exact tactics, systems, and numbers behind Megan Neubauers's pick-your-own operation over in Texas. Learn how she averages $4,700 per day with 240 customers spending $47 each - all while maintaining 65% gross margins. Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights! Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies
7 Numbers Behind a $240,000 Lettuce Operation
What if one crop could pay your bills 40 to 50 weeks a year? Elliot Seldner at Fair Share Farm in North Carolina built his entire operation around lettuce as a cash flywheel — one crop that funds everything else. Click here to learn more about farmer Elliot and Fair Share Farm. Click here to watch the full episode on our YouTube Channel. Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market f
Creating the Ideal Biochar - Gardening Beyond Basics 66
Biochar expert Kelpie Wilson of Wilson Biochar breaks down how to make good biochar: what feedstock to use and how to char them. 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:
Anti-Farmer's Market: The You-Pick Model (MFB 39)
In this episode, Diego interviews Megan Neubauer, who transformed her struggling market farm into a $151,000 you-pick operation working just 8 weeks per year by ditching farmers markets and transitioning into a seasonal you-pick farm. Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights! Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower. Fol
How Much Does It Actually Cost to Start a Market Garden? (Real Numbers)
The amount you spend starting a farm has almost no correlation with how successful it becomes. Some of the worst outcomes I've seen came from people with the most money to spend. 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 market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower
Johnson-Su Bioreactor - Gardening Beyond Basics 65
In this episode, microbiologist and co-creator of the Johnson-Su bioreactor, Dr. David Johnson, introduces the Johnson-Su Bioreactor, what it does, and who it's for. 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
Really Fancy Salad (MFB 38)
In this video, I break down how Jacki Hinchey of Blue Dog Farm created her signature "Really Fancy Salad" that commands $20/pound (double the normal price) and has become the cornerstone of her farm's success. 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: Insta
Can You Actually Make $10,000 From a Backyard Farm?
Can 10 beds in a backyard generate $10,000? Diego did the math using real numbers from farmers he has interviewed over the past decade. Farmer Jill Duncan makes $65,000 on ⅛ acre in Ferguson, Missouri. Broxon Berry Farm does $80,000 on ⅖ acre in Indiana. The limiting factor isn't land...it's actually market access and systems. Click here to watch the full episode on our YouTube Channel. Subscribe
Building the Soil 360° Holistically - Gardening Beyond Basics 64
Soil specialist and consultant Dr. Jim Hoorman of Hoorman Soil discusses a holistic way to build the soil...minus commercial fertilizers. 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 N
Farm Dreams vs. Reality (MFB 37)
In this episode, Diego talks about why the low barrier to entry to farming is a trap, why physical endurance is the most underestimated factor in farming success, and practical strategies to avoid burnout. 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: Instagra
7 Things Farmers Buy That Will Never Pay for Themselves
In this episode, Diego runs seven common farm purchases through the $10,000 filter: if it can't generate or save $10,000 over its useful life, it's a luxury, not an investment. 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 market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower.
Biochar and Its Action in the Soil - Gardening Beyond Basics 62
In this episode, biochar scientist and citizen scientist advocate Francesco Tortorici sheds light on what biochar is and how it can affect productivity in soils. 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
Reducing Weed Pressure with Cover Cropping - Gardening Beyond Basics 63
Soil microbiologist and founder of The Soil Food Web Dr. Elaine Ingham sheds light on how cover cropping can reduce, if not completely eradicate, weed pressure on production soils. 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 ot
Farming Couple Makes $100,000 on Less Than an Acre (MFB 36)
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 Th
5 Systems That Saved This Farming Couple's Marriage
Michael and Shannon from Hillview Farms went from two people grinding 65+ hours a week across five farmers' markets to working 40–60 hours at just two markets — while increasing their revenue. The difference wasn't harder work. It was five specific systems. Check out the full episode on our YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/tsZs3tOzh6Q Click here to learn more about Hillview Farms. Subscribe for
From Zero to $110,000 in 4 Seasons (MFB 35)
In this episode, Diego highlights the farming duo that built a $110,000 annual business on only 1.5 acres using strategic crop selection, innovative transplanting techniques, and relentless focus on profitability over production volume. Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights! Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower.
The $100,000 Per Acre Farm (That Sells 52 Weeks a Year)
Most farms chase more: more acres, more markets, more crops. Hillview Farms did the opposite. In this episode, Diego breaks down how farming couple Michael and Shannon Whamond generated over $200,000 in annual revenue farming just 2 acres of clay soil in Lincoln, California. That's over $100,000 per acre — two and a half to five times the average market garden. Click here to watch the video versio
Manures and Potential Toxins in Compost - Gardening Beyond Basics - 61
In this episode, Malibu Compost Founder Randy Ritchie talks about the hazards of using straight manure and their potential toxins as compost feedstock. 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 Gro
Full-Time Teacher Part-Time Farmer (MFB 34)
In the sprawling suburbs of Dallas, Texas, PE teacher Michael Bell wakes at 4AM to tend his third-acre farm before heading to school. His unconventional approach brings in $1,400 monthly while working just 20 hours weekly - a remarkable farming income without debt, expensive infrastructure, or complex marketing systems. Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and b
Between Carbon Sequestration, Nitrogen Loss, and Yields - Gardening Beyond Basics 60
In this episode, Dr. Bruno Basso of CIBO Technologies discusses the link between carbon sequestration in the soil and nitrogen loss and how the two affect crop yields. 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
How to Stay Married as Farm Business Partners (MFB 33)
In this episode, Diego talks about why most farm partnerships fail, how to prevent the silent resentment that builds when one partner shoulders the household burden, and why waiting until problems reach "level 10" destroys both businesses and relationships. Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights! Get market farming tools, seeds, and suppli
Soil Tests and Input-less Growing - Gardening Beyond Basics 59
In this episode, Research Associate Professor Dr. Buz Kloot of Soil Health Labs talks about the value of soil tests and the viability of growing crops with zero inputs. 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
5 Questions that Predict Farm Success (MFB 32)
Starting a farm business demands more than agricultural knowledge: it requires a solid personal foundation most aspiring farmers overlook. In this episode, Diego shares crucial questions about your financial, emotional, and relationship stability that determine whether your farm business will enhance your life or destroy it. Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips,
The Role of Fungi in Agriculture - Gardening Beyond Basics 58
In this episode, author and educator Peter McCoy of Mycologos sheds light on the myriad roles that fungi play when it comes to agriculture. 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
Is the Paperpot Transplanter Worth the Investment? (MBF 31)
After selling thousands of paper pot transplanters and working with farmers across America for over 7 years, Diego gives us the unfiltered truth about whether this popular tool is right for YOUR farm. 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 Ins
Avoiding Composting Mistakes - Gardening Beyond Basics 57
In this episode, compost specialist and owner of Living Roots Compost Tea Troy Hinke sheds light on the most common mistakes of making your own compost and how to avoid them. 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 po
Raised Beds: A Must or Mistake? (MBF 30)
Raised beds: a market farming must-have or an overrated hassle? When do raised beds truly boost profits, and when do they create needless work? 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 Podc
Compost for Improving the Soil - Gardening Beyond Basics 56
In this episode, microbiologist and co-creator of the Johnson-Su bioreactor, Dr. David Johnson, talks about the kind of compost that can improve soil health. 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 Mod
Debt-Free Farming: Smart Spending for New Farmers (MFB 30)
Financial mistakes kill farm dreams fast. In this episode, Diego talks about why avoiding debt in your first farming year is essential for long-term success and how smart financial decisions create the foundation for a thriving business. Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights! Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower.
How Cover Crops Can Break Up Soil Compaction - Gardening Beyond Basics 55
In this episode, soil specialist and consultant Dr. Jim Hoorman of Hoorman Soil Health discusses exactly how cover crops can help mitigate and resolve soil compaction. 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
First Year Focus: Build Solid Foundations (MBF 28)
Most aspiring farmers rush headlong into starting a farm business and figure things out as they go...an instant recipe for disappointment and costly mistakes. Begin with the end in mind by laying down the groundwork for long-term success. Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights! Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower
When Nature Builds Soil - Gardening Beyond Basics 54
In this episode, soil microbiologist and founder of The Soil Food Web Dr. Elaine Ingham describes the processeses that happen when nature is left to its own devices as it builds soil. 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
The #1 Focus for Beginner Farmers: Get Experience (MFB 27)
In this episode, Diego talks about why gaining diverse experience should be your top priority over quick profits in your first year of farming and how understanding the key basic skills of growing is the secret to avoiding burnout and expensive mistakes. Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights! Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies a
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Talk About Talk - Executive & Leadership Communication Skills
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