Growing For Market Podcast
Episodes
Flexible CSA logistics: Alex Ball of Old City Acres in Michigan on out-of-home delivery, website customization, last mile logistics and so much more
04 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Alex Ball started his farm when he was 14, so he’s had a lot of opportunities to refine the model over the years! He shares how and why he has moved...
The rise of selling local food and flowers online with Cole Jones, founder and CEO of Local Line
28 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Cole Jones tells us how he went from selling potatoes from local farmers out of his car for chefs to founding Local Line, which now helps thousands of...
Going from dairy farming to vegetable farming with humor, wisdom, grit and lots of good farm advice with Jaymie Michelle Thurler of Rutabaga Ranch in Ontario
21 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jaymie Michelle Thurler tells us how she went from a dairy farming background to start Rutabaga Ranch, a certified organic bio-diverse market garden i...
Aquaponic flowers and leaving two successful careers to start a flower farm with Sarah Daken and Tom Precht of Grateful Gardeners
14 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We cover a lot of ground in this interview, including how Sarah and Tom decided to leave their careers to start a flower farm, how Grateful Gardeners ...
Improving access to fresh food and farming in Chicago with Joshua Hughes of the Urban Growers Collective
07 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week we hear from Joshua Hughes, who is the Fresh Moves Logistics Coordinator for the Fresh Moves Mobile Market, one of the many programs of the ...
A fresh update on micronutrient fertility from the sea that was decades in the making with Michael Sileck of Sea-90 Ocean Minerals
30 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Growers have long used deposits from ancient seas as a source of micronutrients- and over 50 years ago, Dr. Maynard Murray started researching the use...
Streamlining the REKO ring model of pre-selling to the public with Tyler Taggart of REKO Hub
23 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
REKO rings gained popularity during the pandemic as a way to keep selling direct to the public when markets were shut down. One of the obstacles to mo...
Managing a diverse collective farm with Hannah Rose Weber and Nate Lada of Green Things Farm Collective in Ann Arbor, Michigan
16 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week we talk with Hannah Rose Weber and Nate Lada, two of the owners at Green Things Farm Collective in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Green Things is a ma...
Overcoming barriers for local food and farmers with Jean-Martin Fortier
09 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We step back and look at the big picture in this wide-ranging conversation with Jean-Martin Fortier, talking about the systemic barriers to local food...
Creating community around food and farming with Brian Campbell and Crystine Goldberg of Uprising Seeds
02 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this week’s pod we talk with Brian Campbell and Crystine Goldberg. They own Uprising Seeds, the Certified Organic, farm-based seed business in Be...
Becoming the face of your farm and breeding the Floret Originals varieties with Erin Benzakein of Floret
26 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Erin Benzakein pioneered connecting with people who want to support local farms through social media. In this podcast we talk about how to use your ow...
Making natural liquid fish fertilizer from a fishing byproduct with Ann Molloy of Neptune’s Harvest
19 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Fish fertilizer is one of the oldest natural fertilizers out there. On this week’s podcast, hear how it’s made, and what sets hydrolyzed fish fert...
How rootstocks increase yield and disease resistance in grafted tomatoes with breeder Martijn van Stee of Enza Zaden
12 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Grafting tomatoes onto vigorous, disease-resistant rootstocks is one of the biggest advancements in tomato production ever. We’ve been getting lots ...
Growing a bioregionally adapted seed system with Don Tipping of Siskiyou Seeds in Oregon
05 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Don Tipping stewards over 700 open-pollinated varieties of seeds at Siskiyou Seeds in Oregon, and we discuss the importance of having a bioregionally ...
Making flowers accessible with a CSA, home delivery and more with Tracy Yang of JARN Co. Flowers in Washington State
27 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Though she comes from a flower growing family, Tracy Yang of JARN Co. Flowers wasn’t always planning on following in the family business. Now, Tracy...
Breeding local food systems that are more resilient to climate change with Chris Smith of The Utopian Seed Project
20 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ultracrosses and tropical perennials grown as annuals are just two of the many innovative breeding strategies being used by Chris Smith and the Utopia...
A lifetime of organic farming and activism with Jim Gerritsen of Wood Prairie Farm in Maine
13 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jim Gerritsen of Wood Prairie farm is a legend not only for his over four decades of organic farming, but for his activism. As the founder and preside...
Growing a profitable flower business with Lisa Mason Ziegler of the Gardener’s Workshop
06 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this week’s podcast, we draw on Lisa’s years of flower farming experience to talk not just about growing flowers, but the business and practica...
Advanced greenhouse control and automation with Guillaume Lambert of Orisha
30 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We go deep on greenhouse control and automation in this second conversation with Guillaume Lambert. The first time we talked it took us a whole episod...
Vegetable and flower farming on cooperatively owned land in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, with Angela and Paul Neufeld of Kingfisher Farm Market
23 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Angela and Paul Neufeld have been farming vegetables and flowers in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, for 18 years. As Kingfisher Farm Market, they ha...
Why and how to automate your greenhouse for peace of mind and better production with Guillaume Lambert of Orisha
16 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Guillaume Lambert is one of the founders of Orisha, a company that is democratizing greenhouse systems control through software that growers can manag...
Establishing a farm growing 40 different vegetable crops on 30 acres with Cole Mazariegos-Anastassiou of Brisa Ranch in California
09 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today we hear from Cole Mazariegos-Anastassiou, who is a co-owner-operator of Brisa Ranch along with his wife Veronica and their friend Cristóbal Cru...
Quitting your job to grow flowers 52 weeks of the year with Rebecca Kutzer-Rice of Moonshot Farm in New Jersey
02 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Rebecca owns Moonshot Farm, a specialty cut flower farm in East Windsor, NJ. She and her husband Mark started the farm in 2019 with big goals of prov...
Quitting the corporate life to build Mount Liamuiga Farm in Colorado with Keshaun Joseph
26 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The path from accountant to farmer is not the most commonly taken one, so hear how Keshaun Joseph came to reconsider the corporate life and start Moun...
Balancing four different enterprises on a single family farm with Zoe Bradbury DeSurra of Valley Flora Farm in Oregon
19 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hear how Zoe Bradbury DeSurra of Valley Flora Farm balances four different farming enterprises between herself, her sister and her mom on one farm. Th...
Ways to keep pests and diseases in check without spraying with Dr. Surendra Dara of Oregon State University
12 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Surendra Dara brings over 25 years of experience to his work as an Oregon State University professor and director of NWREC, the North Willamette R...
Growing a profitable flower farm with Lennie Larkin of B-Side farm and author of Flower Farming for Profit
05 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
No one gets into flower farming because they love business analytics, however if you don’t know how to make sense of your business and make a profit...
The best idea in local farming you’ve never heard of: the “farm stop” with Kathy Sample & Bill Brinkerhoff of Argus Farm Stop
28 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
One perennial problem for market farmers is how to make local food and flowers available to customers every day, without having to spend seven days a ...
The farmer’s office: business skills you need to run a profitable farm with Julia Shanks
21 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Nobody gets into farming for the spreadsheets, however almost no one will stay in business if they don’t get good with the business of running a far...
The Nourishing Asian Kitchen (and Farm!) with Farmer/Author Sophia Nguyen Eng
14 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sophia Ngueyen Eng was a successful marketer in Silicon Valley, in March of 2020. When the world shut down Sophia immediately realized the importance ...
The Lean Micro Farm with Ben Hartman of Clay Bottom Farm in Goshen, Indiana
07 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Learn how Ben Hartman cut his farm down to 1/3 of an acre from an acre without taking a pay cut on this week’s pod. Ben Hartman is well known for ad...
Two decades of farm collaboration with Lyn Jacobs of La Finquita Del Buho and Polly Gottesman of Pumpkin Ridge Gardens
31 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes we can be stronger when we collaborate, and on this week’s pod hear from two growers with over 20 years of experience working together. Ly...
PFAS contamination of farm soil with Caleb Goossen, Organic Crop Specialist at MOFGA
24 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
PFAS are toxic chemicals that are widely used and have accumulated to dangerous levels in agricultural soils in some areas. On tomorrow’s pod we tal...
Spreading risk through crop diversity on a new farm with Noah Poulos of Wild East Farm
17 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Diversity of crops is one way to spread the risk in farming, and on this week’s podcast we talk about what Noah Poulos of Wild East Farm grew in thi...
70 sustainable plants that will change the way we eat, with Kevin Hobbs and Artur Cisar-Erlach
10 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Podcast host Katie Kulla illustrated a new book! In this episode she interviews Kevin Hobbs and Artur Cisar-Erlach, the co-authors of the book, "Edibl...
Urban flower farming with Mimo Davis and Miranda Duschack of Urban Buds City Grown Flowers
03 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mimo Davis and Miranda Duschack grow flowers at Urban Buds City Grown Flowers in the city of St. Louis, Missouri, and we love this interview where we ...
Balancing farming on Whidbey Island and teaching farming in Seattle with Eli Wheat of SkyRoot Farm and The U of WA
26 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Eli Wheat is both a farmer and a teacher, splitting his time between SkyRoot Farm on Whidbey Island, WA and teaching at the University of Washington. ...
The Winter Market Gardener with Catherine Sylvestre of Ferme des Quatre-Temps
19 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Harvesting vegetables all winter long is what we discuss on today’s podcast with Catherine Sylvestre of Ferme des Quatre-Temps, in Hemmingford, Queb...
Staying healthy through a lifetime of farming with Cynthia Flores of Labor-Movement
12 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Farming can take a toll on the body, and this week’s podcast guest Cynthia Flores founded Labor-Movement to help farmers stay healthy through many s...
Strategies for farming in clay with Nella Mae Parks of Nella Mae’s Farm in Cove, Oregon
05 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Nella Mae Parks went from a farm with lots of topsoil to one with lots of clay, and in the subsequent decade she has learned a lot about clay! Nella M...
Part 2 of Managing your wash/pack system for safe, clean produce with Billy Mitchell, Chris Callahan and Andrew Chamberlin
29 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Growing for Market podcast, host Andrew Mefferd invites guests Billy Mitchell, Chris Callahan, and Andrew Chamberlin to discuss...
Managing your wash/pack system for safe, clean produce with Billy Mitchell, Chris Callahan and Andrew Chamberlin
22 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Strategies to create a clean wash/pack environment that guarantees good food hygiene and workflow is the topic of this week’s pod, and for the first...
Overcoming adversity with Anthonie Conner of 4A Market Gardens in Torrington, Wyoming
15 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Adversity is something all farmers will have to overcome at some point in their careers, and on this podcast episode we talk with Anthonie Conner of 4...
Breeding more flavorful vegetables with Culinary Breeding Network founder Lane Selman
08 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Culinary Breeding Network helps plant breeders to develop the kind of varieties that market farmers want to grow, i.e. vegetables that taste good....
Building a honey farm business with innovative marketing, agritourism and education with Tara Chapman of Two Hives Honey
01 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Just your typical CIA to honey farmer story on this podcast! Tara Chapman of Two Hives Honey talks with host Katie Kulla about starting and scaling ...
Farm stress: strategies and resources for dealing with the mental health repercussions of farm-related stress with Anne Schwartz and Rachel Van Boven
25 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Farming can be very stressful, and as we’ll discuss today there are recent studies that back this up. Chronic farm-related stress can lead to or ex...
Planning and planting for the flower holidays with Dave Dowling
18 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Flower-giving holidays can generate a month’s worth of revenue in a day. In this episode, we discuss planning and planting for the flower holidays w...
Ground lease farm transfers and much more with Jeremy Barker Plotkin of Simple Gifts Farm
11 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s episode, we discuss an innovative farm sale method that keeps the land in farming called a ground lease transfer with Jeremy Barker Plotk...
Going from starting farms to editing Growing for Market Magazine with editor Andrew Mefferd: from farmer to editor (Part 2 of 2)
04 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s episode, the second of two talking with Growing for Market Magazine editor and podcast co-host Andrew Mefferd, we discuss what he learned...
Going from working on farms to running Growing for Market Magazine with editor Andrew Mefferd: From apprentice to farmer (Part 1 of 2)
27 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we talk with Growing for Market Magazine editor and podcast co-host Andrew Mefferd about going from working on farms in six different...
Reflecting on 50 years of Johnny's Selected Seeds with founder Rob Johnston
20 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
January 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of Johnny's Selected Seeds, and we talk with founder Rob Johnston about the need the company was born from, de...
Creating positive labor experiences for farm owners and workers with Sarah Janes Ugoretz of the FairShare CSA Coalition
13 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Finding and retaining good workers is a perennial issue on farms, and both sides of the labor equation have a lot to gain from getting the relationshi...
New podcast co-host special episode, with Katie Kulla of Oakhill Organics!
06 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's a new host special episode! We’re so excited to be welcoming Katie Kulla to the podcast as one of our co-hosts! You may remember hearing Katie ...
The Ecological Farm with farmer/author Helen Atthowe: A Minimalist No-Till, No-Spray, Selective-Weeding, Grow-Your-Own-Fertilizer System
30 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hear how “The Ecological Farm” author/farmer Helen Atthowe developed a minimalist no-till, no-spray, grow-your-own fertilizer method over decades ...
Growing cut flowers six stories above the San Francisco Bay Area with Joanna Letz of Bluma Flower Farm
23 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s episode, hear about growing cut flowers six stories above the San Francisco Bay Area with Joanna Letz of Bluma Flower Farm @blumafarm. He...
Unraveling why root maggots may have been worse than usual this spring with Caleb Goossen of MOFGA
16 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s episode, we talk about why root maggots may have been worse than usual this spring with the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Associati...
Growing 15 acres of organic flowers with mother/daughter team Dru Rivers and Hannah Muller of Full Belly Farm
09 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s episode, we talk with mother/daughter team Dru Rivers and Hannah Muller of Full Belly Farm about growing 15 acres of certified organic fl...
Compost science with Robert Pavlis
02 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about what makes good compost with Robert Pavlis. Robert is a well-known speaker and educator with over 40 years of growing experience. ...
Making the move from the military to agriculture with Charley Jordan of Jordan Farms in Tennessee
25 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk with Charley Jordan about making the move from the military into farming. Charley is the owner/operator of Jordan Farms, in Indian Mound...
Growing good broccoli in a bad climate with Jan van der Heide of Bejo Seeds
18 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today we have the pleasure of welcoming Jan van der Heide to the podcast. He is the Northeast Market Manager for Bejo Seeds, a Dutch vegetable seed co...
Getting farm-friendly legislation passed with Sara and Symbria Patterson of Red Acre Farm in Utah
11 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s episode, hear Sara and Symbria Patterson talk about farming in Utah on Red Acre Farm and founding the Red Acre Center for Food and Agricu...
The origins of Growing for Market Magazine with founding editor Lynn Byczynski
04 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s episode, hear Lynn Byczynski talk about founding Growing for Market Magazine over 30 years ago in 1992. We’ll talk about how Lynn’s b...
Farming and pregnancy: Birth and postpartum healing for the farmer (Part 2 of 2)
28 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s episode, the second of two parts, hear Katie Kulla from Oakhill Organics in Oregon talk about how farmers who have just had a baby can sm...
Farming and pregnancy: Balancing the physical and emotional demands (Part 1 of 2)
21 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today we’re talking about balancing farming, pregnancy & kids on the farm with Katie Kulla, who has written 3 articles on the subject for Growing Fo...
Demystifying the Guestworker H-2A visa program with Gretel and Steve Adams of Sunny Meadows Flower Farm
14 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This conversation is an elaboration on Gretel's article "Demystifying the H-2A program" from Growing for Market Magazine, which is available to read f...
Fred Hempel of Artisan Seeds on breeding veg varieties for market farmers
07 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today on the show we talk with Fred Hempel of Artisan Seeds on being an independent vegetable breeder, why most breeders need the support and infrastr...
The origins of Neversink Farm with Conor Crickmore, part 2 of 2: The Neversink Farm Course and Neversink Tools
28 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We talk with Conor Crickmore in the second of this two-part interview about the origins of Neversink Farm. In this episode, we talk about how the Neve...
The origins of Neversink Farm with Conor Crickmore, part 1 of 2
21 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We talk with Conor Crickmore in the first of this two-part interview about the origin story of Neversink Farm. We discuss moving from the city and dev...
Josh Volk on DIY farm tools and compact farm layouts
14 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Josh Volk talks about how his background in mechanical engineering led him to Silicon Valley, and then a valley over to where the vegetables and flowe...
Meet your host: Megan Robertson!
07 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hear how host Megan Robertson's agricultural journey started out in South Dakota and took her to Kenya, Italy, Boston and Connecticut before landing i...
Scrum project (and personal!) management with Andrea Heim
06 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today we discuss the Scrum project management framework with certified Scrum Master and recovering farmer Andrea Heim. We elaborate on her article fro...