Farm Small Farm Smart Daily

Homesteader Justin Rhodes of AbundantPermaculture.com takes on the question: What are some criteria to consider when selecting a homestead site?

To learn more about Justin and see all of the ASK Justin episodes visit permaculturevoices.com/justin.

Direct download: ASKJustin-13-NewSite.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

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Think about an established farmers market with an established customer base.

Everyone shopping at that market has their preferred vendors.  They buy lettuce from this guy and they buy tomatoes from that girl week after week.  They don’t switch it up.

If you then enter that market as a new vendor, how do you knock someone out of the preferred vendor spot in a customer’s mind? How do you get the customer to switch to buying lettuce or tomatoes from you instead of that guy or that girl?  Because that’s really what you need to do.  Either you need to get existing customers to switch or you need to pick up market share from new customers. The bad news is that once a person commits to a particular product or brand in their mind it’s very hard to get them to switch.  

Look no further than you own habits.  How often do you go to different grocery stores or gas stations by your house or how often do you change brands of laundry detergent or ketchup?  Probably not very often.  You made a decision long ago, and as long as things do change, why switch.

Given that, how do you compete in a crowded farmers market?  Why is a farmer’s market customer going to choose your booth versus the booth that they always shop at?

You have to be unique..

Again, look at the landscape of the market, if there are already 5 vegetable vendors at your market more or less growing what you grow, and they are established, then you either have to be unique enough to go in and compete with them hand try to knock one of them out of the top 5 in terms of market share, which is hard, or you have to be unique enough so you don’t actually have to compete against them.  Instead positioning yourself in the customers mind as the preferred choice.

How do you do that, make yourself unique?

One way is to specialize in something.  

Part of that specialization might mean differentiating your product so you position yourself as the category leader; a category that you own; one that you create.

For example, say a lot of vendors are selling loose leaf lettuce.  There’s already an established hierarchy there in terms of market share for the category of loose leaf lettuce.  How do you compete?  

You don’t, avoid competition, and you create your own category. Maybe that category is head lettuce or romaine.  Or maybe it’s organic lettuce.  Or living lettuce with the roots still attached.  You differentiate your product just enough to move it to its own category.  Then you become first to market in that category and have an competitive advantage.  That’s a far cry from going into a competitive market and competing on price.  And when you think about it it wasn’t really that hard.  You didn’t have to create or invent anything new. You just supplied an in demand product to a market that wanted it, but didn’t have anyone to buy it from.

That’s one of the many benefits of specializing in a product.  And it’s that benefit and the many others that we will be talking about today, on The Urban Farmer.

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Direct download: TUFS2E13-2016.mp3
Category:permaculture -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

Farmer John Suscovich of Camps Road Farm and FarmMarketingSolutions.com answers the question - How do you protect yourself from getting sued?

To learn more about John and see all of the ASK John episodes visit permaculturevoices.com/john.

Direct download: 13-AskJohn-HowNotSuedt.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

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THIS EPISODE IS A REPLAY OF PREVIOUS PUBLISHED EPISODE.

What if you could gross $100,000 per acre in a small sustainable agriculture operation? You could make a good living and/or you could afford to pay someone a decent wage. If you can gross roughly $2.50 per square foot, per year, then that translates into a gross revenue of $100,000 per acre, per year. How can permaculture techniques be used to accomplish that goal?

Chris Young of SoCal Shrooms and Closing the Loop joins me to talk about just that. His goal is to show that you can gross that $100k so you can hire one person to work an acre of land and pay them a good wage to work it. He aims to achieve this by reducing input costs and stacking revenue generators, all while improving the quality of the land and producing a high quality product.

Key Takeaways from this Episode:

-Oyster mushrooms have a nice advantage of having a quick turn around. They can start creating cash-flow in 4 to 6 weeks. Similar to selling sprouts and micro-greens which have a 2 to 3 week turnaround.

-If possible tap into an existing distribution network. This gets you contacts right out of the gate.

-Get more out of the same amount of land. Property taxes will go up the future, water costs will go up in the future, and more and more land is being developed away from farmland. So try to be more productive on the same amount of land while improving the quality of that land.

-Consider the cost of your own time in the business. And pay yourself.

-You have to do the real numbers for you business.Don't fudge them. The numbers won't lie. If something isn't working, then look at the numbers and see where you can start making changes to make the numbers work. When you have exhausted all possibilities, then it is time to move on.

-Start broad and control your risk at the beginning. Then look at the numbers and refine down overtime to optimize each system or business.

-Celebrate the small victories. There is a lot of drudgery that goes along with business and farming, so enjoy the good times.

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Direct download: PVP011-REPLAY.mp3
Category:permaculture -- posted at: 7:58am PDT

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Today I am talking to someone who tried to change the world at a young age, when her world was changed right underneath her.

The her is Hannah Eckberg. She’s an entrepreneur and one of the founders of the new Permaculture Magazine North America. And like some of the other entrepreneurs that I’ve had on the show, think Erik Ohlsen, she as entrepreneur, whose past was heavily shaped as activist.

Hannah was essentially born into an activist role. It’s almost as though activism chose her, versus her choosing it. Because at an early age an oil and gas pipeline was constructed through the ranch where her family lived. A pipeline that carried toxic chemicals. And it was dropped on them.

At young age she got to see firsthand the fight between David and goliath. The big corporate interest versus the small landowners. Her parents opposed the pipeline, It wasn’t something that they wanted, but that didn’t matter at the end of the day because the pipeline went in.

That experience would shape Hannah’s future as from learning to read at city council meetings where her parents opposed the pipeline to becoming president of the oldest grassroots environmental organization in the country, Get Oil Out, at age 19. She's been an activist for most of her life getting behind several causes. And she has learned a lot along the way.

Today we will be talking about what she has learned. Not just related to the field of activism, but also to how her experiences have translated to business, because she recently took on a new business venture as one of the founders of the new Permaculture Magazine North America.

In this episode we get into a lot. We cover her experience being an activist, so you can be a better activist, if that's your thing. And we get into some of the takeaways form her career as an activist and how that's helped her as an entrepreneur.

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Direct download: PVP130-2016.mp3
Category:permaculture -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

Homesteader Justin Rhodes of AbundantPermaculture.com takes on the question: I want to produce most of my own food. Is that crazy talk?

To learn more about Justin and see all of the ASK Justin episodes visit permaculturevoices.com/justin.

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Direct download: ASKJustin-12-OwnFood.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

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Today we will be looking at 17 different things that you think you might need or might need when you start your business.

Even though we will be looking at each of the items on this list through the lens of someone in their first 6 months of farming, this information extends to established business owners.

Maybe you have been in business for a while and you are thinking about redesigning your website. Should you? And does that matter? Our analysis and methodology for breaking down each of these items can be applied to many aspects of business at any time, regardless of how old the business.

There are a lot of distractions that come into play when you are running a small business, hopefully this episode will help you focus on the distractions that matter, and forget the ones that don't.

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Direct download: TUFS2E12-2016.mp3
Category:permaculture -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

Farmer John Suscovich of Camps Road Farm and FarmMarketingSolutions.com answers the question - How do you transport your chickens to the processor?

To learn more about John and see all of the ASK John episodes visit permaculturevoices.com/john.

Direct download: 12-AskJohn-HowTransport.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

The Yachats Farmstore – Building connections between local farms, our ecosystem, community.

Presented by Nathan Bernard at PV3 in March 2016.

Hear more A5 talks at permaculturevoices.com/a5.

Direct download: PV3-NathanBernard-Yachats.mp3
Category:permaculture -- posted at: 8:26pm PDT

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Today's story is about someone on a journey to become a farmer.

It's a great story, but it's not the typical story that we hear about in today's world. The world today loves the magazine headline of the successful person that seemingly got there overnight.

Today we'll zoom in on that overnight success and take a look at what it takes to be successful – the process of becoming successful.

It's the story of farmer Seth Stallings, from Tecumseh, OK - a town with a population of just $6000 people.

It's a town where Seth is starting up a pastured poultry business. Which by the way is in a state with no USDA approved slaughterhouses and no sources of organic or non-gmo feed.

Not your ideal market to start a farm based business in. But it's one where Seth is making it work.

He's found a niche, and making a go of it.

Like he said, "No one can teach you how you are going to do it when you get to your unique scenario, you just got to do it and figure it out."

In a world that loves to come up with reasons why something won't work, here's the story of someone who's said, I'm going to make it work.

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Direct download: PVP129-2016.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

Homesteader Justin Rhodes of AbundantPermaculture.com shares 7 Challenges and Concerns of Homesteading with Kids.

To learn more about Justin and see all of the ASK Justin episodes visit permaculturevoices.com/justin.

Direct download: ASKJustin-11-Kids.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

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It seems like a lot of people that get into farming and starting their own business are busy, all the time.

Is that a good thing?

Is busy a sign of success or is busy a sign of planning?

I think it's more the later, than the form.

"To me, 'busy' implies that the person is out of control of their life." - Derek Sivers

Some of you might here that and think, what, that's crazy. I am in control and I am busy.

Are you really?

After all, what is busy in the first place.

Is busy really a think or is busy a state of mind or is as Derek Sivers says the inevitable result of losing control and poor planning?

If you consider yourself someone who's busy a lot think about that.

Are you busy because you actually have a huge list of urgent and important things to do, or are you busy because you are just doing a lot of stuff.

Outside of the Emergency Room most of us are more likely are the latter. Not many of us have a lot of urgent and important things to do each day. We might have a couple things that fall into that category and then we have a lot of other stuff that we do because we need to, because we think we need to, because we've never really thought about it, and because we don't have a plan in place.

Busy might actually be in your control.

As Henry David Thoreau said, it's not enough to be busy, so are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about?

If you find yourself constantly busy. Ask yourself why. And ask yourself what are you busy about?

Remember, it's your life, and being busy all the time might not be optimum. Is that you really signed up for - being busy all the time? If not, then this episode may help you reframe what you are actually being so busy about.

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Direct download: TUFS2E11-2016.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

Farmer John Suscovich of Camps Road Farm and FarmMarketingSolutions.com answers the question - How do you know how much to feed your broilers?

To learn more about John and see all of the ASK John episodes visit permaculturevoices.com/john.

Direct download: 11-AskJohn-HowMuchFeed.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 10:36am PDT

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This is Part 2 of the Ben Hewitt series and it is inspired by Part 1, the interview with Ben about his book Home Grown. If you missed that one and want listen to it, you can listen to it here.

For today's episode, I want to expand upon some of my thoughts form the interview and the book. My goal for this episode was to make it a though provoking one.

It's me dancing between idealistic life and reality. Let's call it realistic idealism. How can we realistically create a system that is close to ideal as possible?

A lot of this is me thinking a loud and hopefully getting you to really think about you life and how things are.

There are a few central issues to this episode - time meaning how precious it is and us as adults dealing with raising the next generation of kids; maybe through the K-12 public school system, but maybe not after hearing this one.

Learn more about this episode at permaculturevoices.com/cd11

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Direct download: CD11-2016.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

Homesteader Justin Rhodes of AbundantPermaculture.com talks what to do when you spouse isn't into the idea of being a homesteader.

To learn more about Justin and see all of the ASK Justin episodes visit permaculturevoices.com/justin.

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Direct download: ASKJustin-10-Spouse.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

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Most people don't get into farming to get rich.

Does that mean that you can't get rich farming, no it doesn't. But if you only motivation to farm is to get rich, then you better buckle up because you have rocky road ahead.

Because when it comes to amassing monetary riches the road hasn't historically been paved by good soil and a tractor.

That's not to say that there aren't rich farmers, because there are, but it's not the norm.

If are getting into farming only for the money, to get rich, then you better think about how you are going to do that, and why you are going to do that.

If money isn't your only motivator for getting into farming, then you better think about why you are getting into it, and how you are going to do it.

Either way it won't be easy. But either way can make you rich, it all comes down to, how you define rich.

Today's episode is a look beyond the bank account. It's a look at all of the other benefits and reasons to be an entrepreneur and to be farmer.

This episode is us kicking around ideas and brainstorming to broaden the idea of what being rich, truly means.

It's a definition that’s different for everyone. And it's one that you need to define when you get into this. Because if you define it, it makes it a lot easier to become rich, and if you don't then it makes it a lot easier to stay poor.

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Direct download: TUFS2E10-2016.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

Farmer John Suscovich of Camps Road Farm and FarmMarketingSolutions.com gives his thoughts on growing hops (for beer) commercially.

To learn more about John and see all of the ASK John episodes visit permaculturevoices.com/john.

Direct download: 10-AskJohn-Hops.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

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Today’s show centers around Ben Hewitt’s book Home Grown; a great book that has had a profound effect on my life.

It's one of those books that I couldn't put down and at the same point it was hard to read because I got so lost in thought reading it.

It's a rare must read category book for me.

It should appeal to the homesteader, the wannabe homesteader, the parent, the soon to be parent, and the millions of people who are feel like the system did them wrong by sending them off on the wrong path in life destined to a life of track homes and cubicles.

It's a vicarious look into the life that many of wish we could live, but don't...

The subtitle of the book is Adventures in Parenting off the beaten path, unschooling and reconnecting with the natural world.

Ben describes it as his sharing of stories,

"They are not merely stories about all we are learning but also about all we are unlearning and about our imperfect quest to inhabit a balanced place that allows us to remain part of a broader world while also living in a way that is true to our values and vision. In a sense, for us this has been the easy part. I have found that the harder part is determining how to conduct our lives in a manner than honors these values and this vision, even as we are continually confronted with evidence that such a quest is impractical, if not downright naive."

The book is deep, and I hope that it gets you thinking.

This episode and this book is one that is very important to me because Ben's book had such an impact on me and as the title of this episode says, it got me to stop worrying and to start living. I hope that it has an impact on you, if you are in need of one.

Ben Hewitt and I, two father, talking kids and life, here it is.

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Direct download: CD10-BenHewitt.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

Homesteader Justin Rhodes of AbundantPermaculture.com talks how he prioritizes projects on his homestead.

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Direct download: ASKJustin-09-Prioritize.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

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What if you are already selling at farmers markets, but you don't have enough of a diversity of products to design a CSA around?

If that's the case one option might be create a collaborative CSA.

The collaborative CSA allows you to expand your crop variety with competing with other farms and without diluting down your efforts on your farm. You grow what you grow best in your context, and source everything else from other farmers who are better setup to grow those specific products. It creates a win/win situation for you and the other farmers. Everyone grows what they grow best, and in theory sales go up. It's also a win for the consumer because they now have concentrated access to more local products, without having to sourcing these producing individually from each farmer.

Aggregators, collaborative CSA's and food broker models, are these models perfect? No. But if they give you options. And if you are having issues moving product, then more options might be better than less options. You just need to look at everything and figure out which combination is the best fit for you and your market.

In today's show we'll look at some alternative market streams for selling your vegetables, so to help you start thinking outside the box, so you can sell more boxes, of vegetables.

It's currently May 2016.

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Direct download: TUFS2E9-2016.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

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