Farm Small Farm Smart Daily (permaculture,agriculture)

Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/theurbanfarmer

Support the show at permaculturevoices.com/support

“Put another way, you are more upset about losing $50 than you are happy about gaining $50,” the paper states.  In addition, bad events wear off more slowly than good ones."

Hopefully know this can help you do a few things. Try to force yourself to really think about the positive things more and have more gratitude for them, bounce off of the negative situations quicker, and rid yourself of the negative relationships that produce negative emotions.

That’s the focus of today’s episode as we explore the differences between high maintenance customers and low maintenance customers.

Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/theurbanfarmer

Support the show at permaculturevoices.com/support

Direct download: TUFS2E17-2016.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

Farmer John Suscovich of Camps Road Farm and FarmMarketingSolutions.com answers the question - Why are your broiler chickens naked, what happened?

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

Direct download: 16-AskJohn-NakedChickens.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

When the world is changing around you, the only world that you have ever known, what would you do?

And what would you do if you didn't think that those changes were right?

Let's find out from someone who lived through that exact situation.

An 83 year old farmer in Ohio, a fourth generation farmer, who began his farming career in 1950 when the world was changing around him.

Read more at permaculturevoices.com/yourstory1

Support the show at permaculturevoices.com/support

Music: http://www.purple-planet.com

Direct download: TUSOY1-2016.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

Farmer John Suscovich of Camps Road Farm and FarmMarketingSolutions.com answers the question - Have you ever supplemented your chickens diet with black solider fly larvae?  Why or why not?

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

Direct download: 15-AskJohn-BlackSoldier.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/theurbanfarmer

Support the show at permaculturevoices.com/support

Today's show is all about farmers markets. And a big part of the conversation is dedicated to free samples.

Are the beneficial or are they a waste?

Do samples work in every case, with every product? No, but they are one way of tackling issues that every product has.

Highlighting product quality, unique product attributes, getting feedback, and telling your story are all things that you need to figure out to do somehow.

Free samples are just one of the ways to do it.

Samples aren't without their negatives either. They cost money, they take up time, they get in the way of doing transactions, and they may require additional levels of compliance if you are handling food.

But like anything and everything, it comes down to do the positives out weight the negatives for your particular context.

If they do then free samples might be the way to do. And as you will hear today, for some farmers market vendors samples work really well and they are one of the many tools in the salesman’s toolbox to help you sit back and count the money.

Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/theurbanfarmer

Support the show at permaculturevoices.com/support

Direct download: TUFS2E15-2016.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

Farmer John Suscovich of Camps Road Farm and FarmMarketingSolutions.com answers the question - What kind of feeder do you use for your the chickens that you are free ranging?

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

Direct download: 14-AskJohn-Feeder.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/46

Support the show at permaculturevoices.com/support

THIS EPISODE IS A REPLAY OF PREVIOUS PUBLISHED EPISODE.

Today's story is one about a unique focus. Someone who has dedicated a whole lot of time on mastering one subject. One subject that is dually quite simple yet extremely complex: water.

Today I am talking to watershed restoration expert Craig Sponholtz. Craig has made a career of consulting on water related issues - everything from water harvesting to stream restoration to watershed management. He has worked in drylands and temperate regions and everything in between. Studying techniques from native peoples to the latest in fluid dynamics; simple, yet complex.

Water has the ability to transfform landscapes, both for the better and the worse.These changes can take place rapidly when a lot of water shows up in one place. Maybe the landscape is ready for it, maybe it isn't. Regardless that water will leave its mark on the landscape. Craig said it best, 'flowing water has energy to spend and it's going to spend it on something.'

"If you take the time to learn what is going on and if you understand the problems and opportunities of a given site you can come up with some really elegant solutions that blend seamlessly into the landscape and they turn out naturally beautiful. And one of the outcomes of that beauty and that process of getting there is that they work really well."

Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/46

Support the show at permaculturevoices.com/support

Direct download: PVP046-REPLAY.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

Homesteader Justin Rhodes of AbundantPermaculture.com talks about his journey creating Permaculture Chickens.

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

Support the show at permaculturevoices.com/support.

Direct download: AskJustin-14-4th.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/theurbanfarmer

Support the show at permaculturevoices.com/support

We all have this great chance to go great places.  Yet we all don't take it.  Today's episode is a look at the opportunity and why some people squander it, and why some people don't.

Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/theurbanfarmer

Support the show at permaculturevoices.com/support

Direct download: TUFS2E14-2016.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

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

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

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.

Support the show at permaculturevoices.com/support.

Direct download: ASKJustin-12-OwnFood.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 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

Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/129

Support the show at permaculturevoices.com/support

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.

Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/129

Support the show at permaculturevoices.com/support

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

Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/theurbanfarmer

Support the show at permaculturevoices.com/support

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.

Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/theurbanfarmer

Support the show at permaculturevoices.com/support

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

Farmer John Suscovich of Camps Road Farm and FarmMarketingSolutions.com answers the question, "Where do you process your chickens - on farm or off?"

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

If you like the show, please support the show by making a contribution at permaculturevoices.com/ilikevoices

Direct download: 04-ASKJohn-Process.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

Farmer John Suscovich of Camps Road Farm and FarmMarketingSolutions.com answers the question, "What do you feed your chickens, and can they get their full diet off pasture?"

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

 

If you like the show, please support the show by making a contribution at permaculturevoices.com/ilikevoices

Direct download: 03-AskJohn-WhatFeed.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 3:00am PDT

All of the guests for this episode are listeners of the show.  Listeners just like you.  

A few months ago I asked for feedback on the first season of the show, and I received a ton of it.

Today, I will share some of it with you.

If you submitted feedback for the show and gave me the OK to read it, thank you, this episode is yours.  

As humans I think we live in a guru culture.  A culture that puts people on a pedestal.  

And that can be dangerous because it creates limiting beliefs.  

Beliefs that we could never be like them.

Beliefs that we aren't good enough.  

Beliefs that we have some sort of unfair disadvantage.  

Beliefs that we can't do what they do.  

Because they are an expert, and we aren't.

A lot of people view Curtis as that expert and put him on that pedestal of knowledge.

They create limiting beliefs in their mind and tell themselves, I could never do what Curtis does.

I have sat in workshops with Curtis and heard it first hand, time and time again.  

And if you believe that, that you could never do what Curtis does, then Henry Ford said it best...

Whether you think you can, or think you can't - your right.  

This episode today is for the people who think they can.

If you ever feel stuck or stalled or find yourself struggling and wondering if you can actually do it, then here’s an episode for you.

An episode full of stories of “ordinary” people doing the hard work to go after what they want in life, and showing that it might not always be easy, but it is possible.

Learn more about this episode at permaculturevoices.com/tuf45

If you want to learn more about Curtis Stone and urban farming, then check out Curtis’ book, The Urban Farmer and his course, Profitable Urban Farming.

Direct download: TUF045-03232016.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 2:00am PDT

If you're a farmer, what are your options for selling product?

CSA's, farmers markets, on farm sales, grocery stores, and buying clubs.

Buying clubs?

It's one of the options that doesn't get talked about a lot. But it's the focus of this episode.

In this episode I am talking with Sheri Salatin of Polyface Farms about Polyfaces Metropolitan Buying Clubs.

In their words they describe buying clubs as a a local food distribution system that combines the real-time interfaces of online marketing with community-based interaction. These kinds of interfaces, without bricks and mortar, using the internet, create efficiency and economies of scale in local food distribution.

Sheri goes into a lot of the specifics about their buying club and talks about how she grew Polyface's buying club from 30 customers to over 6000. 30 to over 600.

How they manage their inventory
How they started their buying club
How their buying club grew
How their buying club allowed them to grow the farm

If you don't know much about buying clubs now, you will leave this episode knowing a lot about buying clubs.

Learn more from this episode at permaculturevoices.com/120

 

Did you like this episode?  

If so, help support the show.

Permaculture Voices is listener supported by people just like you.

Please consider making a one time or reoccurring donation to support the show at permaculturevoices.com/support

Direct download: PVP120-03112016.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 5:30am PDT

This episode is the reading of the blog post, Soil Life Exploding At Judy Farms, written by Greg Judy.

"2010 was our fourth complete year of Holistic High Density Planned Grazing on Judy farms. The last six months on Judy farms have been a real eye opener. We have seen some unique circumstances that have never been witnessed before on our farms. Some of the numbers and sights that we are seeing are going to be hard for you to believe. That is fine, skepticism is good. But………we now have much more hard data that has been collected from permanent transects on our farms. Before we dive into these latest happenings, I want to cover where we started at and the progression we have seen over the last four years. This will give you a time table of where we started at and the length of time that elapsed to the present."

To read the full post visit permaculturevoices.com/119

Direct download: PVP119-03022016.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 4:00am PDT

Today is Part 2 of an interview with farmer John Suscovich of Farm Marketing Solutions.

You can listen to Part 1 of the interview here.

Part Two was recorded a year after Part 1, and was recorded in February 2016.

So you will get two perspectives from the same person, separated by a lot time and experiences.

You hear about what John learned about life and farming over the course of year and how his farm evolved based on what he's learned.

Today's episode focuses on how things have changed on the farm over the last year.  John will talk about what operations he dropped on the farm and why.  He will break down the economics between laying hens and broilers.  And he will talk about the macro concept of focusing on less to do things better overall.

See some of John's videos in the show notes at permaculturevoices.com/118.

Direct download: PVP118-02262016.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 5:00am PDT

Today is part one of an interview with farmer John Suscovich.  

And today's episode was recorded one year ago in February 2015.  And Part Two was recorded in February 2016.

So you will get two perspectives from the same person, separated by a lot time and experiences.

You hear about what John learned about life and farming over the course of year and how his farm evolved based on what he's learned.

Today's episode will help a lot of your looking to start a farm or a business by tacking on questions such as, why going from intern to full on farmer as a business was a foolish move for John. And what advice he would have for someone just starting out. He will also share his thoughts on taking on part time farming with job versus going full time farming first. And how he deals with a farm that has a diversified product offering.

Then in part two we will circle back with John one year later and see how things have changed on the farm, and why they have changed.

Because a lot has changed in the last year.  

And as you will hear in this episode, in farming and business, life if going to do whatever the hell it pleases to you. All you can control is how you react to whatever life throws at you, and you can either shut down or you can soar.”

See some of the notes and John’s videos at permaculturevoices.com/117.

Direct download: PVP117-02242016.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 5:30am PDT

"They weren't just buying the product; they were buying the whole package."

That's how Chris Thoreau was able to go to a farmer's market selling one crop.  Just one.  Sunflower shoots.  He was able to go to market with just one crop because he was selling a product that had a great story. 

It was a product that was produced hyper-locally and one that was delivered to market via pedal power on a bike.

Since Chris started his microgreen business nearly 10 years ago he has grown the business into one that has multiple employees and one that will do over $200,000 in sales in 2016.

If you want grow microgreens commercially, listen to today's episode.  You'll see how important it is to systematize your production and constantly record and analyze your results.  

It's the constant testing, analyze and adaptation that has made Chris' business hugely successful.  

I think that you will really get a lot out of this interview.

You'll learn how Chris introduced a brand new crop to his market.  How he priced that product.  

And how and why he thinks about new products to sell.

There's a lot of in depth applicable business content in here for the experienced growers.  And for the beginners you will learn what Chris suggests for some good crops to grow.

There's a lot in this one and at it's core this interview focuses heavily on core success principles - relentless testing and experimentation, constant record keeping and analysis, and knowing what to focus on.  

Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/112

The Growing Your Microgreens Business Workshop mentioned in this episode – permaculturevoices.com/microgreenspv3

Direct download: PVP112-02082016.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Scott Hebert started farming in June 2015 when his family business shut down. At that time he didn’t have anything to fall back on. But he had always had an interest in farming, and within a few days of getting the income shock warning his wheels had been put in motion and he was putting a plan into place to transition into a career as a farmer.

He contacted Curtis to visit his farm, so he could start leveraging Curtis’ experience to plan his farm and his future. Because he knew wanted to farm, but didn't want to be broke, therefore, he had to make money at it, and that meant he had to have a plan and a strategic approach.

And it’s that approach that we will be talking about in today’s show.

It’s currently February 2016 and this episode was recorded with new farmer Scott Hebert a couple of months ago in December 2015.

Let’s get into it and see what a transition into small scale farming is really like...

Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/tuf42

Direct download: TUF042-02032016.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 5:30am PDT

Greg Judy will be one of the speakers at PV3 in March 2016.
Learn more about PV3 at permaculturevoices.com/pv3.

In the late 90's Greg was down to $9 in the bank. The way that he was farming, wasn't working.

Greg was grazing cattle using conventional methods at the time. And the costs were killing him, or should I say the debt was killing him.

Cattle loans, equipment loans, feed costs, seed costs, and other input costs drawing too much away from his top line, thereby shrinking his bottom line.

With an unprofitable farming operation and $9 left in the bank, Greg had two choices, roll over and quite, or try something new and effectively start over.

With gritty determination, a passion for cattle, and a need to grow more grass, Greg dropped all of his conventional ways and began grazing cattle that he didn't own, on land that he didn't own, and with less inputs.

The transition was nothing less than remarkable. Within a few years Greg had paid off all of his debt including his farm. He was adding new leases to his farm portfolio, and lessors were so happy they were granting him lifetime leases. But it wasn't just Greg's bottom line that was benefitting, the soil was as well.

Greg's high intensity grazing was speeding up the growth of grass. And with more grass, comes more cattle. All without adding more land.

Greg's methods have been widely successful and used for the last 15 plus years. And it all started when Greg's back was up against the wall and he decided to let the cows work for him, instead of working for the cows.

If it ever feels like things just aren't working, then look no further than Greg Judy as a remarkable example of someone who had the passion, the grit, and the wherewithal to make a change when he could have easily just quit.

Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/greg

Direct download: PV3-GregJudy.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 5:30am PDT

Gregory Landau will be one of the speakers at PV3 in March 2016.
Learn more about PV3 at permaculturevoices.com/pv3.

If the current current method of business isn't working, then something more regenerative would be better right?

Then it's up to us to design it.

Only we can't.

Because a truly regenerative web is a living whole systems awareness of all of the decision makers.  Something that's a process.  An awareness that grows over time.  It's not something that happens overnight, and it's not something that we can design.

We can only start to put the connections in place.  Then it's up to all of the decision makers in the process to take the ball and run with it.  Working together towards a common goal knowing that it isn't instant change, it's a common goal that they are all working towards.

But seeding those connections can be tough.  Because sometimes the input producers like farmers, can't get a seat at the table with some of the decision makers who make the end product.   And that's where firms like Terra Genesis and designers like Gregory Landau come in.

Gregory has also founded a direct-trade chocolate business to help reforest tropical Latin America through regenerative trading relationships.

Today we'll be using his experience with cacao to to talk about Designing the Pathway to Regeneration, and Why We can't Do That.

Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/gregory

Direct download: PV3-GregoryLandau.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 5:30am PDT

If you want to be better off in December 2016, then the planning for that starts now in December 2015. The biggest leverage point which for the farm season next year is right there in front of you. You just need to tease it out. That's what today's show is about. Doing some End of Season Reflection - Thinking about How Things Went This Year, to Alter Course and Plan for Next Year I hope that you can use some of the information that we talk about in this episode to reflect on your 2015 farm season, so you can get better in 2016. With the end of the year, comes the end of this show. This is Episode 40 of The Urban Farmer, the last episode of the show. Good luck with everything in 2016 and beyond. Keep growing, keep pushing forward, and keep getting after it. Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/tuf40

Direct download: TUF040-12302015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 12:30am PDT

In today's episode Curtis and I will take a look back at the season of this show and talk about what's in store for the future for Curtis and this show. In regards to the future, you listening to this hold a bit of control on that in your hands. Because we want to hear what your thoughts are on this show - The Urban Farmer. This season what's resonated with you? What do you want to hear more about? And how has this show affected what you are doing? I don't beg a lot, but this is one case where I will, I am begging you, please send us your feedback on the show. Has it helped what do you want to hear more about, and are you using this information as a home grower versus a commercial farm? Please take a few minutes to let us know what you think. You can do so via email diego@permaculturevoices.com and/or leave a comment in the show notes for this episode at permaculturevoices.com/tuf39. Thanks for listening to the show and supporting us this year. It means a lot to me. This show has been outlet for me, and a way for me to put something out there to make an impact, that I believe in and can stand behind. I hope that it has helped. Show Notes: permaculturevoices.com/tuf39

Direct download: TUF039-12232015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

How much work should you put into something before it gets to the point where it isn't worth it? At what point does the money, the effort, and the headache justify not doing it? With everything in business and farming, there is always a trade off, an opportunity cost. If you are doing one, thing, then it's at the expense of something else. Because you can't do it all, and regardless of the return, sometimes it's just not worth it. In this episode we spend a lot of time looking at how to decide if customers and crops are worth the effort. Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/tuf38.

Direct download: TUF038-12162015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

All in Curtis produced about 17,500lbs of product off of his farm this year. That's a lot of food coming from a small space. Remember Curtis is only farming off of 15,000 sq.ft. which is spread out over 5 plots. And this year he made the most of it producing over 17,000lbs of produce on those 5 plots. And we aren't talking corn and potatoes here. For the most part many of the crops which he produced really aren't that heavy, he simply produced a lot of product. 3000lbs of tomatoes, 2500 lbs of radishes, 2500 lbs of spring mix, 2000lbs of turnips. Big numbers for a small farm. Curtis has grown better throughout the years and grown a lot of crops in the past. At one time he grew over 90 differnet crops. Ultimatley that easn't affective for Curtis and he learned to focus on the crops that paid, dropping the ones that didnt'. Now in 2015 he produced about 23 differnet products off of the farm this year. But even with only 23 different crops, not all crops are created equal. Because his top 5 crops account for over 60% of his total sales. In this eposde we start to dig a bit into those different products and really disect the numbers looking at metrics like which crops made up the top five in terms of sales dollars. And what you will notice when we go through taht exercise is just what we have talked about all season, 20% of the crops produce the majortiy of the farms sales. Given that we'll look at how Curtis is using this data to start to plan for next year. In a nut shell it's grow what works and more of it if there's demand, and drop what isn't working so well. The numbers are telling and the numbers don't lie. Regarding of what you what, some crops just grow well on your farm and sell well in your market, so focus on those crops. You can't grow it all, so grow what counts. Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/tuf37

Direct download: TUF037-12092015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 6:53am PDT

Dan Brisebois will be one of the speakers at PV3 in March 2016. Learn more about PV3 at permaculturevoices.com/pv3. Today’s episode takes us to Quebec, where farmer Dan Brisebois is doing some amazing things at the Tourne-Sol farm…. Dan Brisebois started out like a lot of other small scale growers, growing market vegetables intensively to sell to CSA customers. But unlike most other growers, Dan also had another plan in mind as he started his farm. A plan that would really distinguish him from many other small scale growers. Because from the beginning Dan’s plan was to integrate seed production into his small farm's operation. Seed which could be used on the farm, and seeds which could be sold. Dan's now about 10 years into the seed growing and selling business, and things are going well and he's producing a lot of seeds. Seeds that he uses in three ways. He's selling seeds which are being sold to through his own seed company and seeds which are being sold to seed retailers, and seed which is being used on his farm. It’s proving to be a lucrative and viable add on business for his small farm. And before starting thinking, I don't have enough room on my farm to grow seeds as well as market veg, thinking again, because Dan is dedicating less than 1/2 an acre to seed production. You don't need a lot of land to produce a lot of seeds. But it isn't just as easy as grow plants and get seeds. There's a lot of strategy, skill and marketing that plays into the small scale seed business. Some of which is intuitive and some of which isn't. Like why Dan grows his market tomatoes on supports in the greenhouse, but grows his tomatoes for seed outside on the ground. Find out exactly why in this episode, as Dan shares 10 years of seed growing experience. If you are looking to cash flow a small piece of land or diversify your farm operations, pay attention in this one... Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/dan

Direct download: PV3-DanBrisebois.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

In this episode we will be talking about real world issues and troubles with restaurant customers. How Curtis has dealt with customers who haven't paid in the past and how he has changed his procedures to help make sure that it doesn't happen again. Because Curtis has learned the hard way, when you're in the real world and restaurants don't pay, you can lose a lot of money. Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/tuf36

Direct download: TUF036-12022015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Jean-Martin Fortier will be one of the speakers at PV3 in March 2016. Learn more about PV3 at permaculturevoices.com/pv3. Basing his farm off of the French bio intensive market gardens JM has kept his farm small and intensive relying mostly on hand labor. He has focused on developing and following on farm systems that work and growing crops that pay. And the results have been a farm pays well. Jean-Martin's farm now generates $150,000 on 1.5 acres, with 40% of that being profit. Big numbers for a small farm. It's the $100,000 an acre that JM is associated with today. But he didn't start out making $100,000 an acre. He started out at square one, just like many of you. And as a preview for the episode, it wasn't easy. There was a lot of hard work involved in the beginning. It was that hard work and striving for constant improvement that allowed JM to arrive at the systems which he uses so profitably today. The systems which allow him to generate $100,000 off of 1 acre. But let's go back in time to Day 0 when he was just starting out. He was married, didn't have any money, he lived in a tipi, but he had a vision for the life that he wanted to live. Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/pv3

Direct download: PV3-JMFortier.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 1:00am PDT

It's currently November 2015 and the main farm season for Curtis is pretty much over. And along with, so is this season of the show. For the remainder of the episodes we'll be wrapping up everything that happened on the farm this year with Curtis and tying up a few loose ends. With things very slow on the land, Curtis is taking a few weeks off from the farm. Given that today's episode is Q and A episode. These questions were actually answered last winter on via Curtis on his YouTube channel.

If you want to watch him answer these questions you can do so in the show notes at permaculturevoices.com/tuf34.

In this show Curtis will be answering questions on time management, farm startup, finding land and securing land, converting land to urban farm land, approaching restaurants, and record keeping. The nice thing about these questions is that they cover a wide variety of topics which will help to help tie together the season as we look to wrap it up. There's a lot here, enjoy it.

Watch the video answers of these questions at permaculturevoices.com/tuf34

Direct download: TUF034-11182015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Today's episode takes us north of the American border to the city of Vancouver. It's the story of how urban farmer Chris Thoreau started his microgreens farm. Like Darby Simpson's story this is another one that very relatable. Chris started his farm at what on paper looks like an in-opportune time. He started this part time while in school full time and 2.5 months into his first semester his son was born. Despite life presenting challenges that some people would say aren't worth the risk, Chris made a go of it taking on these early challenges he has managed to grow his operation to one that will do $180k in sales in 2015. And all that sales are coming from a farm that's in a shipping container taking up 320 sq. ft.

Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/chris

Direct download: PV3-11162015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

What's your time worth as a farmer? How much should should you be charging yourself to do tasks on the farm?

That's an important metric to think about when you are a small operation. Because for a lot of farmers in this space, the labor force is a force of one, you. And you only have so many hours in a day to get everything done. Your time is very valuable. Knowing that, are you spending your valuable time on tasks that actually return a greater value than the time that you put in?

Today we talk about the way that Curtis used to do certain tasks and contrast that with how he does tasks now. And why he changed how he did things.

For notes and links related to this episode visit the show notes at permaculturevoices.com/tuf33.

This episode was recorded in November 2015.

Direct download: TUF033-11112015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Darby Simpson will be one of the speakers at PV3 in March 2016.

Learn more about PV3 at permaculturevoices.com/pv3.

As you will learn in this episode, Darby Simpson is someone who transitioned into farming on a part time basis while working full time in an unrelated field.

Putting in well over 50 hours each week as an engineer and spending a couple hours each day in the car commuting back and forth. But despite those long hours, he started his farm, on the side.

He did it while raising a young family, and keeping his sanity in the process. He did it by working hard and smart. And he did it in a very approachable way.

He started his farming operation with only $500. With that $500 he bought 50 broilers and some equipment and he was on his way to farming full time. The first 50 sold and he never looked back.

$500 in initial expenses, started farming on the side, while working full time, and with a young family. A very relate-able and applicable situation to many people listening to this show.

If you are contemplating that jump into farming and making that dream a reality, but you feel like life is standing in the way, here is someone who's done it with life in the way.

Learn more about Darby at permaculturevoices.com/darby

Direct download: PV3-11092015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Darren Doherty presents the Regrarian Platform.

This is Darren's introductory presentation that he gave at Grant Schultz's Versaland in October 2014.

The presentation lays out the ten key components of the regarian platform - climate, geography, water, access, forestry, buildings, fences, soils, marketing, and energy.

This episode focuses on soils, marketing, energy.

This episode is the part of a four part series - episodes b032, 033, 034, 035.

The workshop was open source, so thanks to Darren for allowing me to share this with you all.

Show Notes: www.permaculturevoices.com/b35

Direct download: b035-10015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

In this episode we talk about post crop harvest processing, including how Curtis has changed some of his techniques over the years.

We also talk about some of his farm equipment and infrastructure like his flame weeder and walk in cooler.

For notes and links related to this episode visit the show notes at permaculturevoices.com/tuf32.

Direct download: TUF032-11042015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Darren Doherty presents the Regrarian Platform.

This is Darren's introductory presentation that he gave at Grant Schultz's Versaland in October 2014.

The presentation lays out the ten key components of the Regarian platform - climate, geography, water, access, forestry, buildings, fences, soils, marketing, and energy.

This episode focuses on buildings and fences.

This episode is the part of a four part series - episodes b032, 033, 034, 035.

The workshop was open source, so thanks to Darren for allowing me to share this with you all.

Show Notes: www.permaculturevoices.com/b34

Direct download: b034-10015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 5:30am PDT

Darren Doherty presents the Regrarian Platform.

This is Darren's introductory presentation that he gave at Grant Schultz's Versaland in October 2014.

The presentation lays out the ten key components of the Regarian platform - climate, geography, water, access, forestry, buildings, fences, soils, marketing, and energy.

This episode focuses on water, access, and forestry.

This episode is the part of a four part series - episodes b032, 033, 034, 035.

The workshop was open source, so thanks to Darren for allowing me to share this with you all.

Show Notes: www.permaculturevoices.com/b33

Direct download: b033-102015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 5:30am PDT

Set yourself up for success by having realistic plans and expectations for the first year. Match your lifestyle and your budgeting to those realistic expectations.

If you are going to start out farming with a gun to the head survival mentality then it makes things very hard. Long term learning gets displaced for the need to put money into the till today.

Work to learn, not to earn.

The goal is to farm for a career. Not make a bunch of money this year and then do something else next year. And the only way to do that is day after day for the long run, learning as much as you can in the process.

Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/tuf31

Direct download: TUF031-10282015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Think about how much work you do on the farm now. How much of that work is actually being done efficiently and effectively?

Are you making the best use of your time by focusing on the 20% of the tasks that generate the most return?

Getting rid of crops can actually be a good thing. It allow you to work more efficiently and effectively by focusing on the task at hand instead of always trying to keep you head above water. It's very hard for any one person to do many things well, but each of us can do a few things really well. Crops are no different. And odds are you can grow a few crops a lot better than you can grow a lot of crops.

Take a look at your farm and the crops that you grow. Which crops generate 20% of your revenue? And how would your farm and life look if you just focused on those?

Get a copy of Curtis's new book via the show notes at permaculturevoices.com/tuf29

Direct download: TUF029-09232015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 5:30am PDT

How can you a lot mistakes and wasting valuable resources by overproducing a crop, and the inverse of that, not producing enough?

Good record keeping.

Records on the farm are extremely valuable. When you start to get a few years of records and can notice trends, those records become very valuable because the records are what dictates your future action.

Action that can save you work down the line and put the right amount of product in your walk in so you can sell it.

This type of planning directly translates to maximizing your farm income.

And it's not actually that hard to do. Don't over-complicate it. Start by keeping simple records and get into the habit of doing it, then expand and adapt your records as time goes on.

If you want to be successful as a farmer, then this is something that you need to do. It's one of the principals that has made Curtis as successful as he is.

Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/tuf28.

Direct download: TUF028-10072015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Something so evident yet so ignored by industrial agriculture, why agriculture in the future must use plants that are naturally adapted to their environments.

In our present day world man has become so detached from nature that he imagines that he can grow wheat in parched deserts and oranges in the arctic, and while this is only a partially true statement, the fascination with gene tinkering in the laboratory with apparent obliviousness to natural forces has scientists trying to create “organisms” with super powers. The disciples of such approaches to agriculture preach of corn and rice that will withstand brutal temperatures and drought and supposedly bring humanity to food security when the thermometers pop because of climate change. Curiously, these people so intent on creating “super” plants in the laboratory, don’t seem to observe that such plants already exist in nature!

E.A.S. is such a simple concept that it is almost elementary school logic, yet for all the brilliant scholars around the world, practically no worldwide cohesive effort has been directed to amassing and trialing all the food plants suited to desertic conditions. Joseph Simcox will explain his bio-adaptive approach to creating effective agriculture in the world’s dry lands, and he will lay out a plan to produce food in them in an ecologically relevant and suitable way. His basis lies in the world’s food plant flora, hundreds if not thousands of plant species around the world have been utilized for food in the deserts by indigenous peoples for millennia, now is the time he argues, to take a closer look and put these plants in the spotlight for cultivation and selection.

This talk was presented live at PV1 in March 2014.

Learn more about Joseph Simcox at permaculturevoices.com/b023.

Direct download: b023-07312015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Nowadays, people associate American native culture with three crops; Corn, Beans and Squash (the three sisters). According to Joe this is only the tip of the iceberg, Indigenous Americans (North of Mexico)used at least 3000 species of plants for food!

Joe will unveil an amazing palette of wild edibles used by the Native Peoples that hold promise for our farms, gardens and kitchens, and show how these “forgotten” foods are legitimate heirs to a new food ecosystem.

Because one of the objectives is to put practical information in the hands of practitioners, Joe will invite participants to apply to be a part of his native food revival efforts which will access and distribute rare native edible propagation stock.

This talk was presented live at PV2 in March 2015.

Learn more about Joe Simcox at permaculturevoices.com/b22

Direct download: b022-07172015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Ben Falk discusses some of the lessons and leanings from his 10 years of living on a homestead in Vermont.

He touches on topics like water management, growing trees, and growing rice.

The webinar was recorded on August 10, 2013.

You can watch a view of this presentation in the show notes at permaculturevoices.com/b21

Direct download: b021-07032015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Mark Shepard and Kevin Muno come on to talk about an upcoming Restoration Agriculture workshop in San Diego.

In this episode they touch on how Mark uses keyline design, how most properties could benefit from keyline practices, designing for high value niche crops, and designing for Mediterranean tree crop systems.

Show Notes: permaculturevoices.com/pv2mark

Direct download: PV2-012820145.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 8:49pm PDT

-Key Takeaways:

Hugelkultur mounds are usually positioned perpendicular to the wind.

Sometimes used as a staging process to dispose of wood and build soil which can then be spread onto crop land.

Think of a hugelkultur as a produce aisle raised bed.

Make sure the design fits into how you live your life and how you want to live your life.

-Hugelkultur Benefits:

Soil building structure.

Semi-permanent planting bed.

It creates microclimates.

Lifting the soil surface towards the sun and that adds degree days.

with Javan Bernakevitch of Permaculture BC.

Show Notes: permaculturevoices.com/82

Direct download: PVP082-10172014.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

This episode is a compilation of interviews that I recorded during PV1 - March 13-16, 2014.

The general theme of this episode is how business can benefit from permaculture. How we as the permaculture community can positively impact the future of business.

THE INTERVIEWEE'S FEATURED IN THIS EPISODE:

Bill Bean of the Green Planning and Coaching

Ryan Harb of RyanHarb.org

Curtis Stone of Green City Acres

Dave Boehnlein of Terra Phoenix Design

Paul Greive of Primal Pastures

Xavier Hawk of Permacredits and Colony Earth

Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms

Show Notes: permaculturevoices.com/81

Direct download: PVP081-10142014.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Today's story is one about a unique focus. Someone who has dedicated a whole lot of time on mastering one subject. One subject that is dually quite simple yet extremely complex: water.

Today I am talking to watershed restoration expert Craig Sponholtz. Craig has made a career of consulting on water related issues - everything from water harvesting to stream restoration to watershed management. He has worked in drylands and temperate regions and everything in between. Studying techniques from native peoples to the latest in fluid dynamics; simple, yet complex.

Water has the ability to transfform landscapes, both for the better and the worse.These changes can take place rapidly when a lot of water shows up in one place. Maybe the landscape is ready for it, maybe it isn't. Regardless that water will leave its mark on the landscape. Craig said it best, 'flowing water has energy to spend and it's going to spend it on something.'

"If you take the time to learn what is going on and if you understand the problems and opportunities of a given site you can come up with some really elegant solutions that blend seamlessly into the landscape and they turn out naturally beautiful. And one of the outcomes of that beauty and that process of getting there is that they work really well."

Show Note: www.permaculturevoices.com/46

Direct download: PVP046-05232014.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 6:18am PDT

Patricia Foreman the author of City Chicks joins me to talk about backyard chickens, chicken tractors, and general chickenery.

We will talk about all of the great things that chickens can add to a permaculture homestead - fertilizer, pest management, food, disturbance, baby sitters.  :)

Pat will touch on soil building using chickens in composting systems and chickens tractors.  And how chickens can be used to close the loop on our waste stream... and in some case even save tax payers money.

Show Notes: www.permaculturevoices.com/33

Direct download: PVP033-02142014.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 10:01am PDT

Geoff Lawton joins me today to talk about permaculture. Geoff talks about his early days in permaculture, where we are in permaculture today, and where we need to go in the future. He touches on what he has learned along the way and what he finds most valuable.

Geoff then goes on to answer a lot of audience questions about tree systems, water harvesting, his new chicken tractor for composting, and his upcoming online PDC.

Key Takeaways:

Consider starting a community group. They provide a whole lot of support to keep things moving in the right direction.

Realize the ability of pioneer plants and succession to work for you. One of Geoff's early mistakes was not allowing plants to work more for him. Later he embraced and accepted plant rampancy.

Don't just do things in patterns for the sake of patterns. Rationalize and legitimize every placement and connection you make.

So many people are stuck in the matrix. They know things, they just don't do anything.

Permaculture needs to focus on feeding people in urban and peri-urban areas.

Use chickens in your composting system. There is a huge benefit to using chickens at the beginning of a composting cycle.

Consider aquaculture as a use for wetlands in temperate wetlands. Whatever you dig in wetlands you gain in soil, so you intensify the water. You get drier land and wetter water using a temperate climate chinampa.

Show Notes: www.permaculturevoices.com/31

Direct download: PVP031-01312014.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 7:04am PDT

Ben Falk from Whole Systems Design, LLC joins me talk about permaculture design and what he has learned on his research site over the years.

He talks about how to break into the business as a designHe touches on cold climate infrastructure and heating with wood. And he goes into his thoughts on designing a property and why it's important to understand the land's capability and how you should relate that to your goals.

We also spend some time talking about the mass selection of plant genetics for a site, stressing the importance of over stacking the system in the beginning to see what works and what doesn't.

Key Takeaways:

Get some experience working with the land and systems before you start designing properties as "a designer."

You can reduce your wood usage by 30-40% by drying wood well versus haphazardly drying it.

Cold humid climates have a low tolerance for bad moisture detailing in structures. When designing a home detail carefully to keep the home dry and get water out.

Grow tree multi-purpose tree species for fuel wood. Consider black locusts - fixes nitrogen, fast grower, rot resistant wood, good fuel wood, and makes great saw logs.

Have goals but understand the land's capability so you can adjust those goals as needed. Don't fight against the land's tendencies and capabilities, work with it, not against it.

Most people have more land than they can manage well. Moving down in acreage might be advantageous. It is better to manage 5 acres right than 100 acres wrong.

Most people can have most of their needs met on 5-10 acres. Unless you have a commercial aspect or grazing component.

Have a good access plan for your site. Don't box yourself out. Start and maintain a clear access pattern which is based on the water flow throughout the site.

For site selection general location and access are a quick way to filter down a list of a lot of properties. Then look to the Keyline Scale of Permanance. Consider water security and controlling as much of a watershed as you can.

Focus on manageability with regards to plantings. Plant based on water access with on contour swales.

Not all permaculture techniques will work on all sites. So don't expect that.

Practice the mass selection of genetics. Identify the best genetics from your site by growing trees from seed. Plant as many tress as you can on a site, way closer than you would ever imagine, and cut out the ones that don't do well.

Use the first 3-5 years on a site to learn what does well. Years 5-10 are when you focus on plants and families that really want ot grow on your site - microclimate - aspect - soils. And there is no way to know which ones will work unless you start putting a lot of plants in the ground.

Show Notes: www.permaculturevoices.com/27

Direct download: PVP027-01032014.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 6:43am PDT

Joey Delia of EvokeHope.org joins me to recap the recent Darren Doherty Regrarian Open Consultancy, talk about the Dehesa system of Spain, and an upcoming PDC at the new PRI Tipuana Farm.

Key Takeaways from this Episode:

Don't focus on tactics. Slow down, observe and embrace a more passive approach to permaculture.

Plant trees in the eroded gullies. Helps to control erosion while providing a valuable timber crop.

Use roads as catchment. Often times roads are permitable, water harvesting is not. Roads have a lot of surface area to harvest water.  Use it to your advantage.

Offset other systems off of the roads. This helps to create some order for systems like waterlines. If it is buried 5 feet off of the road then it will always be 5 feet off of the road.

Consider using HDPE line instead of PVC. The fact that it is flexible might make things a lot easier. And it is probably a lot less toxic.

Embrace the thistle, it is amazing.

Read about the Dehesa system as a perennial ecosystem. So simple, yet so interconnected and productive.

Show Notes: www.permaculturevoices.com/22

Direct download: PVP022-11292013.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 6:51am PDT

Joel talks a lot about how young people can get into farming by establishing synergistic relationships with older farmers as he tries to dispel the big belief that you need land to farm.

He touches on the farming business and how conventional farmers can start to transition to a perennial based agricultural system.

Key Takeaways from this Episode:

Convert a little bit of acres at a time, when converting a large amount of land from an annual based system to a perennial based system.

Converting a corn, soybean operation over to grassfed beef. It would take a year to plant the grass, an d it would take another year to come into production. You could start grazing it the second year and 3 years out you would be making more money per acre than you would on corn and beans.

Possibly sell some land to get yourself enough wiggle room to convert your farm over to a more regenerative agriculture system.

Prune off enterprises that don't work. Maybe you can't figure them out. It doesn't fit your marketbase or your unfair advantage. Each enterprise has to carry its own weight.

Beware of the enslavement of highly capitalized infrastructure. Too often that infrastructure controls the decision making process for right or wrong due to the amount of money invested into it.

Use in place infrastructure to help transition to a perennial polyculture. That equipment is already in place. Make use of it.

Take the Stephen Covey approach. Control your own sphere of influence.

This episode of the podcast is the audio from an interview that I did with Joel Salatin of Polyface Farm back on May 22, 2013 in Big Bear Lake, CA.

Show Notes: www.permaculturevoices.com/19

Direct download: PVP019-11082013.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 6:44am PDT

Rebecca Krossnoski of Nature Delivered Farm joins me to talk about her passion for pigs. Rebecca left her job as a construction estimator 6 years ago to start pasture raising pigs. She realized that her old job wasn't going to be there forever so she began the transition into the farming business while she was still working at her old job. She had no prior farming experience when she embarked on the venture, learning along the way from her grandfather's notes, other farmers, and books, then building on that book knowledge with real world trial and error.

Rebecca is another example of someone who decided to follow her passion and make a go of farming with no prior farming experience. She could have easily made excuses about why it wouldn't work or what her disadvantages were, but she didn't focus on that, she focused on the positive and made it happen. She put her heart and soul into her pigs, did her research, and worked her ass off. Like any new business there were some troubles and mistakes made along the way, but in the end she was successful.

Today Rebecca pasture raises her pigs in central Florida. She rotates pigs through 1/2 to 1 1/2 acre parcels. The pigs spend 3 to 4 weeks in each parcel.

Rebecca's advice for anyone who interested in raising pigs. Start with a couple of barrows (a castrated male before puberty) and raise them. See how you like living with pigs. Then process the pigs, and see if you can actually do it. After this you should know if pigs are for you.

Show Notes: www.permaculturevoices.com/17

Direct download: PVP017-10252013.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 8:00am PDT

Darren Doherty of Heenan Doherty and Regrarians joins me from Australia to fill in some of the gaps surrounding Keyline design.

While the whole Keyline design system is complex and way beyond the scope of this podcast.This episode should give you a brief introduction into what Keyline is, where it can be used, and what it can accomplish. Like all other design systems Keyline isn't the be all, end all, it is another tool in the tool box help design a regenerative landscape.

For those that want to learn more check out Darren's work, some of it below, and P.A. Yeomans books. Darren recommends The Keyline Plan and The Challenge of Landscape.

Keyline design is a foundation of technique and planning using a scale of permanence. It's focus is on reacting to a climate of an environment, a site, and then using the landscape's shape to maximize the possibility of a sustainable, regenerative environment.

Show Notes: www.permaculturevoices.com/16

Direct download: PVP016-10182013.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Joel Salatin of Polyface Farm joins me to talk about his new book Fields of Farmers which focuses on the next generation of farmers.How young people can work with existing farmers to transition into farming. He talks about young people can do today to take advantage of the huge opportunity that is out there. Topics range from leasing land to forming synergistic, non-competitive enterprises on existing farms. The whole key is that you have to start. Movement creates movement.

Joel touches on the cultural stereotype against farming. So many people get "forced" into a job that they hate to satisfy their parents only to do that career for a few years and realize that they hate it.All along that person only wanted to do something with their hands. So why not encourage the youth to follow those passions and pursue them with all of their skills and talents.

This episode also has a very heavy entrepreneurial component. Hopefully it will motivate some people to get out there, stop thinking about farming, and actually start farming.

Key Takeaways from this Episode:

Invest in hydration. Get water into the landscape.

You don't have to own land to farm. Look for land to lease. Look to add another enterprise onto an existing farm. Focus on mobile infrastructure.

Insource carbon instead of outsource carbon. So many farmers start out bringing in fertilizer at the beginning.Start building up your soils at the beginning to lower your long term input costs.

Grow what you like to eat. You may have to eat through your inventory.

Be willing to do whatever it takes to make it work. That might mean putting in a lot of hours, making a lot of sacrifices, cutting expenses, and taking some odds jobs.

Make use of what you have first. Don't buy anything. So many people want to run out and buy things when they first start out. Access what you have, use that, and only buy what you absolutely need.

Better to become 80% self reliant that get analysis paralysis and not doing anything while trying to become 100% self reliant.

Doing something is better than doing nothing.

Stack multiple enterprises on a single land base whenever possible.

Show Notes: www.permaculturevoices.com/15

Direct download: PVP015-10112013.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 6:49am PDT

John Backes of Circle B Ranch joins me to talk about raising pastured hogs on 90 acres in Missouri. John didn't come from a farming background. He transitioned into farming in 2009 with his wife Marina after leaving a career in mechanical contracting. They set out to produce high quality food while focusing on the welfare and humane treatment of their hogs.

Key Takeaways from this Episode:

-Be steadfast with pricing. Stay away from brokers, sale barns, and commodity pricing.-Stresses the importance of educating and connecting with the customer base. That involves a lot of marketing your own product through tools like social media.

-Pick a spouse that is a good compliment to your skills as a farm. It’s a team effort.

-Stress affects meat quality. So try to minimize the animal’s stress.

-Maintain good relationships with the hogs. Keep them calm because ultimately they are big and you want them working with you.

Visit www.permaculturevoices.com/14 for show notes.

Direct download: PVP014-10042013.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 9:35am PDT

1