When frost threatens, know what to expect
Several years ago, Frank was traveling in Costa Rica. It was January, and as it happened, an unusually strong cold front had made its way across the Gulf of Mexico to Central America. Of course this front had hit Texas on its way through, but it was rare that a cold front would push that […]
Peppers are hot products for Chile Man
In 1996, after growing and picking 7,000 peppers on his small lot in Arlington, Virginia, Robert Farr realized that hot sauces were definitely in his future. Having discovered the spicy, hot flavors of Thailand and Vietnam and the chile flavors of Cuba and El Salvador in area restaurants, Robert’s early familiarity with Tabasco on the […]
Value-added products round out herb sales
Herbs are incredibly versatile plants. They can be culinary, medicinal, cosmetic, ornamental and used in aromatherapy. If you’ve decided to set yourself apart from the majority of market vendors who sell the same things – vegetables, bedding plants, flowers, etc.- you can use the versatility of herbs to create a profitable niche including value-added, herb-based […]
Married to the chicken coop? Take a break with an automatic door opener
Our New Year’s resolution last year was to try to have a life outside of farming. So when some friends we were visiting in town invited us to stay for dinner we jumped at the opportunity. “What about your chickens?” they asked. “The hens will be okay,” I replied. “We’ll close up their coop when […]
Eggs are a good fit
Much has been written about the virtues of adding pastured poultry to the market vegetable farm. Most of it has been focused on raising the poultry for meat, which can add an undesirable layer of government regulations to your work. For the small farm, the burdens that come with meat processing can easily outweigh any […]