Beech Grove Farm- Farmer to Farmer Profile
By Ellen Polishuk It only took me a few minutes to decide to put the Beech Grove Farm Fall Tour on my schedule upon seeing the advertisement in a Pennsylvannia Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) e-blast. Visiting this horse-powered vegetable operation has been on my farm “bucket list” for many years. I hold Anne and […]
Tunnel soil has different testing and management needs from field soil
By Bruce Hoskins High tunnel production systems offer several obvious advantages over open-field production. They also present unique nutrient management challenges. Primary advantages include greater control of nutrients and water, enhanced heat gain, additional growing degree days, and extension of the growing season both earlier and later in the year. With the advent of holding […]
Develop new customers with a sales funnel
By Doug Trott It’s that time of year when we’re eagerly starting a new season, re-connecting with our markets and customers, and anticipating increased production and sales. Sadly though, some of us are going to find some unwelcome news – perhaps a major customer is no longer in business, or a market has closed, putting […]
The cost of rounding down at market
By Andrew Ashbrook Rounding is a pricing strategy whereby smaller denominations are excluded from the grand total at checkout. That means pennies, nickels and dimes. The principal incentive for rounding at the farmers market is to expedite the checkout process. Handling fewer denominations simplifies transactions and reduces the wait time for customers in line. Secondary […]
Lean Startup: learning from the questions
By Kai Hoffman-Krull Business planning can sound like a migraine. Excel sheets, graphs, historical records, receipt after receipt, and a ton of time in front of the computer. Ok, maybe it doesn’t just sound like a migraine, maybe it becomes a migraine. Most of us chose farming because we like to be outside, not in […]
Apples for vegetable and flower growers
By Chris McGuire Direct-market vegetable and flower growers who want to diversify their offerings should consider adding apples to their existing crop mix. Consumer demand is high, and the supply of locally-grown organic apples is often low. And apple branches can be a great filler for bouquets and arrangements anywhere from the flowering to early […]