Why nutrition is diminishing and how to improve it Well, hello, dear reader. I am happy to have your interest and your eyes for a few brief pages. I’ll do my best to offer you a diverting respite from the height of the season in your precious idle moments. When last I wrote you, we […]
Declining nutrient density in vegetables could be another selling point for local Read More »
Started in the late 1980s by Sandy and Paul Arnold, Pleasant Valley Farm in Argyle, New York, helped innovate and share winter growing techniques that lengthened local food season on many market farms. After decades of selling at farmers markets, during the pandemic they switched to online sales only out of necessity. Listen to this
Farm Action is a nonpartisan agricultural watchdog organization led by farmers, and Research and Policy Development Director Sarah Carden joins host April Parms Jones to discuss how they provide food-system accountability for farmers. Farm Action advocates for a fair and sustainable food system that empowers farmers and rural communities by focusing on holding large corporations
Food system accountability by farmers with Sarah Carden of Farm Action Read More »
In this interview Ana Ljubojevi and Nikolina Kova evi tell us how they grew Mali Plac, an innovative food hub in Slovenia that connects farmers directly with consumers. They discuss the mission of Mali Plac, how it helps people “find their tribe,” their customer demographics, the logistics of operations, and the pickup model that allows
Connecting 6,000 customers with 30+ farmers at Mali Plac food hub in Slovenia Read More »
Have you ever thought of a project that would be perfect for your farm, except that it’s not profitable? It might be possible with a for-profit/nonprofit partnership! In this episode we explore these partnerships with Amber Lambke, cofounder and CEO of Maine Grains. We’ll hear how such a partnership helped her start a gristmill in
Elevating designs in spring and summer As a flower farmer and an ambassador of the Slow Flower Movement (which promotes local, seasonal, and sustainable floriculture), I always try to come up with beautiful eye-catching combinations that make an impression. Beautiful flowers should always start a conversation. Like many of you, I can fill fields
Foraged florals and woody elements part 1 Read More »
Beyond the wheelbarrow and loader Perkins’ Good Earth Farm is a permanent bed, deep compost, no-till, and certified organic vegetable farm. I want to share our journey from a low-till to no-till system to encourage others to consider how this production system might apply to your farms. Going into 2025, my wife, Julie, and
Mechanizing the deep compost system� Read More »
We were skeptical too until we read this article… This year, we are bringing three new employees onto the farm after losing someone who had been with us for four seasons. So, I’m thinking hard about how to “onboard” them and give them the information necessary to do a great job with harvest, seeding,
Create a free custom app for your farm using existing spreadsheets Read More »
And tips for improving germination of direct seeded crops This winter I finally replaced the plastic on our hoop house which was getting a bit ratty after many years of abuse from wind, rain, sun and vandals with knives (our most annoying urban farming pest). The plastic wasn’t completely useless though, so I returned
A second life for old greenhouse plastic Read More »
The H-2A visa process is fairly complex so it’s no surprise that most farms hire consulting companies, recruiters, and attorneys to help them navigate requirements to bring migrant farm workers into the United States. But it’s actually quite possible to DIY the H-2A process entirely. Because of grant-related obligations, we recently went the DIY H-2A
Navigating the H-2A guestworker visa program Read More »
