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Jim LeTendre of Bear Creek, North Carolina, sells at five farmers’ markets a week, some of them in parking lots and some under covered structures. From his own sales records, he can attest to the value of covered markets. “In an uncovered market on a rainy day, you can expect to do 60% of your […]

When Lynn e-mailed me to ask if I could write about our experience growing dahlias as cut flowers, my mind went back 20 years or so when my partner Bob Soucie and I were just getting our start. What we would have given for just one article about growing any kind of flower! I marvel

The sign over the door of U.S. business reads: “if you aren’t growing, you’re dying.” The ag establishment bullies farms with the demand: “get bigger or get out.” Are these good mantras for sustainable farm businesses? Wouldn’t “resilience,” and “dynamic equilibrium” be healthier goals to guide us in developing our farms? Achieving dynamic equilibrium or

This month I’ll tell you about two flowers that are relatively unknown to small-scale growers, one that is very hard for most of us to grow and the other that is very easy. The first, Alstroemeria, is widely available in the cut-flower trade, usually commands a good price, and is very enticing to growers who

Many articles have been written for Growing for Market about large farms, acres in production with employees and machinery. This is the flip side – solo market gardening. I will be starting my ninth growing season this year (the first four in northern California and the rest here in southern Oregon) and as in the

Imagine a warm summer day at market, with fresh produce glistening in the sun and happy milling crowds. Who could possibly take the fun out of such a picture? Why, a person would need a lawyer to do that. As a lawyer myself, I can assure you that a beautiful day at market does carry

Heirloom tomates are currently enjoying a huge surge in popularity. The wide range of colors and flavors make them extremely appealing for restaurant chefs and for fresh-market customers. Their special handling requirements make them an ideal niche crop for small, direct-market oriented farmers. However, the thousands of varieties available and the wide variability make for

Our farm has used a system of raised beds, drip irrigation, plastic mulch, and fabric row cover tunnels since 1986. During those years we’ve used that system for frost protection, weed control, irrigation, enhanced microclimate, moisture retention, and insect control for 1,000-4,000 feet of warm-season and brassica crops. There is tractor-drawn equipment to install most

You may be able to grow the most beautiful flowers in the world, but if you can’t find a market for them, they’re just an expense. On the other hand, if you can sell but have nothing worthwhile to market, it’s the same result. To be successful, you must do both reasonably well. It’s not

Heifer Ranch of Heifer Project International has started a Beginning Farmer training program that not only gives new farmers practical experience, but also gives them capital to start their own farms. Heifer Project International is a non-profit organization best known for giving livestock to people in developing countries so they can provide their own food.