Plan now for asparagus
Consider growing more perennial crops Fall is a good time to plan and prepare for new perennials. I grow perennial vegetables and fruit to spread out the harvest season, to avoid overload in the fall and to provide work during the slower season. Perennials are good no-till crops, sequestering carbon in the soil, reducing erosion, […]
Tips for building a strong farm team
“It’s not me, it’s you,” I said as I fired a high-school-aged employee whom I had diligently tried to train and coax along. It was kind of a joke; it kind of wasn’t. He didn’t care that he got fired just like he didn’t care if I asked him not to lay down while weeding […]
Renting land to other famers
The benefits and challenges of sharing opportunities My husband Casey and I started Oakhill Organics farm in 2006 on one acre of rented farmland outside McMinnville, Oregon. After working for two years on another farm, we placed a classified ad in the local paper looking for land to rent to see if an opportunity might […]
Early season income with ranunculus and anemones part 1
This article originally appeared in the September 2021 issue of Growing for Market Magazine. Part 1: From ordering corms to fall planting This is part one of a two-part series on growing anemones and ranunculus. Part one covers ordering corms in the spring through planting in the fall. Part two will discuss nurturing your plants […]
Customers cut their own flowers at Curiosity Farm in North Carolina
Many flower farmers might shudder at the thought of customers walking along their rows, snipping away at flowers that strike their fancy. Growers wait to cut at certain bud and flower stages, snip at certain stem lengths and make cuts to produce more growth. Yet, Margaret Hall of Curiosity Farm in Concord, North Carolina, is […]
Ideas for storing row cover, and a cart to help
#toolsforgrowingformarketPost your farm-made tool on Instagram or Facebook with #toolsforgrowingformarket. If author Josh Volk picks your tool, you win a $50 tool gift certificate and a Full Access subscription to GFM. Like many growers I know, handling row cover is one of my least favorite jobs on the farm. I’ve hand rolled way too many […]
Potato harvest and storage
You can grow great potatoes, but if the harvest, postharvest and storage conditions aren’t right, they won’t live up to their storage potential. In this article, I’ll discuss how to know when to harvest potatoes and keep them in the best possible condition for eating and storage. In an article in the January 2022 magazine, […]
Low-plastic farming at Urbavore Farm in Kansas City, Missouri
These days it seems like plastic is in everything: our oceans, our landfills, our food, and our farms. Modern society is addicted to the convenience and disposability of plastic. We all know we need to find more sustainable alternatives, but on a farm it’s just plain hard. Some plastics have become so ingrained in our […]
Climate change on farms in the Intermountain West
Growers face drought, fire and smoke Farmers in the mountainous region of western North America are facing biblical weather extremes: Heat domes and record temperatures, smoky air and ash-covered crops, fires and forced evacuations, prolonged droughts, floods, softball-sized hail and infestations of unfamiliar insects. The Intermountain West — eastern British Columbia and western Alberta down […]
Pop-up markets for the holidays
Or whenever you need ad hoc retail opportunities Market farmers have many sales options these days: CSA programs; farmers markets; farm stands; wholesale to restaurants, stores or distributors; and more. Most of these outlets require longer-term commitments, relationship-building, and consistency on the part of the farm. All can hugely benefit the farm, which in return […]