Farm Small Farm Smart

How much work should you put into something before it gets to the point where it isn't worth it? At what point does the money, the effort, and the headache justify not doing it?

With everything in bu…

All in Curtis produced about 17,500lbs of product off of his farm this year. That's a lot of food coming from a small space. Remember Curtis is only farming off of 15,000 sq.ft. which is spread out o…

In this episode we will be talking about real world issues and troubles with restaurant customers.

How Curtis has dealt with customers who haven't paid in the past and how he has changed his procedur…

Where do you draw the line between this isn't working, but I can figure it out, and this will never work?

Let's just accept the fact that farm start-up is going to involve it's fair share of struggle…

It's currently November 2015 and the main farm season for Curtis is pretty much over. And along with, so is this season of the show. For the remainder of the episodes we'll be wrapping up everything …

What's your time worth as a farmer? How much should should you be charging yourself to do tasks on the farm?

That's an important metric to think about when you are a small operation. Because for a lo…

In this episode we talk about post crop harvest processing, including how Curtis has changed some of his techniques over the years.

We also talk about some of his farm equipment and infrastructure li…

Set yourself up for success by having realistic plans and expectations for the first year. Match your lifestyle and your budgeting to those realistic expectations.

If you are going to start out farmi…

Big isn't always better. More just for the sake of having more is pointless.

Just because you have access to more land doesn't mean you need to take it.

If you are getting bigger then you better have…

Think about how much work you do on the farm now. How much of that work is actually being done efficiently and effectively?

Are you making the best use of your time by focusing on the 20% of the task…

How can you a lot mistakes and wasting valuable resources by overproducing a crop, and the inverse of that, not producing enough?

Good record keeping.

Records on the farm are extremely valuable. When…

Can you accept in the beginning that what you are doing may not work?

Because, guess what, it might not.

But as long as you keep trying something will..

You just have to be willing to continue on unt…

Understand where you want to go, understand why you want to get into it, figure out a smart systematic way to get there, and work hard in the process.

And give yourself the forgiveness to make mistak…

It's August 25, 2015 which means we are at the tail end of summer and shorter, cooler days are coming as fall nears.

We are in one of those unique periods in the year known as the shoulder season, th…

As a farmer, how do you communicate what you have to sell each week, how much it costs, and when you need orders placed by, so you can deliver it on time?

You use what is called a fresh sheet.

At it'…

This episode is all about the art of farming.

Creating a framework, and understanding the overlying philosophy about why you do what you do, and leaving yourself some room to maneuver within that phi…

This episode is all about being a better provider to your customers...

In this episode we dig deep into sourcing products from other farmers, breaking into new markets, working with chefs and solicit…

In this episode Curtis and I are joined by new farmer Rob Kaiser.

Rob is a few months into his farming journey. And like Curtis he didn't come from a farming background. He came from the corporate wo…

You need to ask yourself - Are you approaching farming as a hobby or as a livelihood?

There's no right or wrong answer.

But you need to be clear with your decision and set your expectations according…

This romantic notion of farming - working outside, hands in the soil, sowing seeds, and then nurturing those crops to harvest. While all great, and all true, they are just a piece of the farming pie.…