Loading...

PODCAST

Farm Small Farm Smart

The Modern Grower Podcast Network

Insights for vegetable farmers and market gardeners who earn, or want to earn, a living growing vegetables profitably. In each episode, I talk with a beginning or experienced farmer, diving deep into their story to find out what makes their market farm successful. I focus on in-the-field farming. Soil preparation, weed management, post-harvest processing, appropriate technology, farm tools and equipment, and growing crops. Hosted and produced by Diego Footer"s Modern Grower Podcast Network.

science natural sciences

All Episodes

14:03

Making a Living on an 1/8th of an Acre (MFB 40)

Farm Small Farm Smart ·

2026/04/30

Jill Duncan generates $65,000 annually from just 1/8 acre - smaller than most suburban backyards. With no employees, no electricity on site, no wash station, and working just 40 hours per week during peak season, she's redefined what profitable farming looks like. Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights! Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower. Follow Modern Grower: Instagram Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the

en

16:52

One Crop to Fund the Entire Farm (The Cash Flywheel...

Farm Small Farm Smart ·

2026/04/27

A caterpillar tunnel costs $1,400. One harvest of lettuce at $6/lb produces 400–425 pounds — $2,400 in revenue. The tunnel pays for itself in a single harvest. From that point on, it's free infrastructure. Click here to learn more about farmer Elliot and Fair Share Farm. Click here to watch the full episode on our YouTube Channel. Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights! Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower. Follow

en

10:12

Mature Compost, Better Quality - Gardening Beyond...

Farm Small Farm Smart ·

2026/04/26

In this episode, compost specialist and owner of Living Roots Compost Tea Troy Hinke explains why compost that have sat longer are generally better quality than newer composts. Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights! Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower. Follow Modern Grower: Instagram Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network: Carrot Cashflow Farm Small Farm Smart Farm Small Farm

en

22:05

Making $4,700 Daily on a You-Pick Farm (MFB 41)

Farm Small Farm Smart ·

2026/04/23

In this episode, Diego breaks down the exact tactics, systems, and numbers behind Megan Neubauers's pick-your-own operation over in Texas. Learn how she averages $4,700 per day with 240 customers spending $47 each - all while maintaining 65% gross margins. Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights! Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower. Follow Modern Grower: Instagram Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern

en

21:00

7 Numbers Behind a $240,000 Lettuce Operation

Farm Small Farm Smart ·

2026/04/20

What if one crop could pay your bills 40 to 50 weeks a year? Elliot Seldner at Fair Share Farm in North Carolina built his entire operation around lettuce as a cash flywheel — one crop that funds everything else. Click here to learn more about farmer Elliot and Fair Share Farm. Click here to watch the full episode on our YouTube Channel. Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights! Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower

en

17:37

Creating the Ideal Biochar - Gardening Beyond Basics 66

Farm Small Farm Smart ·

2026/04/19

Biochar expert Kelpie Wilson of Wilson Biochar breaks down how to make good biochar: what feedstock to use and how to char them. Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights! Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower. Follow Modern Grower: Instagram Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network: Carrot Cashflow Farm Small Farm Smart Farm Small Farm Smart Daily The Growing Microgreens Podcast

en

14:36

Anti-Farmer's Market: The You-Pick Model (MFB 39)

Farm Small Farm Smart ·

2026/04/16

In this episode, Diego interviews Megan Neubauer, who transformed her struggling market farm into a $151,000 you-pick operation working just 8 weeks per year by ditching farmers markets and transitioning into a seasonal you-pick farm. Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights! Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower. Follow Modern Grower: Instagram Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:

en

15:35

How Much Does It Actually Cost to Start a Market...

Farm Small Farm Smart ·

2026/04/13

The amount you spend starting a farm has almost no correlation with how successful it becomes. Some of the worst outcomes I've seen came from people with the most money to spend. Click here to watch the full episode on our YouTube Channel. Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights! Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower. Follow Modern Grower: Instagram Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast

en

05:07

Johnson-Su Bioreactor - Gardening Beyond Basics 65

Farm Small Farm Smart ·

2026/04/12

In this episode, microbiologist and co-creator of the Johnson-Su bioreactor, Dr. David Johnson, introduces the Johnson-Su Bioreactor, what it does, and who it's for. Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights! Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower. Follow Modern Grower: Instagram Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network: Carrot Cashflow Farm Small Farm Smart Farm Small Farm Smart Daily

en

08:03

Really Fancy Salad (MFB 38)

Farm Small Farm Smart ·

2026/04/09

In this video, I break down how Jacki Hinchey of Blue Dog Farm created her signature "Really Fancy Salad" that commands $20/pound (double the normal price) and has become the cornerstone of her farm's success. Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights! Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower. Follow Modern Grower: Instagram Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network: Carrot Cashflow Farm

en

21:59

Can You Actually Make $10,000 From a Backyard Farm?

Farm Small Farm Smart ·

2026/04/06

Can 10 beds in a backyard generate $10,000? Diego did the math using real numbers from farmers he has interviewed over the past decade. Farmer Jill Duncan makes $65,000 on ⅛ acre in Ferguson, Missouri. Broxon Berry Farm does $80,000 on ⅖ acre in Indiana. The limiting factor isn't land...it's actually market access and systems. Click here to watch the full episode on our YouTube Channel. Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights! Get market

en

12:53

Building the Soil 360° Holistically - Gardening...

Farm Small Farm Smart ·

2026/04/05

Soil specialist and consultant Dr. Jim Hoorman of Hoorman Soil discusses a holistic way to build the soil...minus commercial fertilizers. Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights! Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower. Follow Modern Grower: Instagram Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network: Carrot Cashflow Farm Small Farm Smart Farm Small Farm Smart Daily The Growing Microgreens

en

30:56

Farm Dreams vs. Reality (MFB 37)

Farm Small Farm Smart ·

2026/04/02

In this episode, Diego talks about why the low barrier to entry to farming is a trap, why physical endurance is the most underestimated factor in farming success, and practical strategies to avoid burnout. Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights! Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower. Follow Modern Grower: Instagram Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network: Carrot Cashflow Farm Small

en

28:52

7 Things Farmers Buy That Will Never Pay for Themselves

Farm Small Farm Smart ·

2026/03/30

In this episode, Diego runs seven common farm purchases through the $10,000 filter: if it can't generate or save $10,000 over its useful life, it's a luxury, not an investment. Click here to watch the full episode on our YouTube Channel. Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights! Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower. Follow Modern Grower: Instagram Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast

en

26:37

Farming Couple Makes $100,000 on Less Than an Acre...

Farm Small Farm Smart ·

2026/03/26

Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights! Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower. Follow Modern Grower: Instagram Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network: Carrot Cashflow Farm Small Farm Smart Farm Small Farm Smart Daily The Growing Microgreens Podcast The Urban Farmer Podcast The Rookie Farmer Podcast In Search of Soil Podcast Check out Diego's books: Sell Everything You Grow on

en

30:20

5 Systems That Saved This Farming Couple's Marriage

Farm Small Farm Smart ·

2026/03/23

Michael and Shannon from Hillview Farms went from two people grinding 65+ hours a week across five farmers' markets to working 40–60 hours at just two markets — while increasing their revenue. The difference wasn't harder work. It was five specific systems. Check out the full episode on our YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/tsZs3tOzh6Q Click here to learn more about Hillview Farms. Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights! Get market farming

en

11:11

Reducing Weed Pressure with Cover Cropping -...

Farm Small Farm Smart ·

2026/03/22

Soil microbiologist and founder of The Soil Food Web Dr. Elaine Ingham sheds light on how cover cropping can reduce, if not completely eradicate, weed pressure on production soils. Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights! Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower. Follow Modern Grower: Instagram Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network: Carrot Cashflow Farm Small Farm Smart Farm Small

en

29:37

From Zero to $110,000 in 4 Seasons (MFB 35)

Farm Small Farm Smart ·

2026/03/19

In this episode, Diego highlights the farming duo that built a $110,000 annual business on only 1.5 acres using strategic crop selection, innovative transplanting techniques, and relentless focus on profitability over production volume. Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights! Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower. Follow Modern Grower: Instagram Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast

en

28:23

The $100,000 Per Acre Farm (That Sells 52 Weeks a Year)

Farm Small Farm Smart ·

2026/03/16

Most farms chase more: more acres, more markets, more crops. Hillview Farms did the opposite. In this episode, Diego breaks down how farming couple Michael and Shannon Whamond generated over $200,000 in annual revenue farming just 2 acres of clay soil in Lincoln, California. That's over $100,000 per acre — two and a half to five times the average market garden. Click here to watch the video version over on our YT Channel! Click here to learn more about Hillview Farms. Subscribe for more content on

en

18:46

Manures and Potential Toxins in Compost - Gardening...

Farm Small Farm Smart ·

2026/03/15

In this episode, Malibu Compost Founder Randy Ritchie talks about the hazards of using straight manure and their potential toxins as compost feedstock. Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights! Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower. Follow Modern Grower: Instagram Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network: Carrot Cashflow Farm Small Farm Smart Farm Small Farm Smart Daily The Growing

en

235 results

Similar Podcasts

Science Weekly

The Guardian

La Science CQFD

France Culture

The Dirt: an eKonomics podKast

eKonomics

La Science, CQFD

France Culture

Travelers In The Night

Albert D. Grauer