Episodes
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Join us at the Farm Resort in White Wright, Texas on April 27th and 28th for an event that will transform your farming skills. Learn from JM Fortier, an experienced market farmer and speaker. Get ready for workshops on boosting farm productivity, soil management, and innovative growing techniques. You'll also have the opportunity to see hands-on demos with the latest farming tools and techniques. Connect with local farmers, share insights, and grow together. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from industry experts, expand your network, and be part of a groundbreaking event. Get your tickets here ➡️ https://www.farmresort.com/learn
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This talk with returning guests from Bouldin Food Forest. Vanessa Bates and Ben McConnell are for individuals interested in or currently engaged in market farming and navigating the new challenges and opportunities that come with being over 50. As we age, our physical capabilities can change, and once straightforward tasks may become more demanding. This discussion will delve into practical ways to adapt farming practices to suit mobility and physical strength changes, ensuring that farming remains a rewarding and feasible endeavor even after reaching this milestone age. We'll cover specific challenges that farmers over 50 might face, such as decreased stamina, joint pain, or other mobility issues, and explore modifications to traditional farming techniques that can help alleviate these problems. This includes leveraging technology, adjusting farm layouts for efficiency, and adopting less physically demanding farming methods. Additionally, the talk will highlight the benefits of continuing to farm after 50, such as staying active, maintaining a connection to the land, and the satisfaction of producing food. We'll also touch on potential pitfalls, like the risk of injury or burnout, and how to avoid them. Whether you're a seasoned farmer looking to adjust your practices as you age or considering farming later in life, this talk will provide valuable insights and strategies for making the most of farming in your prime years after 50.
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In September 2023, Bouldin Food Forest faced a test of strength and spirit when ferocious winds tore through their farm, ravaging structures and leaving chaos in their wake. In this heartfelt video, Vanessa and Ben unveil the reality of severe weather impacts on agriculture and share a powerful testament to resilience and recovery. Watch as they recount the moment destruction hit and how they rose from the ruins, drawing on community support and unwavering resolve. Their tale goes beyond farming—it's about facing adversity, harnessing inner strength, and human connection. This is a must-see if you've ever wondered how to brace for the unexpected or recover from a devastating setback. Join us as we witness Bouldin Food Forest's remaking and rebirth, told by two of the strongest farmers Bootstrap Farmer has ever met. 💪 Experience the power of coming back stronger and being inspired by the community togetherness. ✅ Like, Share, and Subscribe for more stories like this. ➡️ Don't forget to hit the notification bell so you won't miss out on our future videos. #Agriculture #ExtremeWeather #FarmResilience #RecoveryStory #FoodForest #CaterpillarTunnel #HoopHouse #FarmingCommunity #Strength #BouldinFoodForest #marketgarden https://bouldinfoodforest.com www.bootstrapfarmer.com
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Meet Ben and Vanessa of Bouldin Food Forest serving the Austin, Texas market. Bouldin Food Forest grows rich, nutrient-dense food using regenerative agriculture methods. It’s a throwback to when agriculture was about craftsmanship, not industrial mechanization and chemicals favored by today’s large factory farms. The result: beautiful vegetables and a surrounding ecosystem that flourishes. Bootstrap Farmer has had the pleasure of spending several days at Bouldin Food Forest over the last few months, and we have been blown away by the quality of their crops, the organization of their farm, and the effortless grit with which they operate. Comment below your biggest takeaways from this great interview with some true heroes of agriculture. Follow Vanessa and Ben on IG
https://www.instagram.com/bouldinfoodforest
Check out their AirBnB:
https://persimmonhill.farm/
and farm at:
https://bouldinfoodforest.com
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The Greenhouse and Hoop House Grower's Handbook What crops make the most money in a Hoop House? What options do farmers need when growing year-round? What are ways big growers leverage every square inch of protected culture? Andrew Mefferd, the author of The Greenhouse and Hoop House Growers Handbook, discussed his motivation and observations in writing the required reading growing manual for any market gardener.
https://growingformarket.com/
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Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
00:30 Origin of The Greenhouse and Hoop House Grower's Handbook
08:50 Increasing Yields
11:00 Tomatoes
59:31 Cold Weather Growing
01:22:30 Sunlight
01:31:57 Plant Fertility
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#bootstrapfarmer #greenhouse #hoophouse #protectedculture #CEA #polytunnel #lowtunnel #cattunnel #caterpillartunnel #marketgardener #farming
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We dive deep. And we mean deep into how hybrid seeds are developed and brought to market with Andrew Mefferd. Andrew is the owner/editor of Growing For Market Magazine, author of The Greenhouse and Hoop House Grower's Handbook, and served many years at the trial farm at Johnny's Selected Seeds. His intense knowledge of seeds and the seed industry makes this interview the end all discussions on hybrid seeds.
Please note that this podcast was recorded several weeks before the GMO Purple tomato announcement in early February 2024.
www.bootstrapfarmer.com
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A family reunion of sorts, Bootstrap Farmer welcomes Andrew Mefferd, publisher of Growing for Market Magazine and author of The Greenhouse and Hoop House Grower's Handbook, to the studio, along with Bootstrap Farmers Director of Sales Randy Cummings & Customer Service Specialist Kari Danial. Host Nick, Randy, and Andrew have known each other for close to 12 years and have worked on many projects in the small ag space. This in-person meet-up was long overdue, and this conversation covered many topics related to small farm producers. Here you go if you want to know what farm nerds talk about after hours. From how technology is being presented to small farms, emerging markets, new farm product trends, and consumer diets, we get multiple perspectives of what we're paying attention to.
www.bootstrapfarmer.com
https://growingformarket.com/
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In this reaction video, the Bootstrap Farmer Podcast crew dives deeper into the JM Fortier interview with Bootstrap Farmer ( https://youtu.be/Kd_jZnRaQbk ) and discus individual takeaways from @TheMarketGardeners
TIMESTAMPS: 00:17 Intro 00:45 Farm Sustainability 09:59 School and Healthy Living 19:45 Increasing Greenhouse Production 27:38 Keeping Your Market Small 34:30 Writing The Market Gardener
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Being a Market Gardener means serving our buyers where they are most likely to convert into repeatable sales at prices to keep you thriving in your agricultural business. In this episode, we look at many sales opportunities small farms have to serve their markets through traditional farmers markets, direct-to-consumer delivery, partnerships, and added-value products. Join Michael Bell of Dallas Half Acre Farm, Karl Binger from Paris Natural Farm, and Nick and Kari from Bootstrap farmer as we explore new options for farmer sales channels.
www.bootstrapfarmer.com
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No stranger to the DFW growing community, Michael Bell runs a small farm just outside Dallas, TX. He sells direct to consumer seasonal salad veggies directly to his clients on his low-stress terms. If you think you need a lot of acreage or even a water supply, check out what Michael has accomplished, truly keeping a manageable scale as he bootstraps his way to long-term farming goals.
www.bootstrapfarmer.com
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Nick & Karl Binger of Market Garden Paris Natural Farms discuss the qualities of a great market gardener. Patience, planning, and hard work will go a long way as new farmers leave corporate jobs, start second incomes & plan retirement income goals.
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► Subscribe and hit the bell to see new videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNAhG5hS7og0jGFGv6uLdTA ► Check out our Free Resources: https://www.bootstrapfarmer.com/blogs/market-gardening FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL HERE FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/BootstrapFarmer/ INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/bootstrapfarmer/ TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@bootstrapfarmer #bootstrapfarmer #marketfarming #marketgarden #fourseasonfarming
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Are you a Gardener, Hobby Farm, Farmer, or Market Gardner? Bootstrap Farmer supports all growers no matter where they are scaled. But in this new Market Gardener series, we are diving deep into what drives local food and food economics through the lens of farmers working their land year-round.
In this first episode, Nick & Karl Binger of Paris Natural Farms discuss some of the things that set Market Gardeners apart from other growers.
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https://www.bootstrapfarmer.com/blogs/market-gardening
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#bootstrapfarmer #marketfarmer #marketgardener #localfood #farming
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Bootstrap Farmer engages in an enlightening conversation with legendary Jean-Martin Fortier @TheMarketGardeners on various subjects concerning the state of small-scale farming as a profession. We share the belief that there's a vast potential to cater to all market sizes, and it's crucial now more than ever for those at the forefront of this sector to assert the essential role of small-scale agriculture in their local region. If you are ready to get inspired in 2024, watch, comment, and subscribe to join the conversation.
For more Market Gardening content, visit: https://www.bootstrapfarmer.com/blogs/market-gardening
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Mindful Garden's Sean Pessarra has made hundreds of thousands if not a million soil blocks over his farming career. He is also the inventor of the Mindful Gardener Soil Block Drop Seeder.
In this interview, Sean discusses the how-to's, whats, and whys of Soil Blocking for seed starting.
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro
00:38 What is soil blocking
01:23 What makes up the soil mix
03:31 How to choose soil mix
07:07 Why you should limit liquid feeds
08:00 How long till the plant receive the benefits from the nutrients in the block
10:00 When to fertilize soil block
11:00 How far in advance can you make soil blocks
14:11 Adding water for soil block mix
16:15 What is the soil block
19:24 Air pruning in soil block
23:02 Advantage of early season soil blocking
27:30 Soil block dibbler sizes
28:50 Garden planning with blocks
30:45 Are soil blocks fragile
31:20 Which size soil block maker should I get
33:20 Which trays to use for soil blocks
34:10 Drop seeder
37:50 Best practices to water soil blocks
43:30 Key components to farming
47:05 Wrap up
49:00 Bloopers
https://www.bootstrapfarmer.com/search?type=product,page,article&q=soil%20blocks* #soilblocks #seedstarting #gardening #farming #homesteading
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Join Sean Pessarra, Nick, and Karl Binger and learn how Sean, the founder of Mindful Farmer, and learn how he took his part-time beekeeping operation in Texas and transformed it into a full-time sustainable agriculture business rich in experience that has led to an amazing career serving farmers through better tools and consulting. This is part 1 of a two-part Soil Block interview.
https://mindfulfarmerarkansas.com/
@mindfulkitchenarkansas
00:00 Intro
01:40 Mindful Farmer Beginnings
07:08 Heifer International
10:00 starting Mindful Farmer
12:15 $200k on 3 acres
16:50 Sourcing to local restaurants
18:10 Organic growing in the south
20:30 Where it’s grown vs. how it’s grown
21:18 Regional vs. national chain stores
23:30 Wholesale vs. direct-to-consumer prices
25:50 Farmers market options
29:45 CSA model options
30:40 Defining direct vs. wholesale on the farm
32:46 Should a new farmer start with wholesale
34:07 Farmer math= $ per square foot
36:00 Boutique grocer options
37:30 What you need for winter flower growing
39:17 First to market early in the season
41:30 Making the most out of sqft
43:00 Creativity in your farm
44:00 Avoid burnout 4
5:20 Bundling your energy
46:50 Learn to say NO
51:20 Mindful Farmer’s Made in the USA Tools, Drop Seeder
56:20 Broad fork tools
58:10 Making better tools
59:08 Helping home gardeners
01:00:00 Investing upfront to save later
https://www.bootstrapfarmer.com/blogs/how-to-grow-seedlings/soil-blocking
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Have you always wanted to start composting but didn’t know where to start or what to buy? In this episode, Neil Kaufman from Dallas College will show you how to get started with zero-waste composting at home or on your market farm. Learn the basics of setting up and managing a zero-waste composting system, and see why it's an easy win for both you and the environment. Learn to keep things simple, what composting rules to break, which ones to bend, and how to scale up your compost as your garden becomes a market garden. Help divert nutrients and biodiversity from the landfill to your growing spaces with confidence and little to no upfront costs. Extra Credit Bonus learning on reusing spent microgreen media: www.bootstrapfarmer.com/blogs/microgreens/reusing-spent-microgreen-trays #composting #vermiculture #zerowaste
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A re-release of our 1st interview with Kupu Place Farm’s Anthony Mau. In this 2021 Interview, Anthony was beginning year 3 of production on his Honolulu, Hawaii Aquaponic farm featuring shallow water culture raft beds, microgreen production, and edible flowers. Learn about some of the history of agriculture in Hawaii and how this current farm sits on century-old taro fields. You will learn about the shipping, importing, and growing of food in Hawaii and how to work with what you have to grow what your community needs. We wanted to review this interview as we recently revisited Anthony in year 5 as he recently bought a second farm location. This time capsule video shows what a farmer in year two thinks about as the business is rapidly scaling at farmer's markets and chef sales. In the next video, you will see how they are thinking bigger, better, and consciously as they continue to scale to the islands growing food needs. Part 2 : https://youtu.be/sWtlz1yVdJI www.bootstrapfarmer.com #hawaiifarming #aquaponics #microgreens #shallowwaterculture #edibleflowers
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Welcome back to Kupu Place, 2023! Bootstrap Farmer revisits Anthony Mau of Kupu Place Farms for a year 5 catch up. Since the last time, we spoke they have acquired a second location to serve the Hawaiian Islands ever growing food needs. This is an interesting look at the differences in how a farm business owner group looks at solving food security for the most remote regions after an additional two years of farm management experience. The scaling of a farm requires an evolving list of considerations that are highlighted in this video. We are proud to have been with Kupu Place as they have grown over the last five years. If you haven't seen their 1st interview from 2021 click https://youtu.be/3-6fiJLRmic to get the full back story of this aquaponic lettuce, microgreen, and edible flower farm. www.bootstrapfarmer.com #hawaiifarming #aquaponics #microgreens #shallowwaterculture #edibleflowers
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Two transplants move to Texas to start new farms.
Karl Binger (Paris Natural Farm) and Bootstrap Farmer's own Karl Russell discuss moving to a new state and starting a farm from scratch. Find out how they carved out their market, moved chickens across America, and how no one ever told them about fire ants before moving into a HOT growing zone.
www.bootstrapfarmer.com
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Bootstrap Farmers’ Farmer-in-Residence, Karl Binger, recently visited Tanzania to observe and learn about small-scale farming practices in rural parts of the country. From working the land with manual tools to sourcing seeds for crops, Karl learned about some of the challenges that these farmers face every day.
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#bootstrapfarmer #podcast #sustainablegardening #foodsecurity #agriculture
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