Conversations with Yoders' Farm
56 episodes - English - Latest episode: 10 months ago - ★★★★★ - 5 ratingsA biweekly conversation around what has been going on here at Yoders' Farm in Rustburg, Virginia. We are a four generation farm providing "Locally grown, gourmet produce & family friendly activities." That includes a PYO Strawberry Patch, Hydroponic Tomatoes, and in the fall we have a Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze.
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Episodes
054 - From Strawberries to Corn Mazes: Embracing the Summer Months
July 06, 2023 20:59 - 18 minutes - 25.2 MBTime for a quick catch-up from the farm... we're transitioning out of the strawberry, and spring seasons and moving into summer.
053 - Mid 2023 PYO Strawberry Season - Busy and Thankful
May 09, 2023 12:41 - 36 minutes - 50.4 MBFinally got around to recording an update here in early May of 2023. Our PYO strawberry season is about half over at this point (it started a little earlier than most years). We talk through some of the challenges of the last month or so, go through the updates of the different areas around the farm (strawberries, tomatoes, row crops, etc) and catch you up to date!
052 - Cold Nights As We Enter Spring
March 20, 2023 20:48 - 20 minutes - 28.5 MBLowell and Eldon discuss things around the farm as we're officially heading into the spring season. There have been some cold nights here on the farm which have definitely affected our strawberry crop. There's also an update on the hydroponic tomatoes and how the greenhouses are doing.
051 - Feels Like Spring - Are We Behind Already?
February 06, 2023 20:18 - 15 minutes - 21.3 MBIn this episode, Lowell and Eldon catch you up on the results of a super cold spell in late December, how that affected the Strawberries and how they are recovering, as well as some other odds and ends from the last month or so on the farm.
050 - Early Winter Months - Merry Christmas
December 22, 2022 21:56 - 20 minutes - 14.3 MBLowell and Eldon recap November and December of this year, mostly talking about the strawberry plants and what we've been doing with them since they were planted later than we would have liked. Toward the end of the episode, we also talked about the greenhouse hydroponic tomatoes and Farm Store a bit.
049 - Fall Pumpkin & Corn Maze Season and 2023 PYO Strawberry Planting
October 28, 2022 20:07 - 29 minutes - 20.6 MBAs usual, our fall season has been a unique one! In this episode, Lowell and Eldon talk through the planting of the pick-your-own strawberry plants for 2023 and some of the issues around that as well as give a brief recap of the Corn Maze and Pumpkin patch fall season.
048 - The Dog Days of Summer - Almost Pumpkin Season
August 08, 2022 19:48 - 16 minutes - 11.3 MBA short catch-up episode of what we've been doing here at the Farm for the last month or so... as well as what we're doing at the moment while we work towards getting ready to open for our fall Corn Maze and Pumpkin patch season.
047 - Mowing the PYO Strawberry Patch - Summer at the Farm
June 24, 2022 21:56 - 13 minutes - 9.18 MBNot a ton to talk about right now... the PYO strawberry patch is closed, and we're working on summer activities like planting the Corn Maze and pumpkins, but overall just a quick catchup for what's going on over here at the farm these days!
046 - Recap of the 2022 PYO Strawberry Season
May 27, 2022 17:29 - 42 minutes - 29 MBIn this episode, Lowell and Eldon update you on what all has been going on over the last month or so here at Yoders' Farm, hydroponic tomatoes, field crops, fall stuff, and then go kind of deep on the recap of the 2022 PYO Strawberry Season. Finally, we respond to a listener's question regarding growing pumpkins in the remaining plastic rows after strawberry season.
045 - A Rough Week of Strawberry Farming
April 04, 2022 21:12 - 30 minutes - 20.8 MBIn this episode, Lowell and Eldon catch up to talk about the past month or so here at the farm. Of particular interest to us recently have been several freezing temperatures that have caused some pretty major damage to our PYO strawberry patch, even though we did all that we could to protect the blooms and buds.
044 - Seems Like We're Always In A Transition
February 19, 2022 13:55 - 15 minutes - 10.8 MBIn today's episode, Lowell and Eldon catch up about what has been going on over the last month here at Yoders' Farm. We talk a fair bit about the hydroponic tomatoes at this time of year, as well as the strawberry plants and what we're thinking about right now in relation to the upcoming PYO season.
043 - Easing Into 2022
January 10, 2022 22:52 - 17 minutes - 12 MBThis is just a short episode about what we're up to on the farm these days. Tomatoes are kind of the main focus (along with the Farm Store), strawberries got some covers pulled over them recently... etc...
042 - We've Got Bear Problems! Late Fall at the Farm
November 29, 2021 23:41 - 31 minutes - 22 MBIn this episode, Lowell and Eldon talk about what's been going on over the past month or so. Although our busy fall pumpkin and corn maze season are over and the pressure of lots of people being on the farm with it, there's always more to be done!
041 - 2021 Fall Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch Season Wrap Up
October 29, 2021 18:35 - 19 minutes - 18.4 MBLowell and Eldon talk about how strawberry planting went, an update on our winter tomato greenhouses, and a summary of how our fall corn maze, pumpkin patch, and snack shack season went and is wrapping up.
040 - Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch Season While Planting Strawberries
September 30, 2021 15:14 - 19 minutes - 17.7 MBIn this episode, Lowell and Eldon talk about the first couple of weeks of the Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch as well as the current project of trying to get all of the strawberries planted. It's a busy time of the year, but we pretty much always say that... and it pretty much always is! :)
039 - The Fall Season is Coming Whether We Are Ready or Not
August 25, 2021 21:58 - 20 minutes - 18.6 MBIn this episode, Lowell and Eldon talk about cleaning out the greenhouses, working on strawberry field prep, the upcoming fall season, the pumpkin patch, the corn maze and a few other odds and ends.
038 - What If You Were Starting An Agritourism Farm Today
July 23, 2021 20:57 - 31 minutes - 29.2 MBIn this episode, Lowell and Eldon discuss a general update from the farm as we enter the summer months and prep for our fall season as well as strawberry planting. After a general update, we dive into the topic of some things that we might consider if we were to buy a farm and start an agritourism operation today.
037 - An Overview of the 2021 Pick Your Own Strawberry Season
May 29, 2021 15:33 - 22 minutes - 21 MBIn this episode, Lowell and Eldon bring you up to date with an overview of how the 2021 PYO season has gone here at Yoders' Farm. There is also some discussion about strawberry varieties for next year, some problems we had with our strawberries this year, and some general farm updates.
036 - PYO Strawberry Patch Work Heading Into Spring
March 19, 2021 00:15 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBIn this episode, Lowell and Eldon give an update on what all is going on here at the farm. In particular, a majority of the episode is spent talking about the PYO strawberry patch and some of the things we're doing right now. Towards the end, Lowell talks some about how technology and farming are continuing to be more and more intertwined.
035 - Spring is Coming... At Least We Hope it Is!
February 22, 2021 23:00 - 19 minutes - 18.2 MBIn this episode, Lowell and I (Eldon) talk about what we've been up to around Yoders' Farm the last few weeks. Strawberries and tomatoes are the main things on our minds but the next season is always just around the corner too, so we even talked about Fall a little bit. :)
034 - Winter Greenhouse Tomatoes and General Farm Update
January 29, 2021 17:13 - 15 minutes - 14.1 MBLowell and I talk about what has been going on the last few weeks here at the farm. The majority of that includes working with our greenhouse tomatoes and keeping the stoves that heat our greenhouses rolling. We briefly talk about strawberries and several other things as well.
033 - Winter is Here - Hydroponic Tomato Season Rolls On
December 19, 2020 01:29 - 20 minutes - 18.6 MBIn this episode, Lowell and Eldon mostly talk about how the hydroponic tomato season is going. There are also a few other odds and ends about what we've been up to the last few weeks... Merry Christmas everyone!
032 - Wrapping up the Fall Season and Heading into Winter
November 25, 2020 00:27 - 26 minutes - 21.1 MBIn this episode, Lowell & Eldon talk about the end of the fall Corn Maze & Pick Your Own Pumpkin Patch season. We also discuss where things are with the Strawberries as we head into the winter months, and a few other odds and ends.
031 - Strawberry Planting & Our Fall Season So Far
October 21, 2020 14:31 - 24 minutes - 19.4 MBLowell and Eldon talk about finally getting the strawberry plants planted and some things we're hoping will help them grow a good root system throughout the remainder of fall and into winter. Then we talked about our fall Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch season and how that has been going so far.
030 - Trying to Plant Strawberries - Intro to Our Fall Season
September 30, 2020 17:31 - 23 minutes - 18.9 MBIn this episode, Lowell & Eldon talk about some struggles we've been having with getting our strawberry plants planted this fall before discussing some of what we're doing differently this fall and how the first two weekends of our fall corn maze and pumpkin patch season have gone.
029 - Strawberry Planting Prep & Summer is Almost Over!
August 20, 2020 11:55 - 27 minutes - 38 MBLowell and Eldon talk about what has happened since the last episode (at the beginning of July). Besides wrapping up sweet corn & greenhouse tomato season, we've been working on soil prep for making strawberry beds, and we're always getting ready for the coming season.
028 - Always Looking & Walking Forward
July 01, 2020 23:30 - 15 minutes - 21.3 MBThe Strawberry season is behind us. We're working on preparations for the fall corn maze & pumpkin patch season as well as the prep work that has to happen before we can plant strawberries this fall... seems like there is never a dull moment here on the farm. :)
027 - Putting a Bow on the 2020 PYO Strawberry Season
June 10, 2020 13:00 - 28 minutes - 39.7 MBIn this episode, Lowell & Eldon talk about a few things that were big question marks heading into the 2020 PYO season and a number of other farm-related topics.
026 - Wrapping Up PYO Strawberry Season & Farming Like A Pro
May 29, 2020 17:00 - 20 minutes - 28.8 MBEldon & Lowell discuss what all has been going on at Yoders' Farm over the past couple of weeks. There was almost a complete week of rain. Strawberry issues to work through. Soybeans to plant and a number of other things that had to happen.
025 - It Has Been a Busy Two Weeks of Strawberry Season
May 18, 2020 01:00 - 17 minutes - 24.4 MBWe are currently two weeks into our 2020 Strawberry Season. To say that it has been a bit busy feels like an understatement. We've had lots of demand for strawberries, a frost/freeze event on Mothers Day weekend and now the coming week looks quite rainy...
024 - Strawberry Frost Protection and a Chilly April
April 25, 2020 18:30 - 14 minutes - 19.9 MBA quick chat about recent frost events and how a pretty chilly April after a fairly warm winter has affected the pick your own strawberry season here at Yoders' Farm.
024 - Frost Protection and a Chilly April
April 25, 2020 18:30 - 14 minutes - 19.9 MBA quick chat about recent frost events and how a pretty chilly April after a fairly warm winter has affected the pick your own strawberry season here at Yoders' Farm.
023 - Planning for a PYO Strawberry Season During the Covid-19 Pandemic
April 03, 2020 22:00 - 22 minutes - 31.4 MBIn this episode we talk about some things we are considering doing different this year due to the coronavirus. This will likely be a pretty different Pick Your Own strawberry season from what we've been used to in the past, but if you can work with us we'll try to do everything we can to be safe and follow all the proper guidelines.
022 - Farming Continues as We Adjust to the New Normal
March 20, 2020 18:30 - 19 minutes - 26.6 MBLowell and Eldon talk about springs continual arrival, the continued "early" timeline for the pick your own strawberry patch, and several other updates from around the farm. There is also some discussion about how Covid-19 may affect our PYO strawberry season.
021 - A Spring Update & Are Farmers Really Dumb?
February 21, 2020 19:45 - 17 minutes - 23.8 MBIn this episode Lowell and I talk a bit about what we've been up to here on the farm the last few weeks and then towards the end of the episode Lowell rants for a bit about some comments from a presidential candidate that recently came to light.
020 - Its Been a Pretty Mild Winter So Far
February 07, 2020 15:00 - 18 minutes - 25 MBIn this episode Lowell and I talk briefly about the past number of weeks and what we've been up to on the farm. We also talk a bit more about the advanced place having such a mild winter can put us in... and the concerns we have for the strawberries when the weather is this mild throughout the winter.
019 - What Exactly is the Snack Shack?
January 24, 2020 13:00 - 11 minutes - 16.5 MBThe Snack Shack sometimes feels like its just a "tag on" to everything we do here at the farm, but it take quite a bit of work and we are quite happy with what we are able to offer through its windows! This episode covers a bit of the history as well as what we currently offer.
018 - The Clock is Always Ticking in Produce
January 13, 2020 13:00 - 13 minutes - 18.7 MBAs soon as we pass the winter equinox it starts to feel like we're ticking right away towards strawberry season. Add a milder winter (so far) to the mix and it feels like we're moving even faster!
017 - A Deeper Dive Into Hydroponic Tomato Production
January 03, 2020 16:40 - 23 minutes - 31.7 MBLowell & Delvin dive deeper into the topic of what it takes to produce a high quality green house (hydroponic) tomato.
016 - Heating & Growing Tomatoes in the Winter
December 23, 2019 15:45 - 16 minutes - 22.1 MBLowell & Delvin talk about some of the challenges of growing tomatoes through the winter in a greenhouse. One of the biggest issues is keeping the tomato plants warm enough to grow and bloom.
015 - Easing Into the Winter Season
November 19, 2019 02:15 - 15 minutes - 35.1 MBLowell & Eldon talk about whats been going on since we wrapped up the fall season here at the farm. The weather has changed, and we are definitely heading into the winter season. That of course means tomatoes in the greenhouse as well as field work and thinking about things we need to work on for spring.
014 - A Chat About Agritourism & What is Next
October 30, 2019 12:00 - 20 minutes - 14 MBLowell and Eldon are joined by Delvin for a chat about agritourism at Yoders' Farm as well as a quick look at what is coming up next here at the farm!
013 - Half Way Through the Fall Season
October 16, 2019 11:00 - 19 minutes - 13.6 MBLowell and I talk through the first couple of weeks of the fall season, the pumpkins, the corn maze, how the strawberry plants are doing, the state of the greenhouses, etc.
012 - Fall is a Strange Time at the Farm
September 27, 2019 11:00 - 13 minutes - 9.59 MBThis is mostly a quick overview of what we've been up to the last few weeks. Planting strawberries. Preparing for the fall season. Pumpkin stuff. Corn Maze stuff. We even managed to talk just a little bit about the Snack Shack.
011 - Lets Talk About Raising Honey Bees
September 09, 2019 16:00 - 15 minutes - 10.5 MBLowell and I talk very briefly about what we've been up to the last couple of weeks and then we jump into a brief overview of a new venture that Lowell has been involved with recently, raising honey bees!
010 - Fall is Coming, We're Getting Ready
August 28, 2019 12:00 - 11 minutes - 7.84 MBIn this episode Lowell and I talk about what we've been up to the last couple of weeks here at the Farm. Making beds for strawberries. Planting strawberry tips. Growing pumpkins. Cutting the Corn Maze. This Saturday is our last day being open till we open for the Fall Corn Maze & Pumpkin season in September!
009 - VSA PrePlant Meeting & Strawberry Propagation
August 11, 2019 12:00 - 19 minutes - 13.3 MBIn this episode Lowell and I give a brief overview of the Virginia Strawberry Association preplant meeting we were just at. Then we dive into the topic of strawberry plant propagation, where we get our strawberry tips and plugs and a few more details around that.
008 - Lets Talk About Weather
July 26, 2019 02:00 - 10 minutes - 7.56 MBIn this episode Lowell and I talk about weather, in particular rain, and how it affects us here on the farm. We also talk a bit about what we do to help when it gets too dry, and how "controlling" the elements is part of the reason that we raise tomatoes in a greenhouse.
007 - The Corn Maze is Planted & Other Maze Details
July 10, 2019 12:00 - 13 minutes - 9.04 MBWe've been thinking a lot about fall these days, mostly because we've recently planted the Corn Maze and are working to decide what our design will be this year. Beyond that we're also planting pumpkins and working to prepare the area where we'll be planting strawberries in September. There's always plenty to do around the farm!
006 - Strawberry Season is Over - A Quick Look at Whats Next
June 24, 2019 16:00 - 10 minutes - 7.4 MBThis is a quick episode that puts the 2019 strawberry season to bed. After that we discuss sweet corn just a little bit before talking about a few possible future episodes.