146: Dylan Strike of Strike Farms on Scaling Up Big Time, Grocery Store Sales, and Management Systems

Farmer to Farmer with Chris Blanchard

English - November 23, 2017 09:30 - 1 hour - 122 MB - ★★★★★ - 327 ratings
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Previous Episode: 145: Corinna and Kurt Bench of Shared Legacy Farms on Creating a Marketing and Retention System on the CSA Farm

Next Episode: 147: Frank Morton of Wild Garden Seeds on the Patience of Seeds, and the Art and Craft of Plant Breeding

Dylan Strike has been the owner of Strike Farms in Bozeman, Montana, since 2014. In 2017, he increased production from four acres to fourteen in order to edge out national produce players in his local grocery stores. Strike Farms also markets through a CSA throughout the greater Bozeman region.

We dig into the nuts and bolts behind the dramatic expansion at Strike Farms, including how Dylan financed the expansion and associated land purchase. Dylan gets real as he discusses the challenges of putting together the financial package, managing staff and systems through the expansion, and the impact of what Dylan says was the “worst weather year imaginable.” We also dig into the changes in equipment and production approaches, and the administrative systems that allowed Strike Farms to grow, as well as crop rotations, distribution strategies, and breaking into new grocery accounts.

Perennial support for the Farmer to Farmer Podcast is generously provided by Vermont Compost Company and BCS America.

Pictures, show links, and more at farmertofarmerpodcast.com/episodes/strike.