Growing Farms Podcast

Poultry Mastermind Group - Q1

In this Episode of the Growing Farms Podcast I bring in a couple of my friends from around the country to give their perspective on what life is like on their farms in the first quarter of the year.  We all manage mixed livestock farms, with a diversity of sales avenues for our products. Personally I gain a lot from having these types of conversations with my friends and peers, and I hope you do too. There's something to be said about stepping off your farm for a minute, talking with like-...

How To save The World Farming

It’s the year 2050. My grown daughter looks me in the eye and asks what I did to help make the world a better place. What do I tell her? Belief:  What do you believe in? When you woke up this morning, you got up with at least one core belief - something in your mind that defines how you see the world. Such core beliefs are unshakable, unmovable, and dictate what actions you take on a day-to-day basis. Commitment: How committed to that belief are you? When you head for the door, you a...

How to Raise Pigs in 2022 - Small Scale Farming

In this episode of the Growing Farms Podcast we will discuss all of the decision-making that goes into raising pigs in 2022. There are a lot of things to think about, and a lot of variables outside of your control. where are you going to process? what breed should you raise? how do you manage them? are they profitable for your farm business? We are joined by Grazing Specialist and all-around nice guy Troy Bishopp -The GrassWhisperer - to add FOUR DECADES of farming experience to the ...

Email Marketing For Farmers

In this episode of the Growing Farms Podcast we discuss: why email is still foundational to your marketing how to get your first 100 subscribers what to write in your emails how to grow your list over time Whether you are just starting a farm or you are looking to grow your business, this episode is packed with simple actionable advice to help you along your journey.

Farm Brewery Update - January 2022

In this episode of the Growing Farms Podcast I give you some perspective on what my farm brewery business looks and functions like. We are all on different paths, and I share these monthly updates to give more depth behind the farming and business advice that I share on other episodes.  

Instagram for Farmers - 2022

Many of us know how to use Instagram, but do we know why we use it? What are you accomplishing, and is it worth your time? In this episode of the Growing Farms Podcast, host John Suscovich discusses Instagram best practices, his strategy on Instagram, and he shares several accounts worth following if you’re in the pastured poultry space.

Pasture Based Farm Thrives During Pandemic

Today on the podcast I am joined by my friend Dave Shields of Pastured Life Farm in North Central Florida. Dave and his wife Ginger have been raising animals on pasture and direct marketing them to customers for years. It just so happens the farming and sales model they set up is perfectly suited to serving their community in a time of need.  On today’s farm podcast Dave shares how they got started, why they set up their farm the way they did, and how they have been able to provide healthy...

APPPA - Ginger Shields

John: Hey there friends and fellow farmers. Welcome to another episode of The Growing Farms podcast. I am your host, John Suscovich, and today's episode is going to be an "Ask APPPA" show, the American Pasture and Poultry Producers Association.   At one of the annual APPPA conferences I brought my camera, I brought my microphone, I brought my friend Mike, and we recorded interviews with about two dozen people.  I asked those two dozen people the same four questions. And the wonderful thi...

GFP102: When Farming Gets You Down

It can feel like the to do list gets longer before it gets shorter, that at times the world is out to get you, or things aren’t going your way. It is ok to want to quit, but what defines us as people is how we react to being in these situations. Work toward a better life, hang in there, and tomorrow will be brighter.

GFP101: Farming Motivation

Think of the reason you do what you do. Whether you are farming or thinking about starting a farm, why are you doing this? The key to keeping a business going, and creating a lasting lifestyle is to find what drives you, and let it keep driving you forward. I would love to publish the podcast episode or YouTube video where I have the magic bullet to making farms financially viable and “successful” but I do not think a magic bullet exists. It takes a stupid amount of hard work and determina...

GFP100: Getting Rid Of Experts

Who are “they” exactly? They told us it can’t be done. They told us you cannot make money farming. They told us you can’t raise sheep without a heavy parasite load. They said you can’t have 0% mortality in the brooder. They said that you have to farm this way or that. I’m not saying that educated people are nonsense. That would be a gross misinterpretation of my point. What I am saying, is that there is an inherent flaw in the human to human interpretation of the scientific method in tha...

GFP099: What keeps you up at night?

There is a lot to farming that will keep you awake at night. Is the brooder closed, are all the birds in, are the predators out, is the greenhouse warm enough, did you remember to check this or that? Then there’s all the life stuff that keeps you up at night. On today’s episode of the Growing Farms Podcast Troy and I cover three areas of concern that are universal to most people.

GFP098: Best Farming Advice Ever

With all that advice and information floating around how do you tell what is good and what is not? With a wealth of knowledge at your fingertips, what’s the best advice? That is what Troy and I tried to capture with today’s farm podcast episode. The best piece of advice we have ever gotten.

GFP096: Farming By Not Farming

The most common question we get here at Farm Marketing Solutions is “how do I start a farm?”. That question comes from all walks of life and all corners of the globe. Seriously, we’re data nerds and our analytics say we get visitors from over 97 different countries. Because there are 7 billion people in the world inevitably all of our stories and circumstances are going to be different. That is one of the inherent difficulties in agriculture. There is a lot of good information out there on...

GFP095: Farm Work Life Balance

Working to find a balance that works for you between farm life, home life, and your personal life is the ultimate goal of sustainability. You want to be a member of your community, a member of your family, and at the same time take some time for yourself. In this episode Troy & John discuss their efforts at a balanced sustainable life.

GFP094: Why farm at all?

It is a pleasure to bring back the Growing Farms Podcast with my good friend and mentor Troy Bishopp. In today’s episode we tackle the topic of getting into agriculture as a hobby or profession. What draws people back to the land? Once they are there what keeps them working when things get difficult?

GFP094: Farming Makes Your Purge

It’s a cliche as this point that “farming is hard”. Yeah, we know. Anyone that has tried to work the land knows full well how ruthless Mother Nature can be and how unforgiving the farm can seem at times. What gives me hope for the future is that the current generation of farmers getting into agriculture are bringing with them tools of all kinds. Drones, software, new planting innovations, and the knowledge sharing tool that is the internet. We now have the opportunity to farm in ways that ...

GFP093: 2017 Farm Plan

2017 Farm Plan - Camps Road Farm With each new farm season there are adaptations based on what you have learned from previous years as well as adapting to what your goals are for the coming year. We are making some big changes on our farm this year and I am really happy to be able to share them with you through the Growing Farms Podcast. I am using the Farm Marketing Solutions website to take notes this year. I am organizing my thoughts, my research, my production numbers into the Resour...

GFP092: Pigs Escape and Growing Chickens

Chicken Tractor Plans APPPA - American Pastured Poultry Producers Association Feed Testing Pasture Fencing I Use Support the Show on Patreon

GFP091: Farm Update

This farm podcast episode updates you on my: Pastured Poultry Pastured Pigs Apple Orchard Hop Yard Book release!!!

GFP089: Pigs on Pasture

Raising pigs has to be one of the most fun things that I do on farm. I truly enjoy almost every part of it. I mean, don't get me wrong, they could smell a little better every once in a while but who can turn their noses up at their floppy ears, curly tails, and curiously happy demeanor? I get my pigs for the season in less than a week. I'm raising 20 pigs this year for various different markets. It's a step up for me. A far cry from big production, but big enough to feed some serious peopl...

GFP088: My Background

No matter what you've done before you got into farming, it applies. It all applies!!! Granted some of us are going to get into farming full time and run our own farms and others are going to be happy with a backyard garden. The important thing here is that we're all willing to get our hands dirty. I take a small amount of pride in that I've worked hard over the years to make my life interesting. It sounds a little egotistical perhaps, but I'm alright with that, because it's been fun. In ...

GFP087: Urban CSA and Apothecary

I have been in love with the idea of more farms appearing in urban settings. That is how we bring food to the masses and help wrangle that ugly beast called food security. Clever uses of otherwise untapped resources. On today's farm podcast episode we visit one of those urban farms to see how it all fits together. Items covered or mentioned on today's farm podcast: Double N Urban Farm Double N on Facebook Farm Marketing Solutions on YouTube Permaculture Voices Conference Farm Quo...

GFP090: Welcome Back!

Farm Marketing Solutions on YouTube Ask Voices with Diego Footer and Me, John Suscovich Camps Road Farm Kent Falls Brewing Company Neversink Spirits

Growing Farms Podcast Returns

GFP086: It Is My Birthday

I'm a day older than I was yesterday, but today I got to use a whole new number. I've made it to 31 and I'm pretty happy about it. In this podcast episode I talk about what my plans are for the farm this year and why they are that way. Then I go over what's happening on Farm Marketing Solutions and content for the year and I ask you for help. Ya see, I cannot do this without you. Talking into the abyss of the internet means nothing if there is no one to listen and interact. That's where ...

GFP084: Starting a Farm Crawl

There was a problem that I now had a farm stand, I did a lot of work to make my farm beautiful and accessible, but no one was showing up. How do you get people on your farm without breaking your marketing budget? The answer: Farm Crawl A farm crawl is a one day event where multiple farms in the same area open their doors, hold tours, and cross-market each other to the benefit of all. Customers travel from farm to farm to see what the farms have to offer, get tours, meet the farmers where t...

GFP083: 5 Lessons Learned On Farm This Year

I know we have all learned a lot this year. There have been good times, there have been bad times, and everything in between. This farm podcast episode focuses on five lessons learned by one of the Farm Finance Challenge participants Jonathan Woodford of Sugarwood Acres. Better record keeping is the key to success. Things don’t always go according to plan. It’s important to take time to help others. Do what it takes to get the job done. A farm is a wonderful place to raise a family....

GFP082: Managing Employees

I am super pleased to bring Curtis Stone back on the show for another episode to talk all about managing the farm, employees, and growing more farmers for the future. We cover the nitty-gritty of harvesting information on farm and what to do with that information once you have it. Managing employees can be one of the most emotional and difficult things you can do farming. Forget crop losses, acts of God, and poor markets, other humans have the potential to drive you insane like nothing els...

GFP081: On The Shoulders Of Giants

What separates professionals from amateurs is experience. There’s no getting around experience. You can read all the books, watch all the videos, take all the classes, but until you try and do whatever it is you’re trying to do it’s all just theory. What I cannot help be be fixated on these days is tracking that experience, documenting it, so it is easier to learn from past experiences and work toward my holistic goals on farm. “Standing on the shoulders of giants” means that you are picki...

GFP080: Welcome Back!

Hello everyone! The podcast was on hiatus as we deal with the technical issues of a 3 year old website and podcast. Technologies change and I was unable to farm and keep on top of the changing times. But that’s OK! Because the Growing Farms Podcast is back. Back with the every other week schedule. Scott has a new day-job which is monopolizing his time so Farm Fantasy Camp is on hiatus until further notice. In today’s show I go over what I’ve been up to on farm and with Farm Marketing S...

FFC004: Lightbulbs

Topics covered in this farm podcast: John & Scott do not like Skype Windows 10 might reinvent how we look at garbage John’s going on vacation, Scott too has gone on vacation Is there valor in working long hours? Hours Tracker App on iPhone for logging work hours Accepting that things will not be perfect How many things would fix themselves if I did not touch them? John uses an iPhone 6+ to shoot, edit, and upload videos Lower polish and increased iteration Adjusting what y...

GFP079: How to Start a Hop Yard

Topics covered in this farm podcast include: Mistakes made when starting a hop yard What hops are How hops are grown How many plants can you fit per acre for production Sometimes there’s just no choice but to spray Insight into the Craft Beer Industry’s effect on hop production Where do you find good farming information Interview with Geoff Keating of The Hop Yard Geoff has spent the majority of his life as a Maine resident, leaving only to earn his bachelor in Communication ...

FFC003: Talking Nonsense

Scott’s microphone is marginally improved, though slightly robotic John’s feelin’ good post-meltdown and the farm’s running smoothly Bears! A bear on the farm There are B.S. artists out there. Dr. Oz is one. The Food Babe is another The Food Babe makes some pretty outrageous claims John gets questions about “chicken hormones” at the market Among other things, worrying about food trends (e.g. uh oh, eggs are bad for you again) encouraged John to pay closer attention to food J...

GFP078: Commercial Kitchen on Farm

Have you considered diversifying with a commercial kitchen? Diversifying your farms’ offerings is always a good idea. Many of the guests who have been on this podcast have talked about it, and it is a large part of my business model. Have you considered diversifying with a commercial kitchen? On today’s episode Laura McKinney of Riverbank Farm talks about how her kitchen got started. She also talks about life on farm, how she got started in AG, and where she sees it all going. In this ...

FFC002: I Call Shenanigans

Scott traveled to Iceland and Denmark John tailoring FMS to different situations than New England farming John disliking possessions/responsibilities as it relates to travel Scott taking stock of possessions while moving, realizing there’s very little Micromanagement and preventive measures to extend the life of possessions Having “your name on something” resulting in high standards Soylent follow-up: John had Soylent, Scott might not rebuy, case closed John’s getting a root ...

GFP077: Permaculture Voices

What we are about at Permaculture Voices.. How can you change the world if you can’t make a living in the process? It’s too common for people within the permaculture and sustainability movement to do work that they care about, but scrape by financially. And the reality of that is, at the end of the day that type of lifestyle isn’t sustainable – the values are there, but the economics are not. Can you make a living from a career that aligns with your values? We believe you can. Ou...

FFC001: Farm Fantasy Camp

The Growing Farms Podcast was started to share my journey into agriculture. Like most journeys this one has been made more enjoyable by sharing it with others. One of the people I share my agriculture experiences with is my good friend and business partner Scott. In this every other week podcast series we talk about the kind of things that come up when one friend lives in the City and the other in the Country. Scott works in advertising in New York City and I manage a 52 acre farm in Conne...

GFP076: Burnout Follow Up

Losing your sh** is not an easy thing to talk about. No one is really proud of not being able to keep it together under pressure, yet as small business owners it is something we all go through. While I do not feel comfortable being this open and vulnerable (yeah, even me) I think that it is an important topic to merit a few episodes about the different elements of why burnout happens. I am bringing on some guests to discuss the topic and we’ll keep it light. There is a community that has...

GFP075: My Big Meltdown

This was a tough podcast episode for me to publish. I have been dealing with burn out lately and that has lead to depression. I am definitely not the only person to have run a small business and have experienced this. There are high highs and low lows when it comes to small business management and farming is perhaps worse than most. I wanted to share this story, as vunerable as it makes me feel because: This is the stuff you will not find in any text books I’m not the only one going t...

GFP074: Farmers Using Instagram

Is social media all it's cracked up to be? It is still working for some and yet, not for others. I speak with one farmer in this podcast episode who is gaining some attention through his efforts in Social Media. I have found that in particular I have been unhappy with Facebook as a platform. You have to pay to get people to like your page, then, if you have a post that is popular or you want people to see you have to pay to reach all of your "fans". These are people who have liked you page a...

GFP073: How to Start a Slaughterhouse

Imagine that you built a business that relied on someone else doing their job well in order to properly satisfy and impress your customers. Sounds like a lot of small businesses right? Now imagine that you lost that important connection and you are suddenly up a creek without a paddle. There are people in this world more brave than I am who are willing to take a seriously leap of faith and take control of the critical step in their business. One of those people is my guest on the show toda...

GFP072: Proper Farm PLanning Makes All The Difference

Does it feel like sometimes you want to just not have a plan? If you don’t have a plan then nothing can go wrong, right? Let me tell you, it is that time spent planning that helps you figure out what is going to wrong and how you will be able to handle it when things take a turn. Without my planning time and the time spent researching and organizing I would be a total wreck right now. My farm plans for the year have completely been turned on their heads several times already and we’re only...

GFP071: Farm Finance Reports

This month brings a combo post like you’ve never seen before. The Farm Finance Challenge and the Growing Farms Podcast have landed on the same day. In honor of such an event one of the participating farmers in the FFC is the interview on the podcast this week. Some of the farmers in the FFC are farming full time, others are homesteading or farming part time. Dan Berube of Berube Farm came on the show today to talk about the balance he has struck between farming vegetables part time and co...

GFP070: Multiple Income Streams From One Product

It is not the small farm's place to count on the grain elevator to set the prices. It is our job to go out, market out products in new and creative ways, and hustle in a way that sees out small businesses succeed (hopefully). This is a topic that I've covered in previous podcasts but since I am currently and constantly refining it, I feel it needs revisiting. I also have a guest on the show who is diversifying her farm not only in production but in marketing as a way to deal with the swings ...

GFP069: Farm Education Programs, What You Need To Know

Information, like matter, cannot be created or destroyed, just changed. Even the most creative works are just the imaginative reworkings of some artists mind. All of our thoughts are distillations of our life experiences. Knowing that, how would you feel if you knew you had the chance to influence the thought patterns of others with your work in sustainable agriculture. I know how I'd feel, pretty darn cool! Today's podcast guest is a farm educator who has accomplished some pretty amazing ...

GFP068: Farm Planning and Execution

 “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” Isn’t that the truth? 2015 has gotten off to a rocky start but things are really starting to look up. Even with three feet of snow outside I can already see signs of Spring. Birds are starting to sing in the morning, maple sap is slowly slowly starting to run, and my order for baby chickens just went out. It has really been a weird past couple of months. Through a strange turn of events I ended up being the only one running the farm this ...

GFP067: Location and Branding Make All the Difference

Farm marketing is really funny in that is can be very easy, or it can take a significant amount of effort. Today's podcast showcases a good example of both. My guests today Patti & Rick from Breakwind Farm are a good example of choosing the right farm location as well as some really successful branding centered around humor. Camps Road Farm, my farm, is a good example of poor farm location and I'll be honest, some boring branding. Good/Bad Farm Location When you're starting your farm and...

GFP066: Stockpile Grazing, Saving Money, Sharing Information

What if you could save more money every year just by managing your farm a little better and taking care of your land? What if the strategy that made the most ecological sense made the most financial sense as well? Well, turns out people have been doing it for years! We're talking stockpile grazing. Where basically instead of cutting hay you are leaving the grass on pasture and letting the cows graze longer. Seems simple right? Well yes, the concept is simple, but the actual execution is a li...

GFP065: Is a Homesteader a Farmer?

When it comes to owning and operating a farm business there is a lot of talk about scale. Are you big enough? Are you too big? What is right, what is wrong? There is only one right answer, whatever works best for you is what works best for you. I operate at a large small scale. I mean that I only have 52 acres and at the same time I can't believe I have 52 acres, it's insane. It is not 10,000 acres or even 1,000 acres, but there is a lot that can go on with even just one acre. On the show to...