Small Farm Nation

Farm Logo design mistakes

What do most people think of when they think of branding? They think of logos. In fact, many people think that their logo is their brand. And you can’t have a great brand without a super cool logo design, can you? Today, I’m gonna tell you the mistakes you’re making with your farm logo design and what you really should be doing, instead.

Logo design mistakes

What do most people think of when they think of branding? They think of logos. In fact, many people think that their logo is their brand. And you can’t have a great brand without a super cool logo design, can you? Today, I’m gonna tell you the mistakes you’re making with your farm logo design and what you really should be doing, instead.

One-Page Farm Business Plan

Okay, so it’s strategy week here on the Small Farm Nation podcast. And nothing says “strategy” more than business planning, so that’s the focus this week. Now, the first thing you're told to do when starting a business is to write a business plan. But should you? Do traditional business plans help? Or is there a better way. Yes, there is a better way, and in this episode I'll walk you through how to create an actionable one-page business plan.

10 Reasons Farms Struggle Selling Product

Okay, so it’s Marketing week here on the podcast. And it’s an important episode, and if you’re a farmer, this is gonna really resonate with you. I want to talk about why small farms struggle so much to sell their products. If you’re a small, family farmer, you know what I mean. I've created a list of ten reasons why small farms struggle to sell their products. Listen in and see what you think.

12 Fatal Flaws of Most Websites

Okay, so it’s Online Marketing week here on the Small Farm Nation podcast, and we’re gonna discuss the dirty dozen...the 12 Fatal Flaws of Most Farm Websites. I'd say at least 90% of farm websites commit these sins. Do you?

How to Choose a Name for Your Farm

One of the most common things new farmers stress over is what to name their farm business. Well, in this week's episode I'm going to tell you there are lots of WRONG names to choose, and give you a tool for choosing the right name for your farm. We'll also cover how to choose product names and taglines.

Wal-Mart’s NOT the problem. Your business model is!

Farmers love to blame Wal-Mart, regulations and unpatriotic consumers as reasons why their farms struggle. But is that really the case? In this episode I explain why it is not the case, and I also share some structural changes I'm making to upcoming podcast episodes.

Talking Farm Marketing on the Modern Acre Podcast

This week I'd like to introduce you to an awesome new podcast. I really enjoyed my conversation with Tim and Tyler Nuss of the Modern Acre podcast recently. If you haven't heard their podcast, here's your chance. Then hit their site and subscribe.

Talking Farm Marketing on the Modern Acre Podcast

This week I'd like to introduce you to an awesome new podcast. I really enjoyed my conversation with Tim and Tyler Nuss of the Modern Acre podcast recently. If you haven't heard their podcast, here's your chance. Then hit their site and subscribe.

Talking Pastured Poultry with John Suscovich

In this episode, I talk with John Suscovich of Farm Marketing Solutions. We discuss John's new book on Marketing Pastured Poultry, how to start a pastured poultry business, the critical success factors to achieving profitability and much more. And, of course, we discuss what Howard Stern has in common with pastured poultry.

Random Acts of Marketing

Today I want to discuss a crisis in small business. A crisis in most businesses, actually, but particularly in farm businesses. It’s a problem that creates undue stress, panic and results in farmers not building their brands, getting enough customers and growing their farm business. I’m talking about Random Acts of Marketing.

Random Acts of Farm Marketing

Today I want to discuss a crisis in small business. A crisis in most businesses, actually, but particularly in farm businesses. It’s a problem that creates undue stress, panic and results in farmers not building their brands, getting enough customers and growing their farm business. I’m talking about Random Acts of Marketing.

Announcing the Small Farm Nation Academy

Where oh where can you go to learn all the skills you need to market your farm business? Today I’m going to tell you about the greatest farm tool you can invest in this year, the one that will help you to get growing! A membership site full of training videos, Mastermind interviews and resources to teach you how to market your farm business.

Why Your Farm Needs Great Brand Recognition

Is branding important for your farm business? Let’s start with what I mean by the word “brand” because it’s a word that we hear often, but we may not understand the meaning.  I mean, what does the word “brand” mean anyway?

Foundations for Farm & Local Food Marketing

So what’s the secret to marketing farm and local food products? Today, I’ll tell you, and set you on a solid foundation for marketing your farm and/or food products. Because, if we produce great food and farm products and there’s no one to buy it, what’s the point?

11 Farm Business Rules

Serving the local food community and reconnecting heritage breed animals to neglected farmland was, and is, a worthy pursuit, and it's one that a growing number of people are drawn to. If you're one of those people, that's awesome, and I encourage you to follow your dream.

Interview with Greg Gunthorp of Gunthorp Farms

Each month, I conduct a mastermind interview for members of the Small Farm Nation Academy. They’re video calls between me and an expert in matters that relate to growing a profitable farming business, and they tend to be an hour long, give or take. In this episode, I’m gonna share some highlights of my discussion with Greg Gunthorp of Gunthorp Farms in Indiana. 2018 marks Greg’s 20th year as a successful sustainable farmer. This year he’ll raise and market well over 100,000 poultry in additi...

Interview with Jordan & Laura Green

Each month,I conduct a mastermind interview for members of the Small Farm Nation Academy. They’re video calls between me and an expert in matters that relate to growing a profitable farming business, and they tend to be an hour long, give or take. In this episode, I’m gonna share some highlights of my discussion with Jordan & Laura Green of J&L Green Farm in Virginia. The Green's have built a fast-growing pasture-based meat business and, get this...they don't even own a single acre of farmla...

How to Overcoming Farm Price Objections

We all know that sustainably produced food is more expensive than supermarket food, so how do we explain that when challenged? This week I want to discuss a challenge that many small farmers face.  It’s one that they seem to all dread and it puts them on the defensive. It’s the whole issue of defending why their products cost so much. Or, at least seems to cost so much. Now, this is a real issue for many of us, so it’s not one we should run from. We need to be prepared to face this head on, a...

How to Overcome Farm Price Objections

Interview with urban farmer Curtis Stone

Each month,I conduct a mastermind interview for members of the Small Farm Nation Academy. They’re video calls between me and an expert in matters that relate to growing a profitable farming business, and they tend to be an hour long, give or take. In this episode, I’m gonna share some highlights of my discussion with Curtis Stone. Curtis is well known for maximizing farming profits on small, urban lots, and has helped lots of folks to do the same thing. Whether you’re interested in urban or ...

What farmers need to know about 2018 Facebook changes

Facebook is now focused not on the brands…or those of you who have farm Facebook pages, but rather focused on the individual FB user. Learn how to use Facebook effectively with the end in mind. And the end is getting people to conduct a transaction with you.

Email List Building 101 For Farmers

An email list is your most important communication asset, and email marketing is a great way to sell your farm products. But how do you build a list in the first place? In this episode I walk you through the four not-so-simple steps of email list building for your farm business.

7 Reason Why Small Farms Fail

Small businesses routinely fail in every industry segment, but what   causes small farms to fail? In this episode I share 7 reasons why small farms fail, so you learn what not to do so that your farm thrives. I'll walk you through seven reasons why small farms fail.

Farm Law, Liability & How to Protect Your Assets

A lot of people dream of starting a family farm and selling directly to customers, but how do you protect yourself from getting sued? In this episode, join me and the Food Lawyer as we discuss farm law, liability and how to protect your personal assets.

Do You Have a Farm Business or a Farm Hobby?

The phrase hobby farm is cute and all, but what’s the difference between a hobby farm and a farming business? In this episode, I’m going to tell you why you might have a farm hobby that costs you money rather than a thriving farm business that earns you money.

My Interview on Chris Martenson’s Peak Prosperity Podcast

This week I was a guest on the popular Peak Prosperity podcast. It was a great pleasure speaking with Adam Taggart, who co-founded Peak Prosperity with Chris Martenson. You can listen to the episode here on the Peak Prosperity website, here on iTunes or here on YouTube. We discussed many aspects of starting and running a successful small-scale farming business. If you'd rather read than listen, you can read the entire transcript of the episode, below. Episode Transcript Adam: Hello, and we...

How to Build Your Personal Farm Brand

We’ve all heard the term corporate branding, but what is a personal brand, and do farmers need one? In this episode, I’m going to tell you why you need to develop your own personal farm brand, and how to do it. Because, from a marketing perspective, a sustainable farm business is quite unique in the scheme of business models.

The “Ideal Customer” Myth

Farming/Homesteading as a Retirement Strategy | Homesteading | Farming

When people think of retirement, they often think of golf or travel. But what about homesteading or farming as a retirement strategy? In this final episode of season 1, I’ll share with you how we and many other farmsteaders are thinking very old-school about retirement. Listen to the Podcast Subscribe to Self-Sufficient Life on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Google Play or TuneIn Several years ago as we prepared to transition from sprawling urban life to our rural farmstead, Liz and I were filled...

Farmstead Update: Shaking the Winter Blues | Homesteading | Farming

Sign Up Spring has sprung but the grass ain’t ris, and we can’t find where the flowers is. This week, Liz joins me as we shake the winter blues and share an update of what’s happening on the farm. Listen to the Podcast Subscribe to Self-Sufficient Life on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Google Play or TuneIn Welcome to Episode 29! First off, we've received 70 reviews on iTunes, and Liz and I would like to thank each of you for leaving a review. This podcast is a labor of love for us and we greatly...

Why We Eat the Animals We Love | Homesteading | Farming

We love animals, so farming livestock was an easy decision for us. So how can we eat the animals we love? Today, I’ll tell you why PETA is dead wrong and why eating the "right" meat is best for people, the environment AND the animals. Listen to the Podcast Subscribe to Self-Sufficient Life on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Google Play or TuneIn So, of all the decisions we contemplated when we began farming a decade ago, choosing to farm livestock was the easiest. Of course, that meant we would c...

23 Questions to Ask Before Buying Rural Land | Homesteading | Farming

When you search for rural land you’ll find all sorts of places that look promising. But how do you know if you’ve found your dream property? Today, I’ll share what we’ve learned and cover the 23 questions you should answer before buying that rural property. Listen to the Podcast Subscribe to Self-Sufficient Life on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Google Play or TuneIn So, Liz and I have bought rural property twice now. It’s both an exciting and exhausting time, Before you plunk down that deposit...

10 Survival Lessons From the Great Depression | Homesteading | Farming

Many people believe that The Great Depression was a hard time for all Americans, but is that true? This week, I’ll tackle that myth and share 10 Survival Lessons from The Great Depression era. Listen to the Podcast Subscribe to Self-Sufficient Life on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Google Play or TuneIn So, we all grew up reading and hearing about The Great Depression, right? That time in American history when times were tough, everyone was thrown out of work, food was scarce. On top of that we ...

Why “Can I Make Money Homesteading?” is the Wrong Question | Homesteading | Farming

A lot of folks have asked me if they can make money farming or homesteading, but is that even the right question to ask? This week, Liz and I will share why it may not be and what we’ve learned about the financial side of a self-sufficient lifestyle. Listen to the Podcast Subscribe to Self-Sufficient Life on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Google Play or TuneIn   Welcome to Episode 25! So, we can't count the number of times someone has asked us over the years, "can you make money farming or homest...

What is Modern Homesteading Anyway? | Homesteading | Prepping

Myself and many others on this podcast use the phrase modern homesteading, but what does that really mean in this digital age? Listen to the Podcast Subscribe to Self-Sufficient Life on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Google Play or TuneIn   Welcome to Episode 24! So, here's a question for you: What do you visualize when you hear the phrase homesteading, self-sufficient or self-reliance? I’m willing to bet that many of you visualize a natural setting. Perhaps a loving family working hard togethe...

The Homeschooling Decision| Homesteading

Many modern homesteaders made a choice to opt-out and provide for themselves, but what impact does that choice have on their children? This week, we’ll begin a series of discussing the real life ups and downs of homeschooling children. Listen to the Podcast Subscribe to Self-Sufficient Life on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Google Play or TuneIn   Welcome to Episode 23! This week, Liz and I discuss how we arrived at the difficult choice of homeschooling our daughter. Now, since we've embraced m...

How to Start a Farm or Homestead With No Money | Homesteading

I’ve shared many stories of people who have opted out of the rat race, but some of them had saved money to do so? But what if you haven’t? Listen to the Podcast Subscribe to Self-Sufficient Life on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Google Play or TuneIn   Welcome to Episode 22! Today, I’ll deal with a caller’s frustration on how to start a homestead or farm with no money. So, I got this call in from a listener a while back and haven’t had a chance to center an episode around it yet. In the call, yo...

How to Make Money Homesteading | Homesteading

Moving to the country means you still make money, so how do you decide what business ideas to pursue? Listen to the Podcast Subscribe to Self-Sufficient Life on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Google Play or TuneIn   Welcome to Episode 20! This week Liz and I address a caller’s question about how to research and decide the best way to make money homesteading. Listen in as we discuss the many ways to make money farming or with modern homesteading: First, find your PASSION Why exactly do you...

Building a New Homestead with Tim & Liz Young|Farming | Homesteading

Esther Emery & The Circle of Life|Off-Grid | Homesteading

Welcome to Episode 18!  So, if you’re the daughter of a famous homesteader, you’re destined to live off the land yourself, right? Today, you’ll find out what falls from the sky when a teenager rebels against the mother of modern homesteading. Listen Now! Subscribe to Self-Sufficient Life on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Google Play or TuneIn So, imagine your mother wrote the book on Country Living. I mean—literally. In addition to bearing seven children in the 70s, Carla Emery also found time to...

Homestead Privacy with Tim & Liz Young|Farming | Homesteading

How can a modern homesteader expect to achieve personal privacy in the digital age? This week, Liz and I discuss the homestead we settled on and the steps we have taken to live a private, self-sufficient life. Listen to the Podcast Subscribe to Self-Sufficient Life on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Google Play or TuneIn Welcome to Episode 17! This week Liz and I tell describe the homestead property we settled on, and share what concessions we had to make since there is no "perfect" property. He...

Moving to a New Homestead |Farming | Homesteading

If you had an opportunity to opt out of the rat race and set up a modern homestead, how would you go about it? This week you’ll hear my wife Liz and I share our step-by-step process for choosing our new homestead location. Listen to the Podcast SUBSCRIBE TO PODCAST IN ITUNES Welcome to Episode 16! This week’s episode is a little different in that it doesn’t profile another homesteader or farmer. Instead, it begins the process of profiling us. By that I mean my wife, Liz, and myself, and the...

Moving to a New Homestead with Tim & Liz Young |Farming | Homesteading

If you had an opportunity to opt out of the rat race and set up a modern homestead, how would you go about it? This week you’ll hear my wife Liz and I share our step-by-step process for choosing our new homestead location. Listen to the Podcast SUBSCRIBE TO PODCAST IN ITUNES Welcome to Episode 16! This week’s episode is a little different in that it doesn’t profile another homesteader or farmer. Instead, it begins the process of profiling us. By that I mean my wife, Liz, and myself, and the...

The Beginning Farmer

Welcome to Episode 15! So, what can happen when an active youth pastor gets the results from his life insurance physical? Today, you’ll hear how those results and what the doctor ordered drove the youth pastor to become the beginning farmer. Listen to the Podcast SUBSCRIBE TO PODCAST IN ITUNES Ethan Book dreamed of being a farmer when he was a kid, but life's necessities steered him in a different direction. After having children, his practical wife insisted he procure life insurance. But th...

From Investment Banker & Fashion Designer to Sustainable Farmers

In this episode you'll hear the story of how an investment banker and a fashion designer traded the glamour of Manhattan for goats and brambles in Tennessee. Imagine being a young couple living the good life in New York. One's an investment banker, the other's a fashion designer and both are on their way to the top. Then, they get this wild idea--"Hey, let's quit our jobs and move to the country to milk cows and make artisan cheese." Only when they find their farm, it's not what they imagine...

The Accidental Farmers with Tim & Liz Young|Farming | Homesteading

So, what can happen when a suburban couple living on a golf course decides to take a horseback riding trip? Turns out they decide to chuck the house, buy 100 acres in the country and become the accidental farmers. Listen to the Podcast SUBSCRIBE TO PODCAST IN ITUNES Welcome to Episode 13! This is a story about...well...it's my story. Or more accurately, the story of how my wife, Liz, and I found ourselves out here in the country when we used to be in there (corporate America). Liz was a t...

Pastured Pork | Farming | Homesteading

Abundant Permaculture with Justin Rhodes| Backyard Chickens | Homesteading

Whatta ya get when you combine a drunken homeless man, a deer tick and the Internet? Today, you’ll find out how those three ingredients, along with a determined entrepreneur, add up to Abundant Permaculture. Listen to the Podcast SUBSCRIBE TO PODCAST IN ITUNES Welcome to Episode 11! This is a story about Justin Rhodes. A fellow who didn’t opt out of the rat race, because he never even opted in. Justin has taken a winding journey from western North Carolina to Honduras and even Australia bef...

The Hot Dog Who Started a Lavender Farm After His Owner Lost Everything | Homesteading

Everyone wants to be a millionaire, but where do you turn when you strike it rich then lose it all in a real estate meltdown? In this episode I share the story of a hot dog who rescued a couple of corporate drop-outs who lost everything in the Great Recession. Listen to the Podcast SUBSCRIBE TO PODCAST IN ITUNES Welcome to Episode 10! This is the story of Laurie Charpentier, who accomplished something we all dream of--becoming a millionaire. Then, in the blink of an eye she lost it all, i...