The Thriving Farmer Podcast
289 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 days ago - ★★★★★ - 283 ratingsIf you’re looking to build a profitable farm that works, The Thriving Farmer Podcast is for you. Learn the latest tricks and strategies from successful farmers, strategize with in-depth interviews with leaders in the industry, and connect with stories of farmers just like you. With over 15 years of farming background, your host Michael Kilpatrick has the experience and authority to bring you practical advice, ask the hard questions, tease out the gold nuggets, and help share what it’s really like to build a truly profitable, sustainable farm. In the interviews, we focus on building farms that last, setting up your systems, knowing your customers, building your team, and treading that ever-challenging work/family/life balance.
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Episodes
39. Bonus: Roseann Classic on the Rise of Commercial Bamboo in the US
October 17, 2019 17:23 - 35 minutes - 32.6 MBWe've got a bonus episode for you this week! This is a follow-up to Episode 38 with Adam Turtle (who has been growing bamboo for decades and started a bamboo nursery in Tennessee). In this episode, I talk to Roseann Classic who is a rep for a bamboo company that partners with farmers to grow bamboo in Europe, China, and the US. We talk about the challenges of growing bamboo, the crop cycle, the varieties that they're using and exactly how they're planting them so it's a really interesting ta...
38. Adam Turtle on 35 Years of Growing Bamboo in Tennessee
October 15, 2019 13:20 - 46 minutes - 42.5 MBThis week, I talk to Adam Turtle, an 80-year-old scholar and researcher who has spent much of his life, researching a lot of rare plants in the US that can be used for regenerative purposes. We spend a lot of this episode is discussing bamboo. We talked about his Research Farm that has over 300 varieties of bamboo, his thoughts about building soil, his philosophy on life, how they ended up developing their niche which was providing large, high-quality bamboo clumps to zoos all over the US. I...
37. Jonathan Bruderlein on Stepping Back to Gain Perspective
October 08, 2019 15:35 - 44 minutes - 41.1 MBIn this episode, I talk to Jonathan Bruderlein who started farming with horses, then took a break to spend a couple of years traveling to farms around the US and Canada and is now back in Quebec to start version 2.0 of his farm. You'll also hear about: >> How Jonathan managed field cultivation with horses >> How taking a step back to travel gave he and his family perspective and inspiration >> Why some of the most profitable time on a farm is spent with your team >> How your f...
36. John Moody on a Holistic Approach to Managing Weeds
October 01, 2019 14:33 - 51 minutes - 47 MBIn this episode, I interview John Moody, a well-known author, speaker, and homesteader from Kentucky. We discuss how he got into farming, and dive into his new book, Winning the War on Weeds, that he wrote to help small-scale farmers and homesteaders tackle one of the most challenging and labor-intensive parts of growing. In this episode: >> How John found his way to growing food through his health issues >> Why he set out to write a book about weeds after he cut his time spent on weed...
35. Bonus: Q&A with Michael
September 27, 2019 21:12 - 20 minutes - 19 MBWe're sliding in a bonus episode this week to answer some questions that came up in our Small Farm University membership and various Facebook groups.
34. Curtis Millsap on Building Community through Farming
September 24, 2019 14:44 - 1 hour - 78.6 MBThis week's episode is a fantastic conversation with Curtis Millsap of Millsap Farms, a 20-acre farm in Springfield, MO. We cover a lot of ground in this extensive conversation, including how Curtis started his farming career, how they grew their famous on-farm pizza nights, how using Harvie as CSA management software has been a game-changer, a discussion about winter growing and growing in an earth-bermed greenhouse, and so much more. It's a long one so you may need to listen to it in insta...
SE2 Ep 13. Low-tech mushroom growing with Eric Jong of GroCycle
September 17, 2019 13:04 - 42 minutes - 39.1 MBWe're talking low-tech mushroom growing this week with Eric Jong of GroCycle out of the UK. Eric found his way to mushrooms after leaving a corporate career and becoming interested in permaculture and the local food movement. We talk about low-tech growing techniques, marketing mushrooms, having a team to support their business growth, and much more... You'll also hear: >> Which substrates Eric uses >> Their innovative selling systems by selling fruiting blocks via e-commerce >>...
SE 2 Ep. 12 Hemp: Opportunity or Risk? With Brook Sheffield
September 10, 2019 17:17 - 57 minutes - 52.3 MBBrooke Sheffield started his first hemp brand, Smoky Mountain Medicinals, in 2018 and he now co-owns and operates Phytofox, a vertically-integrated hemp company that farms, extracts, and formulates USDA certified organic hemp products. In this episode, we talk about how he got started in the hemp business, his love of plants and growing things, the mistakes he’s made, the challenges he’s faced as the hemp industry has exploded, a run-down of yield and prices, and marketing in this unique ...
S2 Ep 11. Grow Better Not Bigger with Josh Sattin of Sattin Hill Farm
September 03, 2019 14:04 - 48 minutes - 44.2 MBJosh Sattin is the owner/farmer of Sattin Hill Farm, a suburban farm in Raleigh, NC. In this episode we talk about balancing family and farming, what it's like to be a beginning farmer in the South and our favorite cordless drills... In this episode: >> Why Josh encourages beginning farmers to have low expectations their first year >> Why Josh doesn't grow Salanova anymore >> The importance of being open to pivoting your production and business as you learn more about what you an...
S2 Ep 10. Innovative Mushroom Production with William Padilla-Brown
August 27, 2019 05:49 - 41 minutes - 38 MBThis week I interview self-proclaimed mushroom nerd, William Padilla-Brown. In this fascinating interview, we talk about how he continually pushes the boundaries of mycology, cultivates and value-adds cordyceps, the opportunity for artisan mushroom production, and what he's up to with spirulina. In this episode: >> How learning about permaculture got him into growing mushrooms >> How his passion is to experiment with genetic expression of plants and fungi >> The difference between...
S2 Ep. 9 Simplifying Farm Business with Richard Wiswall
August 10, 2019 10:14 - 58 minutes - 53.9 MBRichard Wiswall is owner/operator of Cate Farm in East Montpelier, VT, where he has been farming organically for over 35 years. Richard is known for his work with farm business and profitability and in this episode, we discussed how they have simplified their farm over the years to make it work for them, how they are now exploring farm transition to his youngest son, and his advice for new and beginning farmers. In This Episode: >> How a workshop in 1993 on holistic management changed t...
S2 Ep. 8 Gleanings from a year-long SARE fellowship tour with Crystal Stewart of Cornell Extension
August 10, 2019 10:05 - 55 minutes - 51.2 MBCrystal Stewart is a Cornell Cooperative Extension agent for 17 counties in New York State. She recently started a SARE Fellowship which took her across the country to visit farms of all types. In this episode, we discussed her trip and what she learned, her research work with garlic, melons, carrots (yes bolero is still the best) and lettuce, and how she sees agriculture progressing in the Hudson Valley In This Episode: >> A deep dive into all things garlic and the mulching methods tha...
S2 Ep 7. Niching Down to Become Profitable with Ray Tyler of Rose Creek Farms
August 05, 2019 02:14 - 1 hour - 64.3 MBRay Tyler farms and educates at Rose Creek Farms in Selmer, TN with his wife Ashley and their children. In this interview, we break down how Ray got started farming, their drastic shift into a much more focused production, their diverse marketing to make it in a very rural area of the country, and the challenges they have faced along the way. In This Episode: >> The big change that Ray made in 2015 to simplify his life and give him back time on his farm >> How they attract and keep h...
S2 Ep6. Overwintering Onion Success with Becky Sideman of UNH
August 02, 2019 16:40 - 37 minutes - 42.9 MBHere's a bonus episode that I put together after meeting up with Becky at the Frozen Ground winter growing conference in July 2019. I wanted to share her research about overwintering onions since it's an opportunity that some of you may want to try out or perfect on your farm. Becky Sideman is a professor, researcher and extension agent with the University of New Hampshire. Her areas of expertise include sustainable agriculture, season extension and high tunnel production, vegetable and s...
S2 Ep. 5 Regenerative Farm Design with Darren Doherty of Regrarians Ltd.
July 25, 2019 01:35 - 1 hour - 78.4 MBDarren Doherty is the worlds foremost farm designer and founder of the Regrarians platform and Regrarians LTD. In this episode, we dive into what got Darren started in farm design, what a truly regenerative farm is, and the challenges that farmers all around the world face as they attempt to restore carbon to the landscape. In This Episode: >> How Darren developed the Regrarians platform and the original framework it is based off of >> Darren’s advice to new farmers and the key areas...
SE2 Ep. 4 Marketing Tips with Sales Strategist Erika Tebbens'
July 23, 2019 03:00 - 1 hour - 67.5 MBErika Tebbens is a Sales Strategist and Speaker. She worked for Michael’s farm, Kilpatrick Family Farm for a number of years as the market and sales manager before running her own farm for several years. In this fascinating interview, she unpacks how to cultivate raving fans, how Kilpatrick Family Farm innovated and outsold much more established farms by implementing simple sales techniques, and her pet peeves that farmers do that decrease their sales unintentionally. Check out the 3-day #...
SE2 Ep3. Best Practices for Building a Successful Business with Alex Judd of Ramsey Solutions
July 16, 2019 13:43 - 1 hour - 62.1 MBThis week's episode is a bit different...I brought on Alex Judd, my business coach to talk about how to set yourself up for success in small business. We talk about goal setting, pushing yourself, working with Millennials, and much more. You may not think this is for you if you're a farmer, but I'd disagree with that. I always encourage farmers to look at their farm through a business lens and this is a great conversation for that! In this Episode: >> Why Alex is so passionate about lead...
SE2 Ep 2. Developing a Holistic Farm with Dan Brisebois of Tourne-Sol Co-operative Farm
July 09, 2019 13:25 - 59 minutes - 54.4 MBDaniel Brisebois is a founding member of the Tourne-Sol Cooperative farm which grows vegetables and seeds outside of Montreal, Quebec. In this interview, Dan shares how his role on the farm has evolved as the farm has grown, how the cooperative management model works, and how farms need to focus on running their numbers which can easily be done with spreadsheets. In This Episode: >> The 3 different types of farm stress and how to manage them >> Why working on other farms as you star...
SE2 Ep 1. Building a Sustainable Farm Business with Brian Bates
July 02, 2019 14:57 - 1 hour - 92.8 MBBrian Bates farms with his wife Anne at Bear Creek Organic Farm in Petoskey, Michigan. In this episode, we dive into what it takes to run a successful farm business, how Brian innovates constantly on his farm, how he believes that his team is his most valuable asset and the process he uses to train them, his foray into super sustainable packaging, and why his favorite tool is a calculator. In This Episode: >> Why their original farm plan had no plans for a team and why that changed ...
Ep 20. Ep 20. Season 1 Round-Up: highlights, your questions answered, and sneak peek of Season 2!
June 25, 2019 16:57 - 51 minutes - 47.6 MBThis week we're doing a round-up of season 1 to highlight the best of the podcast so far and look ahead to what's coming up in season 2. A big thank you to all of our loyal listeners for making Season 1 a success!
Ep 19. Profitable Pastured Livestock with Jordan Green of J & L Green Farm
June 17, 2019 01:42 - 1 hour - 55.8 MBIn This Episode: >> How communication is key across any farm but especially when you are renting or leasing land from others. >> What Jordan learned from his mentors that has made a huge difference in structuring their marketing >> Why he is in favor of hiring employees vs a bunch of interns on his farm >> How they accomplish a tremendous amount of work with only 4 people on the farm. >> Jordan’s 3 recommendations for any new farmer when getting started Quotes from the Ep...
Ep 18. No-Till Market Gardening with Daniel Mays of Frith Farm
June 11, 2019 04:22 - 34 minutes - 31.8 MBThis week, I talk to Daniel Mays about his diversified farm and how he manages a no-till, intensive vegetable operation and pastured livestock near Portland, Maine. In this episode you'll hear: >> How building soil and building community around local food are both important factors of regenerative agriculture >> How living in the community you’re serving can help build a successful farm business because of proximity and connections >> How having several symbiotic marketing channel...
Ep 17. How to Market Your CSA with Corinna Bench of Shared Legacy Farms
May 31, 2019 05:31 - 49 minutes - 45.7 MBCorinna Bench is the co-owner of Shared Legacy Farms — a 400 member certified organic vegetable farm outside Toledo, OH. In 2017, their retention rate jumped from 65% to 78% in just one season after teaching her members "the Roadmap to CSA Success" inside her CSA private Facebook group. In this episode, we discuss all things CSA, marketing, and digital tools that farmers can use to share their story. In This Episode: >> How CSA is changing and the key strategies that Shared Legacy Farm ...
Ep 16. Reflections on Working with Farmers for Over 30 Years with Vern Grubinger
May 28, 2019 13:12 - 58 minutes - 53.1 MBVern Grubinger is the vegetable and berry specialist and Extension Professor with the University of Vermont, and coordinator of USDA’s Northeast SARE program. In this interview, we draw on Vern’s several decades as an educator and extension agent and talk about the changes, innovations, and breakthrough’s he’s seen over the years. We discuss how he suggests new farmers get started, how a culture of shared learning has only brought the industry forward, and untapped resources that farmers can...
Ep 15. Profitable Flower Farming with Gretel and Steve Adams of Sunny Meadows Flower Farm
May 21, 2019 07:50 - 1 hour - 81.5 MBGretel and Steve Adams started Sunny Meadows Flower Farm in Columbus, OH in 2007. In this episode, we dive into what it has taken to build a year-round business with multiple year-round employees, the diverse ways they sell their flowers across the country, and how they reduce the overwhelm with careful planning. In This Episode: >> Why Steve and Gretel farm and how it looks different for each of them >> The planning system that they use to easily manage a full team of employees with...
Ep 14. Starting Small with Brandt Parker of The Sage Garden
May 13, 2019 09:24 - 41 minutes - 38.2 MBBrandt and Erica Parker are a couple of years into their farming journey. They grow on a quarter of an acre in Missouri and focus on lettuce and greens. Brandt talks to Michael about what they've learned so far and what advice they have for farmers just starting out. In This Episode: - Weed control strategies and cropping year-round lettuce in a quarter acre market garden - How starting small and scaling up is the way to go when you're just starting out - How a weekly schedule kee...
Ep 13. Michael's Story
May 07, 2019 15:04 - 47 minutes - 43.6 MBIn this episode, Michael dives into how he got started in farming and how he built Kilpatrick Family Farm to over 20 employees and 500k in annual sales. We also dive deep into what happened to the farm after they decided to step away in 2015. We discuss how building a team was essential for scaling their farm, how they rented several properties to grow on, and the changes he would make if he were starting over again. In This Episode: >>How Michael and his brother got started farming...
Ep 12. Start Your Farm with Ellen Polishuk of Plant to Profit
April 30, 2019 12:17 - 57 minutes - 53 MBEllen Polishuk talks to Michael about her new book, Start a Farm, tips for farmers as they lay a foundation for a successful farm. In This Episode: >> What it takes to be a farmer >> Why failure is important >> What the most common thing small farms fail with >> What makes a qualified consultant and what questions should you ask before hiring them About the Guest: Ellen is a full-time workshop leader and farm consultant. She takes her 35 years of biological vegetable farmin...
Ep 11. The Integrity of Organic Farming with Dave Chapman of Long Wind Farm
April 23, 2019 11:42 - 54 minutes - 49.9 MBDave Chapman talks to Michael about making farming decisions considering family and environmental priorities, the challenges of organic greenhouse tomatoes, and keeping the integrity of the organic movement intact. In This Episode: >> Simplifying operations to make more time for family and raising kids >> Energy efficiency and heated greenhouses in the age of climate change >> Managing tomato monocropping with no-till methods >> How the theory of limiting constraints from the ...
Ep 10. What FSMA really means with the Vermont Produce Safety Team
April 16, 2019 00:30 - 56 minutes - 51.4 MBIn This Episode: >> The differences between Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) >> An explanation of FMSA exemptions >> A discussion of common food safety myths >> How systems and record-keeping are the foundation of food safety plans Quotes from the Episode: "Food safety is a constant improvement process...it's about thinking intentionally about produce safety and adopting good practices to try to minimize risk" "You can't clean...
Ep 9. Rachel Sprout Yeats of Six Toed Fox Organics
April 10, 2019 00:59 - 53 minutes - 48.8 MBIn This Episode: >> Overview of small scale organic farming in New Zealand and how they focus on wholesale marketing streams >> How they balance the demands of their 3-acre vegetable operation while raising 3 children >> Their productions methods using no-till, deep organic, and permaculture principles >> Rachel's long-term perspective of hiring a team About the Guest: Rachel Yeats manages Six Toed Fox Organics, a newly established 3-acre certified organic market garden in...
Ep 8. Ted Lebow of Kitchen Table Consultants
April 02, 2019 11:45 - 46 minutes - 42.6 MBIn This Episode: >> Ted's preferred definition of sustainable agriculture encompasses soil health, nutrient density, and financial viability >> Ted's Monday morning routine and how he stays organized and productive >> How systems and consistency are key to sound finances. The #1 reason why farms fail is lack of profit >> The biggest mistake he sees beginning farmers make is jumping in without a financial plan and not learning on someone's else's dime Quotes from the Episode: ...
Ep 7 Linley Dixon of Adobe House Farm
March 26, 2019 11:35 - 29 minutes - 26.6 MBIn This Episode: >> Her journey from PhD to becoming a farmer and getting involved in the organic movement >> The challenges of finding land and securing water rights in the Western US >> How Eliot Coleman and Wendall Berry have inspired her >> Her involvement in the Real Organic Project and the importance of integrity and transparency in organic farming About the Guest: Linley Dixon owns a 5-acre mixed vegetable farm in Durango Colorado, marketing through Southwest Farm Fresh...
Ep 6. Tom Stearns of High Mowing Organic Seeds
March 19, 2019 13:20 - 39 minutes - 54.9 MBIn This Episode: >> How Tom got started seed saving and grew his hobby into a business >> How growing seeds is different from market gardening >> How he empowers employees with responsibility and ownership >> Tom's thoughts about the state of the organic seed industry About the Guest: Tom Stearns began gardening at an early age at his family home in Connecticut. Prior to completing a degree in Sustainable Agriculture from Prescott College in Arizona, he began saving seeds...
Ep 5. Dan Kittredge of the Bionutrient Food Association
March 13, 2019 01:25 - 57 minutes - 78.4 MBWhat you'll hear in this episode: Dan presents a paradigm shift in how to think about managing soil and growing crops How the nutrient density of our food has decreased over time and how human health is related to soil health Why microbes and remineralization are key to having healthy soil How he and collaborators around the world are working to develop a consumer device to test nutrient density at the point of purchase Why he amends with rock dust and seawater, but not compos...
Ep 4. Ben Beichler of Creambrook Farm
March 08, 2019 14:13 - 58 minutes - 80.5 MBWhat you'll hear in this episode: How being financially literate has been an asset to getting their dairy farm off the ground Ben's process of prioritizing and being most productive Which mentors have shaped their journey and influenced their production and mindset How laser focus on one thing enabled them to rapidly grow their herd share Quotes: "We are very intentional about developing a relationship with our customers" "You have to be at peace with the fact that you'r...
Ep 3. Jenny Quiner of Dogpatch Urban Gardens
March 08, 2019 02:31 - 31 minutes - 29.2 MBIn This Episode: >> How Dogpatch Urban Gardens is highly diversified despite only growing on a 1/4 acre >> Why customer experience is a key focus for them >> Why Jenny, a mom of 3 kids, left a teaching job to start an urban farm 2 blocks from their house >> How eating right and taking care of herself makes her a more happy and productive person About the Guest: Jenny Quiner runs Dogpatch Urban Gardens (DUG), an urban farm located in Des Moines, Iowa. Dogpatch Urban Garde...
Ep 2. Joel Salatin of Polyface Farm
March 08, 2019 01:33 - 1 hour - 96.1 MBAbout the guest: Joel Salatin, 61, calls himself a Christian libertarian environmentalist capitalist lunatic farmer. Others who like him call him the most famous farmer in the world, the high priest of the pasture, and the most eclectic thinker from Virginia since Thomas Jefferson. Those who don’t like him call him a bio-terrorist, Typhoid Mary, charlatan, and starvation advocate. He co-owns, with his family, Polyface Farm in Swoope, Virginia. Featured in the New York Times bestseller ...
Ep 1. Introducing the Thriving Farmer Podcast
March 05, 2019 01:56 - 14 minutes - 16.7 MBIn this episode we lay the foundation for what we hope will be something of great value for farmers all around the world. I, Michael talks about a few reasons for the podcast and what we hope to cover in upcoming episodes. Takeaways from the episode: Our goal is to Inspire, educate, and celebrate farmers around the world. There are several reasons for this podcast. Some of the big ones are: To share the stories of new and experienced farmers around the world. We can learn from ev...