Let’s face it, many of us can only dream of working from the comfort of our own home. In my case, working from home has been an ongoing process of trying to turn “nothing” into “something”. From writing to marketing and selling products I either make or grow, this is how I would like to […]

Excerpted from Bioshelter Market Garden by Darrell Frey Market Surveys Once we had agreed upon a business structure, we began market research. As we completed our bioshelter and began to establish gardens, we distributed samples of our crops. Our initial focus on specialty crops, such as salad mix, herbs and arugula, was met with indifference by […]

A big part of Etsy is the ability to connect buyers with makers. (If you’re not familiar with Etsy, be sure to check out Part 1 of this article!) One of my favorite parts about running the farm stand is meeting my customers face-to-face. While this isn’t possible when you are selling online, Etsy does […]

Every year Zach and I take a tractor ride around the property gathering greens for holiday décor. I used to buy them. Then it dawned on me that we are lucky to have a pretty large selection of wild conifers around our property.   We have some pine trees in the front yard, some bristly […]

Extending the growing season by adding a greenhouse has become an important factor to consider for our small farmer’s market business. After feeling out the need for produce most requested in local farmer’s markets, we noticed one key factor – the early bird gets the worm. The first produce out the gate was eagerly purchased […]

Have you heard of Etsy? It is an online marketplace where vendors can sell handmade and/or vintage goods. Selling on Etsy has lots of benefits for us. It has a lot of name recognition and has been around long enough to be a publicly-traded company. Lots of lifestyle magazines feature  products found on the site. […]

We moved to the country in 2002 to start growing our own food organically. I also wanted to get “honest” exercise — rather than exercising in a gym or on a treadmill. And I wanted my children to grow up with a sense of purpose in life. We had no desire to sell anything. It’s […]

Gut Check Aaron from High Spirit Farm had been pounding the pavement, talking with chefs and grocers about buying his produce. It was early March when we sat down, and he was pretty sure that he had five commitments for purchasing throughout the season; he felt confident he could sell $45,000 worth of produce.   […]

Instagram is unique among social networks because of the way it engages its users. Engagement is the way that users interact with the posts on a social media network — the more likes, shares, and comments a post has, the more engaging it is. In this guide, we’re diving into how to create content for […]

Selling Produce at Local Farmers’ Markets Tips and tricks to make finding your niche at local farmers’ markets easy. Your local farmers’ markets can be festive cultural outings for you and your family. It is a place where friends and neighbors connect, children are welcome, and people reunite with foods from their past. Our farmers’ markets […]