Harvesting and prepping produce the day before market is considered a badge of honor by many beginning farmers. It’s also what burns them out. — The market for local food had been gathering momentum long before the pandemic showed the advantages of a shorter food supply chain. Freshness was one of local’s main selling points. To deliver on that, many farmers believe they have to harvest and prep most, or all, of their produce the…

Smart farmers who sell direct have always based their pricing on supply and demand. — Although small plot intensive (SPIN) farmers produce much higher volumes than a typical gardener, it is much less compared to large multi-acre farms. Because they have a limited amount to sell, they need to get good prices to make it worth their time and effort. …

It’s a plague that shows up every year. Here’s the simple RX. — Burnout always plagues farm startups. Pioneering urban farmer Wally Satzewich says, “ Every year I see new farmers at market get off to a good start only to see them burn out by season’s end. They don’t come back the following year. It’s often related to unsustainable work flows.” Many…

You have to both run the business and make the business run — There is no such thing as specialization on an owner/operated farm. The farmer does it all. Urban farm pioneer Wally Satzewich says, “I used to get asked if farming was a 9 to 5 job. …

On an owner/operated farm, you can’t fire yourself — Among the top reasons people become small plot intensive (SPIN) farmers is they want to be their own boss. Managing yourself requires a different skill set from working a 9 to 5 jobs or managing employees. What are the signs that you’re not being a good boss of yourself? Vague…

What’s holding back new farmers? 2 reasons and ways to get past them — There are good reasons for the surging interest in farming. There’s bad reasons why people hold back from actually doing it. According to urban farm pioneer Wally Satzewich, they come down to two things. Money and soil. “They’re important to think about, no question,” he says. “But they don’t have…

It starts with the source — For advice, beginning farmers frequently get platitudes, like Work smarter, not harder. Rarely are they accompanied by a useful way to put them into practice. Tips from some blogging farmers are even less helpful: — keep breathing (really?) — get more sleep (are they kidding?) — let yourself “be”…

Here’s the answer from an average person who became the poster boy for urban farming — Wally Satzewich gets asked the question all the time by those seeking a role model. A former cab driver turned pioneering urban farmer and the creator of SPIN-Farming, he’s a good candidate. He’s been selling at the farmers market in Saskatoon, SK Canada for 30+ years. He’s farmed in urban…

9 ways to deal with competition at farmers markets — The countdown to first farmers markets is accelerating, and for may new farmers, so is self-doubt. Here’s an example: ““Hi! I just got final instructions for my first market. Hurray! However, with this dream I am now panicking!!!! This is only my second year farming, and my first year at…