The Complexities of a Year-Round, Truly Full-Diet, CSA with Mark & Kristen Kimball of Essex Farm
The Winter Growers Podcast
Mark and Kristen Kimball of in Essex, New York, have farmed for over 20 years together. Mark and Kristen are known for their year-round, free-choice, whole-diet CSA model on 130 acres, with 22 acres and vegetables and access to 1,100 acres per grazing, haymaking, and sugaring, producing everything from veggies, fruit, grains, meat, dairy, eggs, and more. They balance the complexities of a year-round whole diet CSA model and their approach to winter food in the form of not only storage crops, but through the animals they raise who harvest the sun's abundance in the form of grass, forbs, and...
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A Small-Farm Powerhouse Thriving on One Acre, Sarah Patterson of Red Acre Farm
The Winter Growers Podcast
Farmer Sarah Patterson of in Cedar City, Utah, was just 14 years old when she started her first CSA on her parents' land after they moved to Utah from LA. Now, 15 years later, she has built Red Acre Farm into a thriving one-acre certified organic farm with a year-round, full-diet CSA, farm stand, farm kitchen, AND farm stay, along with hosting farm dinners, workshops, and other community events. She also founded the Utah Farm and Food Conference, now in its eighth year, and with her mom established the , a nonprofit with a focus on farmer education and advocating for farmers at the state...
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A Robust, Nimble, Mission-Driven, Two-Acre Farm with Kate Woods of Beetlebung Farm
The Winter Growers Podcast
Kate Woods, farm manager of in Chilmark, Massachusetts, along with her partner Nick, are the co-managers of a two-acre regenerative and primarily no-till farm on the island of Martha's Vineyard. Before its current iteration, the land had a rich history in agriculture, something of which that has been important to carry on for the island community, as well as a commitment to year-round production and innovation. With only two acres, the focus is on direct retail through a farm stand, farmer's markets, and a handful of wholesale clients, plus some educational opportunities for local school...
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The Art of Kaizen + Holistic Management on a Growing, Year-Round Vegetable Farm with Max & Katie of Winter Kissed Farm
The Winter Growers Podcast
As their farm name suggests, Montana farmers Max Smith and Katie Madden of focus on growing vegetable crops year-round, especially during the winter seasons. On 15 acres and at 3,500 feet in elevation, they use multiple high-tunnels and caterpillar-tunnels to grow crops and sell them through a CSA, , and to some area restaurants. They've had an interesting journey with marketing and production by focusing on winter- and spring-only sales during some recent years, but they are bringing back their summer CSA this year to meet the increasing demand for local, year-round veggies. With a crew of...
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An Inspiring Veteran Farmer on Self, Family, & Community Care with Elizabeth Keen of Indian Line Farm
The Winter Growers Podcast
Elizabeth Keen of in Western Massachusetts, has been farming for 27 years and began her farm with her husband on land that was the birthplace of the CSA model popularized by Robyn Van En in 1986. Stewarding this important property, Elizabeth started her CSA with 12 member shares in 1997, which has since grown to 250 members, plus sales at a farmer's market and some restaurants and stores, all from five acres of production. The farm is certified naturally grown, and Elizabeth is an active member of CRAFT, the Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training Program, which trains future...
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Beginning a New Farm with Intentionality w/ Ellie & Dan of Small Holding Farm
The Winter Growers Podcast
Ellie Goldstein and Dan Bryant of in Morganton, North Carolina, were recommended by a fan of the show as young, new, year-round farmers. Ellie and Dan started their farm in 2020 during the early months of the pandemic. Ellie has a background in psychology and works part-time in the mental health field and Dan is a certified arborist and carpenter… skills that have undoubtedly helped their recent transition into starting a farm and homestead with a focus on year-round production and building community. Farming on one acre with three high-tunnels, they prioritize building soil using primarily...
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Year-round Growing on an Island with Aidan Feeney of Fog Town Farm on Nantucket Island
The Winter Growers Podcast
Aidan Feeney of is located on Nantucket Island, 30 miles off of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Growing up on Nantucket as an outdoor enthusiast and working in landscaping and doing tree work during high school, Aidan became inspired to learn about agriculture and spent time in New York and in Vermont in college working on farms. In 2019, he returned to the island to start Fogtown Farm on leased conservation land. Now five years later, he has two acres under cultivation and is expanding to an additional three and a half acres on newly leased land. The demand for local produce year-round on the...
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Nearly 20 Years of Four Season Farming Done Well with Nate & Gabrielle of Six River Farm
The Winter Growers Podcast
Nate & Gabrielle of Six River Farm are located just north of Portland, ME. As early apprentices of Paul and Sandy Arnold of Pleasant Valley Farm—also former guests on the show—Nate and Gabrielle are now in their 18th! year of farming. Starting Six River Farm in 2007, on 2.5 acres of leased land, AND utilizing a collective farm model with four farms sharing infrastructure, they now have grown to 25 acres of vegetable production, with 20 employees during the main-season, 10 of whom work year-round. Farming on a mix of owned and leased land, they use eleven high-tunnels and 11 caterpillar...
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Blooms During the Coldest and Darkest Months of the Year with Emily of Von Trapp Flowers & Linda of Little Farmhouse Flowers
The Winter Growers Podcast
Today, I have TWO guests, Emily Von-Trapp of in VT and Linda D’arco of in NY. Emily and Linda each operate their own cut flower businesses with a focus on wholesale and winter flower bulb forcing AND they collaborate to teach flower farmers how to bring beautiful flowers to bloom during the coldest and darkest months of the year through online course and on-farm classes. Along with a second Lilly workshop, their collaboration has inspired hundreds of flower farmers to grow local blooms during the dark winter months. We talk about their backgrounds, how they met, along with an uncanny list...
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Building a Year-Round, Family-Focused Farm in the South with Ray Tyler of Rose Creek Farms
The Winter Growers Podcast
Over the last 14 years, Ray Tyler of has been passionate about developing growing systems to successfully grow and sell certified organic produce fifty-two weeks a year in western Tennessee. Along with his wife Ashley and six homeschooled children, he is committed to creating a family-focused farm that allows for a sustainable and healthy work-life balance. Using a meticulous system of eighteen caterpillar tunnels on one acre, Ray is able to supply three farmers markets and a farm stand. His market displays are called "the salad bar" and they are always stacked high with bunches of carrots,...
info_outlineFinegan and Jason of Steelbow Farm, in Austin TX, may seem like unusual guests for the Winter Growers Podcast. But, with climate change and more frequent extreme weather patterns, I was curious to hear from a farm down at the 30th parallel where farming from November through March is more common. However, it is still full of challenges, such as extreme daily temperature swings.
Finegan and Jason first farmed together in Austin before deciding to start their first farm in Maine, where they leased land for three seasons and sold mostly into the Portland area. After coming up short in their search for permanent farmland, they reached out to a farmer farm mentor in Austin who offered to lease them farmland and infrastructure. It was too good of an offer to refuse, so they took the leap and moved their farm BACK down to Texas. In late 2019, they packed their bags, along with their first child, and moved to Austin to begin their new farm adventure.
In the last two years, and during a pandemic no less, they have rebuilt Steelbow Farm, now cultivating 2.5 acres, and sell to over 20 restaurantes with a 130+ member CSA. They also have 7 employees, prioritize paying them well, with quality, community, and communication as as central focus in all that they do.
Year round growing is primary to their farming model, but it's not without it's challenges, even in Texas. I hope this conversation offers a wider perspective on what it means to farm year-round, no matter where the farm is located.
Mentioned in the show...
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