The No-Till Flowers Podcast

A show about regenerative flower farming. Hosted by Jennie Love of Love 'n Fresh Flowers, a flower farm in Philadelphia.

10 Late Season Flower Crops for November Sales with Dave Dowling 03/03/2025

10 Late Season Flower Crops for November Sales with Dave Dowling Dave Dowling is back for this episode. He’s a fan favorite and if you haven’t already listened to the Everything Tulips episode and Everything Ranunculus episode here, be sure to go back to grab those. Dave is well-known in the flower farmer sphere for his wealth of knowledge and decades of experience in farming and sales. I asked Dave back so he could help me hash out what flowers are viable crops for November sales. I’ve heard more and more growers talking about skipping summer production in favor of focusing on the shoulder seasons, myself included. The summer heat can flatten you. And summer sales tend to drop off as everyone goes on holiday. And after a whole season of training customers to buy from you, it’s a shame to just drop them at the first frost. Here in the northern Hemisphere, there’s tremendous opportunity for brisk sales in November, if you have some infrastructure like a high tunnel or greenhouse. Retail sales reach a near fever pitch as customers realize cold weather is setting in and they’ll soon be without their local harvests. Thanksgiving can be a big floral holiday here in the U.S.. Wedding florists are still quite busy too in November as many couples have opted for a shoulder season date to either save a little on the budget or to also avoid that damn summer heat. The problem is that usually we just think of mums when it comes to end of season sales. And even with all the specialty and heirloom varieties available to growers at the moment, mums alone don’t make a bouquet. Weather you’re selling at farmers market, doing weddings yourself, or selling wholesale to florists, you need a more diverse product mix to grab interest and bigger sales. Dave and I go over a list of 10 late fall crops that can be harvested for gorgeous November bouquets and a really nice injection of cash in your bank account right before winter. Be sure to have a notebook handy when listening so you can jot down the particulars of each. For easy reference, here are the 10 crops we discuss (NOTE, these are crops grown in a tunnel/greenhouse): Stock Flowering Cabbage/Kale Snapdragons (Group 2 or 3) Sunflowers Lisianthus Lillies (LA Royal Sunset and Callas) Alstromeria Mums Celosia Eucalyptus WANT TO LEARN MORE? Join the You'll also gain access to lots of helpful articles, discussion boards, and online courses. On-demand Online Courses for Farmers Available on RFFN: Tap into the above courses and resources any time you need. These are available on-demand through the Regenerative Flower Farmers Network. >>> F <<< Past episodes with Dave Dowling further listening include: HAVE IDEAS AND FEEDBACK ABOUT THE PODCAST? Share your opinions in As always, if you appreciate this podcast and all the education it provides, please take a moment out of your day to rate and write a review for it on or wherever you are listening to it. /episode/index/show/notillflowers/id/35519565

How Farmers Can Improve Plant Health with Endophytic Microbes: A Conversation with Dr. James White 02/04/2025

How Farmers Can Improve Plant Health with Endophytic Microbes: A Conversation with Dr. James White I’ve long followed the fascinating research of of in New Jersey. He is a plant pathologist with a PhD in mycology. His specialty is "symbiosis research", particularly the impact of endophytic microbes in plant development and behavior. The nerdiest among you will rejoice at a science-rich episode in which Dr. White helps us understand how bacteria and fungus enter a plant as endophytes to help plants defend against stress, diseases and pests as well as provide the nutrients they need for growth and development. Turns out plants are farmers too! And in many ways we human farmers need to get out of their way and let them do their own work! In this episodes we talk about the rhizophagy cycle, in which microbes – not humans – provide the nutrients plants need. We also talk about how we can support the rhizophagy cycle by boosting soil biology as a whole, something many of you are already doing through regenerative farming. And we talk about how seed production can be adjusted to produce stock for healthier plants and greater resiliency in the face of climate change. So if you’re seed saving, make sure you listen closely to that part! What’s really exciting about Dr. White’s research is two parts: First, his work has shown that if we pay attention to soil biology – namely endophytes -- we create disease suppressing soils. With a bounty of diverse biology in the soil, devastating diseases like fusarium and pythium not only become benign but may even become beneficial! Whaaaaa??? Secondly, while Dr. White has not conducted research directly on like and other brews a la Korean Natural Farming, he absolutely sees a correlation between them and his studies of the impact of endophytic microbes on plant health and production. In particular, he sees these inputs as very beneficial at the time of seed starting, helping to load up the soil surrounding the seed with diverse and bountiful biology, which will lead to Which means this is a great time to remind you to go back in the archives here of No-Till Flowers and relisten to . Learn more from Dr. James White by listening to these two episdoes on the Regenerative Agriculture Podcast with John Kempf: And read some of Dr. White's research papers on Research Gate: WANT TO LEARN MORE? Join the You'll also gain access to lots of helpful articles, discussion boards, and online courses. On-demand Online Courses for Farmers Available on RFFN: Tap into the above courses and resources any time you need. These are available on-demand through the Regenerative Flower Farmers Network. >>> F <<< Past episodes that discuss soil health and biomes for further listening include: Episdoe 29: Episode 34: Episode 17: Episode 15: HAVE IDEAS AND FEEDBACK ABOUT THE PODCAST? Share your opinions in As always, if you appreciate this podcast and all the education it provides, please take a moment out of your day to rate and write a review for it on or wherever you are listening to it. /episode/index/show/notillflowers/id/35146355

Regenerative Flower Farming with Jennie Love: A Replay from The Flower Podcast 01/22/2025

Organic Seed Breeding with Will Hazzard 12/23/2024

Organic Seed Breeding with Will Hazzard In this episode, we’re digging into organic seed production. Seed saving and breeding are all the rage in the flower farming world at the moment, which is an exciting way to dive even deeper into the world of flowers and get even nerdier. And we all love getting nerdier, don’t we? :-) Today's guest, Will Hazard, is the zinnia breeding project lead at the University of California, Davis. Through the SCOPE program -- which stands for Sustainable Crop Production and Enhancement, Will and his team of fellow research students have been breaking new ground in flower breeding that benefits both the environment and future generations of farmers. In particular, they’ve honed in on zinnias to breed for better stem length and disease resistance. In this conversation, Will unpacks the challenges, the innovations, and the incredible potential of this vital field of study. Mentioned in this Episode: (with lots of zinnia breeding photos) Email Will directly at WANT TO LEARN MORE? Join the You'll also gain access to lots of helpful articles, discussion boards, and online courses. On-demand Short Courses for Farmers on RFFN: Woodies: Playing the Long Game (coming in February 2025) Tap into the above courses and resources any time you need. These are available on-demand through the Regenerative Flower Farmers Network. Current RFFN members shoud follow to access the Short Courses at the discounted member rate. --- If you enjoyed this episode, you might also want to listen to: --- Sign up for our so you'll be the first to know about special events and other opportunities. Follow on Instagram for more content. HAVE IDEAS AND FEEDBACK ABOUT THE PODCAST? Share your opinions in As always, if you appreciate this podcast and all the education it provides, please take a moment out of your day to rate and write a review for it on or wherever you are listening to it. Thanks for tuning in! /episode/index/show/notillflowers/id/34578670

Feeding Our Own Biomes with Functional Medicine 12/13/2024

Feeding Our Own Biomes with Functional Medicine Welcome to Season 5 of No-Till Flowers! It's good to be back!! We’re starting off with a fairly personal episode as I share what’s changed for me and my health in 2024. This past season was my 17th season farming and selling flowers. There has been a lot of wear and tear on my body, mind and spirit along the way. I would wager heavily that no small business owner understands what they are signing up for at the beginning. Or even many years into it. The first 10 or so years are just holding on for dear life. The highs and lows of this rollercoaster ride lurch your emotions and mind all over the place. For too long, we define success as making a sale and making a customer happy. In most cases, we outright forfeit our own well-being. At least that certainly was the case for me. When our bodies are under chronic elevated stress and we’re not eating well (which pretty much describes every farmer), our internal ecosystem starts to break down. Our bodies host trillions of microbes that that make us surprisingly similar to soil biomes. In this episode, we learn about how to better support our personal gut biomes so we can better support our farms and larger communities. My guest today is Susan Brown, a functional medicine practitioner I've worked with over the past year to improve my own biome. If you’d like to work directly with Susan, her website is Find a functional medicine practitioner near you with this site: If you’d like to learn more about supporting your gut biome and supporting your body as a whole, here are a few links to podcasts that can help you learn more: Susan mentioned a supplement, Ion Biome, made from ancient soil. . Please note that I have not tried this supplement personally so can not speak to its effectiveness. Other Supplements she mentioned were: Cytozyme-AD for adrenal support Magnesium glycinate for electrolytes and magnesium Vitamin D3 K2 (remember to eat some fat at the same time you’re taking this one – like an avocado) Here’s a recipe for a quick and healthy meal you can take into the field with you: CHOCOLATE CHIA PUDDING - 1 can of unsweetened full fat coconut milk (Try) - 1 scoop chocolate protein powder (Try if you don’t have a favorite already) - 6 Tbsp - 1 tsp vanilla extract - 1 pinch of sea salt - dash of cinnamon (optional) Mix everything together. Use an immersion/stick blender to get it all really combined for a smooth creamy pudding. Divide out into glass jars or other containers you can grab on the go. Keep cold. Can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days. When you're ready to eat, top with fresh berries and/or shredded coconut. Why is this recipe so good for you? Coconut milk is a superfood that heals and supports for your gut microbiology. And all the good fat in it balances your blood sugar levels so your energy is stable throughout the day (no more sugar crashes!). Chia seeds, also a superfood, have tons of fiber and omega-3. The protein powder helps your muscles recover from fatigue faster. The sea salt adds some micronutrients and electrolytes. And the fresh berries on top add more fiber and antioxidants. Plus it's just dang yummy! Would you like more recipes and a chance to connect with others who have experiences similar to yours? Join the On-demand Short Courses for Farmers Available on RFFN: Tap into the above courses and resources any time you need. These are available on-demand through the Regenerative Flower Farmers Network. >>> F <<< Past episodes that discuss soil health and biomes for further listening include: Episdoe 29: Episode 34: Episode 17: Episode 15: HAVE IDEAS AND FEEDBACK ABOUT THE PODCAST? Share your opinions in As always, if you appreciate this podcast and all the education it provides, please take a moment out of your day to rate and write a review for it on or wherever you are listening to it. /episode/index/show/notillflowers/id/34435150

Tips for Wholesale Flower Sales with Scott Shepherd 04/03/2024

Tips for Wholesale Flower Sales with Scott Shepherd We don’t typically dive into business topics on this podcast as I like to keep the focus on regenerative growing practices. But today we’re going to go off theme a bit for a special guest. Many of you already know . Scott has such a unique position in our industry. He studied horticulture under the likes of . His day job in the three decades since has been working in sales at wholesale houses, first in Georgia and now in Tennessee. In that role, he’s touched every facet of the global import market. He’s also had a long-standing side hustle as a grower of specialty stems like hellebores. And as a podcaster, he’s had many in-depth discussions with both florists and flower farmers. At the end of that chat, I asked him if I could switch seats with him, so to speak, and ask him so long burning questions I had about selling flowers through a traditional wholesaler. I don’t know about you, but it’s always felt a bit mysterious. Exactly how does one go about approaching a big wholesaler? What quantities do you need to bring to the table? What kind of prices could you get? What was supposed to be just a brief chat turned into a lengthy and very enlightening conversation I thought you’d all like to hear. In addition to this episode here on No-Till Flowers, you can catch another piece of my conversation with Scott on a new podcast I’m currently hosting called . Yep, you read that right! There’s now a second podcast where you can hear me talk about flowers. Floral Guild Radio is much more geared towards the business side of flowers, particularly selling to florists. I’d love to have you tune in there too! As always, a big shout out to members of the who, through their membership, so generously support the making of this podcast! If you’re not a member but you’d like to join, it’s just $20 a year. Lots of detailed articles, podcast transcripts, and a community chat are available on RFFN. If you’ve ever had follow up questions to episodes here, that’s the place to go to ask! Many of you may be in hiring mode for your farms right now. I’d love to help you be less intimidate by hiring and find a better flow to managing a crew that doesn’t consume all your brain space and time. If this sounds like something you could use, head to the show notes to grab the link. Others of you may not be ready to hire, but could use a helping hand with decision making and trouble shooting this season. and would be happy to field all your questions there. Look for the link to that in the show notes as well! Additional places to find Scott Shepherd: Instagram feed channel Instagram feed. /episode/index/show/notillflowers/id/30654268

Storing Peonies and Tulips + How to Handle Cut Flowers After Harvest with Dr. John Dole 02/16/2024

Storing Peonies and Tulips + How to Handle Cut Flowers After Harvest with Dr. John Dole There are some incredible nuggets of pure gold in this episode. You will definitely want to have a pen and paper handy! Joining me today is , cut flower researcher and professor at North Carolina State University. As you’ll hear in the episode, John has been immersed in flowers since he was just 8 years old, planting gladiolas at a neighbor’s farm in Michigan. Over the decades, he’s been a keystone leader for the floral industry, serving farmers and florists alike with his valuable research projects. John is well known for his work with the s, which is where I met him years ago. My friendship with John is an example of how priceless a membership in the Association can be. If you are not already a member of the ASCFG, you’ll want to click the link above right now to join. While John and I were talking here for the podcast, I was reminded how much I have learned over the years from him and others who have generously shared their knowledge through the ASCFG. For flower farmers, John, along with his posse of awesome graduate students, has done a lot of studies on what we call "post harvest handling" of cut flowers. Basically, what are the best practices growers can implement after harvesting to get the longest vase life out of their crops. You can be a dynamite grower, but if you don’t know how to handle your flowers after they’re picked, you won’t have happy customers or a sustainable business. In this episode, John and I talk about a handful of key crops and how to handle them after harvest. You are going to be shocked by what he has to say about storing peonies and tulips! For peonies, the ideal temperature for dry storage is 31F, for up to 16 weeks. For tulips, leave the bulb on and dry store at 31F for up to 8 weeks. We also go down a rabbit hole about water quality and flower food. To be honest, I hadn’t planned to pick John’s brain about those, but I’m so glad the topic came up because it was really informative! I’ve long been anxious about using flower food and holding solutions because there are no organic certified options on the market. I assumed they were full of harsh chemicals that I wouldn’t want to dump out into my farm’s ecosystem. John sheds some light on this subject and I think you’ll find it reassuring to hear. Some useful resources related to this episode: (post-harvest flower products) (for water testing) (reference book written by John) WANT TO LEARN MORE? Join the Regenerative Flower Farmers Network! It's just $20/year and you'll have access to lots of articles, videos, online courses and live Q&As -- all related to regenerative farming and sustainable business practices. On-demand Short Courses for Farmers available on the Regenerative Flower Farmers Network: Woodies: Playing the Long Game (coming in spring 2024) *Note: You'll need to become a RFFN member in order to register for the online courses. Past episodes for further listening include: Episdoe 12: Episode 20: Episode 36: Episode 38: HAVE IDEAS AND FEEDBACK ABOUT THE PODCAST? Share your opinions in As always, if you appreciate this podcast and all the education it provides, please take a moment out of your day to rate and write a review for it on or wherever you are listening to it. /episode/index/show/notillflowers/id/29985748

Plant Tissue Testing Explained with Bryant Mason 01/23/2024

Plant Tissue Testing Explained with Bryant Mason Welcome to Part 2 of a recent interview host had with guest If you haven’t already listened to or stop this one now and go back to listen to those first. In this segment, Bryant helps listeners understand what plant tissue testing is and why it is so valuable for farmers to do. Bryant walks us through a tissue test for stock grown at Jennie's farm, explaining how to read the various nutrient values and make decisions for future fertilization. If you'd like to see the tissue test result sheet Bryant and Jennie discuss in this episode, along with other test results from Jennie's crops, join the Two labs that Jennie has used for tissue testing flower crops are: At the end of this conversation, we also get a nice list of resources listeners can use to increase their knowledge of organic and regenerative growing. Here are links to most of those: The Nature and Properties of Soils textbook The Mineral Nutrition of Higher Plants textbook Nigel Palmer's book Bryan O' Hara's book podcast podcast podcast podcast podcast podcast podcast podcast podcast This conversation with Bryant was broken into two episodes since it was full of so much information. So be sure to go back and listen to the first half in Episode 37. Follow Bryant on Instagram . Bryant has developed an easy online tool to help you directly to interpret your soil tests and choose natural amendments accordingly. to learn more. - - - On-demand Short Courses for Farmers available on the Regenerative Flower Farmers Network: Simple Steps to Better Marketing (coming in late January 2024) Woodies: Playing the Long Game (coming in February 2024) Tap into the above courses and resources any time you need. These are available on-demand through the Regenerative Flower Farmers Network. >>> F <<< Past episodes for further listening include: Episdoe 29: Episode 34: Episode 17: Episode 15: HAVE IDEAS AND FEEDBACK ABOUT THE PODCAST? Share your opinions in As always, if you appreciate this podcast and all the education it provides, please take a moment out of your day to rate and write a review for it on or wherever you are listening to it. /episode/index/show/notillflowers/id/29604338

Organic Fertilizers, the Crucial Role of Calcium, Orchard Establishment and Much More with Bryant Mason 01/17/2024

Organic Fertilizers, the Crucial Role of Calcium, Orchard Establishment and Much More with Bryant Mason Guest returns to the podcast for another lively conversation about organic nutrients with host If you haven’t already listened to stop this one now and go back to listen to that one first. In Episode 29, we introduced Bryant to the flower farming community and we had a dynamic conversation about nutrient balancing in living soils. Bryant, a certified agronomist for organic growers and an orchardist living in Colorado, has an exquisite knack for making complicated sciency topics sound simple and do-able. In this whirlwind tour de force we cover: Gypsum applications Analysis of WCA (homemade calcium input in Korean Natural Farming) Foliar Feeding Best Practices Detering Pests by Choosing the Right Organic Fertilizer EC/Salts Amino Acids and other Nitrogen Sources Orchard establishment and management Soil Paste Testing A Recipe for Biannual Soil Drench to supercharge your crops This conversation with Bryant was broken into two episodes since it was full of so much information. So be sure to come back for the second half in Episode 38. Follow Bryant on Instagram . Bryant has developed an easy online tool to help you directly to interpret your soil tests and choose natural amendments accordingly. to learn more. Mentioned in this episode: Join the On-demand Short Courses for Farmers on RFFN: Simple Steps to Better Marketing (coming in late January 2024) Woodies: Playing the Long Game (coming in February 2024) Tap into the above courses and resources any time you need. These are available on-demand through the Regenerative Flower Farmers Network. >>> F <<< Past episodes for further listening include: Episdoe 29: Episode 34: Episode 17: Episode 15: HAVE IDEAS AND FEEDBACK ABOUT THE PODCAST? Share your opinions in As always, if you appreciate this podcast and all the education it provides, please take a moment out of your day to rate and write a review for it on or wherever you are listening to it. /episode/index/show/notillflowers/id/29531883

Cool Flowers, Native Hedgerows, and Frost Cloth with Lisa Mason Zeigler 01/07/2024

Farming on Heavy Wet Clay + No-Till Lessons Learned with Jesse Frost 12/29/2023

Farming on Heavy Wet Clay + No-Till Lessons Learned with Jesse Frost Today’s guest needs little introduction in the small farm no-till world. in central Kentucky has helped so many of us learn about soil health and diversified small scale production through the , the , and his book . If you’ve struggled with heavy clay, boggy or compacted soils at your farm or in your garden, this is the episode for you! Frequently I get asked about my recommendations for clay and poorly draining areas, but I actually have no experience with those conditions myself. Jesse does. And I eagerly picked his brain for you all. You're welcome! 😉 We talk a bit about cover crops for clay soils, including tillage radish, phacelia, sorghum sudangrass, vetch, and winter rye. Also in this episode, Jesse and I take a stroll down memory lane to consider both of our paths as regenerative growers. As you’ll hear, five or six years ago, there was only a trickle of guidance available for smaller farms looking to implement no-till practices on a production level. We both had to do a lot of experimenting on our farms and still do today. We mention the , a key catalyst for both of our no-till journies. Also Andrew Mefferd's book , which was published in the spring of 2019. Both are highly recommended if you haven't already discovered them. Also Mentioned In This Episode: The with me, Jennie Love, is a year-long, small group coaching program for those that need a little help learning how to apply all the concepts and practices talked about here on the podcast. To learn more, click . Other On-demand Short Courses for Farmers: Woodies: Playing the Long Game (coming in February 2024) Simple Steps to Better Marketing (coming in January 2024) Tap into the above courses and resources any time you need. These are available on-demand through the Regenerative Flower Farmers Network. Current RFFN members shoud follow to access the Short Courses at the discounted member rate. Join the If you enjoyed this episode, you might also want to listen to: --- Sign up for our so you'll be the first to know about special events and other opportunities. Follow on Instagram for more content. HAVE IDEAS AND FEEDBACK ABOUT THE PODCAST? Share your opinions in As always, if you appreciate this podcast and all the education it provides, please take a moment out of your day to rate and write a review for it on or wherever you are listening to it. Thanks for tuning in! /episode/index/show/notillflowers/id/29269873

Why I Love to Spray at My Farm -- Boosting the Phyllosphere 12/04/2023

Cover Cropping Basics for Small Scale Regenerative (Flower) Farms 07/12/2023

Part 2: Beneficial Insects and Natural Pest Control with Margaret Parks of Evergreen Growers Supply 03/24/2023

Beneficial Insects and Natural Pest Control with IPM Expert Margaret Parks of Evergreen Growers Supply 03/13/2023

JADAM Basics: Making JMS and Other Natural Inputs 02/21/2023

Nutrient Balancing in Living Soils with Bryant Mason, the Soil Doctor 02/14/2023

Seed Starting, Regenerative Style with Lisa Mason Zeigler from The Gardener's Workshop 01/31/2023

Finding Land and Evolving a Farm Business with Laura Beth Resnick of Butterbee Farm 01/22/2023

No-Till Basics: Bed Preparation Using the Deep Mulch System 01/08/2023

The Power of Pulse Watering: Effective Irrigation and Better Plant Health with Emma Horswill from Earthenry Farm 12/27/2022

Farming to Heal the Ecosystem with Dr. Doug Tallamy 11/18/2022

Farming to Heal the Ecosystem with Dr. Doug Tallamy Do you view your farm as a production space? A landscape that should generate x number of stems in x square feet for x amount of dollars each season? Many farmers do. In this episode, host Jennie Love encourages listeners to look at their farms as whole ecosystems that serves millions of lives, not just your own goals. Jennie is joined by author, , a professor in the University of Delaware’s Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology. For years, Dr. Tallamy has studied how insects interact with plants and how those interactions impact the food web, right up to us humans. He’s authored several books, including , which is the main focus of this episode’s discussion. Farming is the single biggest land-use category on this planet! With nearly 50% of the earth’s land being used for agriculture, every single farmer HAS to be part of the solution as we face down the 6th great extinction our planet has seen. Some of the actionable steps that Doug and Jennie talk about are to: stop spraying pesticides of any kind plant native plants increase diversity of plants, particularly trees leave your weeds alone and stop manicuring your farm and let it get a little loose and wild. If you enjoy the content you hear on this podcast, consider joining the (RFFN), a community of like-mind growers who put the ecosystem at the forefront of their farms. It's less than the price of a fancy latte to join for the whole year! Members get special access to podcast guests and other exclusive content, including an article with 15 favorite tried-and-true native plants for cutting. Please rate and review this podcast on whatever platform you are listening. It only takes a minute and your review helps spread the word about this podcast and its important message so we can effect even more positive change for our earth and our community. Many thanks for your help with that! /episode/index/show/notillflowers/id/25044837

Bokashi and Worm Farming at Scale with Guest Matt Arthur of BLH Farm 10/04/2022

Bokashi and Worm Farming at Scale with Guest Matt Arthur of BLH Farm In this episode, host is joined by farmer Matt Arthur of BLH Farm to dive into bokashi and worm farming at a scale that can actually provide a large volume of high-quality compost and castings for a small farm. If you've struggled with making compost on your farm or finding well-aged, herbicide-free compost locally, bokashi could be the solution you've been searching for! An anerobic fermentation process, bokashi does not require a carbon source and takes a fraction of the time to produce finished compost that the more widely-known and used areobic compost pile does. Listen as Matt explains why and how. Originally farming flowers, Matt has diversified his business in recent years to include a paid food waste collection service for his local community to support his larger-scale bokashi operation. And that bokashi operation produces high-quality feedstock for his worm operation! He sells castings and worms locally and nationwide. Matt's inspirational system is very do-able for just about any farm and requires no large equipment. Find Matt on Instagram @blh_farm and at his website: In this show, Matt mentions 96 gallon "rollers". to a video showing how to convert one for bokashi as well as where to buy the components. Matt also mentioned EM-1. Here's a link to where to purchase it: Coming up on October 28th, 2022, there will be an in-person No-Till Flowers Field Day at Jennie's regenerative flower farm in Philadelphia. Click to register. If you enjoy the content you hear on this podcast, consider joining the (RFFN), a community of like-mind growers who put the ecosystem at the forefront of their farms. It's just the price of a fancy latte to join for the whole year! Members get special access to podcast guests and other exclusive content. Matt will be answering questions about bokashi and worms live on RFFN in November. PLEASE RATE AND REVIEW THIS PODCAST WHEREVER YOU ARE LISTENING: this helps us grow our aduience! Follow @notillflowers on Instagram for lots of content about regenerative flower farming. /episode/index/show/notillflowers/id/24574641

Tackling Burnout and Farmer Well-Being Through Collective Selling with Amelia Ihlo 07/26/2022

Tackling Burnout and Farmer Well-Being Through Collective Selling with Amelia Ihlo Welcome to the first in a short summer series of episodes dedicated to farmer well-being. This is my 14th season flower farming and running a small business centered around such a stunning and stressful product. Every season brings its own set of challenges, most entirely out of my control. This year I broke a bone and strained a tendon in my left foot in late February that has impacted my physical and mental health immensely. I entered the intensity of spring planting season feeling hugely ineffective and burnt out. I’m used to those feelings in August each year, but never before had I felt that way in March. Acknowledging burn-out and its source and making space for it is the first step to recovery. So I started talking about it with close farmer friends at first and then more publicly. As I did, I heard echoed back to me all the same feelings of exhaustion, anxiety and physical pain. I am definitely not alone. Nor are you. My guest in this episode, , is also a friend, which made this would-be heavy conversation flow easily. It’s proof that talking to a friend can be a huge step forward when you feel burnt out. We both share our stories of and strategies for farmer fatigue. Amelia, the founder of , brings a uniquely powerful tactic to the table: collective selling. She talks about how flower collectives – or co-ops or hubs or whatever you want to call them -- have the capacity to snuff out burn-out. Maybe you’re like me and had never thought about collective selling as a defense against burn-out, but it really makes sense once you start thinking about it in that way. On the Rooted Farmers blog, Amelia and her team have put together a couple great post on farmer burn-out and health. Check those out . Two other resources are: Neither I nor Amelia are mental health professionals. Rather we are two experienced flower farmers and business women having a candid conversation. If you need support for a well-being crisis or are worried about someone else who does, please call or text 1 800 273 8255 to connect with a trained crisis counselor. If this episode makes you feel seen and you want to join a deeper conversation on farmer well-being, consider joining the , or RFFN for short. Over the past year, RFFN has developed into a safe harbor away from social media where all questions and scenarios are welcome, connections are made between farmers and experts, and experiences are shared so all members contribute to growing the knowledge of the group. Within that framework, we have a special space dedicated to discussing and supporting farmer well-being. Please join us there! /episode/index/show/notillflowers/id/23840612

The Magical BRIX Number That Stops Pests - An Exciting Conversation with Dr. Tom Dykstra 06/17/2022

The Magical BRIX Number That Stops Pests - An Exciting Conversation with Dr. Tom Dykstra In this episode, host is joined by , an entomologist with over 25 years of experience in academic and field research. Predominantly, he has studied insect olfaction (how insects smell) from the standpoint of bioelectromagnetics and has proven a new theory based on the fusion of biophysics and neurophysiology. Dr. Dykstra has long been involved in the field of agriculture and pest control. He brings a unique perspective to the table that flies in the face of conventional agriculture's penchant for liberally applying pesticides. Turns out pesticides kill far more than the pests -- but we regenerative farmers already knew that, right? Still, it's great to hear a lauded scientist explain why pesticides are the undoing of healthy plants. In this episode, we go into more detail about BRIX and how this easy measurement can be so meaningful to pest management. Through all his years of research with myriad crops and pests, Dr. Dykstra has found a magical BRIX number where, once that threshold has been reached, pests will not be a problem anymore! Listen in to learn what that number is! In this episode, a few links are mention. Here they are for easy reference: - - The Jennie uses at her farm to take BRIX readings. - The for those who are curious to have a brief intro to the idea. A SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT THE EDITING OF THIS EPISODE: We're so grateful to Dr. Dykstra for sharing all his nerdy knowledge. That being said, he did get super nerdy for a bit early on in this interview. Like super duper nerdy! We thought we'd loose a lot of you in the weeds if we started the episode with that. So you'll be jumping into the middle of the interview when you start listening to this episode. Keep listening alllll the way to the end to hear a lot of detail about how Dr. Dykstra has determined insects "smell". Dr. Dykstra currently works as a consultant for if you'd like to pick his brain more. This show is brought to you by . Your membership in RFFN will go to support the making of more podcasts here on No-Till Flowers. Join RFFN today to read dozens of great articles on regenerative practices as they specifically relate to flower farming. On RFFN, you'll find a more information about regenerative practices for pest control and a nerdy community to talk more about BRIX. PLEASE RATE AND REVIEW this show wherever you are getting it. It really helps us grow! Sign up for our so you'll be the first to know about special events and opportunities. Follow on Instagram for more content. Thanks for tuning in! /episode/index/show/notillflowers/id/23467502

The Everything Ranunculus Episode with Dave Dowling of Ball Colorlink 04/07/2022

Breaking Down What Biochar Is and Why We Should Make It with Dr. Catherine Brewer 03/18/2022

Breaking Down What Biochar Is and Why We Should Make It with Dr. Catherine Brewer Host sits down with . Dr. Brewer (Catie) is a chemical and materials engineer who has devoted a good portion of her professional scientific career to studying biochar, particularly as it relates to processing agricultural waste to create a valuable farm input. Biochar is a "fine-grained charcoal high in organic carbon and largely resistant to decomposition...produced from pyrolysis (burning) of plant and waste feedstocks" (Source ). It's been used for centuries as a soil amendment, particularly in the Amazon and when other indigenous peoples around the world had prescribed burns to areas they wished to farm. Biochar resists further decomposition for hundreds or even thousands of years, making it a superb vehicle for sequestering carbon in our soils. It also provides excellent "housing" for soil microbial populations. Perhaps most importantly for growers, biochar is a great tool for helping even out water cycles in farm soils. Catie has great information about why that is exactly. In this conversation, we learn how biochar can be used at a farm to "close the loop" and make better soils for future generations. This is a long game strategy, one that will be vital to the regeneration of our earth over more lifetimes than our own. Our flower farms can do so much more than just grow flowers and biochar is an example of that. Mentioned in this show is the trench method for burning debris to make biochar. about how to dig a good trench and how to manage a burn. --- This show is brought to you by . Your membership in RFFN will go to support the making of more podcasts here on No-Till Flowers. Join RFFN today to read dozens of great articles on regenerative practices as they specifically relate to flower farming. On RFFN, you'll find a more information about making biochar as well as a live video Q&A session with Catie. PLEASE RATE AND REVIEW this show wherever you are getting it. It really helps us grow! Sign up for our so you'll be the first to know about special events and opportunities. Follow on Instagram for more content. Thanks for tuning in! /episode/index/show/notillflowers/id/22491044

The Ins and Outs of Intercropping with Denise Richter 02/22/2022

Exploring the Science Behind Natural Farm Inputs With Author, Nigel Palmer 02/21/2022

Welcome to the No-Till Flowers Podcast! 02/20/2022

The No-Till Flowers Podcast

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