Growing For Market Podcast

Over 25 years of running Buglady Consulting, entomologist Suzanne Wainwright-Evans has helped a lot of farmers with biological controls. This conversation is both a wealth of information and a hoot, as Suzanne tells us why beneficial insects are like sushi (you don’t want them old) while discussing how to source beneficial insects. We also talk about other biological controls, like soil drenches and dips, that work well in conjunction with beneficial insects to keep pest populations down.

We talk about which beneficials to use for which pests, and the most thorough way of scouting. Suzanne tells us when dipping can be better than spraying, and how to keep pest eggs from coming onto your farm on plants. We also discuss how the species of beneficials needed may vary depending on season and temperature, and so much more in this week’s podcast interview.

Podcast Sponsors:

Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support:

Nifty Hoops builds complete gothic high tunnels that are easy to install and built to last. Their bolt-together construction makes setup straightforward and efficient, whether it's a small backyard hoophouse, or a dozen large production-scale high tunnels- especially through their community build option, where professional builders work alongside your crew, family, or neighbors to build each structure -- usually in a single day. Visit http://niftyhoops.com/ to learn more.

If you grow for market, you know performance is everything. That’s why so many farmers are turning to Burpee’s Farmers Market. Dedicated to professional growers, Burpee is now offering non-GMO seeds in larger quantities – bred and selected for standout flavor, strong yields, and the kind of visual appeal your customers crave. Burpee’s been doing this for 150 years, and they’re still creating new varieties with growers like you in mind. You can check out the full lineup at https://www.burpee.com/farmersmarket.

Farmhand is the all-in-one platform built for direct-market farms — CSA, farmers market, and farmstand growers who'd rather be in the field than juggling five different apps. Online store and subscriptions, delivery and pickup routing, SMS and email marketing, waitlist management, and now farm events: sell tickets to u-picks, tours, dinners, and workshops in minutes, with capacity caps, QR check-in, and SMS/email confirmations built in. Every ticket also puts a name, email, and phone on a list you keep. See how farmers are growing direct-to-consumer sales and set up a free account at http://farmhand.partners/gfm.

Tilth Soil makes living soils for organic growers. The base for all our mixes is NOP-compliant compost, made from the 4,000 tons of food scraps we divert from landfills each year. And the results speak for themselves. Get excellent germination, strong transplants, and help us turn these resources back into food. Try a free bag and learn more at tilthsoil.com/gfm.

For more on veg and flower market farming, subscribe to Growing for Market Magazine!

Whether on the roots or aboveground, a lot of the pathogens we need to protect our plants from are fungi or water molds. In this interview with Penn State Extension Commercial Horticulture Educator Jennie Mazzone, we talk about how to diagnose infections caused by fungal pathogens and how to treat them. We also discuss the differences between fungi and water molds, why it matters and how these pathogens spread to your plants.

Pathogens covered include late blight, Phytophthora capsici, downy mildew, pythium and more. We talk about how fungal spores are and aren’t comparable to seeds from plants. And perhaps most importantly, we discuss how to prevent fungal infections in the first place, and what to do to keep them from getting out of control if they show up on your plants.

Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support:

Tilth Soil makes living soils for organic growers. The base for all our mixes is NOP-compliant compost, made from the 4,000 tons of food scraps we divert from landfills each year. And the results speak for themselves. Get excellent germination, strong transplants, and help us turn these resources back into food. Try a free bag and learn more at tilthsoil.com/gfm.

Nifty Hoops builds complete gothic high tunnels that are easy to install and built to last. Their bolt-together construction makes setup straightforward and efficient, whether it's a small backyard hoophouse, or a dozen large production-scale high tunnels- especially through their community build option, where professional builders work alongside your crew, family, or neighbors to build each structure -- usually in a single day. Visit http://niftyhoops.com/ to learn more.

If you grow for market, you know performance is everything. That’s why so many farmers are turning to Burpee’s Farmers Market. Dedicated to professional growers, Burpee is now offering non-GMO seeds in larger quantities – bred and selected for standout flavor, strong yields, and the kind of visual appeal your customers crave. Burpee’s been doing this for 150 years, and they’re still creating new varieties with growers like you in mind. You can check out the full lineup at https://www.burpee.com/farmersmarket.

Farmhand is the all-in-one platform built for direct-market farms — CSA, farmers market, and farmstand growers who'd rather be in the field than juggling five different apps. Online store and subscriptions, delivery and pickup routing, SMS and email marketing, waitlist management, and now farm events: sell tickets to u-picks, tours, dinners, and workshops in minutes, with capacity caps, QR check-in, and SMS/email confirmations built in. Every ticket also puts a name, email, and phone on a list you keep. See how farmers are growing direct-to-consumer sales and set up a free account at http://farmhand.partners/gfm

For more on veg and flower market farming, subscribe to Growing for Market Magazine!

One of the most important things about business planning is how to plan for quality of life- and longtime GFM contributors Julia Shanks and Dan Brisebois have teamed up on a new book, The Profitable Farmer, that will help you plan for profit and quality of life. We talk about why it’s important to make a plan even if it may change, and what to do when it is time to go back to the drawing board. Dan and Julia tell us why you don’t have to track every single detail, and what to track to develop sales metrics and targets customized to your farm.

We discuss how to make a plan, how far ahead to plan for and when to rip it up and start over. We talk about how Important it is to keep asking “do you still love farming” so you can keep answering “yes” well into the future! So, listen to the podcast and then check out the book The Profitable Farmer: Strategic Business Planning for Profit, Purpose and Quality of Life.

The authors are giving a free webinar on Oct 29 at 2 PM EST called Step Off the Treadmill:
Build a Farm That Sustains You, Not Just Your Crops, click here to reserve your seat!

Connect with guest:

Website: Julia Shanks

Dan Brisebois

Instagram: @thefarmersoffice

@danbriseboisfarm

Podcast Sponsors:

Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support:

BCS two-wheel tractors are designed and built in Italy where small-scale farming has been a way of life for generations. Discover the beauty of BCS on your farm with PTO-driven implements for soil-working, shredding cover crops, spreading compost, mowing under fences, clearing snow, and more – all powered by a single, gear-driven machine that’s tailored to the size and scale of your operation. To learn more, view sale pricing, or locate your nearest dealer, visit BCS America.

Nifty Hoops builds complete gothic high tunnels that are easy to install and built to last. Their bolt-together construction makes setup straightforward and efficient, whether it's a small backyard hoophouse, or a dozen large production-scale high tunnels- especially through their community build option, where professional builders work alongside your crew, family, or neighbors to build each structure -- usually in a single day. Visit http://niftyhoops.com/ to learn more.

If you grow for market, you know performance is everything. That’s why so many farmers are turning to Burpee’s Farmers Market. Dedicated to professional growers, Burpee is now offering non-GMO seeds in larger quantities – bred and selected for standout flavor, strong yields, and the kind of visual appeal your customers crave. Burpee’s been doing this for 150 years, and they’re still creating new varieties with growers like you in mind. You can check out the full lineup at https://www.burpee.com/farmersmarket.

Farmhand is the all-in-one platform built for direct-market farms — CSA, farmers market, and farmstand growers who'd rather be in the field than juggling five different apps. Online store and subscriptions, delivery and pickup routing, SMS and email marketing, waitlist management, and now farm events: sell tickets to u-picks, tours, dinners, and workshops in minutes, with capacity caps, QR check-in, and SMS/email confirmations built in. Every ticket also puts a name, email, and phone on a list you keep. See how farmers are growing direct-to-consumer sales and set up a free account at http://farmhand.partners/gfm

For more on veg and flower market farming, subscribe to Growing for Market Magazine!

Pests and beneficials can sometimes act differently in greenhouses versus the field. So, this week we’re talking with Professor Laura Ingwell from Purdue University and Professor Samantha Willden from Cornell University about IPM for common greenhouse pests, including where and when they are likely to arrive. They tell us about a study they did on 36 farms over 2 years, and how conditions on those farms affected the insect populations.

We talk about whether high tunnels are protection from or for pests, and how to design environments that are less conducive to them. We discuss the differences between using beneficials versus sprays, some guidelines for when to do each, and which beneficials to use against which pests. They recently wrapped up a biocontrol research project, but since the details haven’t all been published yet we couldn’t get into the nitty gritty on that one so maybe there will be a sequel to this interview!

Connect with guest:

Website: Laura Ingwell, Purdue University

Samantha Willden, Cornell University

Instagram: @willden.cea.lab

Podcast Sponsors:

Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support:

Nifty Hoops builds complete gothic high tunnels that are easy to install and built to last. Their bolt-together construction makes setup straightforward and efficient, whether it's a small backyard hoophouse, or a dozen large production-scale high tunnels- especially through their community build option, where professional builders work alongside your crew, family, or neighbors to build each structure -- usually in a single day. Visit http://niftyhoops.com/ to learn more.

If you grow for market, you know performance is everything. That’s why so many farmers are turning to Burpee’s Farmers Market. Dedicated to professional growers, Burpee is now offering non-GMO seeds in larger quantities – bred and selected for standout flavor, strong yields, and the kind of visual appeal your customers crave. Burpee’s been doing this for 150 years, and they’re still creating new varieties with growers like you in mind. You can check out the full lineup at https://www.burpee.com/farmersmarket.

Farmhand is the all-in-one platform built for direct-market farms — CSA, farmers market, and farmstand growers who'd rather be in the field than juggling five different apps. Online store and subscriptions, delivery and pickup routing, SMS and email marketing, waitlist management, and now farm events: sell tickets to u-picks, tours, dinners, and workshops in minutes, with capacity caps, QR check-in, and SMS/email confirmations built in. Every ticket also puts a name, email, and phone on a list you keep. See how farmers are growing direct-to-consumer sales and set up a free account at http://farmhand.partners/gfm

For more on veg and flower market farming, subscribe to Growing for Market Magazine!

Radicchio has long been a favorite with market farmers for its ability to provide something colorful and delicious in the fall and winter. But with its adaptation to very specific regions of Italy, figuring out how to grow the vegetable in North America has been a bit of a puzzle. Luckily, Lane Selman puts that puzzle together for us with her new book Radicchio: A Celebration of the Beloved Italian Vegetable!

At almost 400 pages long, the book is fascinating and covers the history of radicchio, the project to find timing and varieties that grow well in North America, and many recipes for how to cook it. Lane and her work with the Culinary Breeding Network has been instrumental in working with Italian seed companies to find and develop varieties that work for growers on this continent. So, listen to this interview and then check out the book! As always, Growing for Market subscribers get 20% off all books when logged in at the website!

Connect with guest:

The book: Radicchio: A Celebration of the Beloved Italian Vegetable

Website: Culinary Breeding Network

Instagram: @culinarybreedingnetwork

Podcast Sponsors:

Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support:

Farmhand is the all-in-one platform built for direct-market farms — CSA, farmers market, and farmstand growers who'd rather be in the field than juggling five different apps. Online store and subscriptions, delivery and pickup routing, SMS and email marketing, waitlist management, and now farm events: sell tickets to u-picks, tours, dinners, and workshops in minutes, with capacity caps, QR check-in, and SMS/email confirmations built in. Every ticket also puts a name, email, and phone on a list you keep. See how farmers are growing direct-to-consumer sales and set up a free account at http://farmhand.partners/gfm

Nifty Hoops builds complete gothic high tunnels that are easy to install and built to last. Their bolt-together construction makes setup straightforward and efficient, whether it's a small backyard hoophouse, or a dozen large production-scale high tunnels- especially through their community build option, where professional builders work alongside your crew, family, or neighbors to build each structure -- usually in a single day. Visit http://niftyhoops.com/ to learn more.

If you grow for market, you know performance is everything. That’s why so many farmers are turning to Burpee’s Farmers Market. Dedicated to professional growers, Burpee is now offering non-GMO seeds in larger quantities – bred and selected for standout flavor, strong yields, and the kind of visual appeal your customers crave. Burpee’s been doing this for 150 years, and they’re still creating new varieties with growers like you in mind. You can check out the full lineup at https://www.burpee.com/farmersmarket.

For more on veg and flower market farming, subscribe to Growing for Market Magazine!

When Corinne Hansch moved her farm from California to New York State, she thought they’d only grow microgreens for a while to get cashflow going in the new location. Now over a decade later she’s still growing microgreens, and she just wrote a book about how they do it! Listen to this interview to learn why they never stopped, and how easily microgreens can add a steady cashflow to most farms without adding a lot of infrastructure.

In this interview we talk about how productive microgreens can be in a small space given the high price per pound, and whether to grow mixes or single varieties. We also discuss choice of flat and planting medium for microgreens vs. shoots. Corinne tells us how she handles everything from germination to growing and harvest, so listen to this interview and then check out the book! As always, Growing for Market subscribers get 20% off all books when logged in at the website!

Connect with guest:

The book: Microgreens and Shoots: How to Select, Grow, Harvest, and Package Nutrient-Dense Greens for Profit

Website: https://lovinmamafarm.com/

Instagram: @lovinmamafarm

Podcast Sponsors:

Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support:

Farmhand is the all-in-one platform built for direct-market farms — CSA, farmers market, and farmstand growers who'd rather be in the field than juggling five different apps. Online store and subscriptions, delivery and pickup routing, SMS and email marketing, waitlist management, and now farm events: sell tickets to u-picks, tours, dinners, and workshops in minutes, with capacity caps, QR check-in, and SMS/email confirmations built in. Every ticket also puts a name, email, and phone on a list you keep. See how farmers are growing direct-to-consumer sales and set up a free account at http://farmhand.partners/gfm

BCS two-wheel tractors are designed and built in Italy where small-scale farming has been a way of life for generations. Discover the beauty of BCS on your farm with PTO-driven implements for soil-working, shredding cover crops, spreading compost, mowing under fences, clearing snow, and more – all powered by a single, gear-driven machine that’s tailored to the size and scale of your operation. To learn more, view sale pricing, or locate your nearest dealer, visit BCS America.

Nifty Hoops builds complete gothic high tunnels that are easy to install and built to last. Their bolt-together construction makes setup straightforward and efficient, whether it's a small backyard hoophouse, or a dozen large production-scale high tunnels- especially through their community build option, where professional builders work alongside your crew, family, or neighbors to build each structure -- usually in a single day. Visit http://niftyhoops.com/ to learn more.

If you grow for market, you know performance is everything. That’s why so many farmers are turning to Burpee’s Farmers Market. Dedicated to professional growers, Burpee is now offering non-GMO seeds in larger quantities – bred and selected for standout flavor, strong yields, and the kind of visual appeal your customers crave. Burpee’s been doing this for 150 years, and they’re still creating new varieties with growers like you in mind. You can check out the full lineup at https://www.burpee.com/farmersmarket.

For more on veg and flower market farming, subscribe to Growing for Market Magazine!

Many market farms already have the facilities needed to grow culinary and medicinal mushrooms. Kyle Beaver of Ten Mile Mushrooms tells us how farmers can make use of existing infrastructure to add mushroom production for a year-round income stream that can help set your farm apart in the market.

We talk about how to get started with mushrooms, and the temperature, humidity, light and airflow requirements for a grow room. Kyle helps us figure out what kinds of structures on farms might be repurposed into mushroom facilities, and how to find markets before growing anything. Mushrooms suffer from long-distance travel and refrigeration, so Kyle tells us how to package local mushrooms to keep quality higher than mushrooms that have been shipped long-distance and everything you need to know to get started with mushrooms.

Connect With Guest:

Website: https://tenmilemushrooms.com/

Instagram: @grow.mush.more

Podcast Sponsors:

Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support:

If you grow for market, you know performance is everything. That’s why so many farmers are turning to Burpee’s Farmers Market. Dedicated to professional growers, Burpee is now offering non-GMO seeds in larger quantities – bred and selected for standout flavor, strong yields, and the kind of visual appeal your customers crave. Burpee’s been doing this for 150 years, and they’re still creating new varieties with growers like you in mind. You can check out the full lineup at https://www.burpee.com/farmersmarket.

Farmhand is the all-in-one platform built for direct-market farms — CSA, farmers market, and farmstand growers who'd rather be in the field than juggling five different apps. Online store and subscriptions, delivery and pickup routing, SMS and email marketing, waitlist management, and now farm events: sell tickets to u-picks, tours, dinners, and workshops in minutes, with capacity caps, QR check-in, and SMS/email confirmations built in. Every ticket also puts a name, email, and phone on a list you keep. See how farmers are growing direct-to-consumer sales and set up a free account at http://farmhand.partners/gfm

BCS two-wheel tractors are designed and built in Italy where small-scale farming has been a way of life for generations. Discover the beauty of BCS on your farm with PTO-driven implements for soil-working, shredding cover crops, spreading compost, mowing under fences, clearing snow, and more – all powered by a single, gear-driven machine that’s tailored to the size and scale of your operation. To learn more, view sale pricing, or locate your nearest dealer, visit BCS America.

Nifty Hoops builds complete gothic high tunnels that are easy to install and built to last. Their bolt-together construction makes setup straightforward and efficient, whether it's a small backyard hoophouse, or a dozen large production-scale high tunnels- especially through their community build option, where professional builders work alongside your crew, family, or neighbors to build each structure -- usually in a single day. Visit http://niftyhoops.com/ to learn more.

For more on veg and flower market farming, subscribe to Growing for Market Magazine!

Back when I first heard about climate change, I thought the weather patterns would stay the same, and it would just be a couple degrees hotter. However, as we’re finding out, our changing climate is resulting in more extreme weather as well. This week we talk with Keith Carson, meteorologist and Director of Environmental and Science Communications at Maine Conservation Voters to try and understand if there are any patterns emerging as our weather changes, since being able to anticipate the weather is so valuable for farmers.

We talk about why we’re having more extreme weather, and how much we can predict the weather in a climate in flux. We also discuss how weather in the East affects weather in the West, and what changing weather patterns are doing to North American regional weather. We unpack some popular terms like El Niño, polar vortex, and what the strong El Niño forecast for this winter means for farmers. So, tune in as we try and make sense of the weather in this week’s episode of the Growing for Market Podcast!

Connect With Guest:

Website: https://www.maineconservation.org/

Instagram: @maineconservation

Podcast Sponsors:

Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support:

Nifty Hoops builds complete gothic high tunnels that are easy to install and built to last. Their bolt-together construction makes setup straightforward and efficient, whether it's a small backyard hoophouse, or a dozen large production-scale high tunnels- especially through their community build option, where professional builders work alongside your crew, family, or neighbors to build each structure -- usually in a single day. Visit http://niftyhoops.com/ to learn more.

If you grow for market, you know performance is everything. That’s why so many farmers are turning to Burpee’s Farmers Market. Dedicated to professional growers, Burpee is now offering non-GMO seeds in larger quantities – bred and selected for standout flavor, strong yields, and the kind of visual appeal your customers crave. Burpee’s been doing this for 150 years, and they’re still creating new varieties with growers like you in mind. You can check out the full lineup at https://www.burpee.com/farmersmarket.

Farmhand is the all-in-one platform built for direct-market farms — CSA, farmers market, and farmstand growers who'd rather be in the field than juggling five different apps. Online store and subscriptions, delivery and pickup routing, SMS and email marketing, waitlist management, and now farm events: sell tickets to u-picks, tours, dinners, and workshops in minutes, with capacity caps, QR check-in, and SMS/email confirmations built in. Every ticket also puts a name, email, and phone on a list you keep. See how farmers are growing direct-to-consumer sales and set up a free account at http://farmhand.partners/gfm

BCS two-wheel tractors are designed and built in Italy where small-scale farming has been a way of life for generations. Discover the beauty of BCS on your farm with PTO-driven implements for soil-working, shredding cover crops, spreading compost, mowing under fences, clearing snow, and more – all powered by a single, gear-driven machine that’s tailored to the size and scale of your operation. To learn more, view sale pricing, or locate your nearest dealer, visit BCS America.

We’ve been getting a lot of greenhouse tomato questions lately, so we invited Martijn van Stee back to the podcast to find out how they breed varieties to deal with the biggest challenges in greenhouse production. Martijn is the Global Manager for tomato breeding at Enza Zaden (means Enza Seeds), one of the top greenhouse vegetable breeders in the world. We had Martijn on the podcast a couple years ago to talk about tomato rootstocks, so we were really glad to have him back to talk about top varieties this time.

We talk about how to find varieties that will work in unheated tunnels vs minimally heated greenhouses vs automated greenhouses, and what traits set these varieties apart. He tells us how they are changing their breeding to deal with increased heat and pest pressure due to climate change. Martijn gives us his answer about whether better tasting varieties tend to be lower yielding, where growers get their information from in Europe and lots more in this week’s episode of the Growing for Market Podcast!

Connect With Guest:

Website: https://www.enzazaden.com/us

Instagram: @enzazadenamericas

Podcast Sponsors:

Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support:

BCS two-wheel tractors are designed and built in Italy where small-scale farming has been a way of life for generations. Discover the beauty of BCS on your farm with PTO-driven implements for soil-working, shredding cover crops, spreading compost, mowing under fences, clearing snow, and more – all powered by a single, gear-driven machine that’s tailored to the size and scale of your operation. To learn more, view sale pricing, or locate your nearest dealer, visit BCS America.

Nifty Hoops builds complete gothic high tunnels that are easy to install and built to last. Their bolt-together construction makes setup straightforward and efficient, whether it's a small backyard hoophouse, or a dozen large production-scale high tunnels- especially through their community build option, where professional builders work alongside your crew, family, or neighbors to build each structure -- usually in a single day. Visit http://niftyhoops.com/ to learn more.

If you grow for market, you know performance is everything. That’s why so many farmers are turning to Burpee’s Farmers Market. Dedicated to professional growers, Burpee is now offering non-GMO seeds in larger quantities – bred and selected for standout flavor, strong yields, and the kind of visual appeal your customers crave. Burpee’s been doing this for 150 years, and they’re still creating new varieties with growers like you in mind. You can check out the full lineup at https://www.burpee.com/farmersmarket.

Farmhand is the all-in-one platform built for direct-market farms — CSA, farmers market, and farmstand growers who'd rather be in the field than juggling five different apps. Online store and subscriptions, delivery and pickup routing, SMS and email marketing, waitlist management, and now farm events: sell tickets to u-picks, tours, dinners, and workshops in minutes, with capacity caps, QR check-in, and SMS/email confirmations built in. Every ticket also puts a name, email, and phone on a list you keep. See how farmers are growing direct-to-consumer sales and set up a free account at http://farmhand.partners/gfm

For more on veg and flower market farming, subscribe to Growing for Market Magazine!

Martín Lemos tells us how his background in farming helps him evaluate the impact of projects Dirt Capital Partners is considering funding from the farming side of things. It is their goal to invest in regenerative agriculture projects, for example helping a farmer expand with a bigger farm. He tells us how they do investment for and with farmers, with making farmer ownership the goal.

We discuss how farmers may only buy a farm once or twice in their lifetimes, so Dirt Capital Partners brings expertise to that transaction on behalf of farmers. He tells us how he works as a liaison between farmers and investors- not just looking at the financials but also looking at the potential impact of projects and the feasibility on the farming side. If you’re interested in trying to finance a farm project, we talk about eligibility criteria, how to get ahold of Dirt Capital Partners and so much more in this episode of the Growing for Market Podcast!

Connect With Guest:

Website: https://www.dirtpartners.com/

Podcast Sponsors:

Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support:

Nifty Hoops builds complete gothic high tunnels that are easy to install and built to last. Their bolt-together construction makes setup straightforward and efficient, whether it's a small backyard hoophouse, or a dozen large production-scale high tunnels- especially through their community build option, where professional builders work alongside your crew, family, or neighbors to build each structure -- usually in a single day.Visit http://niftyhoops.com/ to learn more.

If you grow for market, you know performance is everything. That’s why so many farmers are turning to Burpee’s Farmers Market. Dedicated to professional growers, Burpee is now offering non-GMO seeds in larger quantities – bred and selected for standout flavor, strong yields, and the kind of visual appeal your customers crave. Burpee’s been doing this for 150 years, and they’re still creating new varieties with growers like you in mind. You can check out the full lineup at https://www.burpee.com/farmersmarket.

Farmhand is the all-in-one platform built for direct-market farms — CSA, farmers market, and farmstand growers who'd rather be in the field than juggling five different apps. Online store and subscriptions, delivery and pickup routing, SMS and email marketing, waitlist management, and now farm events: sell tickets to u-picks, tours, dinners, and workshops in minutes, with capacity caps, QR check-in, and SMS/email confirmations built in. Every ticket also puts a name, email, and phone on a list you keep. See how farmers are growing direct-to-consumer sales and set up a free account at http://farmhand.partners/gfm

For more on veg and flower market farming, subscribe to Growing for Market Magazine!

August’s Harvest was Canada’s first meristem clean seed garlic program providing virus and pathogen clean planting stock to North America. This week, we talk with Warren Ham and Roshan Ghimire of August’s Harvest in Ontario about how they started with the meristem clean seed program after it became clear there was a lot of pest and disease in commercially available seed garlic in North America after the 2013 season. This is the same technique that has been used for decades to produce pest and disease-free seed potatoes.

We talk about which garlic pests and diseases to keep an eye out for, and how being vegetatively propagated makes it easier for pests and diseases to catch a ride from generation to generation. We also discuss the feasibility of planting garlic bulbils, and how this could decrease the amount of seed garlic growers would need to save, increasing the amount they could sell. We also talk about phenotypic plasticity in garlic and how it can mean garlic looks different depending on where it’s grown, plus growing and lots of other great info in this week’s podcast!

Connect With Guest:

Website: https://www.augustsharvest.com/

Instagram: @augusts.harvest

Podcast Sponsors:

Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support:

Nifty Hoops builds complete gothic high tunnels that are easy to install and built to last. Their bolt-together construction makes setup straightforward and efficient, whether it's a small backyard hoophouse, or a dozen large production-scale high tunnels- especially through their community build option, where professional builders work alongside your crew, family, or neighbors to build each structure -- usually in a single day.Visit http://niftyhoops.com/ to learn more.

If you grow for market, you know performance is everything. That’s why so many farmers are turning to Burpee’s Farmers Market. Dedicated to professional growers, Burpee is now offering non-GMO seeds in larger quantities – bred and selected for standout flavor, strong yields, and the kind of visual appeal your customers crave. Burpee’s been doing this for 150 years, and they’re still creating new varieties with growers like you in mind. You can check out the full lineup at https://www.burpee.com/farmersmarket.

Farmhand is the all-in-one platform built for direct-market farms — CSA, farmers market, and farmstand growers who'd rather be in the field than juggling five different apps. Online store and subscriptions, delivery and pickup routing, SMS and email marketing, waitlist management, and now farm events: sell tickets to u-picks, tours, dinners, and workshops in minutes, with capacity caps, QR check-in, and SMS/email confirmations built in. Every ticket also puts a name, email, and phone on a list you keep. See how farmers are growing direct-to-consumer sales and set up a free account at http://farmhand.partners/gfm

For more on veg and flower market farming, subscribe to Growing for Market Magazine!

There’s a type of heater setup that delivers heat right where you need it and can offer some important advantages over forced air heat, but we don’t see many of them in the field. We think lack of knowledge about the technogy is the limiting factor, and it turns out there is also some customization involved, so we got ahold of John Wells at Rimol Greenhouse Systems to break it down for us. The tech we’re talking about is called convection tube heating, and it has as much to do with how the heat is delivered as the specs of the heater itself.

The big difference from most heaters is that hot air goes into a plenum (like a manifold) that channels the hot air into multiple separate ducts that are attached to big, perforated plastic tubes that distribute the heat evenly through the greenhouse. The tubes typically run down pathways, and in vining crops they have the advantage of heating the air at the base of the plant, where disease tends to start, and rises from there warming the whole plant. In winter greens crops, it means growers can run the tubes under row cover and only heat the area under cover- meaning you only need to heat the fraction of the greenhouse where your crop is. Listen to this episode to learn about the specs needed to run such a system- plus best practices for cooling the greenhouse with shade cloth.

Connect With Guest:

Website: https://rimol.com/

Instagram: @rimolgreenhouse

Podcast Sponsors:

Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support:

Farmhand is the all-in-one platform built for direct-market farms — CSA, farmers market, and farmstand growers who'd rather be in the field than juggling five different apps. Online store and subscriptions, delivery and pickup routing, SMS and email marketing, waitlist management, and now farm events: sell tickets to u-picks, tours, dinners, and workshops in minutes, with capacity caps, QR check-in, and SMS/email confirmations built in. Every ticket also puts a name, email, and phone on a list you keep. See how farmers are growing direct-to-consumer sales and set up a free account at http://farmhand.partners/gfm

BCS two-wheel tractors are designed and built in Italy where small-scale farming has been a way of life for generations. Discover the beauty of BCS on your farm with PTO-driven implements for soil-working, shredding cover crops, spreading compost, mowing under fences, clearing snow, and more – all powered by a single, gear-driven machine that’s tailored to the size and scale of your operation. To learn more, view sale pricing, or locate your nearest dealer, visit BCS America.

Nifty Hoops builds complete gothic high tunnels that are easy to install and built to last. Their bolt-together construction makes setup straightforward and efficient, whether it's a small backyard hoophouse, or a dozen large production-scale high tunnels- especially through their community build option, where professional builders work alongside your crew, family, or neighbors to build each structure -- usually in a single day.Visit http://niftyhoops.com/ to learn more.

If you grow for market, you know performance is everything. That’s why so many farmers are turning to Burpee’s Farmers Market. Dedicated to professional growers, Burpee is now offering non-GMO seeds in larger quantities – bred and selected for standout flavor, strong yields, and the kind of visual appeal your customers crave. Burpee’s been doing this for 150 years, and they’re still creating new varieties with growers like you in mind. You can check out the full lineup at https://www.burpee.com/farmersmarket.

For more on veg and flower market farming, subscribe to Growing for Market Magazine!

The Draft Animal Power Field Days are coming right up from October 2-4, and horse farmers Becky Frye and Donn Hewes tell us how they farm cooperatively thanks to a connection made through the Draft Animal Power Network (DAPNet). In addition to telling us about the ways to learn about horse farming at the Field Days, Becky and Donn tell us what it’s like to farm with horses. They both farm at Northland Sheep Farm, one of the oldest organic sheep dairies in the country which Donn and his wife Maryrose Livingston took over from the original owners.

Becky Frye runs Horsetail Herb Farm, growing certified organic medicinal and culinary herbs and cut flowers on the same property. Donn and Becky tell us how they share the Suffolk Punch draft horses between the sheep farm’s mostly hay-related tasks and the herb farm. We discuss the differences between working with horses and tractors, and how it’s possible to run modern machinery like hay balers and motorized sprayers with horses. So, listen to the podcast, then head over to the Shelburne, Vermont October 2-4 to learn hands-on at the Draft Animal Power Field Days!

Connect With Guest:

Website: draftanimalpower.org

https://www.northlandsheepdairy.com/

https://www.horsetailherbfarm.com/

Instagram: @draftanimalpower

@horsetailherbfarm

Podcast Sponsors:

Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support:

Seven Springs Farm Supply is a farm-based supply company focused on serving market gardeners and has been in business for 35 years. Their catalog includes a comprehensive selection of approved-for-organic fertilizers, pest & disease controls, growing mixes, cover crop seed, and more. They offer custom fertilizer blending and seasonal cooperative purchasing opportunities, and their experienced team is ready to help guide you to the best solution for your farm’s needs. Growing For Market listeners are eligible for an exclusive discount. Visit http://7springsfarm.com/GFM or give them a call at (540) 651-3228.

Farmhand is the all-in-one platform built for direct-market farms — CSA, farmers market, and farmstand growers who'd rather be in the field than juggling five different apps. Online store and subscriptions, delivery and pickup routing, SMS and email marketing, waitlist management, and now farm events: sell tickets to u-picks, tours, dinners, and workshops in minutes, with capacity caps, QR check-in, and SMS/email confirmations built in. Every ticket also puts a name, email, and phone on a list you keep. See how farmers are growing direct-to-consumer sales and set up a free account at http://farmhand.partners/gfm

BCS two-wheel tractors are designed and built in Italy where small-scale farming has been a way of life for generations. Discover the beauty of BCS on your farm with PTO-driven implements for soil-working, shredding cover crops, spreading compost, mowing under fences, clearing snow, and more – all powered by a single, gear-driven machine that’s tailored to the size and scale of your operation. To learn more, view sale pricing, or locate your nearest dealer, visit BCS America.

Nifty Hoops builds complete gothic high tunnels that are easy to install and built to last. Their bolt-together construction makes setup straightforward and efficient, whether it's a small backyard hoophouse, or a dozen large production-scale high tunnels- especially through their community build option, where professional builders work alongside your crew, family, or neighbors to build each structure -- usually in a single day.Visit http://niftyhoops.com/ to learn more.

If you grow for market, you know performance is everything. That’s why so many farmers are turning to Burpee’s Farmers Market. Dedicated to professional growers, Burpee is now offering non-GMO seeds in larger quantities – bred and selected for standout flavor, strong yields, and the kind of visual appeal your customers crave. Burpee’s been doing this for 150 years, and they’re still creating new varieties with growers like you in mind. You can check out the full lineup at https://www.burpee.com/farmersmarket.

For more on veg and flower market farming, subscribe to Growing for Market Magazine!

There are two sources of inspiration for this week’s interview: one was Rebecca Kutzer-Rice’s article “Why and how we automated our flower greenhouses,” which you can read here. And the other is the 40hr Farmer live greenhouse coaching and video course, brought to you by Growing for Market and Orisha greenhouse automation (it’s also free for all GFM subscribers by the way- get the code to register from the home page when you log in). Now, The 40hr Farmer is currently an in-depth look at greenhouse tomato growing, but in the future we are going to expand it to other crops.

And since we know Rebecca knows about automating GH flower crops from her article, and that greenhouse flowers can be as profitable if not more so than greenhouse vegetables, we wanted to get her opinion on which flower crops would be most important to cover when we get to flowers. Listen to this interview to hear why Rebecca recommends ranunculus, snapdragons and lisianthus as some of the GH flower crops that might need their own courses, and why growers are so obsessed with their greenhouses. We also talk about the greenhouse set points for these crops, climate settings for reducing disease in flower crops in general, maximizing production, why sometimes it can actually be cheaper and more efficient to grow a crop hotter, and more.

Connect With Guest:

Website: https://www.moonshotfarm.com/

Instagram: @moonshot_farm

Read Rebecca’s article from the February 2025 Growing for Market Magazine:

Why and how we automated our flower greenhouses

Podcast Sponsors:

Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support:

Nifty Hoops builds complete gothic high tunnels that are easy to install and built to last. Their bolt-together construction makes setup straightforward and efficient, whether it's a small backyard hoophouse, or a dozen large production-scale high tunnels- especially through their community build option, where professional builders work alongside your crew, family, or neighbors to build each structure -- usually in a single day.Visit http://niftyhoops.com/ to learn more.

If you grow for market, you know performance is everything. That’s why so many farmers are turning to Burpee’s Farmers Market. Dedicated to professional growers, Burpee is now offering non-GMO seeds in larger quantities – bred and selected for standout flavor, strong yields, and the kind of visual appeal your customers crave. Burpee’s been doing this for 150 years, and they’re still creating new varieties with growers like you in mind. You can check out the full lineup at https://www.burpee.com/farmersmarket.

For more on veg and flower market farming, subscribe to Growing for Market Magazine!

When we asked what insect pests were bugging you, we got so many questions it turned into two podcast episodes! So, this week we sit back down with Dr. Anna Wallingford of New Hampshire Community Supported Research to answer the second half of the bug questions submitted by the audience. The first half of this podcast ran the week of 7/7/26 so you can still listen to that one if you haven’t yet. There’s also a free article linked in the show notes- cabbage aphids come up in the interview, so we linked to Dr. Wallingford’s article from the June/July Growing for Market Magazine, “Scouting guidelines for brassica crops so you know what’s OK and when to act.”

In this week’s interview we compare some of the organically-approved pest control options, like the difference between clarified and cold-pressed neem oil, and why only the former has azadirachtin. On that tip we also talk about why sub-lethal doses of some pesticides can make insects reproduce even more, and why BT is so well targeted to just the bugs that are damaging your plants. We also talk about controlling thrips, cabbage aphids, whether ants can be a farm pest, garden flea hoppers and tarnished plant bugs, cyclamen mites and more in this episode of the Growing for Market Podcast!

Connect With Guest:

Website: New Hampshire Community Supported Research

The Serious Grower Podcast

Instagram: @nhcsr_ipm

@seriousgrower

Read Dr. Wallingford’s article from the June/July Growing for Market Magazine:

“Scouting guidelines for brassica crops so you know what’s OK and when to act.”

Podcast Sponsors:

Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support:

Seven Springs Farm Supply is a farm-based supply company focused on serving market gardeners and has been in business for 35 years. Their catalog includes a comprehensive selection of approved-for-organic fertilizers, pest & disease controls, growing mixes, cover crop seed, and more. They offer custom fertilizer blending and seasonal cooperative purchasing opportunities, and their experienced team is ready to help guide you to the best solution for your farm’s needs. Growing For Market listeners are eligible for an exclusive discount. Visit http://7springsfarm.com/GFM or give them a call at (540) 651-3228.

Nifty Hoops builds complete gothic high tunnels that are easy to install and built to last. Their bolt-together construction makes setup straightforward and efficient, whether it's a small backyard hoophouse, or a dozen large production-scale high tunnels- especially through their community build option, where professional builders work alongside your crew, family, or neighbors to build each structure -- usually in a single day.Visit http://niftyhoops.com/ to learn more.

If you grow for market, you know performance is everything. That’s why so many farmers are turning to Burpee’s Farmers Market. Dedicated to professional growers, Burpee is now offering non-GMO seeds in larger quantities – bred and selected for standout flavor, strong yields, and the kind of visual appeal your customers crave. Burpee’s been doing this for 150 years, and they’re still creating new varieties with growers like you in mind. You can check out the full lineup at https://www.burpee.com/farmersmarket.

For more on veg and flower market farming, subscribe to Growing for Market Magazine!

This week we have the pleasure of learning from Clarenda “Farmer Cee” Stanley, author of the new book, The Black Girl’s Guide to Building a Boutique Farm: Practical Advice to Keep Your Business Cute, Profitable, and Sustainable. In the book and interview, Cee tells us how she built her own Green Heffa Farms in North Carolina. She uses her background as a marketing and fundraising expert to provide practical guidance on launching and growing a farm brand rooted in authenticity and community.

In the interview we talk about how to establish a brand identity and then scale it as your farm grows to be economically viable and culturally impactful. We discuss the essentials of brand-building for farms, including market positioning, storytelling, and cultivating a community presence. Cee has made her brand an extension of the farm, and we learn how to use our own farm brands to establish profitability, community impact and personal fulfillment.

Connect With Guest:

Website: Green Heffa Farms

Instagram: @greenheffafarm

Podcast Sponsors:

Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support:

BCS two-wheel tractors are designed and built in Italy where small-scale farming has been a way of life for generations. Discover the beauty of BCS on your farm with PTO-driven implements for soil-working, shredding cover crops, spreading compost, mowing under fences, clearing snow, and more – all powered by a single, gear-driven machine that’s tailored to the size and scale of your operation. To learn more, view sale pricing, or locate your nearest dealer, visit BCS America.

Nifty Hoops builds complete gothic high tunnels that are easy to install and built to last. Their bolt-together construction makes setup straightforward and efficient, whether it's a small backyard hoophouse, or a dozen large production-scale high tunnels- especially through their community build option, where professional builders work alongside your crew, family, or neighbors to build each structure -- usually in a single day.Visit http://niftyhoops.com/ to learn more.

If you grow for market, you know performance is everything. That’s why so many farmers are turning to Burpee’s Farmers Market. Dedicated to professional growers, Burpee is now offering non-GMO seeds in larger quantities – bred and selected for standout flavor, strong yields, and the kind of visual appeal your customers crave. Burpee’s been doing this for 150 years, and they’re still creating new varieties with growers like you in mind. You can check out the full lineup at https://www.burpee.com/farmersmarket.

For more on veg and flower market farming, subscribe to Growing for Market Magazine!

It’s that time of year when the pests and the questions about how to keep them in check are building up. So, in keeping with the mission of Dr. Anna Wallingford’s New Hampshire Community Supported Research to respond to what growers are wondering about, we surveyed our audience and asked her how to deal with the insect pests that are bugging you this time of year. In fact, we got so many bug questions this turned into a two-parter, so in this installment we talk about how to tell which of three potential pests tomato leafminer might be.

We also talk about how to deal with cucumber beetle feeding damage and the bacterial wilt they can cause, how to deal with allium leafminer, and whether high brix can deter pests or not. We also talk about how to control leaf footed bugs, flea beetles, aphid control in high tunnels, Colorado potato beetles and slugs. For more on integrated pest management, check out Anna’s pod, the Serious Grower Podcast, for even more on pest control!

Connect With Guest:

Website: New Hampshire Community Supported Research

The Serious Grower Podcast

Instagram: @nhcsr_ipm

@seriousgrower

Podcast Sponsors:

Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support:

Seven Springs Farm Supply is a farm-based supply company focused on serving market gardeners and has been in business for 35 years. Their catalog includes a comprehensive selection of approved-for-organic fertilizers, pest & disease controls, growing mixes, cover crop seed, and more. They offer custom fertilizer blending and seasonal cooperative purchasing opportunities, and their experienced team is ready to help guide you to the best solution for your farm’s needs. Growing For Market listeners are eligible for an exclusive discount. Visit http://7springsfarm.com/GFM or give them a call at (540) 651-3228.

BCS two-wheel tractors are designed and built in Italy where small-scale farming has been a way of life for generations. Discover the beauty of BCS on your farm with PTO-driven implements for soil-working, shredding cover crops, spreading compost, mowing under fences, clearing snow, and more – all powered by a single, gear-driven machine that’s tailored to the size and scale of your operation. To learn more, view sale pricing, or locate your nearest dealer, visit BCS America.

Nifty Hoops builds complete gothic high tunnels that are easy to install and built to last. Their bolt-together construction makes setup straightforward and efficient, whether it's a small backyard hoophouse, or a dozen large production-scale high tunnels- especially through their community build option, where professional builders work alongside your crew, family, or neighbors to build each structure -- usually in a single day.Visit http://niftyhoops.com/ to learn more.

If you grow for market, you know performance is everything. That’s why so many farmers are turning to Burpee’s Farmers Market. Dedicated to professional growers, Burpee is now offering non-GMO seeds in larger quantities – bred and selected for standout flavor, strong yields, and the kind of visual appeal your customers crave. Burpee’s been doing this for 150 years, and they’re still creating new varieties with growers like you in mind. You can check out the full lineup at https://www.burpee.com/farmersmarket.

There are a lot of farm sales platforms out there, but there’s only one that’s cooperatively owned by farmers. That’s GrownBy — your all-in-one solution to simplify farm sales. GrownBy makes online farm sales easy and affordable; setting up your shop is free, and you only pay when you sell. Join over 900 farms who have already signed up for GrownBy, at https://grownby.com/.

For more on veg and flower market farming, subscribe to Growing for Market Magazine!

When he was running Ardelia Farm in Vermont, Bailey Hale found that many trending flower varieties were not available in quantities market farmers could use, or available at all, which led him to start brokering orders with other growers. In this interview, we hear about how that business grew until Farmer Bailey plant brokerage became the full-time business and moved to Portugal. Bailey tells us how his background as a floral designer and farmer helps him spot new varieties that will become important for flower growers.

Bailey and host Rebecca Kutzer-Rice of Moonshot Farm discuss why growers are trying more fall planting of bulbs, what to start from seed and what to use plugs for, and thoughts on plug sizing. They also talk about coming developments in ranunculus, nigella, campanula, evergreen campanula, and dahlia breeding, including winter dahlias. They also talk about Bailey’s sweet peas and methods for growing them, and what they would do if they were starting over. Rebecca’s article from the May Growing for Market Magazine came up during the interview, so we linked it here if you want to read about “Strategies for reducing plant input costs on flower farms.”

Connect With Guest:

Website: https://farmerbailey.com/

Instagram: @farmerbaileyplugs

Read the article “Strategies for reducing plant input costs on flower farms” by host Rebecca Kutzer-Rice from the May 2026 Growing for Market Magazine

Podcast Sponsors:

Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support:

Nifty Hoops builds complete gothic high tunnels that are easy to install and built to last. Their bolt-together construction makes setup straightforward and efficient, whether it's a small backyard hoophouse, or a dozen large production-scale high tunnels- especially through their community build option, where professional builders work alongside your crew, family, or neighbors to build each structure -- usually in a single day.Visit http://niftyhoops.com/ to learn more.

If you grow for market, you know performance is everything. That’s why so many farmers are turning to Burpee’s Farmers Market. Dedicated to professional growers, Burpee is now offering non-GMO seeds in larger quantities – bred and selected for standout flavor, strong yields, and the kind of visual appeal your customers crave. Burpee’s been doing this for 150 years, and they’re still creating new varieties with growers like you in mind. You can check out the full lineup at https://www.burpee.com/farmersmarket.

There are a lot of farm sales platforms out there, but there’s only one that’s cooperatively owned by farmers. That’s GrownBy — your all-in-one solution to simplify farm sales. GrownBy makes online farm sales easy and affordable; setting up your shop is free, and you only pay when you sell. Join over 900 farms who have already signed up for GrownBy, at https://grownby.com/.

For more on veg and flower market farming, subscribe to Growing for Market Magazine!

Soil is finally getting the attention it deserves, and though many of the best practices in the field hold true in the greenhouse, there are some important differences and that’s what we talk about this week with Judson Reid. We talk about why you can’t apply all the fertility a long-season crop like tomatoes need at the beginning of the season, and how to handle supplemental fertility needs. Judson tells us why water may be the most important input going into your greenhouse and what to get it tested for.

We also discuss how much organic matter is too much, why too much calcium can throw your soil out of balance over time, and how foliar testing can tell you whether your fertility plan is working or not before deficiencies show up. Some of this is covered in the Cornell publication “High Tunnel Best Management Practices- Long Term Soil Health and Fertility,” linked in the show notes.

Connect With Guest:

YouTube: @AgriculturewithJud

High Tunnel Best Management Practices- Long Term Soil Health and Fertility

Podcast Sponsors:

Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support:

Nifty Hoops builds complete gothic high tunnels that are easy to install and built to last. Their bolt-together construction makes setup straightforward and efficient, whether it's a small backyard hoophouse, or a dozen large production-scale high tunnels- especially through their community build option, where professional builders work alongside your crew, family, or neighbors to build each structure -- usually in a single day.Visit http://niftyhoops.com/ to learn more.

Seven Springs Farm Supply is a farm-based supply company focused on serving market gardeners and has been in business for 35 years. Their catalog includes a comprehensive selection of approved-for-organic fertilizers, pest & disease controls, growing mixes, cover crop seed, and more. They offer custom fertilizer blending and seasonal cooperative purchasing opportunities, and their experienced team is ready to help guide you to the best solution for your farm’s needs. Growing For Market listeners are eligible for an exclusive discount. Visit http://7springsfarm.com/GFM or give them a call at (540) 651-3228.

If you grow for market, you know performance is everything. That’s why so many farmers are turning to Burpee’s Farmers Market. Dedicated to professional growers, Burpee is now offering non-GMO seeds in larger quantities – bred and selected for standout flavor, strong yields, and the kind of visual appeal your customers crave. Burpee’s been doing this for 150 years, and they’re still creating new varieties with growers like you in mind. You can check out the full lineup at https://www.burpee.com/farmersmarket.

There are a lot of farm sales platforms out there, but there’s only one that’s cooperatively owned by farmers. That’s GrownBy — your all-in-one solution to simplify farm sales. GrownBy makes online farm sales easy and affordable; setting up your shop is free, and you only pay when you sell. Join over 900 farms who have already signed up for GrownBy, at https://grownby.com/.

For more on veg and flower market farming, subscribe to Growing for Market Magazine!

When Kate-Lynn Clark got the opportunity to take over a peony farm, it didn’t include the land. So she dug up and moved over 250 varieties of peonies to her family’s farm in Brownsburg-Chatham, Quebec. There she runs En Fleurs, shipping peony roots to Canada and the USA, so we figured she could tell us everything about planting and maintaining peonies!

We cover the difference between tree peonies and herbaceous peonies, why they need a certain amount of chilling for good blooming, and why intersectional peonies may be a more reliable option for southern growers. We also learn how often to dig, divide and replant peonies, and why this usually happens in the fall. We also talk about why single peonies are mostly for event work, but doubles are better for cuts, good varieties for cut flowers, and best practices for harvest and postharvest handling.

Connect With Guest:

Instagram: @en.fleurs

Website: https://www.enfleurs.ca/

Podcast Sponsors:

Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support:

Nifty Hoops builds complete gothic high tunnels that are easy to install and built to last. Their bolt-together construction makes setup straightforward and efficient, whether it's a small backyard hoophouse, or a dozen large production-scale high tunnels- especially through their community build option, where professional builders work alongside your crew, family, or neighbors to build each structure -- usually in a single day.Visit http://niftyhoops.com/ to learn more.

If you grow for market, you know performance is everything. That’s why so many farmers are turning to Burpee’s Farmers Market. Dedicated to professional growers, Burpee is now offering non-GMO seeds in larger quantities – bred and selected for standout flavor, strong yields, and the kind of visual appeal your customers crave. Burpee’s been doing this for 150 years, and they’re still creating new varieties with growers like you in mind. You can check out the full lineup at https://www.burpee.com/farmersmarket.

There are a lot of farm sales platforms out there, but there’s only one that’s cooperatively owned by farmers. That’s GrownBy — your all-in-one solution to simplify farm sales. GrownBy makes online farm sales easy and affordable; setting up your shop is free, and you only pay when you sell. Join over 900 farms who have already signed up for GrownBy, at https://grownby.com/.

BCS two-wheel tractors are designed and built in Italy where small-scale farming has been a way of life for generations. Discover the beauty of BCS on your farm with PTO-driven implements for soil-working, shredding cover crops, spreading compost, mowing under fences, clearing snow, and more – all powered by a single, gear-driven machine that’s tailored to the size and scale of your operation. To learn more, view sale pricing, or locate your nearest dealer, visit BCS America.

For more on veg and flower market farming, subscribe to Growing for Market Magazine!