You Started a Farm...

So you've started a farm and you're wondering what to do next? This is your video.

Sites and Suppliers mentioned Mentioned 🧑‍🌾

🚨 Support Videos like this 👇

Support our work (👊) at
or

Citations:

[nigelmccomb]

As a very small market gardener who is over 70 and growing as a retirement income supplement, I love your videos and have gained a lot by watching. Thank you 🙏.

[chriskimber]

Consider adding a small tractor with a front end loader and a 3pt pitch w PTO!
I know, you don't use one, JMF swears he doesn't need one (but has one...) but I can honestly say that after a dozen years of urban farming the SINGLE BEST PURCHASE has been the down $5k up front and $400 a month (for 6 more years at 0%) on a shiny orange Korean employee.
There is no better compost building system: no messing around with pipes and blowers; no desperately trying to bury 8 trash bins of spent brewing grain; no waiting 3 years for slow compost full of weed seed; no back breaking DAYS pf wheelbarrow races; we've replaced broadforking with a subsoiler; the flail mower is a joy; giant tarps live on a pallet with their cinder block weights; aisles are wider but more useful; awkward heavy things are no longer heavy; I find new ways to use it everyday. Snow clearing!
I wish it was electric; but that only seems to exist in online research, not in real life (for now?). I only use it for 20minutes to 2 hours at a time and not every day. But when I use it to aerated a 20 cubic foot pile of compost it is pretty darn great to have. Still wanting that compost spreader from Broadfork Farm, but even just bucketing into place and raking is miles better than the 10, 000 steps and wheelbarrow loading.
Obviously this is not for every farm, but again- I am an urban farmer: I can only use this on 2 of my 5 gardens and %80 of that use is compost building and it is so worth it. If I had a compact 2 acre farm this would be a very early purchase.

[aenorist]

That thumbnail speaks to me.
Built a farm, had my first few sales these past days, now what.

[jsunshinejull]

An irrigation video would be awesome. We had a three or four month 'flash drought' (still not a thing...) this year until Debby blew in and my irrigation setup was barely up to the task. Getting through that involved manually turning water on and off in the dark before and after work every day, and I'm now researching what kind of timer to invest in. And considering quitting my off-farm job, but that's not new...

[dongriffith]

year one, about 2k in the hole after expenses. spent alot of money on startup infrastructure(chicken coups, pig pen, electric fences ect) i could probably make a profit if i chose to sell the chickens i have, but that wouldnt work as im intending to sell pullets as well next year.

i thank god i own my property outright and dont have a mortgage or this would be a 100% failed venture. one rule im keeping for my small farm is to cashflow it from my 9-5, i do not want debt.

[CatherineandRob]

Starting up list of tools: stirrup hoe, wheelbarrow, shovel, rake, trowel, 6 pack of beer, ways to sow & start seeds. One of these things is not like the others! 8:17

[richo]

We only kitchen garden for now and it's saving/making us money. I just bought your book and the intro really sums it up. Your channel really inspires me to have a go, and since I have been focussing on soil health I am seeing huge results with less effort. It's such a rewarding way to grow. Cheers to you, your family and team.

[ArodWinterbornSteed]

I always assumed that “two birds with one stone” was referring to hunting with a sling, not lobbing rocks at birds. Sort of like David and Goliath but multi-target rather than giant target, and certainly harkening back þe olden times..

[bjones]

Great videos!
As we say in the automotive field, “The best tool is the one that works”.
Also, a tool that serves more than one purpose is a good thing.

[JohnThompson-hcbd]

I love this channel. I started gardening in 2018 and continue to grow a lot of my food. I don’t know how you market garden. It is so difficult just to grow for one’s self.

[dennisscribner]

bearded up jesse. i think this winters gonna b cold and ice.. im enjoying your channel..

[pofdsjoijsodfjsoidf]

I completely forgot the start of the video once you mentioned "your kids might not want to do what you do". This is so important. Parents need to understand this early so that they don't build up resentment and disappointment for something that is just normal.

[aileensmith]

We have ZERO desire and ever getting to the marketing phase of our small garden. However, you do bring up some excellent points as to having a more productive garden. Things are getting better for us and yes we still have a long way to go. We also have two cats that love to help us garden by always being in the way and constantly rubbing against us for "needed" attention. Another great Sunday Morning video Thank You!

[WAYNESVILLE]

Dude you always post the perfect content right when I need it🥰
Thank you!🙌

[patrickcoyne]

One thing that I am looking into for farm supplement is using it a venue. Will require it to look nicer most of the time but allows an outlet for food, and a nice outdoor and possible indoor space is something that isn’t always available.

[jennablorezoneBandA]

We bought our land last year back where we are from in Northern California because it was cheaper than in the Pacific NW (believe it or not).
This year I started the ‘test garden’ 30x30 patch of horrid clay and harvesting rocks endlessly as it was in one corner of that area (obviously buried). I did simple soil testing so I could add amendments, bring in good soil, compost, and mulch.
Installed drip system (thankfully it has a well w/solar already)
I have your book following me around to make sure I don’t screw this up. 🤓📖👩🏼‍🌾

After putting in stakes, building trellises, hanging shade cloth, spending 2 days mowing brush down with a rented walk behind brush mower for fire prevention, all the while doing it all by myself, I can say I’m utterly exhausted!

The good news is I’m building muscle, detoxing in 100+ heat, and rethinking this whole farming thing 😂

Definitely need younger bodies and a small tractor with our 5 acre 300ft tiered incline.

I do the financials in our maintenance company but haven’t had time to categorize and see the bottom line so far with unnamed farm biz yet. But I do know that this is going to take a long time to build soil and lots more money for infrastructure for regenerative ag.

It’s been such a learning and eye opening experience all the while trying to decide if we’re gonna hook into the ‘grid’ or build completely off grid setup after hearing how horrid PGE is with $1k-3k energy bills per month on customers who are used to paying $300-2k bill (depending on location)😧

Community farming is necessary or burnout is inevitable. I’m already injured and fried after 4 months. Like I said before, it’s rethinking time.
How to make this more sustainable?
How to work with native soil in the meantime?
How to get trees donated ? (To have some canopy to create ecological diversity)

Back to the drawing board we go. 🫠

[ardenthebibliophile]

Along with the not buying tools discussion, many times the first tool you buy SHOULD be the cheapo tool (e.g. the harbor freight version). If you break it, you know you'll use it again and you know what part of the crappy one you don't like/what to look for in a good one.

Not always the truth (e.g. when it comes to hand planes don't bother, but that's woodworking not gardening), but a good thing to consider!

[krispace]

Try rootwise brother. It has the right amounts of microbes in the right numbers for a farm. It's good to start with dead "soil." I know indigenous is best but this does help get things started and can overwinter and remain

[KrazyKajun]

Great Video and Information. I will bring the beer when I come tour your farm.

[ajb.]

Pretty sure the "two birds with one stone" which was in reference to killing them, I'm also pretty sure, had to do with eating them. Ppl used to eat blackbirds and Pidgeon pies, after all. Anyway, love ya and your vids and website/discussion forum site.