Courtesy of Jared Regier, Chain Reaction Urban Farm, Saskatoon SK Every bit of advice I encountered about starting a farm suggested not starting with any kind of CSA program in the first year. I did it anyway because it just seemed like the right fit for our farm scale and...
Courtesy of Jared Regier, Chain Reaction Urban Farm, Saskatoon SK So this is what a typical quiet evening at home looks like these days. My wife Rachel snuck this photo while I was in full head scratching planning mode a few nights ago. Now that I know how many families...
Courtesy of Roxanne C., Philadelphia PA Egged on by the ever-expanding ecosystem of farm advocacy groups, farmers seem compelled to explain how exceptional they are. Here is a recent example titled “Here’s What I Need You to Know About Farming.” As we’ve come to expect, it includes the oft-repeated narrative...
Courtesy of Roxanne C., Philadelphia PA The hands down best advice on starting a farm is “Don’t wait.” This Colorado SPIN member’s situation is typical. “I’ve just had a few opportunities fall into my lap where I can actually start my operation (full time freedom status) within the next month....
Courtesy of Roxanne C., Philadelphia PA Reporters who really dig into the local food movement ask, “Will this time be different?” We don’t know the answer. But those who do the research find that the long term track record of volunteer-based gardening efforts is not good, and the amount community...
Courtesy of Roxanne C., Philadelphia PA We often get asked if SPIN is organic. Usually it’s by aspiring farmers who want to do the right thing. We don’t dictate how to grow. We explain that SPIN calls for organic-based methods because they are cheaper and more appropriate for densely populated...
Courtesy of Roxanne C., Philadelphia PA A reporter called recently to ask us about guerrilla gardening. It was a short interview. We don’t know much about it, though it does have some similarities with SPIN. Both use overlooked or neglected spaces to grow food. Both are practiced by free-thinkers. Both try...
Courtesy of Wally S., Wally’s Urban Market Garden, Saskatoon SK I used to get asked if farming was a 9 to 5 job. That was back in 2006 when we first launched the SPIN online learning series, and when my experience in downsizing was starting to get attention. One of...
Courtesy of Roxanne C., Philadelphia PA Ever since SPIN-Farming was introduced seven years ago, one question has come up repeatedly. Entrepreneurs out to make a buck in such wide ranging places as Miami, Ulster and Nairobi ask, “Can SPIN work here?” The answer is that SPIN can work wherever there...
Courtesy of Wally S., Wally’s Urban Market Garden, Saskatoon, SK So many people are reluctant to ask the first question that should be answered before starting a new farm. And it’s probably not the question you are thinking. It’s not: “How much money can I make?” It’s: “How much money...
