Courtesy of Wally S., Pleasantdale SK Farming in Canada, snow is something I’ve just learned to accept. I actually look forward to it. It slows down the pace and puts gets me int a more relaxed and reflective mindset. According to experts, snow adds nutrients to the soil. Maybe that’s...
Courtesy of Wally S., Wally’s Market Garden, Pleasantdale SK If you are in a year round farmers market like I am, you have the opportunity to fill your stocking with some extra Christmas cash. Markets have gotten much more sophisticated about attracting additional shoppers at this time of year, those...
Courtesy of Wally S., Wally’s Urban Market Garden, Saskatoon SK You might have been hearing that marketing is becoming much more experiential. At the farmer’s market this means participating in onsite cooking demos. Farmers showcase their offerings by preparing them and giving out free samples. My intern Bryon Hall roasted...
Courtesy of Bryon H., Saskatoon SK Over the last two weekends at the Saturday farmers market I learned creative ways to increase exposure and sales. The first one was the transition from being an outdoor vendor to an indoor vendor. The challenge was notifying as many customers as possible that Wally’s...
Courtesy of Wally S., Wally’s Urban Market Garden, Saskatoon SK One of the mistakes I now see among SPIN farmers is they quit too soon. Once you get beyond the traditional end of season mentality you can add hundreds or thousands of dollars more, to your income, without much sweat....
Courtesy of Wally S., Wally’s Urban Market Garden, Saskatoon SK In SPIN-Farming, every crop has to earn its keep, especially in winter. Onions need to make  me at least $3 lb. I am not going to get that with the standard large onions that  supermarkets offer. And I’m not going...
Courtesy of Wally S., Wally’s Urban Market Garden, Saskatoon SK When people ask me what my favorite crop is, my answer is always the same. It’s whatever is selling best at market that week. Carrots are always among my best sellers, so I aim to have early carrots by the...
Courtesy of Wally S., Wally’s Urban Market Garden, Saskatoon SK More and more consumers go to year round farmers markets so they can know where their food comes from, even in winter. What they find at my stand are storage crops, like beets, carrots and potatoes. Part of the challenge...
