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Desperately Seeking Arugula
Courtesy of Roxanne C., Philadelphia PA Arugula is one of those crossover crops that went from niche to mainstream. It found a fanatical following back in the late 90’s when it was the mark of distinction for artisanal farmers, and a symbol of enlightened eating among foodies. Over time it...
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Eco-nomics
Courtesy of Roxanne C., Philadelphia PA Economics: activities that try to satisfy unlimited wants by the proper use of limited resources; how to use scarce resources to produce valuable commodities and distribute them among different people Working with nature rather than against her has always been the rule of thumb...
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A Farmer in Winter
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...
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Cut Your Losses When A Market Doesn’t Work
Publicly, farmers markets are cornucopias of goodwill and local food solidarity. But behind the scenes? Personality clashes. Warring factions. Intimidation. Fear and loathing. Over the years we have known farmers whose markets have risen to become vital parts of their communities. We have also heard about those whose markets descend...
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2020 Trends and Who’s Setting Them
Here’s Backyard Riches Alphabet List of 2020 Trends to look forward to, culled from all the presentations at last year’s Member Meetups. Thanks to all of the forward thinking SPIN farmers listed below who presented their business plans, how they implemented them and the revenue they targeted and achieved. Our...
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Avoid Seed Buyers Remorse
Before those catalogs start filling your head with sugar plum fantasies, here’s two seed buying tips to be sure you get the most out of your seed budget. First, develop a No-Grow list. The pro’s learned long ago to resist seed varieties bred to be talking points. Wally knows how...
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In A Retail Frame of Mind
Once farmers take on a year-round, permanent stand inside a Farmer’s Market building, they are in the retail business, whether they realize it or not. This presents some unique opportunities and challenges. On the plus side, you have less work because there is no setup and teardown on every market...
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Seeing the Farm Dream For What It Really Is
Courtesy of Roxanne C., Philadelphia PA If you are just starting out in farming, you might have heard these words of wisdom: “Farms are started by idealists, and run by realists.” Based on our experience, the new farm success rate is greatly increased if farmers become realists sooner rather than...
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