Courtesy of Roxanne C., Philadelphia PA SPIN-Farming does not look at all like agribusiness’s vast fields of monoculture crops. But both SPIN and big ag show how farming, in a systematic way, makes itself more productive, efficient, and profitable. While agribusiness relies on capital and mechanization, SPIN’s asset is people,...
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...
Complete the signature block in your profile area The first and most important step before using the forums is to complete the signature block with your name, city, state and country. You can also include your growing zone, if you know it, and your business name if you have one....
Courtesy of Roxanne C., Philadelphia PA SPIN farmers are always looking ahead, so the end of one year and the beginning of another is a great time. Â We’ve pored over the past 8 years of the SPIN online support group to come up with an alphabet of New Year’s Resolutions,...
Courtesy of Roxanne C., Philadelphia PAÂ We are frequently asked to assess farm start ups. Long wordy business plans usually indicate a lack of understanding of what is most likely to determine success. For beginning farmers, the shorter the plan the better. Traditional ag training has made a fetish out...
Courtesy of Wally S., Wally’s Urban Market Garden, Saskatoon SPIN farmers are starting to plan for the 2015 season, so let me share a typical Q&A that might help you in starting to look ahead. Q: I have 54 2 ft x25 ft SPIN beds. Nest season I am hoping...
Courtesy of Roxanne C., Philadelphia PA  With more SPIN farmers cropping up, we’re being asked, what is the optimal number  that can be supported by the market? Given the growing demand for fresh, local food, saturation should not yet be  a concern in most urban and suburban markets, which...
Courtesy of Wally S., Wally’s Urban Market Garden, Saskatoon, SK For permie-minded farmers who are looking to put some of their growing space into permanent single crop production, horse radish is a good bet. I harvested about 5 lbs. from just 25 square feet. I could have gotten more but...
Courtesy of Wally S., Wally’s Urban Market Garden, Saskatoon, SK Farming is inspiring a lot of creative thinking. Planners and academics are envisioning skyscraper farms costing millions of dollars. It remains to be seen whether any of these indoor systems will ever be built, or be sustainable. In the meantime, here’s...
Courtesy of Linda B., Abundant Life Farm, Walker Valley NY A SPIN-Farming workshop I did in Virginia brought up an important point – and that is new markets and ways to market. In the section of Virginia in which I gave the workshop they had a heck of a waiting...
