Steve Pincus owns and operates Tipi Produce in Evansville, Wisconsin, with his wife, Beth Kazmar. Tipi Produce grows about 45 acres of certified organic produce, and markets to 500 CSA members and makes nearly year-round sales to stores in Madison and Milwaukee – in fact, the last carrots will be delivered the same week this episode goes live. Steve has incredible employee retention from year to year, with many employees having worked on the farm for nearly twenty years. Chris and Steve talk about taking the long view with employee management, cropping systems, and business investments, as well as harvesting and storing lots and lots of carrots.
Sponsors
Vermont Compost: Founded by organic crop growing professionals committed to meeting the need for high-quality composts and compost-based, living soil mixes for certified organic plant production.
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Audible: Discover the world of audio-books, and absorb yourself in the latest in business management texts, farming essays, or just a dramatic retelling of the Star Wars saga. Get a free audiobook download and a 30-day free trial at audibletrial.com/farmertofarmer.
Show Links
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Tipi Produce
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Fair Share CSA Coalition
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K.U.L.T. brand weeder - The name on the website for this is the Kress weeding system. The Duo-Parallelogram is the basic tool carrier, and there are a variety of attachments for cultivation. Although the website contact information is in Germany, they do have US distribution.
Steve’s Favorite Tool:
- Scott Viner FMC Root Harvester - The Scott Viner that Steve uses on his farm was modified to pull a trailer directly behind it, rather than offloading to the side, the way the unit in this video does. Roeters Farm Equipment is a great place to pick up used root harvesters if you can’t get one from a local farmer.
Steve’s Favorite Resource:
- Besides other farms, Steve is a big fan of the MOSES Organic Farming Conference at the end of February in La Crosse, Wisconsin – as much for the networking as for the workshops.
