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156: Steven Beltram of Balsam Gardens on Farming without Infrastructure, Growing on Plastic, and Selling Wholesale

2/1/2018

1 Comment

 
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After starting out in 2008 on a homestead in the country that grew to a market and livestock farm on several different parcels, my guest Steven Beltram and his wife Becca Nestler moved Balsam Gardens to two large parcels right in the city of Asheville, North Carolina. They now farm on 30 acres of certified organic ground, selling their product to wholesale distributors.

Steven digs into how he has developed a large, efficient farm without any infrastructure. At Balsam Gardens, the crew field packs all of the crops, and Steven explains how they do this in a way that has helped them pass their GAPs audit while maintaining good quality. We also discuss Balsam Gardens’ plasticulture system, including how they manage weeds between the plastic-covered beds. And, Steven shares how they have worked to structure their crops and their labor pool to maximize their efficiency.

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Quotes from the Show

We really had to figure out a different way of doing [the post-harvest handling] because we just don’t have any way to do that on our farm the way it is right now.

​The food safety stuff has been like a tidal wave over the past few years, where buyers are really requiring it in a big way around here. The buyers themselves are getting stricter and stricter.

Show Links

Balsam Gardens gets all of its transplants from Banner Greenhouses in Nebo, North Carolina.

Transcript

The transcript for this episode is brought to you by Earth Tools, offering the most complete selection of walk-behind farming equipment and high-quality garden tools in North America. And by Osborne Quality Seeds, a dedicated partner for growers.  Visit osborneseed.com for high quality seed, industry-leading customer service, and fast order fulfillment. Additional funding for transcripts provided by North Central SARE, providing grants and education to advance innovations in Sustainable Agriculture.
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1 Comment
Joanne Tipler Day Brighteners Farm link
2/13/2018 03:59:49 pm

I was thinking of all that plastic and wonder if you've heard of the Biodegradable and Compostable Black Plastic Mulch from Dubois. I discovered it this past spring, am in the first year of using it and won't know until the snow clears if it's a good thing or not.

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