Genesis McKiernan-Allen and Eli Robb raise vegetables year-round at Full Hand Farm, 45 minutes northeast of Indianapolis. Going into year seven of their operation, Genesis and Eli have between four and five acres of produce production, with half of their sales going to farmers market and half going to restaurants in Indianapolis.
Eli and Genesis dig into how they’ve managed a black rot infestation in their brassica crops, as well as how they weathered an herbicide drift incident by marketing with honesty and integrity. We take a look at the details of winter production in their operation, including the highs and lows of mobile high tunnels, their design for caterpillar tunnels and how those fit into their rotation, and how four-season production fits into their business and marketing plans.
We also make an honest evaluation of starting a farm where the food scene was not fully developed, and how that worked for them; and take a similarly honest look at starting a family on the farm, and how they’ve made that work.
Eli and Genesis dig into how they’ve managed a black rot infestation in their brassica crops, as well as how they weathered an herbicide drift incident by marketing with honesty and integrity. We take a look at the details of winter production in their operation, including the highs and lows of mobile high tunnels, their design for caterpillar tunnels and how those fit into their rotation, and how four-season production fits into their business and marketing plans.
We also make an honest evaluation of starting a farm where the food scene was not fully developed, and how that worked for them; and take a similarly honest look at starting a family on the farm, and how they’ve made that work.
Sponsors
Vermont Compost Company: 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.
Hoss Tools: Hoss Tools is the complete solution for all your market farming tools and supplies. They manufacture and carry only the highest-quality tools that are built to last a lifetime. From their time-tested Wheel Hoes, precision Garden Seeders, heavy-duty seed trays, drip irrigation and OMRI certified pest control solutions, they have you covered. FREE SHIPPING and outstanding customer service at www.hosstools.com.
Local Food Marketplace: Providing an integrated, scalable solution for farms and food hubs to process customer orders – including online ordering, harvesting, packing, delivery, invoicing and payment processing. Manage multiple product and price lists with ease. Maximize your sales by selling multiple product pack sizes out of the same inventory. Local Food Marketplace will help you reach more customers and save time in fulfilling your customer’s orders.
Hoss Tools: Hoss Tools is the complete solution for all your market farming tools and supplies. They manufacture and carry only the highest-quality tools that are built to last a lifetime. From their time-tested Wheel Hoes, precision Garden Seeders, heavy-duty seed trays, drip irrigation and OMRI certified pest control solutions, they have you covered. FREE SHIPPING and outstanding customer service at www.hosstools.com.
Local Food Marketplace: Providing an integrated, scalable solution for farms and food hubs to process customer orders – including online ordering, harvesting, packing, delivery, invoicing and payment processing. Manage multiple product and price lists with ease. Maximize your sales by selling multiple product pack sizes out of the same inventory. Local Food Marketplace will help you reach more customers and save time in fulfilling your customer’s orders.
Quotes from the Show
[Genesis] I feel like all of a sudden we're just like talking about the bad stuff, but sometimes that's what maybe you learn the most from. Or the most quickly.
[Eli] You know, we've only been in the neighborhood for five years, and I always say, "We don't go to church or the bar so how do we meet anybody?" Because, we're just working all the time.
[Genesis] We live on the farm. [Eli] Which is great, because you know work's right out the back door. But it's also hard because work's right out the back door.
[Genesis] I would say that the growth of our family has definitely dictated the growth of the business.
[Eli] You know, we've only been in the neighborhood for five years, and I always say, "We don't go to church or the bar so how do we meet anybody?" Because, we're just working all the time.
[Genesis] We live on the farm. [Eli] Which is great, because you know work's right out the back door. But it's also hard because work's right out the back door.
[Genesis] I would say that the growth of our family has definitely dictated the growth of the business.
Show Links
Eli and Genisis bought their land with help of FSA beginning-farmer 50-50 loan
Eli mentioned their registration with DriftWatch, a voluntary communication tool that enables crop producers, beekeepers, and pesticide applicators to work together to protect specialty crops and apiaries through use of mapping programs.
Eli mentioned their registration with DriftWatch, a voluntary communication tool that enables crop producers, beekeepers, and pesticide applicators to work together to protect specialty crops and apiaries through use of mapping programs.
Transcript
The transcript for this episode is brought to you byEarth 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. Visitosborneseed.com for high quality seed, industry-leading customer service, and fast order fulfillment. Additional funding for transcripts provided byNorth Central SARE, providing grants and education to advance innovations in Sustainable Agriculture.
