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Jeremy Mueller and his wife, Ashli, operate Excelsior Farm, just outside of Eugene, Oregon. Together they raise produce for restaurant sales, retail grocers, and a small CSA to make a modest living on less than two acres. Jeremy and Ashli are starting their fourth year at Excelsior with the recent birth of their daughter.
Jeremy shares the story of how he got started with Excelsior Farm, which is owned by the owner of Eugene’s Excelsior Restaurant. We get into how he has worked with the scale that’s available to him, using a small tractor to keep up with bed preparation and weed control. Jeremy and Ashli have a reputation for achieving excellent weed control and working efficiently, and Jeremy tells us about some of his favorite tools and adaptations for minimizing labor while maximizing production. We also delve into the challenges of getting started in the already crowded local foods scene of Eugene, including evolving choices about markets and product configuration that have helped them to grow their business. The Farmer to Farmer Podcast is generously supported by Vermont Compost Company. |
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.
Growing for Market: America’s most respected source for news and ideas about the business of growing and selling vegetables, fruits, cut flowers, plants, herbs, and other food products.
Growing for Market: America’s most respected source for news and ideas about the business of growing and selling vegetables, fruits, cut flowers, plants, herbs, and other food products.
Quotes from the Show
A farm has to be someone’s whole life.
[The farm’s owner] took a chance on me, and I took a chance on him.
When you’re getting frustrated with something, it’s the best indicator of where to start improving the process.
[The farm’s owner] took a chance on me, and I took a chance on him.
When you’re getting frustrated with something, it’s the best indicator of where to start improving the process.
Show Links
When I was referred to Jeremy and Ashli, my correspondent encouraged me to check out their beautiful Instagram feed.
Jeremy mentioned Eliot Coleman’s book, The New Organic Grower.
The first tool Jeremy bought for his farm was the five-torch flameweeder from flameweeders.com.
We discussed process mapping, as described by Ben Hartman in The Lean Farm.
Jeremy mentioned Eliot Coleman’s book, The New Organic Grower.
The first tool Jeremy bought for his farm was the five-torch flameweeder from flameweeders.com.
We discussed process mapping, as described by Ben Hartman in The Lean Farm.
