Brooke Salvaggio and Daniel Heryer own Urbavore, one of the nation’s largest urban farmsteads. With thirteen acres in the urban core of Kansas City, Missouri, Urbavore produces vegetables, berries, tree fruits, and laying hens on an energy-independent piece of land with a meth house just down the street.
We dig into their mulch-based no-till production system (which doesn’t require much digging!), including the nuts and bolts of how they handle different crops, source appropriate materials, and manage fertility. Because their production system also relies on the incorporation of a 200-hen laying flock, we also dig into the challenges of managing egg production alongside of the vegetables. And a goose comes into the story, too.
Brooke and Daniel share how they developed their off-the-grid infrastructure, including an engineered filtration system to draw potable water from a pond on their farm. We also discuss the impacts of bringing a second child into the family and onto the farm, and the challenges of building a farm from the ground up with a minimal debt load.
The Farmer to Farmer Podcast is generously supported by Vermont Compost Company.
We dig into their mulch-based no-till production system (which doesn’t require much digging!), including the nuts and bolts of how they handle different crops, source appropriate materials, and manage fertility. Because their production system also relies on the incorporation of a 200-hen laying flock, we also dig into the challenges of managing egg production alongside of the vegetables. And a goose comes into the story, too.
Brooke and Daniel share how they developed their off-the-grid infrastructure, including an engineered filtration system to draw potable water from a pond on their farm. We also discuss the impacts of bringing a second child into the family and onto the farm, and the challenges of building a farm from the ground up with a minimal debt load.
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.
BCS America: BCS two-wheel tractors are versatile, maneuverable in tight spaces, light-weight for less compaction, and easy to maintain and repair on farm. Gear-driven and built to last for decades of dependable service on your farm or market garden.
BCS America: BCS two-wheel tractors are versatile, maneuverable in tight spaces, light-weight for less compaction, and easy to maintain and repair on farm. Gear-driven and built to last for decades of dependable service on your farm or market garden.
Quotes from the Show
We live in a pretty exciting neighborhood. There’s shooting from time to time, there’s a meth house down the street. And you’ve got the organic farm…
We’ve paid for all of [our infrastructure] with the food that we grew in these fields.
A lot of the farmers around here only know how to grow in a tunnel. They’ve gotten spoiled by that controlled environment. We’re the opposite. We love growing in the field. We want to use as little plastic as possible.
At first when I started this quest to plant a bunch of beneficials, [I thought,] this is a bunch of BS. They look pretty but I’m not controlling my pest pressure this way. Ten years later I feel like it totally pays off out here.
We’re extremely focused with our time and with the time of our laborers out here.
[Our chickens] are our best farm workers. We could not do the no-till system without them.
We’ve paid for all of [our infrastructure] with the food that we grew in these fields.
A lot of the farmers around here only know how to grow in a tunnel. They’ve gotten spoiled by that controlled environment. We’re the opposite. We love growing in the field. We want to use as little plastic as possible.
At first when I started this quest to plant a bunch of beneficials, [I thought,] this is a bunch of BS. They look pretty but I’m not controlling my pest pressure this way. Ten years later I feel like it totally pays off out here.
We’re extremely focused with our time and with the time of our laborers out here.
[Our chickens] are our best farm workers. We could not do the no-till system without them.
Show Links
Brooke mentioned trying to manage their orchard using Michael Phillips’ techniques. Michael is the author of two great books, The Holistic Orchard: Tree Fruits and Berries the Biological Way and The Apple Grower: A Guide for the Organic Orchardist.
Urbavore uses Electronet poultry netting from Premier to keep their chickens in and ground-based predators out. I’ve worked for years, and I think they’re great.
Daniels favorite tool is a Rogue hoe, made from recycled agricultural disc blades.
Urbavore uses Electronet poultry netting from Premier to keep their chickens in and ground-based predators out. I’ve worked for years, and I think they’re great.
Daniels favorite tool is a Rogue hoe, made from recycled agricultural disc blades.
