After retiring from more than 30 years of farming, much of it at Potomac Vegetable Farms in Virginia, Ellen Polishuk started Plant to Profit to keep teaching the next generation of growers. In this interview, we talk about the farm trends she is seeing with her clients, and how the farm business landscape has changed over the years. We discuss the perennial problem of farm labor, possible solutions, and how year-round growing is changing the kind of worker that farmers need.

We also talk about whether it’s possible to make more money by scaling down, whether loss-leaders make sense for market farmers, and strategies for dealing with increasingly wilder weather. Be sure to catch this episode for ideas on how to dial-in your farm’s fertility, ways famers can learn from each other, and more in this week’s Growing for Market podcast!

Connect With Guest:
Website: planttoprofit.com
Instagram: @planttoprofit_farmerellen

Podcast Sponsors: Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support:

Since 1993, Vermont Compost Company has supplied premium living soils and compost-based amendments to thousands of successful growers all over the country. All ingredients used in Vermont Compost products are approved for certified organic production. Each fall, Vermont Compost Company offers a Prebuy Sale to incentivize ordering your spring soil before winter settles in. Early Bird customers save 20% on orders placed, paid for and shipped by October 31st. For more information, visit vermontcompost.com/prebuy, or call at (802) 223-6049. Vermont Compost Company - living soils for organic growing since 1993.

From October 7th to 9th, the Market Gardener Institute is hosting the very first Global Market Gardeners Summit: a free, live online event with conference, round table and much more. Over three days, you'll hear from expert growers, educators, and consultants from around the world, with inspiring and practical sessions on. Reserve your free spot and connect with thousands of farmers worldwide who are building a better future, one small farm at a time at themarketgardener.com.

BCS two-wheel tractors are designed and built in Italy where small-scale farming has been a way of life for generations. Discover the beauty of BCS on your farm with PTO-driven implements for soil-working, shredding cover crops, spreading compost, mowing under fences, clearing snow, and more – all powered by a single, gear-driven machine that’s tailored to the size and scale of your operation. To learn more, view sale pricing, or locate your nearest dealer, visit BCS America.

Nifty Hoops builds complete gothic high tunnels that are easy to install and built to last. Their bolt-together construction makes setup straightforward and efficient, whether it's a small backyard hoophouse, or a dozen large production-scale high tunnels- especially through their community build option, where professional builders work alongside your crew, family, or neighbors to build each structure- usually in a single day. Visit niftyhoops.com to learn more.

Farmhand is the virtual assistant built for farmers—helping CSAs scale sales, run error-free fulfillment, and deliver 5-star service. Whether you’re at 100 members or 1,000, Farmhand helps you grow without burning out. You’ve heard us—and our farmers—right here on the Growing for Market Podcast. Explore more stories and learn more at farmhand.partners/gfm.

Learn about the origins of Turtle Tree Seeds, and why co-founder Beth Everett returned to her family’s fourth-generation farm in this week’s podcast with host April Parms Jones. Founded in 1994, Turtle Tree Seed grows and sells exclusively biodynamically certified seed. Beth has continued to grow and sell seed from her family’s farm in Nebraska, called Meadowlark Hearth.

Hear how they use a CoolBot to overwinter biennial crops like Celeriac that need to survive the winter in order to produce seed, and lots of other practical information like how to use isolation distances to keep varieties breeding true in this week’s Growing for Market Podcast.

Connect With Guest:
Website: meadowlarkhearth.org
Instagram: @meadowlarkhearth

Podcast Sponsors: Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support:

From October 7th to 9th, the Market Gardener Institute is hosting the very first Global Market Gardeners Summit: a free, live online event with conference, round table and much more. Over three days, you'll hear from expert growers, educators, and consultants from around the world, with inspiring and practical sessions on. Reserve your free spot and connect with thousands of farmers worldwide who are building a better future, one small farm at a time at themarketgardener.com.

Discover innovative packaging solutions at A-ROO Company, your one-stop shop for customizable and eco-friendly packaging across various industries, including floral, produce, and specialty packaging. Explore stylish and eco-friendly Kraft Paper Sleeves and sheets at shop.a-roo.com today and enjoy an exclusive 15% discount with code "GFM15" for Growing for Market listeners. When it comes to quality and innovation, A-ROO Company is the name you can trust.

Farmhand is the virtual assistant built for farmers—helping CSAs scale sales, run error-free fulfillment, and deliver 5-star service. Whether you’re at 100 members or 1,000, Farmhand helps you grow without burning out. You’ve heard us—and our farmers—right here on the Growing for Market Podcast. Explore more stories and learn more at farmhand.partners/gfm.

Nifty Hoops builds complete gothic high tunnels that are easy to install and built to last. Their bolt-together construction makes setup straightforward and efficient, whether it's a small backyard hoophouse, or a dozen large production-scale high tunnels- especially through their community build option, where professional builders work alongside your crew, family, or neighbors to build each structure- usually in a single day. Visit niftyhoops.com to learn more.

Since 1993, Vermont Compost Company has supplied premium living soils and compost-based amendments to thousands of successful growers all over the country. All ingredients used in Vermont Compost products are approved for certified organic production. Each fall, Vermont Compost Company offers a Prebuy Sale to incentivize ordering your spring soil before winter settles in. Early Bird customers save 20% on orders placed, paid for and shipped by October 31st. For more information, visit vermontcompost.com/prebuy, or call at (802) 223-6049. Vermont Compost Company - living soils for organic growing since 1993.

After starting the farm over 20 years ago, Chris Jagger and his family scaled Blue Fox Farm from very small up to about 45 acres, including a lot of wholesaling. When the wholesale market changed, they scaled back down. Learn why Chris says his current farm size puts him in a farm “economic dead zone,” so you can consider farming on either side of it.

Chris farms in the Applegate Valley, a sparsely-populated, very dry part of southern Oregon that also has a lot of cannabis cultivation. Hear how the rise and fall of the cannabis industry has affected market farms in the area, what cannabis growers can learn from vegetable farmers, and more in this interview with host Katie Kulla.

Connect With Guest:
Instagram: @bluefoxfarm

Podcast Sponsors: Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support:

Discover innovative packaging solutions at A-ROO Company, your one-stop shop for customizable and eco-friendly packaging across various industries, including floral, produce, and specialty packaging. Explore stylish and eco-friendly Kraft Paper Sleeves and sheets at shop.a-roo.com today and enjoy an exclusive 15% discount with code "GFM15" for Growing for Market listeners. When it comes to quality and innovation, A-ROO Company is the name you can trust.

Farmhand is the virtual assistant built for farmers—helping CSAs scale sales, run error-free fulfillment, and deliver 5-star service. Whether you’re at 100 members or 1,000, Farmhand helps you grow without burning out. You’ve heard us—and our farmers—right here on the Growing for Market Podcast. Explore more stories and learn more at farmhand.partners/gfm.

Nifty Hoops builds complete gothic high tunnels that are easy to install and built to last. Their bolt-together construction makes setup straightforward and efficient, whether it's a small backyard hoophouse, or a dozen large production-scale high tunnels- especially through their community build option, where professional builders work alongside your crew, family, or neighbors to build each structure- usually in a single day. Visit niftyhoops.com to learn more.

Since 1993, Vermont Compost Company has supplied premium living soils and compost-based amendments to thousands of successful growers all over the country. All ingredients used in Vermont Compost products are approved for certified organic production. Each fall, Vermont Compost Company offers a Prebuy Sale to incentivize ordering your spring soil before winter settles in. Early Bird customers save 20% on orders placed, paid for and shipped by October 31st. For more information, visit vermontcompost.com/prebuy, or call at (802) 223-6049. Vermont Compost Company - living soils for organic growing since 1993.