All The Mistakes I Made in My First Year of Farming: Part 2 With Curtis Stone
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- čas přidán 10. 09. 2024
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I made a TON of mistakes in my first year of farming, but heck...that's how you learn, right?!
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About Curtis Stone:
Curtis is one of the world’s most highly sought-after small farming educators. His book, The Urban Farmer, offers a new way to think about farming𑁋 one where quality of life and profitability coexist. Today, Curtis spends most of his time building his 40-acre off-grid homestead in British Columbia. He leverages his relationships with other experts to bring diverse content into the homes of gardeners and aspiring small farmers from around the world. Learn more at FromTheField.TV.
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Biocratic - birocratic.com
The Muse Maker - / themusemaker
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Curtis. You have hands down one of the best channels on CZcams. No shame in admitting it here.
+MIgardener | Simple Organic Gardening & Sustainable Living thanks Luke!
I have to agree to this when i wake up in the morning i look out for Curtis videos, i am starting a microgreens farm as we speak, and his advice has been amazing. But i have to admit Migardner, your channel isnl;t to bad at all, thanks for everything guys Vinaka from Fiji.
MIgardener | Simple Organic Gardening & Sustainable Living - he is amazing, as are you. I have to hop on over and see if you have those tomatoe seeds.
1000% agree with you MIgardener!
gad to see y'all see your channels as complementary, not competitive. we all win.
Curtis exudes self confidence and Can Do energy and will probably make even bigger contributions to the good old world than he already has. An inspiring, resourceful guy.
The KEY is you got through it. Too many of us are too careful at trying new things and never really get off the ground, the other is not being able to keep up when real busy and burning out. You made it through that and learned.
I'm glad you mentioned the Pareto Principal. That has been a game changer in my life this year. Richard Koch definitely opened my eyes to being more efficient and focusing on what really matters. I encourage everyone to look into Richard Koch 80/20 manager book. It was at my local library.
Curtis that photo of the straw on your bike trailer Priceless!
Oh, god bless you Curtis. I hope I will do something as meaningful and inspiring when I’m an adult.
thanks heaps for sharing your story Curtis, I love the way you seem to just add lib, with out a script. great stuff !!
The amazing thing is that for anyone wanting to start an urban farm right now, there is so much more knowledge out there for them. I remember reading some of the SPIN farming info back then and it was just so basic compared to what you can watch in a few hours on youtube for free now, and I think I paid $150 for it, lol. Obviously the effort hasn't changed, but if you can learn from other peoples mistakes, your already ahead of the game.
I have shallots in the garden now that are babies from your experimental shallots, lol. I forgot that that is where they came from until I watched this. I never ate them and planted them out so they wouldn't go to waste. And now, at this time of year, they get kicked around the front yard and I find new ones every summer, lol.
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience with us! I am an entrepreneur and it is great to see others history in their passions. It is encouraging when I feel down to watch you!!!!
Thanks for sharing your personal struggles and victories.
Thank you so much for your work recording this type of material. It’s priceless.
Thanks for taking the time to give us this valuable perspective from your past. A careful and mindful reflection of the hits and misses is your gift to your followers.
This video REALLY reinforces the feeling I have expressed in other comments. Your ability to just start talking, make an ineresting and thoughtful story come to life, all in (seemingly) one try is just amazing. I am aware that this talent does not come without work and emotional energy.
Lastly, keep in mind that these videos are also a gift you are giving to your daughter. She will grow up with the "Daddy Curtis", but this gives her a window into the "pre-Daddy" life you have lived. I know she will treasure these videos.
All the best.
I find myself thinking "am I wasting my time?" A lot with certain things I do on the farm.. It's comforting to here you "wasted" a lot of time your first year too, because it has really started to get to me. I have poor water pressure and one big thing I feel myself wasting time on is moving the flip flop sprinkler ever twenty minutes and hand watering when the thing won't work. You're an inspiration, thanks a lot.
Curtis, it would be great if you could talk about introducing "new"(and I use that term loosely) products to the buying public. As a former chef myself, and increasingly a grower these days, I'm constantly amazed at how reluctant the public is to even try new products. For instance: I've grown dozens of varieties of tomatoes over the years and I've gradually narrowed them down to about 6 or 7 . The other day a neighbour came over and I offered her some cherry tomatoes. There were three varieties: an orange one, a darker orange and a very red cherry tom. Guess which one she chose? (even after I had told her it was the least flavourful of the three) Carrots too. I've grown purple, yellow, white and orange varieties and people only seem to want what they know, not what tastes the best. I realize farmers need to grow things that sell, so catering to their markets is a necessity, but what about educating people (even chefs) about different varieties, especially if they taste superior to others? I realize it's not the biggest priority for farmers, but could you speak about this a bit in one of your vids? Keep up the great work. Cheers!
Wow you must have been really fit with 10 hours of pedal power.
With all those varieties of crops you must have really gotten to know their characteristics and how well they do for your climate.
I adore your story about inefficiency. Ive just love watching you grow as a human, growing your business Curt, cheers.
Great insight Curtis these little nuggets of successes and failures in those early days are gold for anyone thinking of doing the same. just as important if not more so than here's how to sow seed, tarps, set up irrigation etc.
i am having my first year this season...your story reminds me of something
Thanks from Australia
I really appreciate all the lessons you have taught, it's really helped in my first year. It's also been cool to see how many people have heard of you here in SW Virginia, I've had more then a couple people say oh you're doing what that guy in Canada does while at the market. Oh yea and you are beast for harvesting greens by hand.. I couldn't even imagine doing that given the fact that I've always had the greens harvester.
Thanks again Curtis; I'm really digging this series
I think this video and part one have been some of the more helpful videos to me, personally. It helps to learn from others mistakes. Thanks, excited for part 3,4,5,6,...100
Thank you for your brutally honest critique of your self.Great learning pints.
I have so much love for you & your work! I wish we grew up together & formulated a great friendship. 8) inspiring!
Thanks for your humility and for being real. This is soooo helpful!
Your my Fav gardening channel on CZcams. Thank you for sharing, keep up the great work!
Thank you Curtis. Grateful for your knowledge and presence.
Yay I have been impatiently waiting for part two!
I needed this video, I have turned down offers for land that are about 30 to 40 minutes away from me, but at the same time I have had to accept plots that are at least 30 minutes away from me north and south of me because the interest near me is hard to come by and the only local news that pretended to be interested has never followed up with me, even though they asked me to follow up with them and I have...so, its a struggle to find plots all relatively close to me. Not to mention some close plots I have had to turn down because of shade obstruction, people in Camden County, New Jersey love their tress and refuse to offer their front lawn because of what neighbors will think or say. So pedal power right now is not realistic. Oh and my furthest plot is actually my best plot, so its being used for quick crops because everything just grows well there.
Thanks for all the help Curtis. You're inspiring me to try somthing I never thought could be possible
really enjoying this story series as the rest of your output. it's nice to hear that things weren't perfect at start and that you have come so far, good evolution Curtis :-)
Hello Curtis !! Thanks for sharing more information about your experience and skills and knowledge !! Keep the story coming !! Thanks for sharing
Really wish the greens harvester can be shipped to South Africa, love your content its truly inspiring and infomative.
Mine arrives in Namibia next week. So excited. Where in South Africa are you? Maybe I can order one for you.
Lucia Van der Walt Hi did you maybe purchase it online from them?
Ho ho ho, the peddle power biking that keeps you in good shape.
great stuff...looking forward to the next one... many thanks
really enjoying the videos, thanks for posting and sharing!
These are great videos. Thank you for taking the time to make them!
I am so thankful to God that he made you the way you are: extraordinary, brilliant, intelligent, and peaceful!
Thanks Curtis. I really appreciate you.
Thanks bud. Very informative, and full of invaluable information, as always.
lots of thanks and love from us in norway!
Curtis, you have such a cool background story with the bike! As a graphic designer, I feel like you should incorporate a bike into your logo somehow because I really like this story it has with it. Cool beginnings!
My first logo had that, but it's no longer that integral to our business any more. We drive the truck more than the bike, so I don't want to to misrepresent ourselves.
hey! thanks for that information ! my respect for you and all the information that you share!
I LOVE YOUR BOOK!!!! Thank you!
Hey buddy. I'm getting serious this year but I need certain items. Primarily a cooler, rototiller, bike trailer. If you have any dependable equipment you aren't using let me know. I'm growing only carrots, 2 varieties of mixed lettuce, arugula, beets, tomatoes and peppers. Keeping it simple. I've got a plot in the Glenmore, but need somewhere to put my tomatoes. Any suggestions?
When the Rhodes Family comes, would you be able to take them to the two Knox Mountain lookouts? I think they would really enjoy that!
wow, thats so inspiring completely mind blown how u started :O
Curtis, regarding the paper pot planterand weedpressure- I am sure you have been on several of your pkots for years- it would seem that the sequence of stale bed prep, flame weeding, and using plastic weed barrier has made major contributions to your low weed pressure- how effective do you think the paper pot transplanter would be in a back to eden application?
+Dallas Gardener I couldn't see it working in wood chips.
Though this content has been sprinkled all over the place, it is great to have it all consolidated into a nice series, particularly for your new subscribers.
$22k Canadian dollars in first year...wow...that is a mindblowing number. That is my annual goal for year three (USD, but still...)
Did you have distributor/grocery customers in year one? It seems like that would be a huge shot up in revenue over just restaurants.
+Spin Cities Farm no. Just farmers markets and a coulple restaurants my first year.
Thats my goal for next year. I thought I could do it with just one farmers market, now I am doing two farmers markets and 1 and a half chefs.
I have a question.. after watching this, and being in the position of wanting to get our market started on our land, we are trying to prioritize how to approach things. Would you say it's better to spend the available money for workshops and training, or would you start investing in infrastructure? We are starting biz plan and plan on applying for USDA loan and are also waiting for equip high tunnel. My thought is that it would be wise to get training and understanding of processes and how things flow first so that when we have financial capacity to get infrastructure purchased, we'll be in a position where we have a better grasp of what to do with it all. I'd be interested to hear your take... Especially since it's your workshop we're interested in. No bias, there, I'm sure! ;-)
That’s the process of learning and growing, you MUST make mistakes, you wouldn’t be where you are if you hadn’t done things wrong so this was simply your journey. If one day I will follow your foot steps I must not be concerned about making mistakes. :-)
So I have 20 acres. Is thier a branch program you have in the States. I found this very interesting because I have had this idea for quite some time but seems you have a good foundation setup. Sure I can tell you to let me represent you in oklahoma, but I won't. I wouldn't mind doing some type of partnership or marketing. This knowledge is something that everyone should be aware of
lol biking down Harvey towing a dozen hay bales behind a bicycle
Great job.
Great Vid, I've been a follower for a while now and recently read your book. You speak a lot about how much money that you can gross ($22000 your first year) which varies due to vegetable types, marketing and property size. On an annual basis, about how much do you put back into green city acres? At what point were you fully self sustaining and did not rely on another source of income?
Right away. I made a living from it my first year. Having said that, I was single with no kids.
At 12:11 in the vid , you talk about the rule of 80/ 20. Could you please fill me in . On this 80/20 rule? Please and thank you!
Love the videos. If you don't mind me asking, how much do you take home after overhead in a good year? This is something I really want to do when I retire from my current job that moves me around the country every two years
Curtis, did you ever screw up every now and then with a chef? Whether it was your first one or fifth one? Like maybe the found some dirt in your produce or some random spots on the leaves of the produce, any little thing that could turn a chef or his customers off? If so, how did you salvage the situation?
Yes of course. You make the situation better but compensating them in some way.
Urban Farmer Curtis Stone nice! I was on the right track then in offering the next order free of charge.
Great stuff
You forgot the bike shorts in the thumbnail. Those were a major mistake.
good shit dud
5 Star
you could do the same vid when you get ten years in. i'll be watching
Did you use the Jang seeder back then. Your stuff looks very good.
I had the Earthway in my first year.
the myfitnesspal app is the standard in tracking your calories and macro nutrients. eventually you'll remember and know where your macronutrients are without the app. first step is google macronutrient calculator, get your macro requirements, then download the app & track your calories, then meet your goal
what about any danger on the bike?
I apologize if mentioned, but how many acres do all your small plots add up to in total?
cttreeclimber either 1/4 or 1/3, can't remember.
just curious... have you ever thought about freight farming? or what are your thoughts on it?
+Alicia McNamar I wrote a blog post on my website about it a year ago.
do you have any order sheet templates for restaurants, etc?
Jimmy Choo on his site where he sells his book there is a free download with a sheet called a fresh sheet. Not really a order form, but it tells the chef what you have.
Trenton Free yea I was looking for that on the pdf didn't see it, thanks
5:20 What I did right, he says, just so you know. You will want to come back to this if you are serious. The wrong things have the most extreme value, however.
Where is part three?
+Allocated Brain there sequential. This is 2. Three is next.
"It worked out really well . . .until burn out set in."
Awesome story! Are you still a vegan?
no.
GROUND IT OUT ! 6:28 English Major
When mentioning the bike riding you said you were vegetarian, are you not anymore? If so why did you choose to eat meat again
This guy probably farms over 2,000 acres if I had to guess.
Horrible guess. .25 acres to be exact.
:)
U still vegan? Vegetarian? I mean if you care about the environment you really should be vegan.
I'm not. If you care about the environment, you should support local organic farms and holistic management farms.
Urban Farmer Curtis Stone I'm sorry to hear this. Veganism is best choice for environment and personal body
Why did you change