Growing Farms Podcast

Today on the podcast I am joined by my friend Dave Shields of Pastured Life Farm in North Central Florida. Dave and his wife Ginger have been raising animals on pasture and direct marketing them to customers for years. It just so happens the farming and sales model they set up is perfectly suited to serving their community in a time of need.

On today’s farm podcast Dave shares how they got started, why they set up their farm the way they did, and how they have been able to provide healthy food to people while adhering to safety guidelines.

In this episode of the Growing Farms Podcast we discuss:

• why email is still foundational to your marketing
• how to get your first 100 subscribers
• what to write in your emails
• how to grow your list over time

Whether you are just starting a farm or you are looking to grow your business, this episode is packed with simple actionable advice to help you along your journey.

Think of the reason you do what you do. Whether you are farming or thinking about starting a farm, why are you doing this? The key to keeping a business going, and creating a lasting lifestyle is to find what drives you, and let it keep driving you forward.

I would love to publish the podcast episode or YouTube video where I have the magic bullet to making farms financially viable and “successful” but I do not think a magic bullet exists. It takes a stupid amount of hard work and determination.

When the going gets tough you are going to have to define and hang onto your single motivating purpose. Your kids, the earth, millions of dollars, fame, posterity, free beer, whatever... Find it, take a picture, keep it in your wallet, and look at it every day.

I am personally driven by a desire to provide for my family, combat climate change, be a part of an amazing farm brewery, support a community of honest hard-working people, and maintain my friendships with amazing people like Troy. Do I always succeed at all of that? Oh goodness no, I’m human. But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to keep trying to be the best me I can be for all of those people.

Find what motivates you and hang onto it. You’re going to need it. Owning and operating a farm or homestead is one of the most rewarding things you can do with your limited time on this earth, make the most of every day and remember why you toil.

Many of us know how to use Instagram, but do we know why we use it? What are you accomplishing, and is it worth your time?

In this episode of the Growing Farms Podcast, host John Suscovich discusses Instagram best practices, his strategy on Instagram, and he shares several accounts worth following if you’re in the pastured poultry space.

Mental health is one of those tricky subjects to talk about because it is so different for everyone. After spending over 15 years working in agriculture, I have found that as much or more than any group, farmers should be doing more to address their mental health.

Because I find mental health topics so tricky to talk about in any one piece of content, I have made it my life's work to do what I can to make the conversation approachable, and to support groups/organizations/businesses that can help me scale my efforts.

In 2011 I rode my bicycle across the money raising awareness and money for Farm Aid's crisis hotline.

https://www.farmaid.org/our-work/resources-for-farmers/online-request-for-assistance-form/

I started and ran my own farm for over a decade. So I know how hard it can be.

Now I work for a company that has donated over $150 million dollars to mental health research.

If any of my content helps at least one person to open up and have a conversation about their needs and get support, I will consider myself successful.

Take care of yourselves, and if you can, someone else too.

Cheers!