Farmer to Farmer with Chris Blanchard
Society & Culture
Lauren Palmer raised 15 acres of vegetables in Smyrna, Tennessee, just south of Nashville. With year-round production, a sprouts operation, a 300-member CSA, wholesale accounts, farmers markets, and on-farm events, Bloomsbury Farm is a thriving hot spot in the local food scene in Nashville.
We dig into how Lauren has built the farm from the ground up since its start in 2009, taking a deep dive into Bloomsbury’s sprout production, employment structures, and CSA setup. We discuss how she deals with extreme deer pressure and regulations, and how she navigated a farm divorce. And Lauren reflects on the value of four-season production and building relationships with her customers and community.
Perennial support for the Farmer to Farmer Podcast is generously provided by Vermont Compost Company.
Pictures, show links, and more at farmertofarmerpodcast.com/episodes/palmer.
176: Jan Libbey of One Step at a Time Gardens on Scaling Up, Scaling Down, and Partnerships and Networking
174: Jack Algiere of the Stone Barns Center on a Diversified Farm, a Close Partnership with a Restaurant, and Innovative Production
173: Jean-Martin Fortier of La Ferme de Quatre Temps on Intensive Production on More Acres
172: Allan Gandelman of Main Street Farms on Meeting People’s Needs through Scaling and Marketing Decisions
171: Caroline Pam and Tim Wilcox of Kitchen Garden Farm on Scaling Up, Value-Added Products, and Wholesale Marketing
170: Rebecca Graff and Tom Ruggieri of Fair Share Farm on CSA Transitions, Greening the Farm, and a Fermented Food Business
169: Nate Fingerle of River Ridge Farm on Four Seasons of Fresh Vegetables in Rural Indiana
168: Karen Washington of Rise and Root Farm on Self-Care, Managing Relationships, and Addressing Social Justice and Food Issues on a For-Profit Farm
167: Genesis McKiernan-Allen and Eli Robb of Full Hand Farm on Four-Season Farming for Restaurants and Farmers Markets in Indiana
166: Mike Madison of Yolo Press on Organic Fresh Flowers, Olive Oil, and Value-Added Products in California’s Central Valley
165: Olivia Hubert of Brother Nature Produce on Raising Salad Greens in Detroit, World War II Gardening, and Farm Yoga
164: Tom Kumpf of Double-T Farm on Right-Sizing the Farm, Rolling with the Punches, and Making the Transition to Full-Time Farming
163: Chandler Briggs of Hayshaker Farm on Farming with Horses in Walla Walla’s Wine Country
162: Lorien Carsey and Shea Belahi of Blue Moon Farm on Farm Ownership Transitions, Farm-Life Balance, Complex Crop Rotations, and Custom-Packed CSA Shares
161: Elizabeth and Paul Kaiser of Singing Frogs Farm on No-Till Ecological Farming in Northern California
160: Stacey Carlberg and Casey Gustawarow of The Farm and Sunnyside on Managing a Farm instead of Owning, Conservation Efforts on the Farm, and Getting and Giving the Most with Employees
159: Anne and Eric Nordell of Beech Grove Farm on a Multi-Pronged Approach to Weed Control, Farming with Horses, and Designing a Farm
158: Angie Raines and Miles Okal on Rice, Dried Beans, and Diversified Vegetables on a Small Farm
157: David Greenberg of Abundant Acres Farm on Investing in a Deep-Compost System, Radical Delegation, and Cooperative Direct Marketing
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