Jared Zystro is a research and education director at the Organic Seed Alliance. Jared is based in Arcada, California. I invited Jared onto this episode so he can tell you about the Organic Seed Growers Conference in Corvallis, Oregon that is taking place from February 26th to March 1st, 2025. I first went to this conference in 2008 and it was the single most important learning experience to my seed career. I also made so many great friends and contacts that have followed me throughout all my CD endeavors. And I think that you would probably enjoy an experience like this also. So in this episode, Jared and I talk about what is happening at this year's conference and how you can participate not only in person, but also virtually if you can't make it to Corvallis. Jared and I talk about more than just the conference in this episode. We start with Jared's seed story and how it went from working summers on vegetable farms to ultimately getting a PhD in plant breeding and plant genetics from the University of Wisconsin Madison. And we finished with a deep dive into growing quinoa on both a larger commercial scale using a combine and a smaller scale with manual techniques.

Free, Crop Planning for Seed Farmers minicourse: www.spreadsheet.farm/seedcropplan

Follow Dan on Instagram, get his newsletter, & follow Tourne-Sol Cooperative Farm

ORDER Dan's new book, The Seed Farmer, from notillgrowers.com to further support our work!

Folks who support The Seed Farmer Podcast

The goal of the Culinary Breeding Network is to improve communication between plant breeders, seed growers, farmers, chefs, produce buyers and others to improve quality in vegetables, fruits and grains. Learn more and check out upcoming events!

Are you a farmer looking for educational resources in Canada? Check out Young Agrarians! They are a farmer-to-farmer educational resource network for new and young ecological, organic, and regenerative farmers.

This February, join thousands of farmers like you from across the U.S. for three days of community building and farmer-led learning at the 36th annual Marbleseed Organic Farming Conference in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Truelove Seeds is a farm-based seed company offering culturally important and open pollinated vegetable, herb, and flower seeds. Check out their podcast, Seeds & Their People, wherever you're listening to The Seed Farmer Podcast!

We cover:  History is not history, what data to collect in the garden this year, and what tillage does to soil (but why I sometimes recommend it) 

Links from this episode: 

Link to discussion about setting goals: https://youtu.be/pThCulhXXp8

Crop Profitability post on the forum: https://notillgrowers.community.chat/post/crop-profitability-comparison-13552640?trail=15

Music: “Now You Sail Away By OTE feat. Willow from https://www.epidemicsound.com

Show Sponsors: 

Harnois Greenhouses: https://www.harnois.com/en/

and

Peaceful Heritage Nursery: https://peacefulheritage.com 

CODE: NOTILL

MY BOOK!

The Living Soil Handbook 📕 👉 https://www.notillgrowers.com/livingsoilhandbook

French copy of The Living Soil Handbook: https://amzn.to/4h2bYot

Italian Copy https://www.terranuovalibri.it/libro/dettaglio/jesse-frost/il-manuale-del-suolo-vivente-9788866819967-236828.html

German Copy: https://www.oekom.de/buch/das-grosse-boden-handbuch-9783987261374

Other stuff and ways to support stuff like this 👇

5% off Neptune's Harvest Fish Fertilizers and More (offer Code: NOTILL)

👀: https://store.turbify.com/cgi-bin/clink?yhst-20803342241356+tt4W2F+shop.html+NOTILL🚨 

ORDER Dan Brisebois' Seed Book! 👉 https://www.notillgrowers.com/livingsoilhandbook

The Living Soil Handbook 📕 👉 https://www.notillgrowers.com/livingsoilhandbook

Hats 🧢 👉 https://www.notillgrowers.com/livingsoilhandbook

Forum 💬 👉 https://notillgrowers.community.chat

Music 🎵 👉 via www.empidemicsound.com

👕 MERCH 👉 https://www.notillgrowers.com/livingsoilhandbook

 Support our work (👊) at www.notillgrowers.com/support or www.Patreon.com/notillgrowers

We cover:  Country currency, can biochar deactivate herbicides, and shouts to farm conference 

Links from this episode: 

Bio char and persistent herbicide study: https://sci-hub.se/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2011.05.052

Review of biochar and chemical contaminant remediation: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651322011629

Song highlight: Losing Friends by Rain Jewel

Show Sponsors: 

Harnois Greenhouses: https://www.harnois.com/en/

and

Peaceful Heritage Nursery: https://peacefulheritage.com 

CODE: NOTILL

MY BOOK!

The Living Soil Handbook 📕 👉 https://www.notillgrowers.com/livingsoilhandbook

French copy of The Living Soil Handbook: https://amzn.to/4h2bYot

Italian Copy https://www.terranuovalibri.it/libro/dettaglio/jesse-frost/il-manuale-del-suolo-vivente-9788866819967-236828.html

German Copy: https://www.oekom.de/buch/das-grosse-boden-handbuch-9783987261374

Other stuff and ways to support stuff like this 👇

5% off Neptune's Harvest Fish Fertilizers and More (offer Code: NOTILL)

👀: https://store.turbify.com/cgi-bin/clink?yhst-20803342241356+tt4W2F+shop.html+NOTILL🚨 

ORDER Dan Brisebois' Seed Book! 👉 https://www.notillgrowers.com/livingsoilhandbook

The Living Soil Handbook 📕 👉 https://www.notillgrowers.com/livingsoilhandbook

Hats 🧢 👉 https://www.notillgrowers.com/livingsoilhandbook

Forum 💬 👉 https://notillgrowers.community.chat

Music 🎵 👉 via www.empidemicsound.com

👕 MERCH 👉 https://www.notillgrowers.com/livingsoilhandbook

 Support our work (👊) at www.notillgrowers.com/support or www.Patreon.com/notillgrowers

My guest is Jerry Toth of To'AK Chocolate, a luxury chocolate brand. Jerry studied economics at Cornell University and was a Hansard scholar at the London School of Economics. After very briefly working as an investment banker, he switched gears and relocated to South America in his 20s and then nomadically roamed the continent for several years, working as a foreign correspondent first for Adbusters magazine and taking other odd jobs. But during that time, he witnessed an era of unrestrained economic growth, an ecological decline in Latin America, and he ultimately set out on a mission to demonstrate what sustainable economic development can look like in real life. In 2007, Jerry laid roots in the Pacific Forest of Ecuador, where he co-founded a rainforest conservation organization called TMA, and created multiple rainforest preserves, became a food forest farmer, resurrected an ancient cacao variety from the brink of extinction, and launched this luxury chocolate company called To'AK, and is now building a regenerative cacao growers association across a 100 ,000 acre conservation corridor. Jerry's work has been featured in hundreds of media outlets across six continents, including National Geographic, Forbes, Vice, Smithsonian Magazine and Modern Farmer, among others...

Folks who make the show possible...

Farmhand is the only all-in-one virtual assistant built by and for farmers. Sign up for a free trial with the link in the show notes, because NOW is the best time to dial in those systems for the next growing season.

ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project) will offer the Business of Farming Conference on Saturday, February 22, in Asheville, North Carolina. Find out more at asapconnections.org.

Since 1972 Ohio earth food has been the go-to source for soil testing, consulting, fertilizers, seed starting soils, foliar sprays and disease and insect controls. Visit them at ohioearthfood.com.

... and, as always, our work is powered by the individual growers who support us every month over at patreon.com/notillgrowers. You can pick up a copy of The Living Soil Handbook if you don't have one already, as well as a No-Till Growers hat or other merch, check out our YouTube channel, and you can ask you questions or share your insights into ecological market gardening on our free growers forum at notillgrowers.community.chat

We cover:  Feedback Friday + Your soil blocking questions answered + a human-powered compost spreader. 

Links from this episode: 

Landzie tools: https://landzie.com

Show Sponsors: 

Harnois Greenhouses: https://www.harnois.com/en/

and

Peaceful Heritage Nursery: https://peacefulheritage.com 

CODE: NOTILL

MY BOOK!

The Living Soil Handbook 📕 👉 https://www.notillgrowers.com/livingsoilhandbook

French copy of The Living Soil Handbook: https://amzn.to/4h2bYot

Italian Copy https://www.terranuovalibri.it/libro/dettaglio/jesse-frost/il-manuale-del-suolo-vivente-9788866819967-236828.html

German Copy: https://www.oekom.de/buch/das-grosse-boden-handbuch-9783987261374

Other stuff and ways to support stuff like this 👇

5% off Neptune's Harvest Fish Fertilizers and More (offer Code: NOTILL)

👀: https://store.turbify.com/cgi-bin/clink?yhst-20803342241356+tt4W2F+shop.html+NOTILL🚨 

ORDER Dan Brisebois' Seed Book! 👉 https://www.notillgrowers.com/livingsoilhandbook

The Living Soil Handbook 📕 👉 https://www.notillgrowers.com/livingsoilhandbook

Hats 🧢 👉 https://www.notillgrowers.com/livingsoilhandbook

Forum 💬 👉 https://notillgrowers.community.chat

Music 🎵 👉 via www.empidemicsound.com

👕 MERCH 👉 https://www.notillgrowers.com/livingsoilhandbook

 Support our work (👊) at www.notillgrowers.com/support or www.Patreon.com/notillgrowers

We cover:  Growing onions from seed, do you need to trim onions before planting, and a passive potting mix? Maybe!

Links from this episode: 

Trimming onions study: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/8213/9e1802c8f5b57f434f5b0a751a71cbbffdcd.pdf

reduced fertilizer and pesticide applications and onions study https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/12/6/1292

Show Sponsors: 

Harnois Greenhouses: https://www.harnois.com/en/

and

Peaceful Heritage Nursery: https://peacefulheritage.com 

CODE: NOTILL

MY BOOK!

The Living Soil Handbook 📕 👉 https://www.notillgrowers.com/livingsoilhandbook

French copy of The Living Soil Handbook: https://amzn.to/4h2bYot

Italian Copy https://www.terranuovalibri.it/libro/dettaglio/jesse-frost/il-manuale-del-suolo-vivente-9788866819967-236828.html

German Copy: https://www.oekom.de/buch/das-grosse-boden-handbuch-9783987261374

Other stuff and ways to support stuff like this 👇

5% off Neptune's Harvest Fish Fertilizers and More (offer Code: NOTILL)

👀: https://store.turbify.com/cgi-bin/clink?yhst-20803342241356+tt4W2F+shop.html+NOTILL🚨 

ORDER Dan Brisebois' Seed Book! 👉 https://www.notillgrowers.com/livingsoilhandbook

The Living Soil Handbook 📕 👉 https://www.notillgrowers.com/livingsoilhandbook

Hats 🧢 👉 https://www.notillgrowers.com/livingsoilhandbook

Forum 💬 👉 https://notillgrowers.community.chat

Music 🎵 👉 via www.empidemicsound.com

👕 MERCH 👉 https://www.notillgrowers.com/livingsoilhandbook

 Support our work (👊) at www.notillgrowers.com/support or www.Patreon.com/notillgrowers

Hey Compost Lovers, I just booked my flights to Phoenix for USCC Compost Conference 2025. Join me, January 27th to 30th for compost enthusiasts from all over the globe unite to celebrate all things soil, sustainability, and innovation. What's in store? Workshops galore. Dive into fresh ideas, techniques, and discussions that'll make your Compost games stronger. The trade show. I'll be hanging at booth 501 checking out Viably's latest Komptech innovations and so much more. The demo day on the last day, get ready to watch those big machines do their thing. Full flex mode guaranteed. And my favorite part? Connections. Meeting you. Whether you're a composter, researcher, or equipment guru, this is where our global soil-loving squad comes together. Let's share. Last year was incredible. Check out the following stories from past attendees...

We cover:   why I'm Dropping Organic certification and bailing on the farmers market and also, thoughts on recycling waste water from washing vegetables. 

Links from this episode: 

Sanidate label: https://cdn.commercev3.net/cdn.arbico-organics.com/downloads/sanidate-5_sds_20200729.pdf

Sage Hill Ranch Video: https://youtu.be/ipNv8yo8uoY

Foop Video: https://youtu.be/yqfExLFPixY

Show Sponsors: 

Harnois Greenhouses: https://www.harnois.com/en/

and

Peaceful Heritage Nursery: https://peacefulheritage.com 

CODE: NOTILL

MY BOOK!

The Living Soil Handbook 📕 👉 https://www.notillgrowers.com/livingsoilhandbook

French copy of The Living Soil Handbook: https://amzn.to/4h2bYot

Italian Copy https://www.terranuovalibri.it/libro/dettaglio/jesse-frost/il-manuale-del-suolo-vivente-9788866819967-236828.html

German Copy: https://www.oekom.de/buch/das-grosse-boden-handbuch-9783987261374

Other stuff and ways to support stuff like this 👇

5% off Neptune's Harvest Fish Fertilizers and More (offer Code: NOTILL)

👀: https://store.turbify.com/cgi-bin/clink?yhst-20803342241356+tt4W2F+shop.html+NOTILL🚨 

ORDER Dan Brisebois' Seed Book! 👉 https://www.notillgrowers.com/livingsoilhandbook

The Living Soil Handbook 📕 👉 https://www.notillgrowers.com/livingsoilhandbook

Hats 🧢 👉 https://www.notillgrowers.com/livingsoilhandbook

Forum 💬 👉 https://notillgrowers.community.chat

Music 🎵 👉 via www.empidemicsound.com

👕 MERCH 👉 https://www.notillgrowers.com/livingsoilhandbook

 Support our work (👊) at www.notillgrowers.com/support or www.Patreon.com/notillgrowers

We cover:  Soil Blocks Vs The World + Our Lost Relationship with Fire + can you grow popcorn and sweet corn together

Links from this episode: 

Swiftblocker: https://www.swiftblocker.com

Winstrips: https://neversinktools.com/collections/winstrip-trays

All About the Garden cell trays: https://allaboutthegarden.com/collections/long-lasting-seed-trays 

Book: An Idigenous Poeple's History of the United States: https://amzn.to/4hcv36P

Paperpot vid : https://youtu.be/R53jNXK2-qw

NYtimes Article about US Forest Service member arrest: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/28/us/oregon-prescribed-burn-boss-arrested.html

New Mexico Fire: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/21/us/new-mexico-wildfire-forest-service.html

Show Sponsors: 

Harnois Greenhouses: https://www.harnois.com/en/

and

Peaceful Heritage Nursery: https://peacefulheritage.com 

CODE: NOTILL

MY BOOK!

The Living Soil Handbook 📕 👉 https://www.notillgrowers.com/livingsoilhandbook

French copy of The Living Soil Handbook: https://amzn.to/4h2bYot

Italian Copy https://www.terranuovalibri.it/libro/dettaglio/jesse-frost/il-manuale-del-suolo-vivente-9788866819967-236828.html

German Copy: https://www.oekom.de/buch/das-grosse-boden-handbuch-9783987261374

Other stuff and ways to support stuff like this 👇

5% off Neptune's Harvest Fish Fertilizers and More (offer Code: NOTILL)

👀: https://store.turbify.com/cgi-bin/clink?yhst-20803342241356+tt4W2F+shop.html+NOTILL🚨 

ORDER Dan Brisebois' Seed Book! 👉 https://www.notillgrowers.com/livingsoilhandbook

The Living Soil Handbook 📕 👉 https://www.notillgrowers.com/livingsoilhandbook

Hats 🧢 👉 https://www.notillgrowers.com/livingsoilhandbook

Forum 💬 👉 https://notillgrowers.community.chat

Music 🎵 👉 via www.empidemicsound.com

👕 MERCH 👉 https://www.notillgrowers.com/livingsoilhandbook

 Support our work (👊) at www.notillgrowers.com/support or www.Patreon.com/notillgrowers

We cover:  How Farming is Already Futuristic,  how much every tray of seedlings is worth, What the next few months look like on the farm. 

Links from this episode: 

Show Sponsors: 

Harnois Greenhouses: https://www.harnois.com/en/

and

Peaceful Heritage Nursery: https://peacefulheritage.com 

CODE: NOTILL

MY BOOK!

The Living Soil Handbook 📕 👉 https://www.notillgrowers.com/livingsoilhandbook

French copy of The Living Soil Handbook: https://amzn.to/4h2bYot

Italian Copy https://www.terranuovalibri.it/libro/dettaglio/jesse-frost/il-manuale-del-suolo-vivente-9788866819967-236828.html

German Copy: https://www.oekom.de/buch/das-grosse-boden-handbuch-9783987261374

Other stuff and ways to support stuff like this 👇

5% off Neptune's Harvest Fish Fertilizers and More (offer Code: NOTILL)

👀: https://store.turbify.com/cgi-bin/clink?yhst-20803342241356+tt4W2F+shop.html+NOTILL🚨 

ORDER Dan Brisebois' Seed Book! 👉 https://www.notillgrowers.com/livingsoilhandbook

The Living Soil Handbook 📕 👉 https://www.notillgrowers.com/livingsoilhandbook

Hats 🧢 👉 https://www.notillgrowers.com/livingsoilhandbook

Forum 💬 👉 https://notillgrowers.community.chat

Music 🎵 👉 via www.empidemicsound.com

👕 MERCH 👉 https://www.notillgrowers.com/livingsoilhandbook

 Support our work (👊) at www.notillgrowers.com/support or www.Patreon.com/notillgrowers

On today's show, Alex Ball of Old City Acres sits down -again- with Jordan Schiebel of Middle Way Farm to discuss his newest project, Grinnell Farm to Table located in Grinnell, Iowa. We dig deep on managing a multi-farm food hub, Justins's sales in the farm and diversifying your food business to be more resilient. Jordan is a wealth of knowledge and someone I've really enjoyed watching as he's evolved his food business over the last couple of years.

Folks who make the show possible...

Farmhand is the only all-in-one virtual assistant built by and for farmers. Sign up for a free trial with the link in the show notes, because NOW is the best time to dial in those systems for the next growing season.

ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project) will offer the Business of Farming Conference on Saturday, February 22, in Asheville, North Carolina. Find out more at asapconnections.org.

Since 1972 Ohio earth food has been the go-to source for soil testing, consulting, fertilizers, seed starting soils, foliar sprays and disease and insect controls. Visit them at ohioearthfood.com.

... and, as always, our work is powered by the individual growers who support us every month over at patreon.com/notillgrowers. You can pick up a copy of The Living Soil Handbook if you don't have one already, as well as a No-Till Growers hat or other merch, check out our YouTube channel, and you can ask you questions or share your insights into ecological market gardening on our free growers forum at notillgrowers.community.chat