How To Make A Living Off A Half-Acre Farm

What do you think of when someone mentions the word “farm”? A huge field? With millions of plants? And tractors and combines?

Ben Hartman is a grower who is helping redefine the word “farm.” He and his family make a living off a half-acre farm in Indiana thanks to a series of techniques he has learned over the years. He calls it “lean farming,” and he is this week’s guest on Off The Grid Radio.

Ben is the author of two books, “The Lean Farm” and “The Lean Farm Guide to Growing Vegetables” (Chelsea Green) in which he details how he grows enough vegetables to sell to the surrounding community and support his family.

Ben tells us:

• What lean farming is all about.


• How he manages to have enough time for a summer vacation.


• What he grows on his farm.


• How he grows vegetables throughout winter.

If you are a homesteader or wannabe homesteader who is searching for fresh ideas to make money, then this week’s show is for you!

 

How To Transform Rocky Land Into A Sustainable Farm

When Shawn and Beth Dougherty bought their land in Ohio two decades ago, it was labeled by the state as “unfit for farming.”

Today, though, it is one of the most biodiverse farms in the region, complete with beef and dairy cattle, pigs, sheep and various poultry. They even run a creamery.

Shawn and Beth are this week’s guests on Off The Grid Radio, as they tell us how they transformed 45 acres of steep rocky land in eastern Ohio into a farm worth visiting. They are the authors of the new book, “The Independent Farmstead: Growing Soil, Biodiversity, and Nutrient-Dense Food with Grassfed Animals and Intensive Pasture Management.” (Chelsea Green).

They also tell us:

• Why solar energy is the secret to success on a small farm.


• How grazing ruminants help make a small farm truly


• Why every small farmer should learn about “intensive rotational grazing.”


• What they learned during the early years that they hope never to repeat.

Shawn and Beth write and teach on the topic of small-scale intensive grass-based farming and sustainable food production. In other words, they know what they’re talking about!

We learned a lot about small-scale farming, and we know you will, too!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:41 — 29.0MB)