Tag: Small Farming

2026 Spring Southwest Florida Small Farmers Network Meeting Announced

by Jessica M. Ryals
March 25, 2026

Mark your calendars! The 2026 Spring Southwest Florida Small Farmers Network (SWFLSFN) meeting is happening on Wednesday, May 13th! We’re excited to announce that this year’s meeting will be held at Inyoni Organic Farm in Collier County. ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Events, Professional Development, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Agriculture, Collier County, Farming, SFAE, Small Farmers, Small Farming, Southwest Florida Small Farmers Network, Southwest Florida Small Farms Network, SWFL, SWFLSFN, SWFSFN, UF/IFAS Small Farms And Alternative Enterprises, UFIFASSFTeam
closeup on hands of farmer using a weed cutter carefully around a newly sprouted plant. [credit: uf/ifas]

Becoming a Farmer (Part 7 of 7): Enough With the Questions! I (Think) I’m Ready to Roll!

by Rod Greder
February 9, 2024

“Your preparation for the real world is not in the answers you’ve learned, but in the questions you’ve learned how to ask.” -- Bill Watterson What’s With All the Questions!?! KEY QUESTIONS • Who? ✔ • What ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Farm Management
Tags: Ag, Agriculture, BecomingAFarmer, Business, Farm, Farm School, Grower, Pgm_Ag, Ranch, Small Farm, Small Farming
a girl wearing black clothes looks an an oversized analog alarm click. [credit: pixabay.com, un-perfekt]

Becoming a Farmer (Part 6 of 7): “When” Do You Make the Dream Come True?

by Rod Greder
January 8, 2024

"If I had six hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend the first four hours sharpening the axe." -- Abraham Lincoln As a kid, we sometimes couldn't wait for Christmas and we tore into the presents early. Finally, when the big day arrived, we ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Farm Management
Tags: Ag, Agriculture, BecomingAFarmer, Business, Farm, Farm School, Grower, Pgm_Ag, Ranch, Small Farm, Small Farming
aerial view of rural town with an array of homes surrounded by multiple farms and farmland. [credit: unsplash.com, luca j]

Becoming a Farmer (Part 5 of 7): “Dude, Where’s My Farm?

by Rod Greder
January 5, 2024

"There is no there there." -- Gertrude Stein, Author "Where" your farm business is located is a very important question. It matters in many ways. Like the Ashton Kutcher movie, "Dude, Where's My Car?", you don't want the location of your farm ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Farm Management
Tags: Ag, Agriculture, BecomingAFarmer, Business, Farm, Farm School, Grower, Pgm_Ag, Ranch, Small Farm, Small Farming
Batch of new chicks in the brooder, won't be ready for pastures for weeks. [CREDIT: UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County, Rod Greder]

Becoming a Farmer (Part 3 of 7): “What” Do You Want to Produce? Can you? Should You?

by Rod Greder
November 16, 2023

There are as many microorganisms in a spoonful of healthy soil as stars in the sky and neurons in the brain. Astounding facts! I'm not sure which is more mind-bending. There are almost as many different ways to farm and things to produce. KEY ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Farm Management
Tags: Ag, Agriculture, BecomingAFarmer, Business, Farm, Farm School, Grower, Pgm_Ag, Ranch, Small Farm, Small Farming
farmer carries his young son through a field

Becoming a Farmer (Part 2 of 7): “Why” Do You Want to Farm? Is Your Reason Grounded, Authentic and Resilient?

by Rod Greder
November 16, 2023

KEY QUESTIONS • Who? • WHY? • What? • Where? • When? • How? Today, we're about the "why." We'll start with a quote about reason, from JP Morgan, the famous American banker and financier: "A man always has two ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Farm Management
Tags: Ag, Agriculture, BecomingAFarmer, Business, Farm, Farm School, Grower, Pgm_Ag, Ranch, Small Farm, Small Farming
photo illustration of corn (close up) against a blue sky with white clouds. [credit: pixabay.com, skitterphoto]

Becoming a Farmer (Part 1 of 7): “Who” Wants to Farm? And What’s With That Buzzkill Question?

by Rod Greder
November 16, 2023

KEY QUESTIONS • WHO? • Why? • What? • Where? • When? • How? So, you want to get started farming, but don't know where to begin. Simple: start by lining up your vision, mission, values, and guiding principles. Be ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Farm Management
Tags: Ag, Agriculture, BecomingAFarmer, Business, Farm, Farm School, Grower, Pgm_Ag, Ranch, Small Farm, Small Farming
a woman walks through a corn field and scans growing crops. [credit: unsplash.com, gonzalo facello]

Becoming a Farmer (Part 4 of 7): “How” Will You Produce Your Crops and Raise Your Animals?

by Rod Greder
November 16, 2023

"It isn't what you do, but how you do it." —John Wooden, Hall of Fame basketball coach Last time we talked about some of the thousands of different products, the "what" you can produce on a farm, from livestock to bees and fish, from trees ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Farm Management
Tags: Ag, Agriculture, BecomingAFarmer, Business, Farm, Farm School, Grower, Pgm_Ag, Ranch, Small Farm, Small Farming

Equipment and Tools for a Commercial Tropical Fruit Grove

by Jessica M. Ryals
February 1, 2023

Jessica M. Ryals, Agriculture & Sustainable Food Systems Agent UF/IFAS Extension Collier County Jeff Wasielewski, Commercial Tropical Fruit Agent UF/IFAS Extension Miami-Dade County Next to labor, equipment can be one of the largest ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Farm Management, Fruits & Vegetables, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Collier County Extension, Enterprise Planning, Equipment, Farming, Jeff Wasielewski, Jessica Ryals, Miami Dade County Extension, Small Farming, Tools, Tropical Fruit, Tropical Fruit Production, UF/IFAS Extension

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