Winter-Only Crop Sales & Collaborative CSA Relationships with Jillian & Ross of Open Door Farm

Jillian and Ross Mickens of Open Door Farm in Cedar Grove, NC, work collaboratively with previous podcast guests Vera and Gordon of Ten Mother Farm to fill CSA boxes with many of the land intensive crops like potatoes and winter squash. With 5 acres under cultivation, and eleven seasons under their belt, they recently made the transition to winter-only sales from mid-August to the end of March, while using the main-season to tend to storage and root crop production, as well as rest during the hottest months of the year. Both the focus on winter-only sales and the collaborative relationship with neighboring farms creates an interesting farm business model that we get to better understand the opportunities and challenges of as a potential approach to growing in a warmer winter climates of the South.

Folks who make the show possible...

RIMOL Greenhouses quality greenhouses and high-tunnels.

Johnny's Selected Seeds vegetable, flower, and cover crop seeds. Visit the Growers Library for a wealth of growing resources.

SeedTime Planner crop planning tool for home gardeners and market farmers. Get your free account and $5 seed coupon ->> seedtime.us/notillpodcast

Vermont Compost Company premium living soils, composts, and potting mixes. Invest in your soil!