Market Technique
Rag & Frass grows a various choice of greens year-round for 2 farmers markets and their roadside stand. Julia depends on market commentary and buyer habits to find out which merchandise go to which market, and the amount sizes of the merchandise bought on the markets. She has discovered that totally different markets are inclined to have totally different shopping for traits, and that it is good observe to get to know your clients and cater to them accordingly. For instance, in Macon, smaller portions promote finest, and bigger portions promote higher in Atlanta; Julia infers that that is probably attributable to older clients or smaller households in Macon, and greater households in Atlanta. Julia and her employees observe the inventories of what’s bought week to week, and use their instinct based mostly on expertise and real-time suggestions to plan for his or her markets and clients’ preferences. One other tip can be to stroll via the market originally of the day earlier than clients arrive to see what different farmers have at their cubicles. If everyone seems to be carrying a ton of salad greens, for instance, then you can count on to not promote out or in case you did, you’d know the demand of the market is being fill by a number of farms and you can most likely convey extra the next week. It is about understanding the bounds of buyer shopping for so that you just decrease waste.
Infrastructure Via NRCS EQIP
Strategic whole-farm planning is central to constructing long-term resilience at Rag & Frass Farm, and federal conservation applications have performed a key function in that technique. The USDA Nationwide Assets Conservation Service’s (NRCS) Environmental High quality Incentives Program (EQIP) has supported climate-smart conservation initiatives on the farm, together with:
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A nicely
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Irrigation field installations for every zone within the fields
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Two excessive tunnels
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Artificial reusable mulch
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Excessive tunnel gutters for roof runoff administration
Julia cautioned farmers to not apply for too many practices without delay, as NRCS EQIP applications function as reimbursements, and up-front prices can add up shortly. She suggested utilizing EQUP applications strategically in order that they work for the farmer, and never the opposite manner round.
For instance, Julia had seen success utilizing woven black-on-white panorama cloth on her farm, which saved cooler in the summertime, mirrored warmth, and helped scale back aphid strain on the vegetation. She is ready to double crop within the panorama cloth, so long as she fertigates the second crop, and might reuse the material for as much as 10-12 years. Utilizing the EQIP Mulching 484 Conservation Apply Normal, Julia was capable of get monetary assist to buy the artificial mulch by considering exterior of the field and contemplating the precise wants of her farm and farm techniques. For those who’re an natural farmer utilizing reusable panorama cloth, guarantee that, like Julia, you monitor the integrity of the material to verify it’s not degrading within the area so that you just stay in compliance with the Nationwide Natural Program regulation 7 CFR 205.206(c)(6).
