Rephonic
Artwork for The Rookie Farmer Podcast

The Rookie Farmer Podcast

Alec Smith
Market Gardening
Organic Farming
Crop Culture Farm
Small-Scale Agriculture
Farmers Markets
Crop Planning
Farmers Market
Small-Scale Farming
Sustainable Agriculture
Microgreens
Regenerative Agriculture
Medicinal Herbs
Community Supported Agriculture
Yield Management
Spreadsheets
Sumi Soaker
Athens Farmers Market
Georgia
Grownby
Garlic

The Rookie Farmer Podcast is the go-to resource for aspiring market gardeners and small-scale farmers. Hosted by Alec Smith, farmer at Crop Culture Farm in New Bern, Georgia, this podcast provides wisdom, knowledge and real-world experience to support the rising movement of small-scale agriculture. Each episode features discussions with veteran growers, industry experts, and fellow "rookie" farmer... more

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes50Founded2 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
EntrepreneurshipBusinessHome & GardenLeisure

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for The Rookie Farmer Podcast

Latest Episodes

Ever wondered what it actually takes to start a dairy from scratch, with rented land and 275 rented cows? 🤔

In this episode, Jennifer Glover of Mountain Fresh Creamery shares how she and her husband built a vertically integrated dairy and creamery... more

YouTube

This week, rookie farmer Alec sits down with farmer Mike Hedge of Hedge Family Farm in Happy Valley, NC, as he shares how he and his wife Sara put in the work to turn raw, undeveloped land into a thriving market garden operation, growing everything f... more

YouTube

In this episode of the Rookie Farmer Podcast, Alec and Richard get real about the highs and lows of peak summer farming: from hitting a $3,000 sales milestone at the farmers market to a van breakdown that forced a last-minute scramble to getting bett... more

YouTube

In this episode, host Alec sits down with James Clarke of Clarke's Greens in San Antonio, Texas for the longest conversation in Rookie Farmer Podcast history...and it's packed with gold. James breaks down his journey from restaurant manager to full-t... more

YouTube

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Carrot Cashflow
Carrot CashflowThe Modern Grower Podcast Network
Growers Daily
Growers DailyFarmer Jesse
Farm Small Farm Smart
Farm Small Farm SmartThe Modern Grower Podcast Network

Recent Guests

Jennifer Glover
Owner of Glowcrest Dairy and Mountain Fresh Creamery
Mountain Fresh Creamery / Glowcrest Dairy
Episode: How Mountain Fresh Creamery Ditched the Middleman & Built Their Own Brand (TRFP 50)
Mike Hedge
Farmer at Hedge Family Farm
Hedge Family Farm
Episode: Building a Thriving Farm Business From Zero Infrastructure (TRFP 49)
James Clarke
Urban organic farmer, Clarke's Greens, San Antonio, Texas
Clarke's Greens
Episode: From $47 to Full-Time Farmer: The Real Truth About Starting Small (TRFP 47)
Gabby Fultz
Dusty Dog Gardens owner and returning guest
Dusty Dog Gardens
Episode: She Said No to Everyone's Advice & Her Farm Thanked Her (TRFP 44)
Jared Sapach
Founder of Ruben's Roots, market gardener operating in Saskatchewan, Canada
Ruben's Roots
Episode: Bootstrapping While Trucking: Making 100 Days of Farming Work (TRFP 41)
Cory Babb
Owner/Operator of Firelight Farm
Firelight Farm
Episode: Chef Turned Farmer: Value-Added Products, No-Till Systems & Scaling Smart (TRFP 38)
Monica Ponce
Worker-owner and greenhouse manager at Love Is Love Cooperative Farm
Love Is Love Cooperative Farm
Episode: Cooperative Farming Secrets: How 4 Worker-Owners Are Changing Agriculture in the South (TRFP 37)
Peter Lee
Farmer at Bird and Blossom Farm
Bird and Blossom Farm
Episode: Running a Profitable Market Farm in an Irish Village of 700 (TRFP 35)
Jill Duncan
Market gardener at Loving Roots Urban Farm
Loving Roots Urban Farm
Episode: From City Farm to Homestead Paradise: A Solo Farmer's Success Story (TRFP 34)

Host

Alec Smith
Host of The Rookie Farmer Podcast

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 16 ratings
  • You are not alone

    I started listening to this podcast while working my farm. I’m an agriculture veteran, but the concept of “market farming” isn’t something that was on my radar. I always described myself as an “avid gardener”. Followed Alec over from podcasts I just stumbled on with Diego. The transparency and honesty is inviting. I’ve always told people the best part is just like any other business you eat your mistakes, but if you’re growing it it’s literal. I’m disappointed and inspired that podcasts are goin... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Tommy Hugh
    United Statesa year ago
  • Great New Farming Talk

    Bringing great content and memorable interviews I would recommend this podcast to everyone interested in agriculture. A refrehingly honest take on the work required to deliver real food to real people.

    Thanks Alec for taking us on your continuous rookie journey. Its refreshing to hear about the challenges and learning experienced as a rookie farmer. What are your mistakes? WhT are you learning about aling your journey? As an aspiring rookie farmer I want to keep hearing about all the ways in w... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Simoney Says
    United States2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Honest, practical farming guidance that translates to real-world results.
Great host chemistry and thoughtful guests that keep farming actionable, not theoretical.
Listeners appreciate the focus on burnout, labor, and sustainable pacing for long-term viability.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Chef Turned Farmer: Value-Added Products, No-Till Systems & Scaling Smart (TRFP 38)
Q: What drove you to add value-added products, and how do you manage the processing and regulatory side?
The value-added line began as a way to utilize excess harvest, with pickled carrots being the first major product, followed by tomato jams and cowboy candies. They invest in equipment like a food processor and freezer space, and they navigate cottage-industry rules to label products as home-produced while ensuring safety practices and pH testing for self-made recipes.
Chef Turned Farmer: Value-Added Products, No-Till Systems & Scaling Smart (TRFP 38)
Q: Tell us about your farm, acreage and no-till approach, and what the production looks like.
Firelight Farm operates just over an acre with 125 50-foot beds on 30-inch aisles, using high tunnels and low tunnels to extend seasonality. They emphasize lettuce, peppers, and tomatoes, with peppers heavily allocated to value-added products, and they intentionally blend market-wide production with a growing wholesale base.
Bootstrapping While Trucking: Making 100 Days of Farming Work (TRFP 41)
Q: What market channels do you rely on and how do you manage supply?
The bulk is a local open market/consignment setup along with wholesale to neighbors and a few direct-to-consumer avenues. I manage supply by maintaining inventory, coordinating with the market manager, and staying flexible to source from others when needed to keep customers happy.
Bootstrapping While Trucking: Making 100 Days of Farming Work (TRFP 41)
Q: What's your revenue goal per acre and how do you plan to scale?
My goal is to reach around $50,000 per acre, with potential to hit $75,000 as I scale, primarily through high-value vegetables and extended seasons. Scaling involves season extension, more varieties, and better processing and marketing, while maintaining a small footprint.
Bootstrapping While Trucking: Making 100 Days of Farming Work (TRFP 41)
Q: How do you manage your time and schedule given you also drive a truck?
I keep a flexible schedule, start early, and use the daylight window after driving to work in the garden. Planning, prioritizing tasks, and shifting workload between harvest, bagging, and market delivery helps me keep the operation running, especially during peak season.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About The Rookie Farmer Podcast

What is The Rookie Farmer Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show centers on hands-on, small-scale farming with a practical, no-nonsense lens on building and sustaining market gardens. Episodes frequently cover diversified cropping, multi-channel sales (farmers markets, restaurants, wholesale, online ordering), no-till and soil health, irrigation strategies, and cash-flow management. Listeners get blunt discussions about burnout, budgeting, and scaling responsibly, plus tactical tips like season extension, microgreen ventures, and creating resilient distribution networks. A standout is the ongoing, transparent focus on personal journeys from rookie to seasoned farmer, with concrete takeaways you can apply to real-world farms without hype.

Where can I find podcast stats for The Rookie Farmer Podcast?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Rookie Farmer Podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The Rookie Farmer Podcast and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The Rookie Farmer Podcast get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for The Rookie Farmer Podcast, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for The Rookie Farmer Podcast?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for The Rookie Farmer Podcast, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does The Rookie Farmer Podcast have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Rookie Farmer Podcast has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The Rookie Farmer Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Rookie Farmer Podcast:

1. Carrot Cashflow
2. Growers Daily
3. The Urban Farmer Podcast
4. The Market Gardener Podcast
5. Farm Small Farm Smart

How many episodes of The Rookie Farmer Podcast are there?

The Rookie Farmer Podcast launched 2 years ago and published 50 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Rookie Farmer Podcast?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The Rookie Farmer Podcast?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Rookie Farmer Podcast from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for The Rookie Farmer Podcast?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of The Rookie Farmer Podcast. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on The Rookie Farmer Podcast?

Recent guests on The Rookie Farmer Podcast include:

1. Jennifer Glover
2. Mike Hedge
3. James Clarke
4. Gabby Fultz
5. Jared Sapach
6. Cory Babb
7. Monica Ponce
8. Peter Lee

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days