Podcast appearances and mentions of john suscovich

Something is changing on YouTube, and it could be a huge opertunity for your Homestead! Youtube is making major changes that favor small creators, creating an unprecedented opportunity for homesteaders to build successful channels. In this episode, we follow the inspiring journey of Crystal and Reeve, who transformed their Alaska homestead into a thriving business by combining YouTube content with goat milk soap sales, enabling Crystal to leave her nursing career behind. Discover the simple three-step process that helped homesteaders earn $60,000-$100,000 from their farms, and learn from Farm Marketing Solutions' John Suscovich about turning expertise into digital products. Whether you're just starting out or already have a homestead, this episode reveals practical strategies to start making money today through YouTube, product sales, and consulting - without expensive equipment or previous experience. Plus, get insider tips on common mistakes to avoid and how to take advantage of YouTube's algorithm changes before this unique opportunity window closes. Starting or Growing a Youtube Channel? FREE COACHING....JOIN MY EMAIL LIST Need Some Help? Let's Work Together! Book a Consulting Call CLICK HERE to Book a Consulting Session with me! BECOME A HOMESTEADY PIONEER Checkout Chrystal and Reeve at  @FlatTireFarmHomesteadingAlaska  John Suscovich at  @farmmarketing ​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many of us know how to use Instagram, but do we know why we use it? What are you accomplishing, and is it worth your time? In this episode of the Growing Farms Podcast, host John Suscovich discusses Instagram best practices, his strategy on Instagram, and he shares several accounts worth following if you're in the pastured poultry space.

I'm still here. Plus, I'd like to invite you to attend APPPA's Professional Pastured Poultry Conference (https://apppa.org/Conference) from January 16-18, 2022.  At this year's conference, I am teaming up with John Suscovich and Luke Groce to host a meetup for the listeners of our shows.  As a listener to Pastured Poultry Talk, you're invited to meetup, chat, and just connect. Stay tuned for day and time information.  

When you put chickens or turkeys out on pasture, there are two fundamental questions you need to consider. Why pasture and how do you house the birds? If you fully grasp the why of the pasture model, you won't take shortcuts in your housing and implementation. I'm primarily talking about the foundational principle of movement to fresh pasture approach that pastured poultry requires. If you choose to build a strong foundation on the principles of pastured poultry, then your system becomes healthier and more capable of surviving challenges. There are a lot of companies that compromise the pastured poultry model today where fresh forage is replaced with access to more space. I spend a lot of time working through these issues in the podcast episode because it's important to start off with a clear vision, and that vision will inform your shelter approach. Pasture Shelter Considerations There are a near infinite number of designs and modifications you can make to a pastured poultry shelter. And if you go shopping for a shelter without having a purpose, you may get sidetracked easily. For example, when I built my first shelter, I just did it like Joel Salatin, but I didn't follow his instructions. That turned out to be a less than ideal shelter for our farm. After I got some experience, I realized I made a bad choice, and I chose something different, which was a smaller, lighter hoop house. I expect you will go through multiple design iterations, but my goal in the episode to have you make a good choice, so your don't find yourself needing to radically change your approach after a single season. Here are the pasture shelter and management practices I cover in the podcast episode. Provide species appropriate shelters Protect from weather (including shade) and predators Make flock movement to fresh rooted-in soil vegetation possible Avoid static runs and continuous grazing Ensure ventilation and protect from drafts Add roosts where appropriate Add nest boxes for layers I spend a fair amount of time discussing stocking density guidelines and the nuances you may encounter there. The quick guideline for a daily moved shelter where the birds are confined to a floorless shelter are as follows: Broilers: 1.5 to 2 sq. ft. to 8 weeks; 3+ sq. ft. at 16 weeks Layers: 3-5 sq. ft. Turkeys: 5 to 7 sq. ft. The reason you need to know stocking densities is so that you can size your shelter appropriately and build/buy the appropriate amount. When you move to a day range setup, the stocking density inside the house becomes different. Using layers as an example day range scenario, your housing may provide one square foot of space plus your additional pasture space. I discuss the reason behind one square foot in more detail in the episode. There's no magic formula for the paddock size. 108 square feet is a myth and a fake requirement; it's not synonymous to pasture raised. Just know that if you give your hens 20 square foot of space in the paddock, you will be able to move slightly less frequently than if you only give them 10 square feet of pasture space. The model is based on movement, not access. So, time the frequency of movement to the impact on the pasture. Dirt is not your goal. Pasture Shelter Designs I've spent time assembling resources, such as guides, how-tos, and links to pastured poultry coop designs over at American Pastured Poultry Producers Association. View pastured poultry shelter designs. If you need step-by-step and cut-by-cut instructions, it's hard to beat John Suscovich's Stress Free Chicken Tractor booklet. You can purchase a copy directly from John. If you purchase any of his books or packets, I get a commission (you pay the same price). Learn more about John's Stress Free Chicken Tractor Plans. John also appeared on Pastured Poultry Talk to tell his story. https://pasturedpoultrytalk.com/2015/11/21/ppt029-growing-into-a-farm-with-john-suscovich-2/ Relevant Episodes https://pasturedpoultrytalk.com/2015/07/17/ppt012-whats-with-the-immaculate-chicken-houses-2/ https://pasturedpoultrytalk.com/2017/09/18/ppt056-designing-movable-shelters-for-pasture-raised-broilers-and-layers-with-pastured-life-farm/ https://pasturedpoultrytalk.com/2016/03/21/ppt037-pastured-poultry-is-more-than-dirt/ https://pasturedpoultrytalk.com/2015/08/28/ppt018-broiler-chicken-shelter-density-and-data-collection-2/ https://pasturedpoultrytalk.com/2019/04/04/latest-greenwashing-craze-pasturewashing-poultry-ppt083/ https://pasturedpoultrytalk.com/2017/12/29/does-the-failed-organic-livestock-and-poultry-practices-regulation-matter-to-pastured-poultry/ Sponsors

John: Hey there friends and fellow farmers. Welcome to another episode of The Growing Farms podcast. I am your host, John Suscovich, and today's episode is going to be an "Ask APPPA" show, the American Pasture and Poultry Producers Association.   At one of the annual APPPA conferences I brought my camera, I brought my microphone, I brought my friend Mike, and we recorded interviews with about two dozen people.  I asked those two dozen people the same four questions. And the wonderful thing about this community is that our heart, the core mission of what we're trying to do, is build healthy soil and we do that by raising animals on pasture.    Now we are all there for the same reason, to learn and grow together, we are all bringing our own level of commitment, our own piece to the puzzle to those annual conferences and that is great.    Today's episode is going to be with Ginger Shields of Pastured Life Farm located in North Central Florida and the first question that I asked Ginger was:    “What is one thing you know now that you wish you knew when you were starting out? Your advice for the new guy.”   Ginger: My name is Ginger Shields, and I am from Pastured Life Farm located in North Central Florida.    I wish that I knew - when we began farming -- That it was okay to say no, that it was okay to say "We don't need to produce chickens year round".    We didn't need to have beef available 100% of the time. We didn't need to have pork available 100% of the time. It wasn't a sustainable model for a small farm to have everything for everyone all the time. We carried a tremendous amount of burden. Like "We have to produce more, we have to produce more", so we don't have to tell people no and we scaled up faster than what we were ready for.    So I really wish that I had known or could go back to my former self and say "It’s okay. You can tell people no. You can explain why we have seasons, why nature has seasons and why we replicate that in our farm model".   John: I really love that piece of advice. Something that I have heralded here on Farm Marketing Solutions is the desire, the need, the strategy of pushing consistency in your market. Having chicken available all the time so that when people want chickens you're the go-to person to provide it for them. I thought that was a core fundamental thing to have as part of your farm strategy. You know, especially if you want to get into wholesale accounts.   What Ginger highlighted here is that building the model around not only what the customer wants but what you want to do as a farmer is really important for the long-term viability and sustainability of you and your farm. If you're consistent with what you offer, when you offer it, and your messaging is clear, consistent, and concise it will be easy for people to do business with you. That is just a fantastic piece of advice.    If you don't like farming, you are not going to stick with it and that's hard. You know? It's like... why stick with something that you don't like to do? Which brings me into my next question. I asked Ginger:    What is the most enjoyable part about being a farmer.   Ginger: For us, for my husband and I - I am speaking for both of us - I believe that the most enjoyable aspect of farming is that we get to work with people that we like. We get to work with our family, we get to work with our kids, and we get to be together.    I am not sending my husband off for his 9-5 job, packing his lunch and he's coming home miserable after spending an hour and a half in traffic, and we're not apart for sixteen hours a day. We're working together. We both want to work on our farm, better our farm, and work with our kids and teach them the values and the morals and things that they can't learn anywhere else but on our farm.    John: That was a great answer, Ginger. I really appreciate the feedback; and for me, that also -- You know, I'm just going to say "ditto".    The fact is that I’m usually working pretty long hours. But I’m always close by so if my family needs me or wants to come find me they know where I am. I get to work with friends, business partners who are my friends, and I love the staff here at the farm or the brewery -- We just have the most amazing people and that makes the day to day very enjoyable.    At times it is a grind. Not every day is a holiday, but the fact that I am a member of APPPA and I have all of those people to turn to, I have a wonderful business here in Western Connecticut; and that  my family is around all the time, I can structure my schedule around people instead of work...    It's a lot of work hours but I can structure my schedule to be around for dinners, to be around for school send-offs... If there is something that needs to get done in the family, my family always comes first; and the fact that I get to work and live around all these amazing people is why I did this in the first place.   Being self-sufficient is kind of a farce. You know? Being out in isolation by yourself is depressing and very difficult because you're not going to be able to do everything by yourself. So to surround yourself with wonderful people - I have that community, I have that connection, and I have that strength.    For when I am feeling weak, there is someone there to help prop me up, and when someone else in my community is not feeling 100% I am there to prop them up. There’s been a really good balance through the years. So for me, that has been valuable as well and I appreciate Ginger - your response to that question.    Now my next question - because this is Farm Marketing Solutions and that's what the channel and the podcast is all about - I wanted to know, Ginger:    What is one of your greatest marketing/farm marketing successes and how did you get there, and then what is one of your biggest struggles - and then what do you do about that?    Ginger: For our farm our biggest marketing success has been the ability to put ourselves out there. To become comfortable and confident in what we're doing; thanks to organizations like the American Pasture and Poultry Producers Association we have become confident in our practices, confident that we're bettering our environment, we're bettering the soil, and that the chicken that we're producing is far superior to anything that's available in the grocery stores.   Having those tools in our pocket to be able to approach customers, approach people at meetings like at Weston A. Price Chapter meetings, or at a CrossFit gym where we might pop in during a session and talk about our product. We find strength in having those tools, education, and information available for us to share. Also, confidence in our product that we didn't have when we were first starting out.  Our biggest marketing struggle has been definitely making the time. Marketing - it's another job! You're a farmer, you're a family, you're a mom, you're a dad... but you're also a marketer and a salesman. You have to make yourself make the time to market your farm. You have to schedule that time into your already busy, crazy life. That's our biggest marketing struggle and our biggest marketing failure. It's our area that we plan to improve on the most for the next few years; is to just work on our marketing.    Our markets are changing. Our customers are changing. Our demographics are changing. We have people much younger than us that are having food awakenings - we need to be able to reach them and it's a challenge to keep up with it.   John: Now that is a great response because a lot of people get into farming because they're introverted. Being out in the field by yourself, you spend a lot of time alone. A lot of farmers like to grow, fix, nurture, animal husbandry or however you verbalize or verb that, but not all of us are outgoing.    It's amazing that you might hear me say that I -- I have recorded 650 or pushing 700 videos now, and I still get uncomfortable when someone else is just watching me record. I am comfortably down here in my basement, talking to a camera alone with my dog asleep on the floor. That is where my comfort zone is, and it has been a journey for me to be comfortable enough to walk into a room and be like "Hey everybody, how are you doing? My name is John Suscovich".    That is something that I have worked on over time and being comfortable putting yourself out there, sharing that information... You are passionate about agriculture. Otherwise you are not -- Why are you listening to this podcast or watching this video on YouTube? Because you want to do this. There is a reason why you are committed.    You're following Farm Marketing Solutions because you're starting to make a business out of farming or you are looking at a lifestyle change. There is something in you that motivates you. It drives you to get back to the land, to live a healthier lifestyle, to produce food that is nutritious and supports your community, and that is amazing.    That passion, that heart, that fire that you feel right here... share that with people! Don't be afraid. And with me, you know... there's a lot of fish in the sea. I give farm tours every weekend. Sometimes my jokes land and sometimes they don't. I have learned to read a room and see how that conversation is going.    Putting yourself out there... you do it and you're going to fail sometimes. Then you're going to do it, and you're going to succeed sometimes. You're going to be like "That farmer's market rocked!" or "That conversation that I had with that person really went well!" and when it goes well or if it goes poorly, learn from those circumstances. If it went really well, why did it go well? Because you connected around a certain topic or idea. Is that something that you can reach other people with? If it didn't go well, was it because you misstepped or misspoke or maybe it wasn't the right person?    Think about sales as dating. You're not going to date everybody. Not everybody is going to be a perfect match. You're going to have good customers and you're going to have bad customers. You're going to have easy customers and you're going to have hard customers. You shouldn't spend all your time trying to convert people. You should serve the people who want what you already have to offer. It's a little bit easier to sell that way. And you're going to find those people by sharing your passion, sharing your ideals, sharing your story, sharing your name on your website. Please.    It becomes easier over time, but I'll tell you - it can be a struggle. So just have the confidence in yourself to put your heart out there. Get hurt a little bit. Come back from it. Chickens are going to die. Cows are going to die. Crops are going to go bad. Sales are going to be lost. But also... Chickens are going to grow. Cows are going to grow. The grass is going to grow. The sun always shines at some point and it does get a little easier with time.    Now, because I recorded these at an APPPA conference - The American Pasture and Poultry Producers Association, APPPA.org, I wanted to know:    What are the benefits of joining APPPA? What are the benefits of going to the conference? What do people get out of being a part of this organization?    For me, I am a paying member. I have an annual subscription that I renew. I get the newsletters. I am part of the forum. It's amazing! I just learn so much all the time -- And for when I can't answer other peoples' questions, I post questions on the forum and get answers back from people all over the country. It's really amazing.    So I asked Ginger: What is the best part about being an APPPA member and what is the best part about being at the conference?   Ginger: The biggest benefit to being an APPPA member is access. You have instant - almost - access to professionals producing twice as much, three times as much, or maybe even a hundred times as many chickens as you are.  They have been doing it longer, they have experienced the same failures that you have and if you can learn from another farmer's failures and prevent that failure yourself it's going to be so much easier for you in the long run if you can learn from another person's failure.    I can't remember who said this quote:    Anyone can learn from another person's success, but a truly intelligent person can learn from other's peoples' failures.    We all have a sharp learning curve as farmers and so if we are able to maybe lessen that curve, maybe lessen the blow a little bit, and maybe prevent some of those catastrophic things that naturally happen as farmers because we don't control the weather, we don't control the environment, and we don't control so many factors.   Who would choose a job where you have so little control over anything? It's like, "Why did I go into this job where there's a hundred outside variables that I have zero control over and still expect to have a good outcome?" What a terrible idea! But we all do it, right?    And that's where the APPPA conference becomes an invaluable tool; you get to see these farmers that you've been interacting with, maybe on the list serve or via email, and you get to be in the same room together. You get to commiserate a little bit together.    You get to shake each other's hands, understand each other's struggles, and nowhere else can you get a bunch of pastured poultry producers who are already kind of out here on the fringe in the same room and just be together - and that's really cool.   Nobody needs to have someone - another person - on the pulpit, selling you something, telling you what you should or shouldn't do. We need to be together. We're better together.    John: Ginger, that's a good plug, and I will add that Ginger is on the board of APPPA and has been a big inspiration for me. She is kind, caring, and tough as nails. She is everything you would want in one person, and just a great representation of what I feel the future of agriculture is.    She has been doing it for a while with her husband Dave and all of her children. She is now a good friend of mine. We text back and forth; and just the fact that she put herself out there and recorded the video for me - this was really great - and I want to thank you Ginger and Dave.  Dave's interview will be coming up in the future.   If you want to learn more about APPPA and how to become a member, you can go to APPPA.org.    I have over 100 episodes in the archives. You can find those on Google Podcasts, on iTunes, on Stitcher and on Spotify and probably a bunch of smaller stuff. If you can't find it on your platform, write in and we will submit the feed to that so that you can get it as well.   This is a new type of podcast that I am doing. I am going to publish these APPPA interviews as well as some farm updates through the year, now that I have this medium back again. I have fixed all the technical problems which feels really good.    Feel free to leave me an honest review on any of those pod-catching platforms. It helps the podcast get discovered.    Thanks for taking the time to listen and/or watch, because we're releasing this in both video and audio format on YouTube and all of the pod catching things. And until next time, I will see you on the field. 

John Suscovich is a farmer from Western Connecticut. He is also the inventor of the the Suscovich Stress-Free Chicken Tractor, one of the most popular designs out there, used by farms across the world, including Gold Shaw Farm. In today's episode, I got the chance to sit down with John and learn his story and gain some valuable insights on starting a farm. To learn more about John, check out his website: www.farmmarketingsolutions.com MORE ABOUT GOLD SHAW FARM YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/goldshawfarm Web: http://www.goldshawfarm.com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/goldshawfarm Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/goldshawfarm Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/goldshawfarm   Send us mail: Gold Shaw Farm PO Box 225 Peacham, VT 05862

What are you waiting for to change your life? In this episode, meet some people who took some bold steps to pursue their passions -- and they've never looked back. Our first guest, John Suscovich, has changed his life about as dramatically as one can. Find out how he went from being a regular on the "Howard Stern Show" to starting his own farm.

In this episode, I talk with John Suscovich of Farm Marketing Solutions. We discuss John's new book on Marketing Pastured Poultry, how to start a pastured poultry business, the critical success factors to achieving profitability and much more. And, of course, we discuss what Howard Stern has in common with pastured poultry.

John Suscovich talks farming reality - the challenges and the struggles. The importance of book keep and the numbers for decision making. And why it's important to stop and just take a break sometimes. Subscribe to John on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/farmmarketing Find John's Books at: http://www.farmmarketingsolutions.com   Get exclusive content each week with the Grassfed Life Insider.  Learn more at https://www.grassfedlife.co/insider Grassfed Life Courses: https://farm-business-essentials.teachable.com/courses  

Meat Chickens are a great gateway animal into raising your own meat and becoming, overall, more sustainable. On this episode of Homesteady, we revisit chicken ownership. As we examine homestead chickens closer, we have to wonder: are chickens a "gateway animal?" Does buying chickens lead to more chickens, then to pigs, goats, sheep, and even (perhaps) a cow? John Suscovich from the Growings Farms Podcast and Farm Marketing Solutions became a full-time farmer. But First: We've got some changes happening on Homesteady! We are going weekly! For the next two months, we are going to broadcast weekly. We are hosting a LIVE SHOW at 9:00 PM EST, every week, live with Accountant Mike. Watch us on YouTube, on the Homesteady Channel, or on Prepperbroadcasting.com. Today is our first time using our YouTube live-stream from last Tuesday evening! Did you know we will be live AGAIN this and EVERY Thursday event at 9:00 PM EST Cornish Crosses' were Aust's first meat bird. Purchased at Tractor Supply Co, and treated more as pets, it was a very different experience at the beginning. Aust is able to reflect by re-reading an old Homesteady blog post on how his perception of raising chickens for meat has changed with experience. Now, Aust raises pastured pork along with meat chickens, and that pork is one of the most profitable of his homestead endeavors. For Aust and Kendra, meat chickens were a gateway to raising pastured pigs; for John, chickens were the gateway into a career. John and his wife both wanted to farm; but they didn't own any land. Not only that, they had been homeless for two years, embarking on a cross-country bike trip across the United States. After touring farms and craft breweries, they knew that living on the farm was the life for them. But, John had a fascination with chickens, and knew how to process meat birds. Becoming a pastured poultry farmer seemed the next logical step. NO money, NO job, NO land; John saw only opportunities. The broad decision of going into agriculture was passion-based...but it had to work on a spreadsheet before it was going to work on the field. John went door to door until he had accumulated several offers from landowners with hay fields he could use to begin his chicken business. He used chicken tractors to develop a mobile pastured chicken business. John started with Joel Salatin's chicken tractor design, and then...innovated. He designed a custom chicken tractor to meet his own needs. With a background in technical theater design, John was able to parlay his skills into his ideal chicken tractor. (See! EVEN THEATER can help on your homestead journey!) As John was selling chickens, people started to ask, "Where did you get those chicken tractors?" and another arm to his business was born. Chickens for meat are great for a homesteader. Their infrastructure is mobile, they are affordable, they only take eight weeks to mature to processing if you use Cornish Cross chickens, and they are a very manageable animal. Running two or three groups of ten chickens will fertilize your lawn and fill your freezer. John has progressed from leasing open land to now running Camps Road Farm. He has diversified to not only raise chickens, but grows hops for his on-farm brewery and an apple orchard for his off-farm distillery. There are two great resources John shares with us. The pastured poultry packet breaks down the process from purchase to processing. And of course the plans for his chicken tractor. If you'd like to build a John Suscovich chicken tractor, you can buy his book here. Homesteady Pioneers get ten percent off! Log into the discount section of the pioneer library. You can see the extended version of this podcast- an hour and a half long video- in the pioneer library. You can do this. But what will you need to make the leap? And what about the butchering? You know, when the time comes to "process" the bird. While it is possible to process the chickens yourself, you are looking at a significant time commitment. At the very least, get a Power Plucker to help you pluck the feathers off the chickens. What does Accountant Mike have to say? Is there a large enough profit margin? Does it get a thumbs up? Listen to find out. With this being the THIRD Homesteady chicken episode, there is lots of material in our pioneer library about egg laying chickens, and now meat birds. Inspired after this episode to start with meat birds? John's books, the power plucker, and so much more have discount codes available in the Pioneer portal. We are a growing internet community! You can follow Aust on Instagram at @homesteadyshow and Alexia, The Suburban Escapee, at @suburbanescapee. Tag your homesteading posts with #iamhomesteady and we will find you and see what you are up to, as well as connect with other homesteaders and fans of the show. Do your Amazon shopping through the www.amsteady.com link and benefit the podcast!     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Farmer John Suscovich of Camps Road Farm and FarmMarketingSolutions.com answers the question - Why aren't you certified organic? To learn more about John and see all of the ASK John episodes visit permaculturevoices.com/john.

Farmer John Suscovich of Camps Road Farm and FarmMarketingSolutions.com answers the question - How do you time your broilers and pigs to meet your CSA demand? To learn more about John and see all of the ASK John episodes visit permaculturevoices.com/john.

Farmer John Suscovich of Camps Road Farm and FarmMarketingSolutions.com answers the question - Why are your broiler chickens naked, what happened? To learn more about John and see all of the ASK John episodes visit permaculturevoices.com/john.

Farmer John Suscovich of Camps Road Farm and FarmMarketingSolutions.com answers the question - Have you ever supplemented your chickens diet with black solider fly larvae?  Why or why not? To learn more about John and see all of the ASK John episodes visit permaculturevoices.com/john.

Farmer John Suscovich of Camps Road Farm and FarmMarketingSolutions.com answers the question - What kind of feeder do you use for your the chickens that you are free ranging? To learn more about John and see all of the ASK John episodes visit permaculturevoices.com/john.

Farmer John Suscovich of Camps Road Farm and FarmMarketingSolutions.com answers the question - How do you protect yourself from getting sued? To learn more about John and see all of the ASK John episodes visit permaculturevoices.com/john.

Farmer John Suscovich of Camps Road Farm and FarmMarketingSolutions.com answers the question - How do you transport your chickens to the processor? To learn more about John and see all of the ASK John episodes visit permaculturevoices.com/john.

Farmer John Suscovich of Camps Road Farm and FarmMarketingSolutions.com answers the question - How do you know how much to feed your broilers? To learn more about John and see all of the ASK John episodes visit permaculturevoices.com/john.

Farmer John Suscovich of Camps Road Farm and FarmMarketingSolutions.com gives his thoughts on growing hops (for beer) commercially. To learn more about John and see all of the ASK John episodes visit permaculturevoices.com/john.

Farmer John Suscovich of Camps Road Farm and FarmMarketingSolutions.com talks about the Three Books Every Farmer Should Own live on stage at PV3. The Three Books: The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber - http://amzn.to/20QPuZk Holistic Management by Allan Savory - http://amzn.to/1Vrvg8V The Lean Farm by Ben Hartman - http://amzn.to/20QPd8W To learn more about John and see all of the ASK John episodes visit permaculturevoices.com/john

Farmer John Suscovich of Camps Road Farm and FarmMarketingSolutions.com answers the question, "How do you structure your pasture poultry CSA?" To learn more about John and see all of the ASK John episodes visit permaculturevoices.com/john. If you like the show, please support the show by making a contribution at permaculturevoices.com/ilikevoices

Farmer John Suscovich of Camps Road Farm and FarmMarketingSolutions.com answers the question, "How long do broiler chickens live?" To learn more about John and see all of the ASK John episodes visit permaculturevoices.com/john. If you like the show, please support the show by making a contribution at permaculturevoices.com/ilikevoices

Farmer John Suscovich of Camps Road Farm and FarmMarketingSolutions.com answers the question, "How do you manage your chicken brooder?" To learn more about John and see all of the ASK John episodes visit permaculturevoices.com/john. If you like the show, please support the show by making a contribution at permaculturevoices.com/ilikevoices

Farmer John Suscovich of Camps Road Farm andFarmMarketingSolutions.com answers the question, "How quicklyshould you scale up a pastured poultry operation?"To learn more about John and see all of the ASK John episodes visitpermaculturevoices.com/john.

Farmer John Suscovich of Camps Road Farm and FarmMarketingSolutions.com answers the question, "Where do you process your chickens - on farm or off?" To learn more about John and see all of the ASK John episodes visit permaculturevoices.com/john. If you like the show, please support the show by making a contribution at permaculturevoices.com/ilikevoices

Farmer John Suscovich of Camps Road Farm and FarmMarketingSolutions.com answers the question, "What do you feed your chickens, and can they get their full diet off pasture?"To learn more about John and see all of the ASK John episodes visit permaculturevoices.com/john.   If you like the show, please support the show by making a contribution at permaculturevoices.com/ilikevoices

Farmer John Suscovich of Camps Road Farm and FarmMarketingSolutions.com answers the question, "What breeds of broilers do you raise?"To learn more about John and see all of the ASK John episodes visit permaculturevoices.com/john.   If you like the show, please support the show by making a contribution at permaculturevoices.com/ilikevoices

Farmer John Suscovtich of Camps Road Farm and FarmMarketingSolutions.com answers the question, "Are pastured broilers profitable?"To learn more about John and see all of the ASK John episodes visit permaculturevoices.com/john.

Today is Part 2 of an interview with farmer John Suscovich of Farm Marketing Solutions. You can listen to Part 1 of the interview here. Part Two was recorded a year after Part 1, and was recorded in February 2016. So you will get two perspectives from the same person, separated by a lot time and experiences. You hear about what John learned about life and farming over the course of year and how his farm evolved based on what he's learned. Today's episode focuses on how things have changed on the farm over the last year.  John will talk about what operations he dropped on the farm and why.  He will break down the economics between laying hens and broilers.  And he will talk about the macro concept of focusing on less to do things better overall. See some of John's videos in the show notes at permaculturevoices.com/118.

Today is part one of an interview with farmer John Suscovich.   And today's episode was recorded one year ago in February 2015.  And Part Two was recorded in February 2016. So you will get two perspectives from the same person, separated by a lot time and experiences. You hear about what John learned about life and farming over the course of year and how his farm evolved based on what he's learned. Today's episode will help a lot of your looking to start a farm or a business by tacking on questions such as, why going from intern to full on farmer as a business was a foolish move for John. And what advice he would have for someone just starting out. He will also share his thoughts on taking on part time farming with job versus going full time farming first. And how he deals with a farm that has a diversified product offering. Then in part two we will circle back with John one year later and see how things have changed on the farm, and why they have changed. Because a lot has changed in the last year.   And as you will hear in this episode, in farming and business, life if going to do whatever the hell it pleases to you. All you can control is how you react to whatever life throws at you, and you can either shut down or you can soar.” See some of the notes and John’s videos at permaculturevoices.com/117.

What makes a guy quit his New York City job on the Howard Stern show, sell everything he owns to bicycle across the US, and then start his mid-life farming career. That's the summary of John Suscovich's self-described quarter-life crisis. John is the Farm Manager at Camp Roads Farm in Connecticut and host of the Growing Farms Podcast. In this episode, Mike and John talk through John's transition to farming. Over the course of four years, he has gone from a trial batch of 40 broilers in year one to raising as many as 2,400 meat birds and up to 350 laying hens. John primarily markets through a chicken CSA, and we spend a fair amount of time talking about marketing birds. John can be found at: Camp Roads Farm (www.campsroadfarm.com)  Farm Marketing Solutions (www.farmmarketingsolutions.com) - Home of the Growing Farms Podcast. Food Cyclist (foodcyclist.com) - The journey that started it all. John's chicken tractor plans are available here. Farm Marketing Solutions on YouTube: (https://www.youtube.com/user/farmmarketing)

Getting exposure from the press can be either a good thing or a bad thing. I'm not talking about being caught out for a scandal or something like that, I am talking about being unprepared for that media exposure. Disregarding any bad press you might receive, and I hope that you never have cause to receive any, I want focus on how you can make the most out of the good media exposure. I have gotten good press across the country. On radio, television, and various forms of print. The honest fact is, it is not that hard. Sure, there is some luck and skill involved with getting your name to appear in the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal, I'll save that blog post for when I have accomplished that feat myself. I am talking about local news. Local newspapers and local television stations want to print an upbeat story every now and again. Since you are a farmer selling locally, this is the media outlet you want to hit. After all, you are selling to the locals. In this farm podcast I go over what you should do before you approach the press with a story. Below I detail a few ways I have found success getting local press across the country. Right click to download the MP3 In this farm podcast you will learn: It is never too late or too early to "grow bolder" Three things to keep in mind when preparing for a media interview (in particular radio) How to think when you are behind the microphone Some strategies for better articulation Creating a sales funnel and why it is necessary Interview with Me, John Suscovich on the Growing Bolder Radio Show A few years ago the producers at Growing Bolder contacted me after I had some other press appearances. Given the tone of the show I was excited to be a guest. The hosts Marc Middleton and Bill Schafer are top-knotch interviewers and I really enjoy their show. I especially wanted to share this interview and highlight Growing Bolder because I feel like their program and project hit at the heart of why a lot of us get into farming. We are adventurous, courageous, and at times down-right crazy. Friends and family might judge, society might stick it's chin up, but at the end of the day we love what we do. We are farmers, and we are bolder! I always enjoy talking with Marc and Bill. If you have a good story to tell I am sure they would be happy to have you on the show. If nothing else, I recommend listening in on a few shows if you have the time. Items mentioned in this farm podcast include: FoodCyclist Farm (and my cute chickens) Growing Bolder Radio Show Alastair Humphreys PoopSenders.com How to get the media to talk to you in the first place: One word, confidence. Everyone has some kind of interesting story in their life. Especially if you are a farmer now-a-days. I am guessing that you are if you are reading this. There are as many possibilities as their are farms. Whether the farm has been in your family for 200 years and you are restoring the old buildings, or you just got out of college and you are going to live in a tent and work land that someone let you squat on for free, there are all types of stories out there, you just have to have confidence that your story is a good one. When I approach media I have a purpose in mind. A problem that needs solving. No matter what media outlet you decide to pursue, they are always going to put their spin and their flare on it, just accept that. Their flare aside, know what you want to get out of the situation. My Example This winter I was searching for farm land, as you know if you have listened to all of the episodes. I also just launched the podcast. I wanted to find farmland in my area, and get exposure for the podcast. I found a template for a one page press release online (here's a link to random one) and wrote my one page story. My problem: young farmer needs land Interesting hook: young farmer starts his own radio show The newspaper had a way to help me with publishing an article. Not only did it help me, but because of the article many people got in touch with me, and got in touch with the paper with solutions. I sent my press release out to two or three area newspapers, and low and behold the biggest paper in my State was the one to get back to me. They sent a reporter to my house, we spoke for two hours. They sent a photographer as well. Within a week I was the front page story with a lot of color photos. In the past I used "problems" like raising money for a worthy charity, with an interesting hook of riding a bike across the country. The return on investment. I got several leads on land (which I now am using) and I developed a relationship with a reporter at the paper. Brynn if you're reading this you are an incredibly talented writer and thank you for the article. I also got some CSA customers out of the article, not a bad side effect. Don't Forget! I am always looking for people to interview. I haven't had problems finding people yet, but I really want to highlight my listeners if I can. Please get in touch and we will schedule a time to talk. Thanks! Take Aways: Do you know your farm business enough to describe it in one sentence? Are you confident "behind the microphone"? What would getting on the local radio station do for your farm business? -- My skills are ever-evolving as an interviewer. Thanks for taking the time to listen in, and let me know what you think. You can leave a comment below, send me an e-mail, reach me on Facebook or Twitter, or leave a 5 star rating in iTunes if you liked the show. Click to subscrible to iTunes Click to Subscribe via RSS (non-iTunes Feed) Support the podcast with $1 a month

"The Beginning Farmer Video" Kickstarter Campaign We've done it! We've made it to Episode 100 of "The Beginning Farmer Show"! And yes, I do mean we because there is no way I wouldn't have made it this far without the encouragement of everyone who has listened, taught me, asked questions, and contributed to "The Beginning Farmer Show" community. Making it to episode 100 is a cause for celebration though, and I wanted to make this episode extra special. Of course there is the fact that the Kickstarter Campaign launches today, but on top of that I have an extra special (and longer) episode. Over the past 99 episodes it became evident that one of the more popular aspects of the show were the hard lessons learned that I share. With that in mind I wanted to dedicate this episode to hard lessons learned. I didn't want to stop with just mine though, so I invited my great farming friend John Suscovich, of "The Growing Farms Podcast", to come on and share some of his hardest lessons learned. Over the course of nearly an hour John and I went back and forth sharing what some of our most difficult lessons have been and what we have learned from them. No matter where you are on your farming journey I know you'll find something in this chat that will save you a "hard lesson" in the future! But wait, there's more ... Not only did John take time out of his busy farming schedule to chat with me, but he also threw out an offer for all of "The Beginning Farmer Show" listeners that is both humbling and awesome! From now until February 12th at noon you can get nearly 50% off of John's eBook, "Stress Free Chicken Tractor Plans" just by using the code "kickstart" when you check out. That is a great deal, but equally as cool is that John will also be backing "The Beginning Farmer Video" Kickstarter Campaign with the proceeds from the sales. Not only can you choose to support the campaign and receive some cool rewards, but for the next two weeks you can also get a cool eBook and support the campaign at the same time! If you had to narrow down your top three farming hard lessons learned what would they be? Share yours in the comments below! Links Mentioned in this Episode: Farm Marketing Solutions Website The Growing Farms Podcast Farm Finance Challenge "Stress Free Chicken Tractor Plans" eBook (use the code "kickstart") Check out The Beginning Farmer Show on Facebook! As always, I want to thank you so much for listening and supporting the show with your encouragement and reviews on iTunes! I am continually working to produce a better show, and I'm thankful for all of the listeners sticking with me as I learn.  If you do enjoy the show, don't forget that you can subscribe on iTunes and leave a five star rating and review (by clicking the link). If you are an Android phone user you can also subscribe on the free Stitcher App. It is so very encouraging to know that people are listening and enjoying the show! I would love to hear your questions, show ideas, or comments about the show. Feel free to shoot me an e-mail! As always you can follow along with "The Beginning Farmer" and Crooked Gap Farm by checking out these links ... Crooked Gap Farm Crooked Gap Farm on Facebook Crooked Gap Farm on Twitter

It’s almost time for Philly Craft Beer Week and Jimmy Carbone & Ray Deter gear up with some great guests on this week’s episode of Beer Sessions Radio. Tune in to hear about what to expect from the countries first and largest beer week from Don Russell, Executive Director of Philly Beer Week, Tom Kehoe of The Yards Brewery, Curt Dekker of Nodding Head Brewery, and Hagan Blount of ITasteYourBeer.com. Also on the show, “food cyclist” John Suscovich. Beer Sessions Radio (TM) is brought to you by GreatBrewers.com.

In today's episode I talk about our pasture poultry operation we ran for several years.Stress Free Chicken Tractors by John Suscovich https://amzn.to/3IVM2Jd (amazon affiliate link) My Review of the Book https://thelotsproject.com/2022/02/01/stress-free-chicken-tractors-by-john-suscovich/GSD Morning Blend https://thelotsproject.com/product-category/coffee/My consulting and management services contact form: https://thelotsproject.com/consulting-and-management-services/Coffee with Brian YouTube Playlist:   https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhVhFByPLDZlrkBq4gzeVhj0VqcyuEakdMy interview with Amy at A Farmish Kind of Life: https://afarmishkindoflife.com/189-farmers-markets-tips/ My interview with Ken at The Constructive Liberty Podcast: https://podcast.constructiveliberty.com/episode/71Curious about the cryptocurrency index? I explain it in this video:https://youtu.be/EpAxvzwcbLMProduct Reviews:    https://thelotsproject.com/product-reviews/Telegram Chat  https://t.me/LOTSChatTo find out more about The LOTS Project please visit https://thelotsproject.com or find me on social media:https://t.me/TheLOTSProject  (channel)https://t.me/LOTSChat   (chat)https://flote.app/user/TheLOTSProject https://amzn.to/3unw0nKhttps://mewe.com/p/thelotsprojecthttps://odysee.com/@TheLOTSProjecthttps://www.youtube.com/happyhillshomesteadhttps://rumble.com/c/TheLOTSProjecthttps://www.instagram.com/lots_project/https://www.facebook.com/LOTSProject/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-lots-project/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Episode 19   Let's try chicken tractors.In today's episode I talk about our jump into pasture raised poultry.    Stress Free Chicken Tractors by John Suscovich https://amzn.to/3IVM2Jd (amazon affiliate link)My Review of the Book   https://thelotsproject.com/2022/02/01/stress-free-chicken-tractors-by-john-suscovich/Amy's Snail Mail Newsletter: https://afarmishkindoflife.com/the-farmish-newsletter/Telegram Chat  https://t.me/LOTSChat   To find out more about The LOTS Project please visit https://thelotsproject.com or find me on social media:https://t.me/TheLOTSProject  (channel)https://t.me/LOTSChat   (chat)https://flote.app/user/TheLOTSProjecthttps://mewe.com/p/thelotsprojecthttps://odysee.com/@TheLOTSProjecthttps://www.youtube.com/happyhillshomesteadhttps://www.instagram.com/lots_project/https://www.facebook.com/LOTSProject/https://odysee.com/@TheLOTSProjectSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-lots-project/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands