#013 Growing Food for Profit on Other People’s Land with Curtis Stone, The Urban Farmer

  • June 6, 2017
Curtis Stone in the greenhouse

Curtis Stone, The Urban Farmer

You’re really in for a treat with today’s episode! Debi’s featured guest, Curtis Stone (aka The Urban Farmer), has gone from struggling musician, funding his crummy band by being a tree planter, to pedaling down the coast and having a revelation that became his inspiration to turn Urban Farming into a passion and also a very profitable business. He talks openly about the decisions and the mistakes he made that resulted in his becoming such a great source of information, which he just loves to share! Listen in as he shares some specific steps that you can take to earn money as an Urban Farmer.

Curtis, of Green City Acres Farm, located in BC, Canada, is a Farmer, Author, Speaker, and Consultant. He has books, vlogs, Live Events and Online Courses to offer, as well as lots of intel on growing food for profit on OPL (Other People’s Land). Today, he and Debi dive deeply into the idea of Urban Farming, the future of it and also what you can do right now, to begin making money, either full time or part time, as an Urban Farmer. Debi is really excited with the idea of starting a movement, with so much urban land that is currently being wasted, when people could so easily get together and create Urban Farms on really small pieces of land. Listen in now, as Curtis shares some awesome tips, tools, and strategies for how you can make a really good sum of money as an Urban Farmer.

Show Highlights:

  • What it was like for Curtis Stone growing up.
  • What his life was like when he was doing tree planting and working as a musician.
  • His bike tour down the coast, in about 2007, where he really came out of his shell and learned about himself.
  • How he came to realize that he really wanted to work with agriculture.
  • How he first found out about Urban Farming.
  • SPIN Farming- the system that Curtis first implemented and taught.
  • What made him go out on his own.
  • How he first started out, doubling his scope and land for four years in a row.
  • What happened when he hit the wall.
  • How his business partnership became messy, resulting in a split up.
  • The three things that Curtis cut out of his life, creating freedom and success for himself.
  • Why raised beds don’t work in a desert climate.
  • His philosophy of ‘your function defines your form‘, in terms of gardening.
  • How much space and how much money you’d need to become a new Urban Farmer.
  • Marketing is the primary priority, with Urban Farming.
  • Curtis has evolved in his work so that he no longer even does Farmers Markets.
  • The laws and necessary licenses for Urban Farmers (who don’t want to fly under the radar).
  • Making more profit on the same land, with less work.
  • Understanding timing, for maximum success.
  • How he can get more done in twenty hours now than he used to be able to do in a hundred hours.
  • Why you should look at Urban Farming in terms of making money.
  • Why you really should concentrate on getting one thing nailed, before moving onto the next, to avoid burnout with Urban Farming.
  • Why he prefers ‘dirt farming’ over Hydroponic or Aquaponic Farming.
  • Why the small farmer will always have a niche.
  • Why he won’t grow certain things on his urban farm.
  • Why Curtis prefers selling to aggregators, which are like brokers.
  • If something doesn’t work, cut it immediately!
  • Curtis’s upcoming events in June, July, and August, on his farm, where he will show you everything he does.

Links:

Curtis’s website: www.theurbanfarmer.co

Resources:

Recommended book:

Curtis’s book:

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