Season 2
In It Together
Episodes 1-2:
Eric Kampe –
Green Things
Farm Collective
Episode 1
Getting Started, Keeping Going – Day One | Length: 39:00 Organic no-till farmer Eric Kampe shares experiences and perspectives on launching a small farm enterprise with a focus on both personal values and farm economics.
Episode 2
Getting Started, Keeping Going – Day Two | Length: 52:43 Organic no-till farmer Eric Kampe speaks to the practices that he and his farm partners have used to maintain the integrity and viability of small farm operations in their community.
About Eric Kampe
Farmer Eric Kampe started out as an engineer after completing a degree in computer engineering from the University of Michigan. After working for several years in automotive and electrical engineering, in 2007, Eric began volunteering at Abbondanza Organic Seeds & Produce, a farm in Boulder, Colorado… more
Buy-Protect-Sell + Leadership = Saving the Aprill Farm
Episode 3:
Barry Lonik –
Treemore Ecology and
Land Services
Saving the Aprill Farm
When an exceptional piece of farmland became available in Scio Township, Michigan, longtime land conservation specialist Barry Lonik and township officials found a way to protect it through an innovative “Buy-Protect-Sell” transaction strategy. Barry details the synchronicities and forward-thinking community leadership that made it possible.
Barry Lonik
Barry Lonik has led the effort to establish the model farmland and natural area protection programs in Washtenaw County for nearly 30 years, some of the most successful in Michigan. Barry started the Legacy Land Conservancy and served as its first executive director for six and a half years, developing it into an effective, durable nonprofit organization.
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Game Changer for Local Food Economy
Episode 4:
Kathy Sample &
Bill Brinkerhoff:
Argus Farm Stop
Next Generation Farmers Market
With a mission to support local farmers, Argus Farm Stop is a brick-and-mortar food retailer selling 100% locally produced food. Launched in 2014 by Kathy Sample and Bill Brinkerhoff, today Argus works with over 200 producers to keep shelves fully stocked year round. The farm stop consignment model ensures that 75 cents of every food dollar goes directly to farmers. In this podcast we explore what it takes to start a farm stop and how it can benefit your local food system.
Part 1 Listen
Origins of the Farm Stop Concept | Length: 17:40
Kathy Sample and Bill Brinkerhoff describe their mission to support local farmers, the origin of the farm stop concept, and the practical steps they took to get started.
Part 2 Listen
Farm Stop Basics | Length: 14:03
Argus co-founders Kathy and Bill explain why they decided to run Argus Farm Stop on a consignment model under an L3C legal framework, and how they picked their storefront location.
Part 3 Listen
Expanding Community Reach | Length: 11:57
A successful farm stop connects with its community on many levels. Here Kathy and Bill take us on a wide-ranging discussion of how Argus makes the most of these opportunities.
Part 4 Listen
Farm Stop Financial Projections and Staffing | Length: 5:06
Staffing is the biggest cost in running a farm stop. Kathy and Bill walk us through how they find the right people for the job.
Part 5 Listen
Farm Stop Business Plan Considerations | Length: 15:07
Kathy and Bill offer big-picture concepts and practical suggestions for making farm stop financial projections.
Part 6 Listen
Farm Stop Funding | Length: 6:40
What’s it cost to launch a farm stop? Bill and Kathy have some pointers for those who want to make it happen.
Part 7 Listen
E-commerce in the Farm Stop Model | Length: 13:25
COVID presented unusual challenges and opportunities for local farmers and food retail. E-commerce turned out to be part of the solution.
Part 8 Listen
Recruiting Farmers | Length: 15:39
Building relationships with local farmers is key to the farm stop model. Kathy and Bill describe how they do it.
Part 9 Listen
The Farm Stop Consignment Model – A Closer Look | Length: 14:39
Kathy and Bill walk us through the mechanics of the consignment model at Argus, from pre-delivery communication to intake, labeling, product display, brand-building, sales and farm payments.
Part 10 Listen
Evolution of the Farm Stop | Length: 3:31
Over time, Argus Farm Stop sourcing has grown to include a broader local geography and a larger distributor to help meet consumer demand. Kathy and Bill describe how and why they made these business choices.
Part 11 Listen
Farm Stop Education and Training | Length: 7:29
Part of the mission of Argus Farm Stop is to teach people how to start farm stops in their own communities. Bill and Kathy describe their educational programs.
Part 12 Listen
Argus Farm Stop: Next Steps and Impact | Length: 05:11
Kathy and Bill outline their plans to open new Argus locations to meet customer demand and expand support for local farms.
About Kathy Sample & Bill Brinkerhoff
With the launch of Argus Farm Stop in 2014, Kathy Sample and Bill Brinkerhoff transformed their passion for local food into a community mission. Having subscribed to CSAs for years, the married co-founders wanted to find a way to strengthen area farms and bring healthy local food to consumers.
Cultivating a Healthy Community
Amanda Sweetman describes how a small farm on the hospital campus of Trinity Health St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor is having a big impact on food, medicine, community health, and local agriculture.
Cultivating relationships (in addition to vegetables, flowers, and hay), The Farm at Trinity Health features a CSA that connects people with fresh produce from local farms.
Note: During the production of this podcast, the name of the farm changed from The Farm at St. Joe’s Ann Arbor to The Farm at Trinity Health Ann Arbor.
More about The Farm at Trinity Health Ann Arbor
About Amanda Sweetman
Amanda Sweetman graduated from the University of Michigan in 2007 with a BS in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and from Utah State University in 2012 with an MS in wetland plant ecology. After working as a scientist, farmer, educator, and chef she landed her dream job as the Farm Manager at The Farm at Trinity Health Ann Arbor in 2015.
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