Steven Beltram's guest appearances

Steven Beltram

Farmer to Farmer with Chris Blanchard

Michael Phillips

Ben Hartman

Dave Chapman

Dan Brisebois

Curtis Stone

Karl Hammer

Chris Field

MARK SHEPARD

Jim Crawford

Scott Chaskey

Michael Ableman

Simon Huntley

Josh Volk

Andrew Mefferd

Shawn Jadrnicek

OwlTail

After starting out in 2008 on a homestead in the country that grew to a market and livestock farm on several different parcels, my guest Steven Beltram and his wife Becca Nestler moved Balsam Gardens to two large parcels right in the city of Asheville, North Carolina. They now farm on 30 acres of certified organic ground, selling their product to wholesale distributors. Steven digs into how he has developed a large, efficient farm without any infrastructure. At Balsam Gardens, the crew field packs all of the crops, and Steven explains how they do this in a way that has helped them pass their GAPs audit while maintaining good quality. We also discuss Balsam Gardens’ plasticulture system, including how they manage weeds between the plastic-covered beds. And, Steven shares how they have worked to structure their crops and their labor pool to maximize their efficiency. Perennial support for the Farmer to Farmer Podcast is generously provided by Vermont Compost Company and BCS America. Pictures, show links, and more at farmertofarmerpodcast.com/episodes/beltram.

After starting out in 2008 on a homestead in the country that grew to a market and livestock farm on several different parcels, my guest Steven Beltram and his wife Becca Nestler moved Balsam Gardens to two large parcels right in the city of Asheville, North Carolina. They now farm on 30 acres of certified organic ground, selling their product to wholesale distributors. Steven digs into how he has developed a large, efficient farm without any infrastructure. At Balsam Gardens, the crew field packs all of the crops, and Steven explains how they do this in a way that has helped them pass their GAPs audit while maintaining good quality. We also discuss Balsam Gardens’ plasticulture system, including how they manage weeds between the plastic-covered beds. And, Steven shares how they have worked to structure their crops and their labor pool to maximize their efficiency. Perennial support for the Farmer to Farmer Podcast is generously provided by <a href="http://vermontcompost.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Vermont Compost Company</a> and <a href="https://bcsamerica.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">BCS America</a>. Pictures, show links, and more at <a href="http://www.farmertofarmerpodcast.com/episodes/beltram" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">farmertofarmerpodcast.com/episodes/beltram</a>.

156: Steven Beltram of Balsam Gardens on Farming without Infrastructure, Growing on Plastic, and Selling Wholesale