I'm a small scale regenerative farmer and I run a successful market garden in San Diego, CA. I have vegetables, microgreens, 20 chickens, 10,000s of red worms, fruit trees, grapes, berries, passion fruit, dragon fruit, and 1/4 acre of space for my farming enterprises. I make my own soil, fertilizers, and bring fertility to my land cheaply and naturally using no-till techniques, compost, beneficial teas, sheet mulch, and cover crops. I detail it all on my YouTube.
My goal is to teach as many people as I can about regenerative farming techniques and how they can grow healthy food for their family and even make money as a small scale urban farmer. Regenerative farming use no-till methods that focuses on creating the healthiest soil, plants, and animals possible.It really is possible to make a decent living on a small amount of land if you utilize an efficient design, a great business plan, and choose ideal crops to grow. Crops that are in demand, have a fast date to harvest, and high profit margin are typically chosen as the major source of income for small urban farmers. It's not for everyone, it's a lot of long hours and you won't get rich, but you will become rich in many other ways I can assure you. Farming has blessed my life in countless ways and I would love to share my story with you.If you would like to hear my personal journey of how I started farming 8 years ago, and how I farm naturally, check out the many podcasts I've been featured on.
Growing food is my passion but I have two higher goals beyond just farming:
#1
I want to help as many people learn to grow food as I can. So they can experience the joy and health benefits of raising their own produce, and if it's right for them, make a living enjoying this amazing lifestyle.
#2
I believe that radically changing our food system can achieve massive economic and social change that will help breakdown many government monopolized services and replace them with legitimate and efficient private service providers.
Helping to change our current large scale degenerative food system to a small scale regenerative agriculture system will have a major influence over the future of our world and society. In my opinion, this is the best solution to all of the environmental, health, cultural, and economic crises we currently face. We can use the positive incentives of the market to drive ethical behavior and farm using natural systems that are highly efficient and mutually beneficial to all involved.
You might be surprised to learn that I actually use 0 pesticides on my farm. Birds, ladybugs, hover flies, predatory wasps, spiders, lacewings, ect are my pest control. I always have dozen of species of plants growing on my farm to promote biodiversity, which brings a high level of balance to the micro ecosystem of my market garden. I even make 75% of my own soils, fertilizers, and amendments. I am aiming to have my property be 95% sustainable by the end of the year including feeding my chickens for free using free inputs. Everything I do will be displayed for all to see on my YouTube.
Nature is already perfect and we can use its systems to an incredible advantage. Or we can meddle with its perfect systems, destroying it arrogantly in the process. These universal patterns and rules of nature apply across all aspects of life. Nature is an endless teacher.
Let's go on this journey together!