$100k/Acre Using Human Scale Methods with Frith Farm

In continuation of our Summer Farm Tour series, we are joined today by Daniel Mays of Frith Farm in Maine to talk about how they manage the human element (employees and community) of their farm.
In this video, Daniel Mays discusses managing employees on a farm, farm ecology, community and more.
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[@chrisshepherd8708]

I am jealous of your new expanded Cottage food law. I wish we could have that here in Michigan. So that food could be the #1 production of the state(in use and export), not jobs...but franchisees, and a healthy society that's not obese.

[@flintstone4208]

A food law what is that if it's your land you can do what ever you want to do as long as you're not hurting anyone else and it's your God giving right to feed yourself

[@victorygarden556]

@@flintstone4208they say you’re hurting others when you sell it and will raid Amish farms selling unpasteurized milk with swat teams. Yeah it is your right but that only works if you can fight off the entire federal government over selling some milk.

[@ardenthebibliophile]

Gorgeous land and model. I will note for anyone seeing the title, listen a little closer. 100k/acre with, ideally, 3 people per acre. That means gross is 33k/yr for each person. Not including taxes, inputs required, etc. This is by no means a get rich quick scheme, you must love this life to go for it.

[@LowHangingFruitForest]

I’ve seen a farmer with a similar setup with 3/4 an acre by holding 35 hours a week making 6 figures.

[@pharder1234]

yea but you gotta think, youve probably got most of your food and housing cost down quite low by eating and living on the farm

[@yunyunnoyb1519]

I don't know if he meant 100k/acre/year or 100k/acre/season and if that's season, they might make 300K/year. But even if it's 100K/year, most of the labor is only part-time and generally for a shorter period, like 6-9 months a year of which most of it is part time. ~30K/year is not bad really, especially for the people living in the farm.

[@captain_Deez_nutz]

Most of those expenses should be tax deductible as a business though

[@paulh98604]

I was wondering too what the actual profit was per acre vs what is earned. If it costs 75k an acre then the profit is only 25k. Not bashing, I would really like to know because I have 20 acres here on my place I would like to monetize.

[@MovingBlanketStudio]

A sauna for the crew...Amazing guy, caring so much for the people and the land. What a beautiful all around farm.

[@jamesbernsen3516]

Well, it's also probably a tax write-off if it's for the crew. :)

[@drillerdev4624]

​@@jamesbernsen3516 then again, most employees don't get a sauna out of their employer's tax write-offs

[@kaoticmind09]

@@jamesbernsen3516 sure. do you know how many companies don't even invest in their employees no matter the tax writeoff?

[@heathemerson8536]

Frith Farm is a national treasure!

[@crisd117]

Doing Frith's Immersion Workshop kind of changed my perspective on farming and a lot of what I thought about life. I barely know Daniel, but he exudes a type of energy that is truly welcoming and inspiring. No ego farming is how all us farm managers should strive to be. Sometimes we put so much time and effort into the farm's that we manage/own that we want it to be all ours, and only ours. We are then left alone on a beautiful farm and send the message to others that we don't want them there. Though farm managers/owners may run the show, Daniel truly taught me that the farm isn't yours. A farm is to share and let others help you grow and grow themselves. Thanks Daniel and Frith Farm.

[@bellachiong3390]

I love this video and the farmer especially when he's talking about creating humanity back into the soil and farm love the idea of having a harvest community day I'm definitely going to try it on my small flower farm because even if im not a vegetable grower i feel the same purpose is building a community people can be rewarded with goodies making memories and connected with nature and farm❤❤

[@harunrabbani]

This man is a genius, making some truly remarkable points

[@gardenlove2782]

Such a great philosophy about building a community and resiliency in the farm model. I wish Frith farm all the success and longevity and prosperity they deserve.

[@doncook3584]

Wonderful story and life work

[@myurbangarden7695]

I cannot wait until my Farm grows and I can be featured on the Summer Farm Growers Tour.

[@shishkilover]

This is the perfect business, people like this provide so much value and quality in their food. I always try to buy from a local farmer because I know these guys are doing it right!

[@bjones8354]

Love this guy! Wish I lived close by.

[@mslorischoolsocialworker]

Thanks for another great video, Jackson. I loved learning about the sense of community Daniel has cultivated at Frith and seeing everything from the farm store to the sand pit.

[@DeadStreamOrganics]

We need you in Michigan!! ❤🙏

[@pajamawilliams9847]

what a gorgeous farm and amazing model. truly a people first business. inspiring!

[@chrisshepherd8708]

I would like you to interview this gentleman maybe in 15 years and see how much he's progressed because of his age he knows so much already

[@jeshurunfarm]

Thanks Jesse. Respect from Africa 🇿🇦.

[@jshkrueger]

Thank you so much for the summer farm tour series! You're awesome!

[@GoGracefully]

WOW! As a no-till farmer I am blown away. The CSA you-pick-your share is awesome!!! The focus on labor is even BETTER!!! CUT & PASTE this across the globe and so many problems can be solved. Thank you! PRAISE GOD!

[@louishill7326]

This was one of my favorite episodes, thanks Jackson!

[@jennablorezone8Band9A]

I would love to know more about the farms employee pay/housing model. Thank you for these beneficial videos 👩‍🌾

[@arthurr8670]

Check his farm website. Just search Frith Farm. I've been looking at it, thinking about trying to implement something similar for myself, but with my own style. He has a lot more information on there than I expected.

[@thekaimander5264]

I just love what yall are doing. Your channel, your content, how you share what you share, highlighting the other farms out there. Thank you. 👊

[@davidhunt3881]

Thanks for your work and energy Daniel!

[@tarawatterson4188]

This is one of my fav videos you all have done.

[@DeadStreamOrganics]

11:19 I love this.

[@eas-eautocom4871]

In fall i grab bagged up leaves off the curb in Rochester NY or from a maple at mom's house. The city also gives composted leaves & woodchips for free. At my property we cut down sick maple trees when i bought it to not have them damage the house. Many city or counties have "give back" sites or what's on the curb is free. I work in Rochester n live 40 minutes south in the countryside.

[@mrdeanvincent]

Great video, and the 'post credits' scene was the best.

[@victoriaman117]

Living the dream brother! Thank you for the inspiration.

[@billshepherd5090]

What a beautiful farm

[@zmblion]

This was a good episode. Right on man one heck of a guy

[@BadarTVTrends]

farmers and plant lovers from Indonesia joined 🇮🇩🙏

[@chrisshepherd8708]

Thanks Farmer Jesse

[@steveford9294]

Great looking farm, it would be a privilege to have a farm like this where I am, this is what to strive for, a successful farm that builds community and helps feed that community. Also great to see Frith farm is a Real organic project farm, another bonus as far as I am concerned. This is what we need to strive for. Excellent video and drone footage.

[@carloscarlos8409]

Sería fabuloso sus libros en español Saludos desde madrid españa

[@peterv3216]

Love it!

[@dantheman9135]

ThankQ

[@PepinieraDraghiceni]

Bravo! 👍👍

[@jugnoothelight8662]

wow stunning sharing

[@erbauungstutztaufgnade1875]

very great

[@racif]

Amazing farm! Really have their priorities straight.

[@SparksWilly]

Great vid! Scarborough isn’t far from me I may try to visit Danial’s farm.

[@MarkDurbin]

Thanks!

[@notillgrowers]

Amazing! Thank you!

[@420Trees]

Love it

[@chrisshepherd8708]

Have you ever thought about putting a refundable deposit on containers that they can reuse and then return to you? Then they can return the food that they are going to throw out or waste or to this bad so you can actually set up a worm or grub program for this so it doesn't go to waste. Probably sooner or later they will restrict food waste from going into the landfills so this will be a prime opportunity for by-product synergy. My .02😎

[@manolopapas]

Great video

[@jonbanner5823]

I really really admire and simply like this man! Humans and their input is where it begins and is all about. Seems like the agenda these days is to phase out humans. I have always loved Maine and hope one day to visit Frith farm

[@DeadStreamOrganics]

New organic farmer here, well at least gonna try on a quarter acre pasture, you make this looks so freaking nice 😅😅😊

[@nuhamin9673]

I went visit your garden

[@bethhubbs9937]

I am looking forward to buying a No-Till Growers hat as soon as the green color option is back in stock. :)

[@chrisshepherd8708]

Love the aerial footage what kind of drone are you using

[@daveordie]

hey, the hats are out of stock! thanks for the book, I'll buy a hat soon enough

[@cresentiae]

Thank you #savesoil

[@aileensmith3062]

Dedication and perseverance and positivity. We are trying to go (No Till) in this form of gardening. Ultra hard clay soil is a mega bummer. Having issues and getting our compost segment going forward. Then we have the rest of our lives to try and make Mother Earth and Nature what they once were before we decided that we were superior! Great series and bummer it now possibly coming to an end!

[@eas-eautocom4871]

For heavy clay I dug trenches burying layers of leaves, chicken coupe cleanouts, mulch, and composted soil. Done in fall then tilled in spring after winter in Upstate NY. When tilled it broke up nicely. Then during planting paths of mulch to walk on. All natural additions to generate more bio activities. Our clay would either drowned the plants or bake hard as rock. It's getting much better now, no chemicals but I do till or mix it to further disperse the added matter.

[@aileensmith3062]

@@eas-eautocom4871 Getting our soil broken up. We do add chicken manure as well as manure from the goats and rabbits. As far as leaves we only have one tree and now working on a second one. Might need to explore the idea and trenches, Thank You for the post!

[@Bradley_Burton]

Literally crying at how I wish I could be farming

[@richardmoustache]

He had me at "kale".

[@Guy4UnderDog]

Humans as a soil organism!! I LOVE IT! Ecclesiastes_5:9 Says; "Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field." The idea of the WEF that most should live in cities is totally obnoxious. Cities as now constituted, destroy people.

[@Jacques.Bodaire]

Fantastic series. Great work all around. Something I would love to see from either this series or yourself is how to build your market or break into markets. In my area it is incredibly difficult and markets in "better" areas are often uninterested. Not to trivialize any of Assawaga's success but their access to Boston makes them viable on 1 acre while Frith works 3.5. There's always a lot of ideology talk, which matters to every farmer in their own way, but to survive the business has to keep running and be gainful to allow these ideas to grow too. Sometimes it feels like farmers deliberately gloss over this topic.

[@VictoriousGardenosaurus]

Loving your book so far. Don't have time to read any more of it right now as I'm in non stop harvest mode as a hard freeze approaches tonight. I will never ever ever ever grow micro tomatoes again. Never ever. Cherries are as small as I'll go again.

[@chrisshepherd8708]

What is your take on the organic being certified organic since Hydroponics can also be certified Organics? And should there be a updated label to this and if so do you have any suggestions or names that haven't already been used?

[@richardmoustache]

Currently, that is what "Real Organic" is. I think they took a shot of the logo early in this video.

[@Denis-dj2zr]

Hay, tell me please from your experience how many minimum acres are needed for a good life, more than 100k per yar

[@nadeem2098]

What is the net profit?

[@guyh.4553]

I am curious as a conservation ag planner as to how you do no-till for row crop vegetables? It looks like you've minimum tilled the rows. Please tell me wrong. 😊 I was hoping for more how-to than "about". Good info but was hoping for different. 😊😊😊

[@wildrangeringreen]

they cover the beds with screened compost. Depending on the availability of QUALITY compost in your area, that can be a difficult and expensive system to work with (and usually involves a little, very shallow cultivation/tillage (less than an inch)). Compost in my area is neither finished, clean (asphalt and trash), of any sort of quality, nor affordable... so I went another way. It does work, but it has to fit your context in order for it to do so. By using rotations of high-residue cover crops, I have found that you can have the soil be quite soft without tillage. It's not the same kind of tilth like you get with tillage (or by using tens of cubic yards of surface applied compost per acre, annually), but it also doesn't crust over or compact like tilled soil (or compost) does either. Most small-scale farming/gardening tools are made with use in tillage systems in mind, so your tools and methods end up looking different when you go into a no-till system. Look up Helen Atthowe and the systems she's played with over the decades as an alternative to compost mulching. I was playing with a lot of ideas for a few years and just happened to find her and her late husband's work, and it lines up pretty well with what I've found.

[@paullane8798]

Can you interview Matt Powers about his Regenerative Soil book series?

[@cuznclive2236]

Matt

[@lorrainetreves8364]

Hello... how does CSA work?

[@arthurr8670]

Hi, it stands for community supported agriculture. A person pre pays for a share of the harvest, this helps the farmer have the funds to get it started. The share is usually just based off of how well the crops are doing at that time. How he is doing it is you buy units per week. Sounds like a small is 6 and large is 12. Since his is pickup only, he has everything labeled how much one unit is since it's always a different amount.

[@kinvert]

Not even 7 minutes in and we're already seeing that the government is the problem.

[@samgriffiths1017]

Scar-bruh , say it with me , SCAR--- BRUH

[@chrisbtoo]

The book / hats / merch links above are all broken FYI.

[@dheila]

Thank you for "sownah" instead of "sawnah"😊

[@techs120project]

Typo in title... missimg the "K"!

[@notillgrowers]

Human Scale YouTubing haha

[@channelname575]

Loved his thoughts on humans. One more human picking carrots equals one less human waging war. Thinking on a quantum/spiritual level, human observational awareness collapses the wave function, and creates our "particle" reality. And since God only "knows" what we know, more human involvement equals a greater love of God/man's creation. Can't be a bad thing, I'm thinking.

[@carrotsandrunning]

assuming 1:30 is sped up, else that car is speeding like a mofo o_O

[@user-df7pe1ls6w]

I am not sure how this is sustainable. 350k into 10 people is fairly low. Is it only sustainable because of the apprentice model?

[@adamtash2891]

they only work seasonally.....did you listen? 33k/year isnt great.....but 33k/summer isnt bad.....(not saying they get all 33, but still)

[@nickreagin9585]

Apprinticeship. Kids just out of school. Part timers. All kinds of ways to do it. Crew also lives on the farm so they work off their room and board. Theres no commute. Thatll add up to a lot of savings there. Like when I was living in the barracks in the Army. Just looking at net pay it didnt look like much but I didnt have rent or utilities coming out of that and the motor pool, chow hall and most things were in walking distance so it was actually pretty good given net vs cost of living.

[@uchiha5149]

📪🗞

[@kunst-koder-werkstatt4425]

just add a little weed and paradise would be perfekt...

[@joefization]

What a beautiful farm

[@thankyouforhearingme]

Thanks!

[@notillgrowers]

Amazing! Thank you!

[@user-df7pe1ls6w]

I am not sure how this is sustainable. 350k into 10 people is fairly low. Is it only sustainable because of the apprentice model?

[@adamtash2891]

they dont work all year...he said there are 3 seasons.....if they only work 4-6 months a year....changes the calculus, doesnt it?