Jesse Frost of Rough Draft Farmstead gives in-depth overview of no-till market gardening

Jesse Frost is the Co-Owner of Rough Draft Farmstead in central Kentucky and host of the No-Till Market Garden Podcast. Jesse’s rich background in researching and experimenting with no-till practices lead to his first book, “The Living Soil Handbook: The No-Till Grower’s Guide to Ecological Market Gardening,” which will be published this summer.
Throughout their conversation John and Jesse discuss:
How Jesse got his start as a farmer and how a mission to uncover regenerative techniques lead to a promising career in market gardening. The economic opportunities surrounding market gardening, including the positive impact of collaboration and Jesse’s thoughts on land ownership. The best way to strategize and implement a direct-to-consumers business model. Two management styles that work for no-till growers on a smaller scale: Jesse’s thought on the basic cover crop model and the deep compost mulch system An overview of the four different types of compost: inoculating compost, fertilizing compost, nutritional compost, and mulching compost. The current state of the average farmer’s psyche and the power of relationships and community building. Jesse’s current intercropping practices and how they are implemented for pest and disease control. Pre-order Jesse’s book here: www.notillgrow...
Check out “The No-Till Organic Vegetable Farm: Human-Scale Methods for Intensive Commercial Production and Ecological Health” by Daniel Mays here: www.frithfarm....

[@notillgrowers]

Thanks for having me on, John! And for anyone interested, I neglected to mention we will be doing a whole podcast series about collaborative farming coming this summer. So look out for that!

[@darknectarcooperative7242]

Thank you so much for talking about relationships and mental health and loneliness. There needs to be more content about how to design a farm to cultivate healthy relationships. The end design goal for most farms is how to get the highest productivity. I think the end design goal should be: how can the land create the highest quality relationships… and then productivity is just one of the contributing elements.

[@jamesrichey]

I enjoyed this podcast. John and Jessie are my favorite youtube personalities I listen to. Though I am a simple backyard gardener I have learned so much through these podcasts which have helped me in gardening more effectively.

[@5ivearrows]

Two of my most valued and highly regarded sources of high quality information in one place, as I go into my first agricultural endeavor. Thank you both- I really appreciate the space being made for the market garden context, as I know many small scale growers are looking for ways to fit what John brings to the table into that space.

[@lucasnon1070]

two rock stars right here! Thanks fellas

[@AdvancingEcoAgriculture]

We're glad you enjoyed this episode, Lucas! - The AEA Team

[@partidaportet27]

I really look forward to your fantastic talks, guests and topics John. I find this channel to be fully inspiring. I honestly couldnt thank you all enough for taking such time.with such care. God bless

[@colbykinney5633]

I learn a lot from Jesse he is down to earth and explains things in a way that is understandable to beginners.

[@jeffcrist2977]

I like the living pathways method. Used it casually small scale and was happy about how little labor it required. Crop liked it.

[@cchurch5037]

Really enjoyed this discussion, so much interesting information so well distilled ! Thank you very much 👌

[@PB4U]

Thank youfor this great interview! Love the improved audio quality!

[@wilecatrexy]

Hey John I've listened to many pf your podcasts and even been to your website, but never even seen a picture of you. Are you mister mysterious?

[@tradcon3096]

He is Amish, their faith and practices are opposed to being photographed and/or disseminating their image or likeness.

[@kapungwephiri8258]

Great as always

[@projectmalus]

I think there's three balances to consider in deciding on a growing method. The first is the practical, how the soil and drainage, and climate are. The second is the balance in the neighborhood, so a weedy method is okay and so is a weed free method (according to the first balance) but one method only over a large space favors either diversity or human gain, at the ultimate expense of the other. This second balance comes from looking at the immediate neighborhood to see if others have a food supply and shelter, and making an intelligent choice to leave diversity (with flowering and seed formation going on, of course) if the neighbors don't. It's not about what they do, it's about what you do. These deliberate balance choices might lead to the third balance of mutualism on the planet, and this is the altruistic overriding goal. Good growing!

[@jimlyons4972]

Years ago I was inspired by the likes of Wes Jackson and Wendell Berry. Seems as though the baton has been passed.

[@ajb.822]

All the things you two are saying at 50 - 60 min. in, I would just add, for the sake of the comment reader who may not be familiar with the following, that I would do my best to marry that info ( those nuggets of scientific knowledge specified here, and any like it ) with the S.T.U.N. method of permaculture farmer Mark Shepard. Of course, there's times where it's the economically necessary choice to baby things along, but in general, esp. with perennials or if saving own seed or stock, I'd prioritize tons of plants & choosing the resilient ones, along with of course doing the basics of good soil care such as no-till & holistically managed grazing.

[@franksillik5670]

The land transfer has begun here in the state of Nebraska Bill Gates is buying all the farmland!

[@inigomontoya8943]

AEA is good for the farmer and consumer “traditional” land grant agronomists are good for the chemical companies and pretty awful for the rest of us.

[@chrisshepherd8708]

100 pounds of food waste = 20 pounds of BSF grubs

[@tinfoilhatscholar]

Its the tiller, not the "tillage" that can be a negative. Ahh the importance of language my friends..

[@ABplusOriginal]

Does the forest "trill" its floor? Do as nature does.....👨🏿‍🌾