Market Gardening

Cultivate a successful market farm with tips from our farmer writers lending advice on everything from infrastructure to planning the harvest.

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Market Gardening 101

Learn how to make money growing food and flowers with an acre or less! Discover the key steps to successfully starting a market garden, including going to farmers' markets, CSAs, building relationships in your local community, and more.

HOW TO START SELLING MARKET GARDEN PRODUCE

So you’ve gotten good at growing fruits and vegetables and want to be a part of your local food chain. Let’s discuss how you can make extra cash by selling your garden produce.

Gothic Style Greenhouse — Prequel to Building Your First Hoop House

Learn what to know before you build a hoop house. Read about tools needed to build a hoop house and what to expect when building a hoop house style greenhouse. Check this out so you can be prepared for your hoop house build before your kit arrives.

Meet a Market Gardener

Jean-Martin Fortier

Jean-Martin Fortier has had a profound impact on market gardening by demonstrating that it is possible to create successful, profitable, and sustainable small-scale farms that prioritize environmental stewardship.

His practical insights and advocacy for ecologically sound farming practices continue to influence and inspire individuals in the field of sustainable agriculture.

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How to Determine the Texture of your soil

Whether you are planning to open up a new gardening space, or if you want more information about the soil you are already using, a mason jar test and a quick reference to the soil pyramid chart can give you a lot of information about your soil.

Silage Tarp for Organic Weed Control and Bed Prep

Silage tarps are very useful tools for the farm. Read this article to learn how to bed prep with silage tarps and other useful methods of weed control.

Cover Crops for Sucessful Land Management

After harvesting your garden vegetables, adding a fall cover crop can build soil, protect from soil loss, and assist in weed and pest control for the next growing season. Learn when to plant and how to manage cover crops for the maximum benefit of your growing space.

Jang Seeder in Cat Tunnel — Jang Seeder 101

Learn how to get the most out of your new single-row hand-push JP1 Jang seeder with helpful tips from the experts at Bootstrap Farmer!

Recent Market Farming Articles

How Low Tunnels Can Simplify Hardening Off for Healthy Transplants

The hardening-off process is a crucial step when starting plants from seed. low tunnels are an efficient and easy way to simplify the process.

Treating Tomato Blight: Easy Soil Sterilization Tips for Healthy Plants

Tomato blight can be very dangerous to your crops, so it’s essential to know the symptoms, how to prevent it, and what to do if you suspect it in y...

Why Clover is the Best Winter Cover Crop for Your Garden

By using clover cover crops, growers can reduce the need for harmful chemical herbicides and dependence on fertilizers.

Optimal Spacing for Planting Cucumbers on a Trellis for Best Yields

Learn all about the benefits of proper spacing and trellising your cucumbers

Why Organic Matter is Key to Sustainable Soil Management

Let’s discuss what good things come about when organic matter is present in the soil.

Quick Tips for Repairing Greenhouse Plastic Like a Pro

Let us walk you through how to effectively repair your greenhouse plastic and get it back to protecting your crops.

Produce Farming FAQs

Market gardens, which typically occupy an area of less than one acre and up to a few acres, are known for their diversity in crop production. This contrasts with larger-scale farming operations, which often focus on monoculture - the cultivation of a single crop over a large area.

The emphasis in market gardening is on direct sales to consumers, which can include on-farm stands, farmers markets, and other direct-to-consumer channels. This not only allows the farmer to capture a greater share of the retail price but also enables them to build relationships with their customers.

Jean-Martin Fortier's method of permanent raised bed farming takes a unique approach that promotes both efficiency and sustainability. The permanent raised beds, typically 4-6 inches above the ground and 30 inches wide, are designed to optimize equipment usage and reduce soil compaction, making it an ideal setup for biointensive farming.

Market gardens are usually less than one acre, but they can be up to several acres. The goal is to maximize yield and diversity of crops throughout the year.

Market gardeners often grow a range of fruits, vegetables, herbs, and sometimes even flowers, all of which are typically sold directly to consumers through avenues like farmers' markets, community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs, or even directly from their farm.

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