The Market Gardener Podcast

In this episode, we sit down with Greg and Kate from Harmony Farm in Brockville, Ontario, to explore their journey of starting a multi-enterprise farm in their 50’s! They discuss how a desire for purpose and environmental responsibility led them to transition from their previous careers into managing market gardens, livestock, and maple syrup production on a 250-acre property. Kate, a psychiatrist, shares her insights on lifestyle and culinary medicine, emphasizing how ultra-processed foods drive chronic inflammation and why farmers play a vital role in public health. The group also dives into practical strategies for farm viability, including selling wood-fired pizzas at local markets and partnering with community programs to provide work opportunities. Finally, they examine the value of strong local networks, continuous learning, and how simple choices like real food can create rapid, meaningful change. 

Timestamps 
[0:00] Intro
[05:00] Defining the role of farmers in the public health care system
[10:45] The transition from city life to buying Harmony Farm in Brockville
[16:15] Examining ultra-processed foods, inflammation, and culinary medicine
[20:20] Partnering with "Heart Hubs" and prisons for community farming programs
[25:45] The true environmental and health costs of conventional food
[29:00] Finding purpose and starting a full-scale farm at age 50
[37:00] Exploring the six pillars of lifestyle medicine and nutrition
[1:03:00] Rethinking public support: Farms operated like community hospitals
[1:22:00] Turning extra garden produce into value-added wood-fired market pizzas
[1:28:00] Essential resources: Masterclass, Heirloom software, and community support
[1:45:20] Rapid fire Q&A on books, advice, and life lessons

Sponsors
Dubois Agrinovation: 
Get 10% off by choosing the promo code ‘MasterClass – Jean-Martin Fortier’ when you create an account. Some exceptions apply. 
https://duboisag.com/

Links/Resources
Start Your Market Gardener Journey Here : https://themarketgardener.com/starthere/
Market Gardener Institute:  https://themarketgardener.com 
Masterclass:  https://themarketgardener.com/courses/the-market-gardener-masterclass 
Newsletter:  https://themarketgardener.com/newsletter
Blog:  https://themarketgardener.com/blog 
Books: https://themarketgardener.com/books
Growers & Co: https://growers.co
Heirloom: https://heirloom.ag/
The Old Mill: https://www.espaceoldmill.com/en/

Follow Us
Website: http://themarketgardener.com 
Facebook: http://facebook.com/marketgardenerinstitute 
Instagram: http://instagram.com/themarketgardeners 

Guest Social Media Links

Harmony Farm:
Website: https://harmonyfarms.ca/ 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harmony_farming 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/harmonyfarming/ 

JM:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeanmartinfortier
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeanmartinfortier

In this episode, we sit down with Noah East, co-owner of Wild East Farm and founder of Small Scale Revival, to explore how human-scale design, efficient systems, and clear values create a thriving small farm. We dive into Noah’s journey from managing a high-volume 8 acre vegetable farm to co-founding a mixed enterprise farm in North Carolina, examining how human-scale farming benefits both personal well-being and soil health. Noah explains how they integrate market gardening, agroforestry, and rotational livestock without overworking or scaling beyond ideal capacity. We explore their practical strategies for small-farm viability, including balancing wholesale with retail outlets and securing long-term land access through flexible leasing. Finally, we discuss the philosophy of thrift, relational agriculture, and why cultivating life outside of work is essential for long-term sustainability. 

Timestamps 
[00:00] Intro 
[03:10] Defining "ancestrally consistent" human-scale farming
[15:00] Origins of Wild East Farm and homesteading background
[17:30] Overview of the 44-acre mixed farm and livestock integration
[29:00] Management roles, delegation, and preventing burnout
[35:40] Systemizing micro-processes and setting work-week boundaries
[42:30] Business strategy: Wholesale food hubs vs. direct retail
[46:40] Financial transparency, farm earnings, and frugal living
[58:10] Creative land access models and long-term lease structures
[01:23:00] Applying the Wendell Berry concept of thrift to daily life
[01:37:50] Relational agriculture and Small Scale Revival consulting
[01:47:40] Rapid Fire: Favorite books, best advice, drums etc.

Sponsors
Dubois Agrinovation: Get 10% off by choosing the promo code ‘MasterClass – Jean-Martin Fortier’ when you create an account. Some exceptions apply. 
New Society Publishing: Use code market25 for 25% off all books
Johnny’s Selected Seeds: Sign up for Johnny’s newsletter to receive the latest news, products, and more. New members get $10 off their next order of $50 or more!
https://www.johnnyseeds.com/?utm_source=MGI&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=Duo&utm_id=MGP

Links/Resources
Start Your Market Gardener Journey Here : https://themarketgardener.com/starthere/
Market Gardener Institute:  https://themarketgardener.com 
Masterclass:  https://themarketgardener.com/courses/the-market-gardener-masterclass 
Newsletter:  https://themarketgardener.com/newsletter
Blog:  https://themarketgardener.com/blog 
Books: https://themarketgardener.com/books
Growers & Co: https://growers.co
Heirloom: https://heirloom.ag/
The Old Mill: https://www.espaceoldmill.com/en/

Follow Us
Website: http://themarketgardener.com 
Facebook: http://facebook.com/marketgardenerinstitute 
Instagram: http://instagram.com/themarketgardeners 

Guest Social Media Links
Noah:
Website: https://www.wildeastfarm.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildeastfarm/ 
Website: https://www.smallscalerevival.com/ 
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@smallscalerevival 
JM:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeanmartinfortier
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeanmartinfortier

In this episode, we sit down with Abey Scaglione, author of Radical Farm and farmer at Ruckle Heritage Farm in Salt Spring Island, BC, to explore the ecological, nutritional, and ethical case for well-sourced animal foods in our food system. We dive deep into Abey’s journey from being a low-fat vegetarian and Pilates instructor in Los Angeles to managing a holistic livestock farm in British Columbia, examining why so many former vegans evolve into supporting well-managed animal husbandry once they understand real food systems. Abey reflects on the emotional complexity of raising and harvesting livestock; she deconstructs common environmental arguments against meat; and she explains the relationship between the natural carbon cycle and rotational grazing practices. We explore Abey’s homesteading experiences, from calf-sharing with dairy cows and raw milk cheese-making to the benefits of mobile chicken tractors and mob grazing for soil fertility. Finally, we discuss the economics of small-farm profitability, the shift from self-sufficiency to community sufficiency, and how consumer choices ultimately drive change in our food system. 
Abey’s book Radical Farm: https://www.radicalfarmbook.com/ 

Timestamps 
[00:00] Intro
[01:40] Radical Farm book.
[03:45] The former vegan arc: Unpacking animal agriculture, ethics, and maturity in food choices.
[12:05] Overcoming low-fat diet trends, disordered eating, and returning to traditional real foods.
[21:04] Navigating the emotional complexity of farm life and slaughtering animals.
[32:17] Regrowth, bale grazing, and debunking methane myths in ruminant agriculture.
[53:40] Getting started with livestock: Poultry, rotational systems, and culling layers.
[01:03:00] The realities of keeping a dairy cow, calf-sharing, and the case for raw milk.
[01:29:30] Farm economics, land management, and shifting from self-sufficiency to community sufficiency.
[01:39:36] Rapid-fire questions: Lessons on acceptance, Bruce Springsteen, and supporting pastured pork.

Sponsors
Dubois Agrinovation: Get 10% off by choosing the promo code ‘MasterClass – Jean-Martin Fortier’ when you create an account. Some exceptions apply. 
https://duboisag.com

Links/Resources
Start Your Market Gardener Journey Here 
http://themarketgardener.com/starthere/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=podcast-saison5
Market Gardener Institute:  https://themarketgardener.com?utm_medium=social&utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=podcast-saison5
Masterclass:  https://themarketgardener.com/courses/the-market-gardener-masterclass/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=podcast-saison5
Newsletter: https://themarketgardener.com/newsletter?utm_medium=social&utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=podcast-saison5
Blog:  https://themarketgardener.com/blog?utm_medium=social&utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=podcast-saison5
Books: https://themarketgardener.com/books?utm_medium=social&utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=podcast-saison5
Growers & Co: https://growers.co/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=podcast-saison5
Heirloom: https://heirloom.ag/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=podcast-saison5
The Old Mill: https://www.espaceoldmill.com/en/

Follow Us
Website: https://themarketgardener.com?utm_medium=social&utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=podcast-saison5
Facebook: http://facebook.com/marketgardenerinstitute 
Instagram: http://instagram.com/themarketgardeners 

Guest Social Media Links

Abey Scaglione:
Book: https://www.radicalfarmbook.com/ 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abeyonthefarm/ 
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@abeyonthefarm 
Farm: https://rucklefarmsaltspringisland.com/ 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rucklefarm/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RuckleFarm# 

JM:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeanmartinfortier
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeanmartinfortier

In this episode, we sit down with Stefan Sobkowiak, permaculture educator and renowned Youtuber at The Permaculture Orchard, to explore how to design and manage holistic, diverse agricultural ecosystems. We dive deep into his guiding philosophy that “nothing beats easy,” his background in wildlife biology, and the catastrophic tent caterpillar outbreak that transformed his conventional apple orchard into a biodiversity lab. Stefan deconstructs Bill Mollison’s three phases of abundance and introduces his innovative “grocery store” design concept, explaining how grouping companion trees by harvest date completely revolutionizes the pick-your-own farm experience. The conversation highlights the powerful ecological synergies of combining perennial fruit trees with nitrogen-fixing species, annual vegetables, and pastured poultry to naturally optimize soil fertility. Finally, we discuss his playful "magic model" for farm planning, his perspective on utilizing AI as a personalized learning tutor, and how his parent’s experience during World War II instilled in him the importance of food security, resilience, and human relationships. 

Timestamps 
[00:00] Intro 
[05:16] Reflecting on Diego Footer and the profound early community legacy of Permaculture Voices.
[08:52] "Nothing beats easy" - Choosing crops based on what grows like a weed.
[15:33] The side quest from wildlife biology to landscape architecture to building functional animal habitats.
[20:51] Professor Caterpillar - Surviving a catastrophic monoculture harvest and shifting to permaculture design.
[30:22] Simulating a volcano: Unlocking high-yielding soil dynamics through compost and basalt rock dust.
[45:31] Bill Mollison’s blueprint: Replanting a diverse layout with nitrogen-fixing guilds.
[56:07] Launching a low-cost nursery. 
[01:08:03] Deconstructing Mollison's three phases of abundance and tracking regional seed adaptations.
[01:21:25] Seasonal taste cravings and how nutrient density triggers our instinctive diet.
[01:42:10] Designing the "grocery store" layout to group crops by seasonal harvest dates.
[02:05:1]1 Rapid Fire Q&A: Reading Sir Albert Howard, using AI as a tutor, and generational memory.

Sponsors
Dubois Agrinovation: 
Get 10% off by choosing the promo code ‘MasterClass – Jean-Martin Fortier’ when you create an account. Some exceptions apply. 
https://duboisag.com/

Links/Resources
Start Your Market Gardener Journey Here : https://themarketgardener.com/starthere/
Market Gardener Institute:  https://themarketgardener.com 
Masterclass:  https://themarketgardener.com/courses/the-market-gardener-masterclass 
Newsletter:  https://themarketgardener.com/newsletter
Blog:  https://themarketgardener.com/blog 
Books: https://themarketgardener.com/books
Growers & Co: https://growers.co
Heirloom: https://heirloom.ag/
The Old Mill: https://www.espaceoldmill.com/en/

Follow Us
Website: http://themarketgardener.com 
Facebook: http://facebook.com/marketgardenerinstitute 
Instagram: http://instagram.com/themarketgardeners 

Guest Social Media Links
Stefan:
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/stefansobkowiak 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stefansobkowiak/ 
Website: https://miracle.farm/ 
Masterclass: https://permaculture.study/ 

JM:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeanmartinfortier
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeanmartinfortier

In this solo episode, Jean-Martin Fortier reveals the ultimate secret weapon for healthy soil and high-yield market gardening: cover crops and green manures. While beginner market gardens often focus strictly on profitable cash crops, long-term farm sustainability and profitability depend on embedding cover crop systems directly into seasonal crop rotations.
Jean-Martin explains how standard cover crops eliminate erosion by protecting bare winter soils, while legume-rich green manures supercharge on-farm fertility by injecting nitrogen and building massive subsoil root networks. He breaks down his practical, low-machinery techniques for terminating cover crops on permanent beds and you’ll discover how hitting the "golden ratio" of keeping one-third of your garden in cover crop at all times can drastically reduce external fertilizer inputs and unlock deep, long-term soil ecology.

Timestamps 
[00:00] Intro and the importance of multiplying small, localized farms.
[04:35] Why cover crops are the underutilized secret weapon of market gardening.
[05:53] Two fundamental pillars for long-term farm success: Crop rotation and cover crop programs.
[07:53] Protecting bare winter soils from leaching and weather degradation.
[08:51] The difference between standard cover crops and legume-rich, nitrogen-fixing green manures.
[11:18] How to schedule dynamic cover crop successions between your regular cash crops.
[14:51] The "golden ratio": Keeping one-third of your garden in cover crops at all times.
[17:43] Step-by-step technical guide to terminating cover crops using a flail mower.
[19:09] Using a walk-behind rotary plow and silage tarps for rapid residue digestion.
[26:09] Advanced strategies to supercharge growth: Pre-planting broadforking, seed inoculation, and tactical manure application.

Dubois Agrinovation:
Get 10% off by choosing the promo code ‘MasterClass – Jean-Martin Fortier’ when you create an account. Some exceptions apply. 
Gloco: Biodiversity, without compromise.
Ecocert: Working towards a sustainable world. 

Links/Resources
Start Your Market Gardener Journey Here : https://themarketgardener.com/starthere/
Market Gardener Institute:  https://themarketgardener.com 
Masterclass:  https://themarketgardener.com/courses/the-market-gardener-masterclass 
Newsletter:  https://themarketgardener.com/newsletter
Blog:  https://themarketgardener.com/blog 
Books: https://themarketgardener.com/books
Growers & Co: https://growers.co
Heirloom: https://heirloom.ag/
The Old Mill: https://www.espaceoldmill.com/en/

Follow Us
Website: http://themarketgardener.com 
Facebook: http://facebook.com/marketgardenerinstitute 
Instagram: http://instagram.com/themarketgardeners 

Guest Social Media Links
JM:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeanmartinfortier
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeanmartinfortier