293: Lauren Krug on Starting a Farming Adventure.
Starting a successful herb and vegetable farm business with a friend.
Lauren earned her degree in Community Entrepreneurship from the University of Vermont. Shortly after graduation, she headed west to work on a small veggie farm. After two seasons on this farm, Lauren joined the team at the Clark County Food Bank where she served as their Americorps VISTA Local Produce Coordinator. There, she coordinated the Farming & Gleaning program delivering fresh, locally-grown produce to those in need.
Lauren and her business partner Lindsay (who will be our guest on episode 294) run Sprout and Blossom Farm in Vancouver, WA combining their social and environmental justice passions, with permaculture and sustainability inspired practices for animal, plant, and human systems on the farm.Don’t miss an episode! Click here to sign up for weekly podcast updates
In This Podcast:
A taste of permaculture and agriculture in college was enough to help Lauren Krug go across the continent and try WWOOFing. That experience and some Americorp work gave her the connections to find an amazing new friend and like-minded future farming partner. So, when the opportunity happened to start a farm business on some property owned by a supportive couple, the two friends jumped. Now they run an herb and vegetable farm and are making a difference in their community.
Listen in and learn about:
- Growing up in New Jersey without any farming experience
- Getting introduced to agriculture in college, and going WWOOFing after college in Hud River
- Learning about the important elements of farming including building healthy soil
- Getting help from friends to remove the sod and making berms and raised beds
- Earning her degree in Community Entrepreneurship
- Some of the skills she is bringing to the farm business
- Working at Americorp and an explanation of what the program does in the communities
- Meeting Lyndsay and becoming fast friends
- Going to the Slow Food Annual meeting in Southwest Washington and meeting a couple who were willing to let them use their land
- starting her farming business with her friend as two female farmers
- Connecting with their community and being supported in their endeavor
- Having Farm to Table Dinners on their farm
- Being excited and proud of the onion crop this year
As well as:
- Her failure – Losing chickens to a predator when the door to the coop was broken
- Her success – The connections they are making with their customers and community
- Her drive – Being able to provide good and healthy food to her friends and neighbors
- Her advice – Meditate and listen to your heart
Lauren’s Book recommendations:
Food Not Lawns: How to Turn Your Yard into a Garden and Your Neighborhood into a Community
How to reach Lauren:
Website: Sproutandblossomfarm.com
Instagram: sproutandblossomfarm
UrbanFarm.org/Sprout
