171. Seth Shaffer on Lifelong Learning and Building a Family Farm From the Ground Up

Today on the show we’re joined by Seth Shaffer of Red Clay Farm, located in Cleveland, Tennessee. Red Clay Farm is a 24.5 acre farm dedicated to certified organic farming methods and growing without any traces of GMO seeds. Their crops rotate with luscious strawberries, lovely arugula, mixed salad greens, kale, lettuce, broccoli, swiss chard, potatoes, green beans, a variety of organic micro-greens and more. Join us to learn more about Seth’s journey to becoming a farmer! You’ll hear:    How Seth got interested in agriculture 1:37 What the current setup of Red Clay Farm looks like 12:00 How the grains on Red Clay Farm are cultivated 17:54 What is happening with their sorghum production 20:41 Why sorghum syrup fell out of favor 22:58 How Red Clay Farm sells their grains 30:54 What kind of education services Seth offers 34:35  How Seth manages his time between teaching and farming 42:03 What Red Clay Farm is doing with turmeric and ginger 45:05 What Seth’s advice for someone thinking about getting into agriculture is 53:41    About the Guest   Seth Shaffer is a farmer from Southeast TN where he and his family own and operate Red Clay Farm, a certified organic farm.  Seth obtained his master’s degree from Green Mountain College in Sustainable Food Systems. For the past 7 years he has taught the Sustainable Agriculture class at Southern Adventist University.   Resources Website: https://www.facebook.com/Red-Clay-Farm-152851461506253/

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If you’re looking to build a profitable farm that works, The Thriving Farmer Podcast is for you. Learn the latest tricks and strategies from successful farmers, strategize with in-depth interviews with leaders in the industry, and connect with stories of farmers just like you. With over 15 years of farming background, your host Michael Kilpatrick has the experience and authority to bring you practical advice, ask the hard questions, tease out the gold nuggets, and help share what it’s really like to build a truly profitable, sustainable farm. In the interviews, we focus on building farms that last, setting up your systems, knowing your customers, building your team, and treading that ever-challenging work/family/life balance.