Conversations with Yoders' Farm

A biweekly conversation around what has been going on here at Yoders' Farm in Rustburg, Virginia. We are a four generation farm providing "Locally grown, gourmet produce & family friendly activities." That includes a PYO Strawberry Patch, Hydroponic Tomatoes, and in the fall we have a Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze.

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Episodes

024 - Strawberry Frost Protection and a Chilly April

A quick chat about recent frost events and how a pretty chilly April after a fairly warm winter has affected the pick your own strawberry season here at Yoders' Farm.

Apr 25, 2020•14 min•Ep. 24

023 - Planning for a PYO Strawberry Season During the Covid-19 Pandemic

In this episode we talk about some things we are considering doing different this year due to the coronavirus. This will likely be a pretty different Pick Your Own strawberry season from what we've been used to in the past, but if you can work with us we'll try to do everything we can to be safe and follow all the proper guidelines.

Apr 03, 2020•23 min•Ep. 23

022 - Farming Continues as We Adjust to the New Normal

Lowell and Eldon talk about springs continual arrival, the continued "early" timeline for the pick your own strawberry patch, and several other updates from around the farm. There is also some discussion about how Covid-19 may affect our PYO strawberry season.

Mar 20, 2020•19 min•Ep. 22

021 - A Spring Update & Are Farmers Really Dumb?

In this episode Lowell and I talk a bit about what we've been up to here on the farm the last few weeks and then towards the end of the episode Lowell rants for a bit about some comments from a presidential candidate that recently came to light.

Feb 21, 2020•17 min•Ep. 21

020 - Its Been a Pretty Mild Winter So Far

In this episode Lowell and I talk briefly about the past number of weeks and what we've been up to on the farm. We also talk a bit more about the advanced place having such a mild winter can put us in... and the concerns we have for the strawberries when the weather is this mild throughout the winter.

Feb 07, 2020•18 min•Ep. 20

019 - What Exactly is the Snack Shack?

The Snack Shack sometimes feels like its just a "tag on" to everything we do here at the farm, but it take quite a bit of work and we are quite happy with what we are able to offer through its windows! This episode covers a bit of the history as well as what we currently offer.

Jan 24, 2020•12 min•Ep. 19

018 - The Clock is Always Ticking in Produce

As soon as we pass the winter equinox it starts to feel like we're ticking right away towards strawberry season. Add a milder winter (so far) to the mix and it feels like we're moving even faster!

Jan 13, 2020•14 min•Ep. 18

017 - A Deeper Dive Into Hydroponic Tomato Production

Lowell & Delvin dive deeper into the topic of what it takes to produce a high quality green house (hydroponic) tomato.

Jan 03, 2020•23 min•Ep. 17

016 - Heating & Growing Tomatoes in the Winter

Lowell & Delvin talk about some of the challenges of growing tomatoes through the winter in a greenhouse. One of the biggest issues is keeping the tomato plants warm enough to grow and bloom.

Dec 23, 2019•16 min•Ep. 16

015 - Easing Into the Winter Season

Lowell & Eldon talk about whats been going on since we wrapped up the fall season here at the farm. The weather has changed, and we are definitely heading into the winter season. That of course means tomatoes in the greenhouse as well as field work and thinking about things we need to work on for spring.

Nov 19, 2019•15 min•Ep. 15

014 - A Chat About Agritourism & What is Next

Lowell and Eldon are joined by Delvin for a chat about agritourism at Yoders' Farm as well as a quick look at what is coming up next here at the farm!

Oct 30, 2019•20 min•Ep. 14

013 - Half Way Through the Fall Season

Lowell and I talk through the first couple of weeks of the fall season, the pumpkins, the corn maze, how the strawberry plants are doing, the state of the greenhouses, etc.

Oct 16, 2019•20 min•Ep. 13

012 - Fall is a Strange Time at the Farm

This is mostly a quick overview of what we've been up to the last few weeks. Planting strawberries. Preparing for the fall season. Pumpkin stuff. Corn Maze stuff. We even managed to talk just a little bit about the Snack Shack.

Sep 27, 2019•14 min•Ep. 12

011 - Lets Talk About Raising Honey Bees

Lowell and I talk very briefly about what we've been up to the last couple of weeks and then we jump into a brief overview of a new venture that Lowell has been involved with recently, raising honey bees!

Sep 09, 2019•15 min•Ep. 11

010 - Fall is Coming, We're Getting Ready

In this episode Lowell and I talk about what we've been up to the last couple of weeks here at the Farm. Making beds for strawberries. Planting strawberry tips. Growing pumpkins. Cutting the Corn Maze. This Saturday is our last day being open till we open for the Fall Corn Maze & Pumpkin season in September!

Aug 28, 2019•11 min•Ep. 10

009 - VSA PrePlant Meeting & Strawberry Propagation

In this episode Lowell and I give a brief overview of the Virginia Strawberry Association preplant meeting we were just at. Then we dive into the topic of strawberry plant propagation, where we get our strawberry tips and plugs and a few more details around that.

Aug 11, 2019•19 min•Ep. 9

008 - Lets Talk About Weather

In this episode Lowell and I talk about weather, in particular rain, and how it affects us here on the farm. We also talk a bit about what we do to help when it gets too dry, and how "controlling" the elements is part of the reason that we raise tomatoes in a greenhouse.

Jul 26, 2019•11 min•Ep. 8

007 - The Corn Maze is Planted & Other Maze Details

We've been thinking a lot about fall these days, mostly because we've recently planted the Corn Maze and are working to decide what our design will be this year. Beyond that we're also planting pumpkins and working to prepare the area where we'll be planting strawberries in September. There's always plenty to do around the farm!

Jul 10, 2019•13 min•Ep. 7

006 - Strawberry Season is Over - A Quick Look at Whats Next

This is a quick episode that puts the 2019 strawberry season to bed. After that we discuss sweet corn just a little bit before talking about a few possible future episodes.

Jun 24, 2019•11 min•Ep. 6

005 - Common Misconceptions About Strawberry Farming

In this episode Lowell and I give a quick run down of a bunch of little things that are common misconceptions about strawberry farming, strawberry raising and farming in general. Things like "are all strawberry farmers grumpy" or "rain is great for strawberries" and a number of others.

Jun 08, 2019•25 min•Ep. 5

004 - Strawberry Varieties - What We Grow at Yoders' Farm

In this episode Lowell and I give a brief overview of how the Pick-Your-Own strawberry season has gone here in South Central Virginia. Then we dive into the main topic of the episode, strawberry varieties. Lowell gave an overview of several varieties that we grow here at our farm as well as a number that he has tried over the year, and a few that are possible candidates for future tests here in Rustburg.

May 27, 2019•31 min•Ep. 4

003 - A Day in the Life of a Strawberry Farmer

In this episode Lowell and I give a quick recap of the last couple of weeks since we've been open for Pick-Your-Own strawberry picking. Lowell also walks through what a "normal" day during strawberry season looks like. Finally we talk through several tips about how to pick great strawberries!

May 11, 2019•29 min•Ep. 3

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