Uploaded December 2016 | Updated September 2026, 7 hours ago

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Jeff Pernell is a teacher and the founder of Galactic Farms in Missoula, Montana. Through his first years in farming, Jeff has learned several precious lessons about growing for profit.

We asked Jeff the top thing that new farmers should do to prepare for farming. The answer was twofold:

1) Listen!

A key way to feel out farming is by shadowing other farmers. You can do this through:

- Apprenticeships
- Forums and social media groups
- Tours
- Online learning
- Talking to farmers

2) Know the pain points of the market.

Pain points define demand. Each market has different pain points and therefore different opportunities. One might have low access to fresh herbs. Another might have incredibly engaged farmers markets. Another might have just lost a major CSA (and now has a hundred customers looking for a new farmer).

Start your farm with these pain points in mind.
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