Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In this episode of The Rookie Farmer Podcast, host Alec Smith welcomes farmer Jill Duncan of Loving Roots Urban Farm as she shares her journey from renting farm land in the city to owning a thriving 1/3-acre market garden: growing on two farms at the same time, keeping her customer base, and the growing pains of moving to a new location.
She also talks about how she grows lettuce year-round, builds deep customer relationships that drive business growth, and manages a profitable solo operation growing high-value crops.
Learn more about farmer Jill and Loving Roots Urban Farm here: instagram.com/lovingrootsurbanfarm
Learn more about farmer Alec and Crop Culture Farm here:
instagram.com/cropculturefarm
Shop on Modern Grower with Alec's affiliate link:
https://shop.moderngrower.co?sca_ref=9551856.eplsLKegQSh7n
🎥 Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights! 🌿
Follow Modern Grower:
➡️ Instagram: instagram.com/moderngrowerpro
➡️ Instagram: instagram.com/moderngrowerco
Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:
🔊 Carrot Cashflow: bit.ly/carrotcashflow
🔊 Farm Small Farm Smart: bit.ly/farmsmallfarmsmart
🔊 Farm Small Farm Smart Daily: bit.ly/farmsmallfarmsmartdaily
🔊The Growing Microgreens Podcast: bit.ly/thegrowingmicrogreenspodcast
📖 Check out Diego's book Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon: amazon.com/Sell-Everything-You-Grow-Homestead-ebook/dp/B0CJC9NTZF
00:00 Welcome to Season Two!
01:38 Introducing Jill Duncan of Loving Roots Urban Farm
02:32 Jill's Journey: From Renting to Owning
04:49 Balancing Solo and Community Farming
07:11 Challenges and Successes of the First Season
19:11 Experimenting with New Crops
36:41 The Benefits of Living on the Farm
42:33 Transitioning to Winter Growing
44:36 Winter Crop Selection and Management
46:40 Building a Loyal Customer Base
48:03 The Importance of Community in Farming
57:02 Volunteer Management and Challenges
01:02:31 Implementing Effective Farming Systems
01:12:41 Tips for Summer Lettuce Production
01:22:42 Closing Thoughts and Future Plans
#marketgardening #marketgarden #smallscalefarming #urbanfarming #lettucegrowing #summervegetables #notillfarming #womanfarmer #solofarmer #farmcommunity #organicfarming #highvaluecrops #wintergrowing #hoophouse #caterpillartunnel #farmtotable #directmarketing #farmersmarket #regenerativeagriculture #homesteading #farmlife #rookiefarmer #saladgreens #sweetpotatoes #yearroundgrowing #farmingsystems #leanfarming #farmmentorship #sustainableagriculture #localfood
**** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
In this episode of The Rookie Farmer Podcast, host Alec Smith welcomes farmer Jill Duncan of Loving Roots Urban Farm as she shares her journey from renting farm land in the city to owning a thriving 1/3-acre market garden: growing on two farms at the same time, keeping her customer base, and the growing pains of moving to a new location.
She also talks about how she grows lettuce year-round, builds deep customer relationships that drive business growth, and manages a profitable solo operation growing high-value crops.
Learn more about farmer Jill and Loving Roots Urban Farm here: instagram.com/lovingrootsurbanfarm
Learn more about farmer Alec and Crop Culture Farm here:
instagram.com/cropculturefarm
Shop on Modern Grower with Alec's affiliate link:
https://shop.moderngrower.co?sca_ref=9551856.eplsLKegQSh7n
🎥 Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights! 🌿
Follow Modern Grower:
➡️ Instagram: instagram.com/moderngrowerpro
➡️ Instagram: instagram.com/moderngrowerco
Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:
🔊 Carrot Cashflow: bit.ly/carrotcashflow
🔊 Farm Small Farm Smart: bit.ly/farmsmallfarmsmart
🔊 Farm Small Farm Smart Daily: bit.ly/farmsmallfarmsmartdaily
🔊The Growing Microgreens Podcast: bit.ly/thegrowingmicrogreenspodcast
📖 Check out Diego's book Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon: amazon.com/Sell-Everything-You-Grow-Homestead-ebook/dp/B0CJC9NTZF
00:00 Welcome to Season Two!
01:38 Introducing Jill Duncan of Loving Roots Urban Farm
02:32 Jill's Journey: From Renting to Owning
04:49 Balancing Solo and Community Farming
07:11 Challenges and Successes of the First Season
19:11 Experimenting with New Crops
36:41 The Benefits of Living on the Farm
42:33 Transitioning to Winter Growing
44:36 Winter Crop Selection and Management
46:40 Building a Loyal Customer Base
48:03 The Importance of Community in Farming
57:02 Volunteer Management and Challenges
01:02:31 Implementing Effective Farming Systems
01:12:41 Tips for Summer Lettuce Production
01:22:42 Closing Thoughts and Future Plans
#marketgardening #marketgarden #smallscalefarming #urbanfarming #lettucegrowing #summervegetables #notillfarming #womanfarmer #solofarmer #farmcommunity #organicfarming #highvaluecrops #wintergrowing #hoophouse #caterpillartunnel #farmtotable #directmarketing #farmersmarket #regenerativeagriculture #homesteading #farmlife #rookiefarmer #saladgreens #sweetpotatoes #yearroundgrowing #farmingsystems #leanfarming #farmmentorship #sustainableagriculture #localfood
**** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
