Increasing Farm Productivity and Efficiency with Michael Kilpatrick (FSFS113)

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In 1999, the Kilpatrick family moved to Granville, NY to get away from “city life.” In Granville, they had enough land to garden, which was very exciting! After a couple of years, the garden grew, so much so that by 2002 brothers Philip and Michael began selling their produce to neighbors and the community at large.

In 2003, Philip and Michael sat down and decided to make it a business. Thus, Kilpatrick Family Farm was born.

By 2005, the farm was selling at multiple weekly farmers markets with a handful of wholesale accounts. Fast forward ahead to 2011 and the Kilpatrick Family Farm had grown to a staff of 12, with 14 acres of vegetable production supplying 250 families with CSA vegetables.

Today Michael will talk about what he learned running that farm and how some of the management ideas of large farms can help small farmers become more productive. He will cover topics ranging from how to market your farm better to what tools and processes can help you make your farm more profitable and more enjoyable.

Michael has learned a lot about farming the hard way, in reality, and despite the success of his vegetable farm, he eventually found himself looking for something different, and it’s that part of the story where we begin today.


Notes from the episode with Michael Kilpatrick:

  • “Smaller the scale, the smaller the mistake.”
  • “What I think that farmers need to realize is look at the quality coming from California, 90% of the time they do have it better anyway.”
  • “50% of labor and expense of farmers usually spent after basically when you harvest beyond.”
  • “I say, you need to know what success look like in your business.”
  • “When the context changes, don’t be afraid to change.”

Connect with Michael:
In The Field Consultants

Dry Your Greens Course

Build a Better Bubbler Course


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