In this Podcast, we’ll discuss production issues affecting South Dakota Specialty crop producers. Specialty crops as defined by the USDA are: “fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits and horticulture and nursery crops, including floriculture.” The S.D. Specialty Producers Association (SDSPA) is made up of growers, processors, chefs, consumers, resource providers and others interested in producing, marketing and supporting South Dakota specialty crops, meats, and products.

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This episode is from the June 2025 SDSPA Flower Growers meeting where Jessica Chase from Sierra Flower Farm in Gardnerville, NV shared about Maximizing Production on a Small-Scale Flower Farm. Jessica gave practical strategies for increasing productivity on limited land, including succession planting, space-efficient systems, and streamlining your workload. She also touched on how to evaluate what’s working, what’s profitable, and how to adjust your crop mix or approach as your business grows. For the full video and presentation, visit the SD Specialty Producers Association&#39;s <a href="https://youtu.be/mKKgl5Z1xn4" rel="nofollow">YouTube. </a>Additional Sierra Flower Farm resources can be found on their blog. https://www.sierraflowerfarm.com/ This project was supported in part by a Specialty Crop Block Grant Program at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Its contents is solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the USDA.

Maximizing Profit on A Small Scale Flower Farm

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During this Fresh Bites podcast episode listeners will hear from Dr. Ariana Torres Bravo about the Hort Calculator Tool developed by the Purdue University Horticulture Business team. This tool can assist beginning or seasoned farmers with calculating crop profitability and planning profitable farm investments. To access the tool, webinars, and other resources visit: https://www.purdue.edu/hla/sites/hortbusiness/This podcast episode is made possible through a specialty crop block grant SDSPA received through the SD Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Hort Calculator Tool

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During this Fresh Bites podcast episode listeners will explore market garden profitability by learning important record keeping considerations, common mistakes made by specialty crop farmers, and how to utilize the Grow Your Green profitability resources created by the Minnesota Farmers Market Association.https://mfma.org/Grow-Your-Green-Farm-Profitability/This podcast episode is made possible through a specialty crop block grant SDSPA received through the SD Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Grow Your Green Farm Profitability

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Listen in to hear about Market at the Mill, a new year round market for local businesses in Shenandoah Iowa, as well as learn about some of the community resources that helped Dr. Margaret Brady successfully implement this project. The Market at the Mill aims to create a year round market for local businesses while also offering education and support to assist each vendor in strengthening and expanding their businesses. This podcast episode is made possible through a specialty crop block grant SDSPA received through the SD Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Impacts of a Year Round Farmers Market on the Local Food System

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Hear from Jared of Budding Moon Farm about considerations and methods he uses to increase profitability while distributing 100% of his produce through CSA and Rx Programs.

Episode 15: Profitability with Budding Moon Farm

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Kiara Poytra and Michelle Grosek of Bear Butte Gardens Farmstand, LLC. will share considerations and methods they use for their garden and store to determine a price that is fair to both grower and consumer. ﻿South Dakota Specialty Producers Association is made up of growers, consumers, and others interested in producing, marketing and supporting South Dakota specialty crops, meats, and locally made products. This podcast is made possible through a specialty crop block grant SDSPA received through the SD Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources. This season our podcast theme is Grown Here: How South Dakota Producers can have a profitable market garden.

Ep 14: Determining prices and profitability of your specialty crops

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Dirk Oudman of Blue Sky Vegetable Co and Darin Waldner of Waldner Farms are going to be sharing their process to assure a healthy harvest of roots crops, such as potatoes, carrots and radishes. This podcast is made possible through a specialty crop block grant SDSPA received through the SD Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Episode 13: Raising Root Crops

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How cut flower growers are starting their seeds. Kristine Lang, SDSU Assistant Professor &amp; Extension Consumer Horticulture Specialist and Tanya Flegel, owner of Flegel Flower Farm, will share their advice and tips.

Episode 11: Grown Here: Starting Seeds for Cut Flowers

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Angela Jackson of Prairie Sun Organics in Vermillion, and Bernadette Barnaud with Owl Creek Organics in Nisland will be sharing with us about what it looks like to be an organic specialty crop producer in South Dakota.

Episode 12: Organic Specialty Crops in South Dakota

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Connie Johnson of Freedom Acres in Brandt and Christy Heckathorn of Fleurish Flower Farm in Elk Point share how they got started with cut flowers, and provide ideas for others looking to start.

Episode 10: Getting Started with Cut Flowers

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2023 Fresh Bites- Grown Here: How South Dakota Producers are Growing their Specialty Crops Grown Here: How South Dakota Producers are Growing their Specialty Crops. Today we are learning from two South Dakota Producers who provide their fellow residents with a summer salad necessity- lettuce. Kent Wilsey of Elk Creek Foods and Peggy Martin of Cedar Creek Gardens will be sharing how they produce lettuce on a large scale, while also giving ideas and tips that apply to producers of any scale.

Episode 9: Growing Lettuce in South Dakota

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South Dakota Producers &amp; Consumers surrounding Sioux Falls have a great option for local foods with the Dakota Fresh Food Hub. Since 2016, Dakota Fresh has been working with producers of fruits, vegetables, honey, meats, dairy products, and more to help market and distribute their products with a system that is easier for both producers and the consumers. In this episode, their manager Connie McDonald and board member Chara Hymans (owner of StarFresh Farms) tell us about how what makes their system work well for consumers and producers.

Ep 8 Dakota Fresh Food Hub

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Located near Minneapolis &amp; St. Paul, The Good Acre Food Hub serves producers and consumers in their region. Going beyond simply connecting farmers with wholesale market needs, The Good Acre is also all about educating and supporting their producers, training school kitchen staff, and helping individuals in their region to enjoy food that was produced by their neighbor. With us today is Nikki Warner, The Good Acre Communications Director, to share their story.

Ep 7 The Good Acre Food Hub with Nikki Warner

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Teresa Wiemerslage, of Iowa State University Extension, shares with us how Iowa has set up Food Hubs to serve local schools, and other wholesale customers. Teresa played a role in starting the Iowa Food Hub in the northeast corner of the state, and continues to be involved with the Iowa Food Hub Managers working group, as well as working to help schools develop procurement and use plans to make the implementation of local foods successful long term.

Ep. 6 Iowa Food Hub with Teresa Wiemerslage of ISU Extension & Outreach

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SDSPA member, co-owner of Stewart’s Aronia Acre, and Vice President of National Aronia Growers, Jeff Stewart, shares his knowledge of the impressive aronia berry, and how he has worked alongside fellow aronia berry growers to develop a system of aggregation that helps producers to reach a broader market.

Ep. 5 Aronia Aggregation with Jeff Stewart

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South Dakota Specialty Producers Podcast Episode 4

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Integrated Pest Management for tomatoes and Peppers, with special guest Kristine Lang.

South Dakota Specialty Producers Podcast Episode 3

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Integrated Pest Management for Curcubits with Marissa Schuh

South Dakota Specialty Producers Podcast Episode 2

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South Dakota Specialty Producers Podcast Episode 1 Berries

In this Podcast, we’ll discuss production issues affecting South Dakota Specialty crop producers. Specialty crops as defined by the USDA are: “fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits and horticulture and nursery crops, including floriculture.”

The S.D. Specialty Producers Association (SDSPA) is made up of growers, processors, chefs, consumers, resource providers and others interested in producing, marketing and supporting South Dakota specialty crops, meats, and products.

We are bringing you this podcast to help get good information to you as producers about the topics that are important to our members. Our first series of podcasts will address the challenge of pest management for Specialty producers in our region. 
