In her new book, farmer and YouTuber Jill Ragan walks readers through the basics of a farm business and busts myths along the way.
The proprietor of Whispering Willow Farm, who also runs a popular YouTube channel documenting life on the Arkansas farm, has made it her mission to help everyone get the most out of their garden—no matter what the size. In her new book, The Tiny but Mighty Farm, Ragan walks readers through the basics of everything from plotting out a garden to germinating seeds to supporting other producers in your community. But most importantly, she debunks the myth that only those with multiple aces can have a successful farming business—something she discovered first-hand when she and her husband first began farming.
She plotted out garden patches, ensuring every bed was positioned optimally, and researched garden tunnels to learn how to protect her crops from the elements and maximize output. After all that work, she came to another realization. “When you scale up your land, your inputs go up, too,” says Ragan. “It’s going to take you so much longer to pay yourself back the debt that you’re in. If you would have just stayed small … you probably would have been better off.” That’s why one of the key tenets in The Tiny but Mighty Farm is not just to start small but to not be afraid to stay small. It’s entirely possible to build a business from your suburban backyard garden—and Ragan is happy to coach you through it.