As we wrap up this year, I want to do something a little bit different. At the end of every Seed Farmer conversations I ask my guests two questions
1- What would you tell your younger seed-growing self?
2- What would you say to market growers & gardeners to inspire them to start growing seed?
The answers I get are really wonderful and I often think about them afterwards.
I’ve decided to take the answers from episodes 1-10 and put them together to share with you.
In this episode we hear words of advice from …
• Frank Morton of WIld Garden Seeds
• Adrianna and Joelene of Empowered Flowers
• Marie-Claude Comeau of Semences St-Laurent
• Kristyn Leach of Second Generation Seeds
• Annie and Nathaniel of Deep Harvest Farm
• Helen Skiba of Artemis Flower Farm
• Liz and Matthew of Muddy Fingers Farm
• Robin Tunnicliffe of Sea Bluff Farm
• Chris & Owen of Truelove Seeds
• Rowen White of Sierra Seeds
Enjoy the episode!
Support the Seed Farmer Podcast
http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast
Episode links
Holiday Special – My Harvest System Design is 50% off!
My crop planning course Farm Spreadsheets For All Seasons is open for registrations. It comes with a full set of crop planning and harvest management spreadsheet templates.
Stay in Touch
Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram
Get my weekly seed newsletter
Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only)
Get my new book The Seed Farmer
https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/
❤️ Thanks for listening!
So I’ve been quietly working on something since April. It hasn’t exactly been a secret, but it has mostly stayed under wraps. In this episode, it’s finally time to share that project.
The big news: I’ve co-written a book with Julia Shanks of The Farmer’s Office, and we’ve just submitted the manuscript to the publisher.
In this episode, Julia and I talk about how this collaboration began, why we wanted to work together, and what each of us brought to the book. We also share what we’re most excited for you to read, and how this book connects farm production, business planning, and quality of life into one practical framework.
And yes, the project finally has a name. The book is called The Profitable Farmer: Strategic Farm Business Planning for Profit, Purpose, and Quality of Life. It will be released in September 2026, so consider this your early heads-up to mark your calendar.
Enjoy the conversation!
Support the Seed Farmer Podcast
http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast
Episode links
The Farmer’s Office website
The Farmer’s Office on instagram
Come to the Free Organic Seed Community Virtual Open House
Date: Wednesday, December 17th, 2025
Time: 7 – 8:30 PM Eastern
Watch the Growing for Seed and Produce recording of the webinar I gave last summer.
Holiday Special – My Harvest System Design is 50% off!
My crop planning course Farm Spreadsheets For All Seasons is open for registrations. It comes with a full set of crop planning and harvest management spreadsheet templates.
Stay in Touch
Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram
Get my weekly seed newsletter
Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only)
Get my book The Seed Farmer
https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/
❤️ Thanks for listening!
Alexis Yamashita is a community organizer, seed grower, and PhD student in Food Systems at the University of Vermont. Alexis has also been deeply involved with seed-based cooperatives. She helped found and served as co-director of Ujamaa Cooperative Farming Alliance, she co-managed the seed racks division of Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, and she lived in the egalitarian intentional community Twin Oaks.
In this episode, Alexis shares how her background – from cooperative seed work and community living to academic research – shapes her vision for seed systems rooted in culture, equity, and collaboration. We explore the motivations behind her current work and how she bridges grassroots organizing with institutional research.
In the deep dive, Alexis gets into growing mung beans and adzuki beans for seed. From growing to harvest to cleaning.
Enjoy the conversation!
Support the Seed Farmer Podcast
http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast
Episode links
Ujamaa Cooperative Farming Alliance
Come to the Free Organic Seed Community Virtual Open House
Date: Wednesday, December 17th, 2025
Time: 7 – 8:30 PM Eastern
Watch the Growing for Seed and Produce recording of the webinar I gave last summer.
Holiday Special – My Harvest System Design is 50% off!
Stay in Touch
Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram
Get my weekly seed newsletter
Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only)
Get my new book The Seed Farmer
https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/
❤️ Thanks for listening!
Fred Thériault is a farmer and founding member of Tourne-Sol co-operative farm in Les Cèdres, Quebec, where they grow vegetables for 500 weekly CSA baskets and an acre of seed crops. I say “they” but I should guess I mean “we” because I farm with Fred at Tourne-Sol and we’ve been great friends for the last 25 years and have done all kinds of things together. Such as – Fred and I also co-authored the book Crop Planning for Organic Vegetable Growers.
In this episode, we talk seeds, but I also brought Fred on to explore what it’s really like to be part of a co-op. We dive into the challenges and rewards of shared decision-making, balancing individual and collective goals, and building a farm culture where collaboration supports both production and innovation. Fred shares practical insights on how cooperative structures can help farmers thrive while maintaining flexibility and creativity on the farm..
In the deep dive, we focus on on-farm tomato breeding. Fred explains how he selected the Ruby-Sol tomato from a red hybrid, honing in on earliness, yield, and flavor. We explore the trade-offs between production efficiency and experimentation, and the lessons he’s learned from years of tomato selection.
I hope you enjoy this conversation.
Support the Seed Farmer Podcast
http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast
Episode links
Fred’s Farm Co-Op Academy
Watch Fred’s Free webinar: Start Your Agricultural Co‑op 101
Tourne-Sol farm’s website
Tourne-Sol on instagram
The The Seed Farmer Mentorship is open for registrations
Stay in Touch
Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram
Get my weekly seed newsletter
Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only)
Get my new book The Seed Farmer
https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/
❤️ Thanks for listening!
Here’s a peek inside the Seed Farmer Mentorship—a guided learning experience I’ve created to help growers build the skills, systems, and confidence to produce high-quality seed on their farms. This winter, I’ll be hosting the mentorship for the second time, and I’m excited to guide a new group of growers through hands-on learning, practical tools, and a season of intentional seed projects.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
• Who the Seed Farmer Mentorship is for – both new and experienced seed growers
• How the mentorship combines pre-recorded videos with interactive live sessions
• What past participants have gained from the program, including skills, confidence, and inspiration
• The value of learning alongside a community of seed growers and sharing experiences
• How this mentorship can help you take your seed projects to the next level
Here are the 7 modules we cover in the mentorship:
1 – Seed Basics & Choose Your Seed Crops
2 – Recording Keeping For Seed Harvest & Cleaning
3 – Germination Tests, Seed Storage & Inventory Management
4 – Crop Planning & Growing Seeds On A Market Garden
5 – Plant Selection & On Farm Plant Breeding
6 – Sharing & Selling Seeds
7 – Seed Harvest & Cleaning Techniques
Registration for the winter cohort is now open. If you’ve ever wanted to grow seed more intentionally and connect with other growers, this is your chance to get started.
Find out more and register the Seed Farmer Mentorship here.
Enjoy the episode!
Episode links
Support the Utopian Seed Project for matching funds
Stay in Touch
Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram
Get my weekly seed newsletter
Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only)
Get my new book The Seed Farmer
https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/
Support the Seed Farmer Podcast
http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast
❤️ Thanks for listening!