220. Sasha Miller on Permaculture and Local Food Systems

What Sasha Learned Implementing Permaculture and Starting a Farm Store In this Thriving Farmer Podcast, we are joined by Sasha Miller, Co-Founder of Purplebrown Farmstead. Sasha and her husband, Jimmy, started Purplebrown Farmstead with their two kids, Ohlen & Ivan, in 2016. Sasha is the full-time farmer, but everyone has their integral role.  Purplebrown applied the permaculture design process to make choices for what, how, when, and why they grow and do what they do. They are growing a very diversified bunch of perennial goodies in their orchard, like mushrooms, perennial vegetables, berries, flowers, and herbs. They also raise poultry for meat and eggs, and pork, as essential parts of this resilient system. Tune in to hear about Sasha’s unique journey into the farming universe! You’ll hear: How Sasha got started in farming 1:36 Changes at Purplebrown Farmstead as the farm has progressed 3:59 How Sasha was introduced to Purplebrown’s vendors 8:27 How Sasha goes about staffing for the farm and the store 11:16 Marketing at Purplebrown 14:18 What the farm produces 15:34 How Sasha set up the farm’s orchard 24:47 The types of ducks Purplebrown uses 28:54 The breeds of pigs that have been working well at Purplebrown 34:01 About the Guest: Sasha started Purplebrown Farmstead with her husband in 2016, as part of the Countryside Initiative Program, in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. It is a 12-acre, certified organic, diversified farm, designed and managed using permaculture principles. Main products include pork, mushrooms, perennial vegetables, fruit, eggs, and more.  Resources: Website: www.purplebrownfarmstead.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/purplebrownfarmstead Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/purplebrownohio/     The Thriving Farmer Podcast Team would like to thank our amazing sponsor!   Steward is transforming agriculture by equipping regenerative farms and food systems with the capital they need to grow. As a mission-driven financial partner, Steward works closely with agricultural businesses to scale their operations, improve the health of their lands and waters, and bolster local-to-regional food systems. To date, Steward has provided over $15M in business loans to fund 75 unique projects, backed by more than 1,500 participating lenders. Steward is proud to be a Certified B Corp. Seek financing or support a loan campaign at gosteward.com