From the Field
The Fincabout Blog
Stories from the soil, science behind the seeds, and hard-won wisdom from farmers who've been there. Grab your coffee and dig in.
Farm Wildfire Preparedness: Buildings, Fields, Livestock
Farm wildfire preparedness starts before smoke is on the horizon. Use this practical guide and seasonal checklist to reduce fuels, improve water access, plan livestock decisions, and make your farm easier to defend or leave safely.
Small Farm Biogas Digester Guide
A small farm biogas digester can turn steady manure and suitable food scraps into useful fuel and digestate. The key is matching the system to your waste stream, winter conditions, labor, gas use, safety needs, and nutrient plan before you build.
Farm Windbreaks: How to Plan and Plant Shelterbelts
Farm windbreaks are one of the most practical long-term improvements you can make to a working property. A well-placed shelterbelt protects soil, crops, livestock, roads, and buildings while adding habitat and comfort to the farmstead.
Farm Pollinator Strips: Design, Plant, and Maintain Habitat
Farm pollinator strips can turn field edges, fence lines, orchard rows, and odd corners into working habitat for bees, butterflies, hoverflies, parasitic wasps, and other beneficial insects. With the right site, plant mix, and maintenance plan, they may support biodiversity, strengthen integrated pest management, and fit neatly into everyday farm work.
Farm Pond Planning: Site, Size, and Maintenance
A good farm pond starts long before the first bucket of dirt is moved. This practical guide walks through farm pond planning, from choosing a site and sizing storage to permits, safety, water quality, and yearly upkeep.
On-Farm Composting: Turn Manure and Crop Waste into Fertility
On-farm composting turns manure, bedding, spoiled hay, leaves, and crop waste into a steady source of organic matter. Done well, it improves soil life, reduces waste headaches, and helps you keep more fertility cycling on the farm.
Farm Drainage Basics: Fix Wet Fields and Muddy Lanes
Poor drainage quietly steals yield, damages soil structure, and turns simple chores into mud wrestling. This practical guide shows how to read water on your land, choose surface or subsurface fixes, and map drainage into your farm layout before problems grow.
Carbon Farming: Getting Paid to Sequester Carbon
A practical guide to carbon farming: which practices sequester the most carbon, how carbon markets work, and what farmers actually get paid.
Building a Food Forest: Year-by-Year Guide
A practical year-by-year guide to designing, planting, and establishing a productive food forest using the seven-layer model.
Regenerative Agriculture 101: Healing the Soil While Farming
Regenerative agriculture goes beyond sustainability to actively restore soil health, biodiversity, and farm profitability. Here is how it works.
Climate-Resilient Farming: Adapting to Unpredictable Weather
Practical strategies to protect your farm from increasingly volatile weather, from drought-tolerant crops to infrastructure hardening.
Water Conservation on the Farm: 15 Practical Techniques
Fifteen field-tested techniques to reduce water use, capture more rainfall, and build drought resilience on any scale of farm operation.